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Using Ellipses in Writing and Quotes

An ellipsis is a punctuation mark consisting of three dots. It is used to omit words, phrases, lines, or paragraphs from a quoted passage in order to save space or remove irrelevant material. There are different conventions for including spaces around the ellipsis marks, such as including a space on each side or directly before or after. Ellipses can also be used to express hesitation, changes in mood, or trailing thoughts.

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325 views2 pages

Using Ellipses in Writing and Quotes

An ellipsis is a punctuation mark consisting of three dots. It is used to omit words, phrases, lines, or paragraphs from a quoted passage in order to save space or remove irrelevant material. There are different conventions for including spaces around the ellipsis marks, such as including a space on each side or directly before or after. Ellipses can also be used to express hesitation, changes in mood, or trailing thoughts.

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Butch Viray
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Ellipses

Definition

An ellipsis (plural: ellipses) is a punctuation mark consisting of


three dots.

Use an ellipsis when omitting a word, phrase, line, paragraph,


or more from a quoted passage. Ellipses save space or remove
material that is less relevant. They are useful in getting right to
the point without delay or distraction:

Full quotation: "Today, after hours of careful thought, we


vetoed the bill."

With ellipsis: "Today we vetoed the bill."

Although ellipses are used in many ways, the three-dot method


is the simplest. Newspapers, magazines, and books of fiction
and nonfiction use various approaches that they find suitable.

Some writers and editors feel that no spaces are necessary.

Example: I don't knowI'm not sure.

Others enclose the ellipsis with a space on each side.

Example: I don't know I'm not sure.

Still others put a space either directly before or directly after


the ellipsis.
Examples:
I don't know I'm not sure.
I don't know I'm not sure.

A four-dot method and an even more rigorous method used in


legal works require fuller explanations that can be found in
other reference books.

Rule 1. Many writers use an ellipsis whether the omission


occurs at the beginning of a sentence, in the middle of a
sentence, or between sentences.

A common way to delete the beginning of a sentence is to


follow the opening quotation mark with an ellipsis, plus a
bracketed capital letter:

Example: " [A]fter hours of careful thought, we vetoed the


bill."

Other writers omit the ellipsis in such cases, feeling the


bracketed capital letter gets the point across.

For more on brackets, see Parentheses and Brackets.

Rule 2. Ellipses can express hesitation, changes of mood,


suspense, or thoughts trailing off. Writers also use ellipses to
indicate a pause or wavering in an otherwise straightforward
sentence.

Examples:
I don't know I'm not sure.
Pride is one thing, but what happens if she ?
He said, "I really don't understand this."
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