Ellipsis and Ellipsessis is singularsesis plural
The ellipsis is also known to some asdot-dot-dotbecause it consists of three periods, or dots, in a row.At the end of this lesson, you will know when to use ellipses in writing and how to create ellipses when typing.
When to use ellipses
Use an ellipsis to show anomission, orleaving out, of a word or words in a quote. Use ellipses to shorten the quote without changing the meaning.For example:"After school I went to her house, which was a few blocks away, and then came home.“Shorten the quote by replacing a few words with an ellipsis. Remember, the meaning of the quote should not change.Write the correct sentence on your white board.
When to use ellipses
Did you write this?"After school I went to her house … and then came home.“We removed the words "which was a few blocks away" and replaced them with an ellipsis without changing the meaning of the original quote.
Which one is correct?
Read thepassage on the next pageand then compare it with the numberedquotes. Write on your white board the numberof the quote that uses ellipses correctly.
Which one is correct?
The mockingbird had ceased to sing. The leaves of thebougainvillaeavine which clambered over the dining-room wall rustled faintly. Mrs.Delahantybegan taking the spoons from the serving dishes.—JessamynWest, “Mr. Cornelius, I Love You”1. The mockingbird had ceased to sing. The leaves of thebougainvillaeavine . . . rustled faintly. Mrs.Delahantybegan taking the spoons from the serving dishes.2. The mockingbird had ceased to sing. . . .The leaves of thebougainvillaeavine which clambered over the dining-room wall rustled . . .
Which one is correct?
Soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children, speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes. They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed. —Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery”1. Soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children, speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes. They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet. . . .2. Soon the men began to gather, surveying their. . . tractors and taxes. They stood together, . . . and they smiled rather than laughed.
When to use ellipses
Use an ellipsis to show apausein a thought or to createsuspense. (Suspenseis when a reader is excited to know what is going to happen next.)Examples:She opened the door . . . and saw . . . a cake!I was thinking . . . maybe we should call home.This use of ellipses is common in informal (friendly) letters and emails.
Pauses
When the speaker is in doubt, or knows something which he really does not want to tell the listener about, he tends to take time while speaking and this pause is indicated in the written text via the ellipsis.For Example:“I … um … really … don’t know.”“Could you … err … please … stop talking.”“Would you … join me … for coffee?”
When to use ellipses
Use an ellipsis to show abreak, ortrailing off, of a thought.Examples:I know I saw my keys somewhere . . . ."I'm not sure what to do . . .," he said.I never thought . . . .
Continuation of Thought
Sometimes the ellipsis is used to denote that the declared thought is unfinished in the sentence. Writers use this punctuation to leave it upon the readers to think about the finishing the thought with their own opinion, or sometimes they use it to make the reader ponder over some reality.For Example:What is the world turning into…?And so the circle of life continues ….He went inside ….
How to make an ellipsis
An ellipsis is made of three dots called ellipsis points. Ellipses are exactlythreedots, not two or four.Type three periods with spaces in between.space-period-space-period-space-period-spaceExamples:She opened the door … and saw … a cake!I was thinking … maybe we should call home.Examples:I know I saw my keys somewhere ….I never thought …."I'm not sure what to do … ," he said.
How to make an ellipsis
If the ellipsis is in the place of a word or part of a sentence, leave a space on each side of the ellipsis.For example:(Without an ellipsis)We went to the city, shopped, ate lunch and arrived home after midnight.(With an ellipsis, removing the words "shopped, ate lunch")We went to the city … and arrived home after midnight.
How to make an ellipsis
If the ellipsis is used to replace words at the end of a sentence, it should be followed by a period (.), question mark (?) or exclamation point (!) to end the sentence.
Guidelines
Usethree ellipsis points (three spacedperiods precededand followedby spaces) to show that one or more words have been omitted within aquoted sentence.Example:“The critics are raving about . . . this film.”Usea period and three ellipsis points if the ellipses fall at the end ofa sentence.Example:“The band’s rise has been phenomenal. . ..”Infiction and informal writing, ellipses are used to indicate that an ideahas trailedoff.Example:Somehow I felt disappointed; Ifelt ….
Summary
In summary, the ellipsis is a form of punctuation used in writing the English language. It can be used to show an omission, to show a pause or create suspense, or to show a break in a thought. An ellipsis is made by using three periods in a row with spaces before, after, and in between.Tip: Don’t overuse ellipses in your writing.
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