An ellipsis is a mark consisting of three periods ( … ) and is generally used to signal an omission. The omission can have a number of different effects, depending on context. Here are five common occasions for using ellipses.
1. To create suspense
The robber opened the chest to find that the diamond was … gone.
I always thought I was an only-child, but yesterday …..
Note that a period comes at the end of a sentence ending with an ellipsis, resulting in four consecutive dots.
2. To show a trailing off of thought
I’m sure the restaurant’s over … no, actually, I’m not sure where it is.
If only we had left when we … oh well, too little, too late.
Stop trying to … you know what, forget it.
3. To show hesitation, emotion or an uneasy silence
Look … I really thought … uh, you see ….
I swear I didn’t do anything … at least not that I remember.
Please, let’s not … let’s not go in there … it’s not a good idea.
4. To show incomplete sentences
“What’s the point of living when we …” Susan stopped talking and sighed.
“Look what he did to you when he …” Stephen’s voice trailed off.
5. To show that words have been omitted from quoted material
Compare the following sentences:
Original sentence: “Harry Potter is a talented wizard, who owns a broomstick and an owl, and his enemy is Lord Voldemort.”
Shortened sentence: “Harry Potter’s … enemy is Lord Voldemort.”
The shortened sentence eliminates wordiness and excess information about Harry’s possessions by using an ellipsis to indicate that information has been taken out of the original quotation. This saves space and allows the writer to get to the point.
When using an ellipses to shorten a quotation used in an article for an academic journal, always consult your discipline’s style guide.
Reminders
- Don’t overuse ellipses, as this will cause them to lose their impact and will likely distract your reader.
- Some writers put a space before and after an ellipsis (as shown throughout this article):
I don’t know where he is … he could be anywhere.
Others do not use spaces:
I don’t know where he is…he could be anywhere.
You will also see differences in how the ellipsis itself is formed. Some used what is called the closed ellipsis, while others use a spaced-out ellipsis.
Closed ellipsis: ( … )
Spaced-out ellipsis: ( . . . )
Different style guides have different rules for how to format ellipses. For example, The Chicago Manual of Style uses the spaced-out ellipsis, while The Associated Press Stylbook uses the closed ellipsis. Always consult your discipline or organization’s stylebook to ensure consistency in your use of the ellipsis.