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- Ellipsis
Neha Karve
Summary
An ellipsis (plural: ellipses) is a mark that comprises a series of three dots. The dots in an ellipsis may be separated by spaces (...) or they may not (…), depending on the style you follow.
In a quotation, an ellipsis signifies omitted words and sentences. Be careful not to change or skew the meaning of the original speech or text.
In a dialogue or narrative, an ellipsis shows faltering speech or a pause. Take care, however, not to overuse this mark. Don’t use an ellipsis instead of a period unless a pause is meant to be meaningful to the reader or signify an incomplete thought.
What is an ellipsis?
An ellipsis (...or…) is a set of three periods or dots in a row. In formal writing, it is used to indicate omitted text in a quotation. Ellipses are also used in casual communication, such as text messages, to show indecision or a thought trailing off. In creative writing, an ellipsis can signify a pause.
Spacing of dots in an ellipsis
An ellipsis has three dots. There may or may not be a space separating each of the dots.
Examples
- The government...told news channels what to report and when to report it.
- The government…told news channels what to report and when to report it.
- “I...I can’t remember what happened.”
- “I… I can’t remember what happened.”
or
or
Tip
Word processors like Microsoft Word have an ellipsis character (U+2026), which automatically appears when you type three dots in a row. You may use this or type three spaced dots yourself. If you do insert spaces between the dots, they should be nonbreaking, so that your ellipsis doesn’t spread out across two lines of copy.
Spaced dots in an ellipsis are preferred in academic writing, and unspaced in news copy. Some style manuals (like Chicago, APA, and MLA) recommend spacing before and between the dots of an ellipsis. In contrast, the AP Stylebook treats an ellipsis as one word without internal spacing. Pick a style, and follow it consistently.
For omitted text
Use an ellipsis to indicate the omission of words from quoted text.
Example
- Original:
I can enjoy feeling melancholy, and there is a good deal of satisfaction about being thoroughly miserable; but nobody likes a fit of the blues. Nevertheless, everybody has them; notwithstanding which, nobody can tell why. There is no accounting for them. You are just as likely to have one on the day after you have come into a large fortune as on the day after you have left your new silk umbrella in the train.
— Jerome K. Jerome, The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, 1879
- Quoted: As the writer says,
I can enjoy feeling melancholy,... but nobody likes a fit of the blues. Nevertheless, everybody has them... You are just as likely to have one on the day after you have come into a large fortune as on the day after you have left your new silk umbrella in the train.
Tip
When you quote just a word or a phrase, don’t use ellipses with it, since it is already clear that you are not quoting the entire text.
Examples
- Incorrect As the writer says, nobody likes “... a fit of the blues.”
- Correct As the writer says, nobody likes “a fit of the blues.”
Note that after you have replaced words with ellipses, the reader should still be able to read the text aloud as a grammatically complete sentence.
Example
- Incorrect As the writer says,
I can enjoy feeling melancholy,... likes a fit of the blues.
After the omission, this no longer reads as a sentence.
- Correct As the writer says,
I can enjoy feeling melancholy,... but nobody likes a fit of the blues.
Although words have been omitted, the quotation can still be read aloud as a sentence.
Caution
When you quote someone, make sure you don’t skew or change the meaning of the original words. Omitting words from a quotation should not cause confusion about the speaker’s original meaning or intent.
Example
- Original: “We still have many people marginalized and discriminated against in our nation. People in power, people with privilege, who continue to discriminate against the historically marginalized, must be punished, must be made to pay. We must set an example.”
- Incorrect Quoted: The senator replied, “We still have many people marginalized... such people must be punished, must be made to pay. We must set an example.”
- Correct Quoted: The senator replied, “We still have many people marginalized... in our nation. People... who continue to discriminate against the historically marginalized... must be made to pay. We must set an example.”
You don’t need to insert an ellipsis for text omitted at the start or end of a quotation.
Example
- Original: In the morning, you must wear your clothes before you leave the house.
- Unnecessary Unnecessary: In his great wisdom, the guru said, “... wear your clothes before you leave the house.”
Better Better: In his great wisdom, the guru said, “Wear your clothes before you leave the house.” - Unnecessary Unnecessary: In his great wisdom, the guru said, “In the morning, you must wear your clothes ....”
Better Better: In his great wisdom, the guru said, “In the morning, you must wear your clothes.”
Only if you wish to leave a quotation deliberately incomplete should you use an ellipsis at the end.
Example
- Correct Quoted: The guru droned on, “In the morning, you must...” It was afternoon, and I drifted in and out of sleep to the sound of his soothing voice.
Note
The term “ellipsis” can mean the omission of words considered superfluous to the meaning of a sentence.
Example
- France scored three goals; Germany, four.
The words “scored” and “goals” are clear from context and need not be repeated when speaking about Germany’s score.
An ellipsis (...) is not used in such elliptical references, where we omit words simply to avoid repetition.
Ellipsis in brackets
When the quoted text itself contains ellipses, surround your own ellipses with brackets to indicate that these have been inserted by you.
For example, if you interview participants in a study, you may want to show faltering speech in your transcription of the interviews. In such a case, use ellipses to show faltering speech, and bracketed ellipses to show your own omission of words.
Example
- Original speech (including pauses): “For immigrants... I mean for immigrant children, especially... culture clash, I have often seen, it can cause disorientation.”
- Quoted (omitted text shown by ellipses in brackets): One of the participants spoke about her childhood as an immigrant: “For immigrant children,... culture clash[...] can cause disorientation.”
Period after ellipsis
Generally, if the ellipsis falls at the end of a quotation, three dots are sufficient. You don’t need a fourth one for the final period.
Examples
- Original: “They wanted freedom. They would fight for it, lay down their lives for a cause without consideration to their own existence, for that is what it was without freedom—existence without life. You could not call it a life, they said, if you could not choose how to live.”
- Quoted: In her autobiography, she writes, “They wanted freedom. They would fight for it...”
However, if the ellipsis is followed by another sentence, place a period before the ellipsis to show that the previous sentence has ended.
Example
- Quoted: In her autobiography, she writes, “They wanted freedom. They would fight for it.... You could not call it a life, they said, if you could not choose how to live.”
Punctuation with ellipses
If the omitted text follows a punctuation mark (like a comma or a question mark), include the mark in the quotation only if it is necessary to the meaning of the sentence. If you do, leave a space after the punctuation mark, and then type the ellipsis.
Examples
- The chief of staff said, “We must be more open, inclusive, ... and it is important to include the Durandians in the discussion.”
- “What then makes a creature sentient? ... Is it the ability to think?... Then creatures who make choices must be sentient.... Or perhaps we prefer to think of no creatures but humans as sentient.”
In poetry
As in prose, use an ellipsis to show an unfinished line in poetry.
Example
- Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.— Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (1834)
To show the omission of one or more lines, use a row of dots the approximate length of the previous line.
Example
- Day after day, day after day,
........................
Upon a painted ocean.— Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (1834)
As suspension points
The three dots that make up an ellipsis are also called suspension points. In informal writing, these dots can indicate indecision, an incomplete thought, or a pause. The ellipsis then acts as a punctuation mark that indicates a pause.
Examples
- “Are you coming to the party tonight?”
“Maybe…” - “I saw … I think I just saw a ghost!”
You can also use an ellipsis to show faltering speech in dialogue or a thought trailing off.
Examples
- “The ghost...the ghost stole my hat!”
- “Is he...is he quite sane?”
- Night fell...
In literature
Here are some examples that show how a writer can use an ellipsis to make the reader pause between thoughts.
In poetry, an ellipsis creates a gentler pause than that signified by a period, giving the reader time to reflect.
Example
- I grow old … I grow old …
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.— T.S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” (1915)
In a narrative, an ellipsis can indicate a thought trailing off.
Example
It’s a bird, white, falling from a great height. Shot through the heart, in winter; the feathers coming off, drifting down…
— Margaret Atwood, The Edible Woman (1969)
In dialogue, an ellipsis can signify a pause.
Example
I mean if you let yourself get angry you’ll be... consumed. You’ll burn up. It’s not productive.
— Anne Tyler, The Accidental Tourist (1985)
An ellipsis can also be used to show faltering speech.
Example
‘Now … it says here your first name is … can’t read Fred’s handwriting … er …’
There was nothing for it. ‘Cheery, sir,’ said Cheery Littlebottom.— Terry Pratchett, Feet of Clay (1996)
Misuse
Ellipses are easy to overuse and misuse. In emails and chat messages, remember that an ellipsis indicates an unfinished thought and carries the tone of indecision.
Example
- “Do you want the job?”
Poor Uncertain: “Yes …”The use of ellipsis makes the person sound unsure of their answer.
Better Certain:“Yes.”The period conveys a more decisive tone.
In formal writing, use ellipses only to indicate omitted text in a quotation. Avoid using ellipses in business communication.
Example
- “Will you complete the report by tonight?
Poor Poor: “Yes …”
Better Better: “Yes.”
Caution
Use a period rather than an ellipsis when you want to sound sure about an answer or to mark the end of a complete thought or sentence.
In fiction and creative nonfiction, be careful not to overuse ellipses. Since an ellipsis makes a reader slow down and reflect, overusing this mark can ruin the rhythm of your prose.
Usage guide
When you use an ellipsis to indicate omitted words in a quotation, check that you haven’t changed the meaning of the original text. In general, the text should still read as a complete grammatical sentence even after the omission of words (except when a sentence is deliberately left incomplete).
You can also use ellipses to show indecision, faltering speech, or an incomplete thought. But be careful not to use an ellipsis where a period would fit better—for example, if you wish to convey certainty or need to mark the end of a complete thought.
