And so on . . .

Today's post is another Editing Etiquette post. Today's topic is the ellipsis.

An ellipsis is the punctuation of several dots used to note that there is information that is being omitted or a trail-off sentence. Looks like . . .  <---that, including the spaces.

I didn't realize how confusing these could be until I read through my copyediting book, The Copyeditor's Handbook. Here are some tips and tricks to using them correctly.


When a writer is quoting from a source, but the original text has much more information than what they are trying to emphasize, they can place an ellipsis in the place of the extraneous text. This will use the three-dot method.
Example:
   Original: "There are many types of dogs that are good with children and other pets; they have good temperaments and will make great companions for children.
   Quoted: "types of dogs that are good with children . . . make great companions for children."

If the ellipsis break happens over a sentence in the original text, the four-dot method is used. This is because the ellipsis would include the punctuation (the period at the end of the sentence) from the end of the sentence in the break. If the above example had been two separate sentences, this is what the ellipsis would look like:
   ex: "children . . . . make great"


In fiction writing, an ellipsis at the end of a sentence notes that a thought or idea trails off without being completed. It can also imply a character's hesitation or uncertainty.
   Ex: "I can't believe that she . . ."


There should always be spaces before, after and between each dot, regardless of the method you use.


In fiction writing, although the structure and the three-dot and four-dot method rules for an ellipsis are the same, the rules about how to use them are a little different, especially concerning conversation. In regular text of the story, keep it simple and use them only as they fit. But in conversation, as long as a pause or a trail-off of thought are present, the ellipsis is relevant. For example, a character who lacks confidence and stutters or mumbles would probably have many ellipses in their conversation.

Okay, I think that's good for today.
Here's a website that you can refer to for some basic ideas about the ellipsis: When to use Ellipsis.

That's all, thanks for stopping by!