What can be more exciting than a nice chat about ellipsis?
The incorrect spacing of ellipsis is one of the most common problems I see in manuscripts. If you can latch on to the correct use of this small but often seen mark, you'll save time for your editor, who won't need to point it out and will be able to concentrate on larger issues.
Ellipsis are three spaced periods. I have some examples of their use from The Little, Brown Essential Handbook for Writers.
1. OMISSION OF THE MIDDLE OF A SENTENCE
"Natural ecosystems . . . maintain the world exactly as we would wish it to be maintained."
My note: Please notice the space after "ecosystems," the space between each period, and the space following the last period before the word "maintain."
2. OMISSION OF THE END OF A SENTENCE, WITHOUT SOURCE
"Earth is our home. . . . "
My note: Don't skip a space before the first period. The period indicates that you end the sentence, but you have left out something, or you want to indicate that a character's words trail off. That's why you use ellipsis after the period. Perhaps "the speaker has hesitated or faltered . . . " (When Words Collide, 105).
3. OMISSION OF THE END OF A SENTENCE, WITH SOURCE CITATION (The last sentence in the preceding example also provides evidence of this use.)
"Earth is our home . . . " (Wilson, 27).
My note: The period follows the citation, or source material. Leave a space after the last letter of the sentence before you start the ellipsis.
Some other possible needs for ellipsis can occur, but we've hit on the most common uses here. And I have a confession to make: I was not taught in college to put the period immediately after the last letter of a sentence that has an omission at its conclusion, so according to Little, Brown, I have been in the wrong. As we know, however, different kinds of writing obey different rules. We also often see that punctuation in other countries is not the same as it is in the U.S.
More from Little, Brown: "Use an ellipsis mark when it is not otherwise clear that you have left out material from the source, as when the words you quote form a complete sentence that is different in the original.
If it's difficult for you to remember how to use ellipsis marks, then perhaps you can print out this post and put it on a bulletin board in front of your desk.
It's still Tuesday, but it's late where I am. If you're also on EST, then if this post doesn't put you to sleep, I don't know what will.
By the way, I see some disagreement between grammarians about the use of ellipsis v. ellipses. Most conclude that ellipses is plural, in the sense that you use ellipses more than once. Ellipsis is singular, but one set of three periods counts as singular. I've always used "ellipses." I need to consider the possibility of updating my ellipsis grammar.
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
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| Thank you, fishducky. |
I thought ellipses were those torturous machines at the gym, but what do I know?
ReplyDeleteActually, I learned a lot from this post. Thank you for the info, Janie.
I know people who actually go to the gym to exercise and not to drink a smoothie.
DeleteIf this is Tuesday, then it must be Belgium...Oh wait, it's Wednesday so this must be Rome. Oh Looky what I used! (probably incorrectly).
ReplyDeleteLord, take me now. Please.
DeleteSadly I know about the space between but I never use them unless there is a grade involved. It has been so long since that was an issue.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't need 'em, don't worry about 'em.
DeleteThis is very helpful information, thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Thank you for thanking me.
DeleteHi Janie - please do not ever crit my comments or my blog posts - all my ellipses will be very flat, very upset and distinctly uncomfortable and I'm a Brit - so I'll be sweating too! Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteYou have not hired me to be your editor, Hilary. I have no reason to do anything other than enjoy and appreciate your comments.
DeleteThe more I learn about writing the more I realize I don't know squat. Good lesson. I'm going to look for that book.
ReplyDeleteR
I'm always surprised by the way grammar and words change, and not always for the better.
DeleteYou forget to incorporate "esoteric." (That's a joke; don't be offended.) I would like to channel my inner James Joyce, but cannot. 'Time to eat Mom?" puts me over the edge.
ReplyDeleteEsoteric is a lovely word. I have a t-shirt in my Janie Junebug shop that says
DeleteLET'S EAT, MOM
LET'S EAT MOM
COMMAS MATTER
Looks like something you have caught in my editing, my friend. I'll try to pay attention!
ReplyDeleteI think it's something I've found in every ms I've edited. You are not alone, lovely one.
DeleteThis is where formatting becomes a beast. In manuscripts, yes, there are the spaces, but when it comes to eBooks, spaces like that can mess with the formatting--as in they spill over to the next line and it looks like one isolated period. Now that's not an issue that's readily solved since people adjust the size of the font on eReaders. There is no hard and fast layout. The only sensible solution for eFormatting is to end it like this: Earth is our home... (space following the three periods with no spaces between)
ReplyDeleteHave you run across any specified formatting guidelines in that circumstance?
I know absolutely nothing about formatting, Crystal. Thank you for sharing the information with us. Maybe you should blog about formatting sometimes, or you're welcome to write some TIP TUESDAY guest posts.
DeleteI must give you nightmares...or at least headaches! ROFL! I mostly use dots and dashes as pauses--like they naturally occur in everyday conversation. Mine have nothing to do with proper English...and everything to do with reading. ;)
ReplyDeleteI've told you I like your dots and dashes because you remind me of Emily Dickinson. Your letters and blogs aren't written for publication. Besides, books should always have room for creativity. A book is a creation. It should be free of restraints as long as it's readable and the lack of restraints is done for a reason.
DeleteThanks, Sweetie! :)
DeleteSo, you're saying I should use an ellipsis when...?
ReplyDeleteWhenever you damn well please.
DeleteThanks for this writing tip.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Crystal makes a good point about the correct spacing not working when a book is formatted.
DeleteI love ellipses, but it is important to use they correctly and to not overuse them.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely positively agree it's important to use they correctly, but I don't think it's possible to overuse they. tee hee
DeleteCherdo's List of Grammatical Shame: I am a notorious comma slicer. I use ellipses like there is no tomorrow. . . I overuse exclamation points in comments with wild abandon!!!
ReplyDeleteLove, Cherdo
Oh, I love it when you enter the wild abandon phase!!!!!
DeleteThanks for sharing. I avoid using them :)
ReplyDeleteThen you don't have to worry about them. Wise.
DeleteI don't think I've ever realized you're supposed to put a space between each period in the ellipsis. Dang, that looks weird! Now I know, I guess.
ReplyDeleteEh, I puff out this stuff like I'm Da Queen of Grammar, but it's all make believe.
DeleteI recall your helpful advice on ellipses when you edited my last manuscript. It's good to read this information, again.
ReplyDeleteExcept I know even more now! Between the two of us, we can be Ellipses Royalty.
DeleteMost helpful Janie. Some I knew, some I didn't....
DeleteSome other cases of ellipsis use exist, but they aren't common.
DeleteI didn't know there was supposed to be a space between the end of the sentence and the ellipsis. Good to know. Also, if you're writing fiction, instead of using ellipsis to note an omission of words, can you instead use it to note that a person is trailing off? Like the speaker is giving up on his/her sentence?
ReplyDeleteYes, it can indicate trailing off, as if one doesn't know what to say or has dementia or . . . I can't remember.
DeleteI love Ellipses! Or Ellipsis . . . whatever—the three dots! I love them. I enjoyed this post on them and learning a bit more of how to use them properly. I'll probably forget soon, but that's why we have awesome editors like you to *right* us! :D
ReplyDeleteI adore righting.
DeleteThanks! I actually learned something here. I was originally going to put in a snarky comment, but read this instead. This was a much better use of my time. So....
ReplyDeleteYou can always put in a snarky comment after you learn something, which apparently you didn't because you don't have spaces between the periods in your ellipsis.
Delete