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Dot Dot Dot: Using the Ellipsis Correctly

8 August 2008 18 Comments

Certainly one of the most overused punctuation marks on the internet, a lot of bloggers and forum participants tend to use the ellipsis to show transition from one thought to another. Whereas the correct mark to use is the period or a comma, the punctuation mark of choice of most netizens is still the ellipsis. I must admit that there is a certain allure to the ellipsis. It exudes mystery and signals the unknown. The ellipsis is the harbinger of surprise — there is almost always something hidden from one’s view beyond those three dots.

Despite its ability to lure one to the dark side, one must remember that there are still specific and accepted ways of using the ellipsis. Like most punctuation marks, you can’t just bandy it about whenever the mood strikes.

More importantly, the ellipsis usually appears in two forms (though this is largely an illusion, as you will see later on): the one with three dots, and another with four dots. It may seem irrelevant, counting these dots, but trust me. This actually means something, and you don’t want to take any chances.

Here are some guidelines in using the ellipsis properly, after the jump:

1. Used to signify omission. When the ellipsis appears in a quotation, this means that the writer omitted a portion of the original text. Three dots (…) mean that the omission is within the sentence only. Four dots (….) indicate that the omission is between sentences. To be clear, this doesn’t mean the ellipsis actually has four dots; the additional dot is a period, and it is situation prior to the ellipsis. In short, the first dot is a period (marking the end of one sentence), followed by the ellipsis.

2. Used to indicate a pregnant pause. In literature, this often means that there is a specific reason tied to the plot whenever the ellipsis is used. It is contextual. Perhaps the speaker is attempting to conceal something from his listeners, or is unable to speak directly for some reason. In fiction, this often means that the character is intentionally mum on an important yet unrevealed matter. It can even signal hesitation on the speaker’s part.

3. Used to present an unfinished thought. This is related to number two. Often employed in literature, the character’s thoughts trail off and are marked with an ellipsis. Here the ellipsis is again combined with the period, resulting in four dots. If the thought trails off and there are no sentences following it, the result is an ellipsis followed by a period to indicate the end of the sentence.

XOXO,

18 Comments »

Zriz said:

Yes, I’m a frequent offender of over-using the ellipsis. I even forgot what it was called! I only use it during comments and chatting and plurking…you get the picture.
Zrizs last blog post..Lasang Pinoy Sundays: #7: Birthday

# 8 August 2008 at 8:31 am

Rai said:

I miss this blog… and you, too.

Tama ba yun? Hehe. I was out from a looong vacation. Now I’m back. See you around. =)

Rai

# 8 August 2008 at 7:49 pm

miss-write (author) said:

@Zriz - Hahaha I’m guilty, too. Especially when commenting or in forums

@Rai - hi! welcome back!

# 8 August 2008 at 10:15 pm

pinaymommy said:

all i can say is guilty!! hehehe…
pinaymommys last blog post..Friendship Love Award

# 8 August 2008 at 10:18 pm

hoi...hoi said:

I don’t necessarily think it’s overused. I think it has been adopted as a new function for establishing rhythm in text and email messages. These are very casual forms of writing and are akin to casual speaking which obviously have a rhythm. The ellipses are used to replicate that rhythm I think.

# 10 August 2008 at 5:41 am

rimewire said:

–

I hate ellipses…

hakhak

Ui, aylabdaweyyurayt ah.

hakhak

elyens poreber

XXXxx

rimewires last blog post..Good Night and Good Luck

# 10 August 2008 at 7:31 am

miss-write (author) said:

@hoi - yes, I suppose so, only I’ve seen some who really go crazy with the ellipses. Even I commit that crime, especially when my mind is practically blank and I’m grasping for words.

@rimewire - thanks

# 10 August 2008 at 9:06 am

Waitasec said:

You know what would have been handy? A single example of properly-used ellipses. One.

# 10 August 2008 at 9:33 am

ARYA said:

eh bite me…

# 10 August 2008 at 7:27 pm

miss-write (author) said:

@waitasec - I thought the explanations were sufficient. And I was sleepy.

# 10 August 2008 at 9:05 pm

Theda K. said:

Hi Miss Write!

We’re thinking alike this week. I just wrote a post about ellipses too, because they’re one of my favorite forms of punctuation. I also included some examples, but I didn’t talk about their use in quotations.

It’s nice to read about them from another perspective!

Theda K.

# 10 August 2008 at 10:16 pm

Judy said:

Oh, my gosh…

I’m a chronic ellipsis user!!! The first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem…and, yep…as you can see, I have a problem…I can’t stop using them!!! I promise to try and eliminate my dependency on the dreaded ellipsis!!

Just one more time…

# 11 August 2008 at 3:00 am

miss-write (author) said:

@Theda K - I like ellipses, too! I’ll check out your post

@Judy - Hey Judy, I’m Miss Write, and I’m an ellipsis addict. I think you’re also addicted to the exclamation mark, but who isn’t? Thanks for dropping by

# 11 August 2008 at 11:47 am