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What is an ellipsis and how do you use one correctly?: Difference between revisions
What is an ellipsis and how do you use one correctly? (view source)
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<center>http://www.mathmlcentral.com/characters/glyphs/Ellipsis_L.gif</center> | <center>http://www.mathmlcentral.com/characters/glyphs/Ellipsis_L.gif</center> | ||
An | An ellipsis is three spaced periods that denote deleted text from a verbatim [[What is the correct way to use punctuation with quotation marks?|quotation]] (Hacker 270). The [[What is a sentence?|sentence]] should not differ in meaning, and should not be ill grammared (Hult 885). The reasoning for use would be to only obtain the words you need in a quotation (Kennedy H-123). | ||
==Proper Use== | ==Proper Use== | ||
*As a simple tell to deleted text, the | *As a simple tell to deleted text, the ellipsis is used this way: Ziggy explained his magic trick by instructing to "multiply your age in years by 365.25 [. . .] that is your age in days." | ||
*To show that an entire sentence was deleted: "But mom," Chris pined,"I still have an hour left. . . . I won't be late for school." | *To show that an entire sentence was deleted: "But mom," Chris pined,"I still have an hour left. [. . .] I won't be late for school." | ||
**Note the use of the period before the ellipsis. | **Note the use of the period before the ellipsis. | ||
*If showing hesitation or interruption an ellipsis may be used. | *If showing hesitation or interruption an ellipsis may be used. | ||
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*Using ellipsis to start or end a quotation is not needed. It is understood that the material is derived from a longer passage (Hacker 271). | *Using ellipsis to start or end a quotation is not needed. It is understood that the material is derived from a longer passage (Hacker 271). | ||
**This rule is excused if the ellipsis is replacing the last quoted sentence; as required by MLA formatting (Hacker 271). | **This rule is excused if the ellipsis is replacing the last quoted sentence; as required by [[What is MLA documentation style?|MLA]] formatting (Hacker 271). | ||
**When ending a quoted sentence with an ellipsis, use a fourth period as the end of the sentence (Hult 885). | **When ending a quoted sentence with an ellipsis, use a fourth period as the end of the sentence (Hult 885). | ||
**If your quotation omitts text from the start, and the first letter was originally capitalized, an ellipsis is needed (Aaron 271). | **If your quotation omitts text from the start, and the first letter was originally capitalized, an ellipsis is needed (Aaron 271). | ||
*Hodges warns: "Whenever you omit anything from material you quote, make sure your omission does not change the meaning of the original." | *Hodges warns: "Whenever you omit anything from material you quote, make sure your omission does not change the meaning of the original." | ||
*Using brackets around ellipsis only applies to quotations, not statements of your own (Hult 886). | *Using brackets around ellipsis only applies to quotations, not statements of your own (Hult 886). | ||
*Be careful not to overuse ellipsis, even in your own work, warns Hult. | *Be careful not to [[What is “redundancy”?|overuse]] ellipsis, even in your own work, warns Hult. | ||
*An ellipsis should not have hanging [http://www.kentlaw.edu/academics/lrw/grinker/LwtaEllipses.htm periods]. It should be one entity on the same line, as pointed out in idea six. | *An ellipsis should not have hanging [http://www.kentlaw.edu/academics/lrw/grinker/LwtaEllipses.htm periods]. It should be one entity on the same line, as pointed out in idea six. | ||
==Links== | |||
#[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsis#Ellipsis_in_English Ellipsis] | |||
#[http://www.gcse.com/english/ellipsis.htm Simple example] | |||
#Ellipsis in use outside of English | |||
##[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsis#Ellipsis_in_mathematics In math] | |||
##[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsis#Ellipsis_in_programming In computer use] | |||
==Works Cited== | ==Works Cited== | ||
Glenn, Cheryl, Robert K. Miller, Suzanne S. Webb, and Loretta Gray. ''Hodges' Harbrace Handbook''. | Aaron, Jane E. ''The Little, Brown Compact Handbook''. 5th ed. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2004. | ||
Glenn, Cheryl, Robert K. Miller, Suzanne S. Webb, and Loretta Gray. ''Hodges' Harbrace Handbook''. Boston: Thomsom/Wadsworth, 2004. | |||
Grinker, Marc. ''The Legal Writing Teaching Assistant: The Law Student's Guide to Good Writing'' Version 1.1. Chicago-Kent College of Law. 11 July 2006. <http://www.kentlaw.edu/academics/lrw/grinker/LwtaEllipses.htm> | Grinker, Marc. ''The Legal Writing Teaching Assistant: The Law Student's Guide to Good Writing'' Version 1.1. Chicago-Kent College of Law. 11 July 2006. | ||
:<http://www.kentlaw.edu/academics/lrw/grinker/LwtaEllipses.htm> | |||
Hacker, Diana. ''A Writer's Reference''. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. | Hacker, Diana. ''A Writer's Reference''. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. | ||
Hult, Christine A., and Thomas N. Huckin. ''The New Century Handbook''. 3rd ed. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2005. | Hult, Christine A., and Thomas N. Huckin. ''The New Century Handbook''. 3rd ed. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2005. | ||