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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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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 sentence should not differ in meaning, and should not be ill grammared (Hult 885). | |||
==Proper Use== | |||
*As a simple tell to deleted text, the ellipses 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." | *As a simple tell to deleted text, the ellipses 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." | ||
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**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. | ||
*A line of dots is used when a line of text in poetry has been removed. | *A line of dots is used when a line of text in poetry has been removed (Hacker 271). | ||
*If author being quoted has used ellipsis, quoter should use brackets around newly inserted ellipsis, to avoid confusion (Hult 886). | |||
* When omitting one or more entire [http://www.kentlaw.edu/academics/lrw/grinker/LwtaEllipses.htm paragraphs], indicate the omission by indenting four points and placing them on a separate line. Practice of that can be found in point 5 of the linked page. | |||
==Errors In Use== | |||
*Using ellipsis to start or end a quotation is not needed. | *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 | **This rule is excused if the ellipsis is replacing the last quoted sentence; as required by MLA formatting (Hacker 271). | ||
**When ending a quoted sentence with an ellipsis, use a fourth period as the end of the sentence (Hult 885). | |||
*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). | ||
*Be careful not to 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. | |||
==Works Cited== | ==Works Cited== | ||
Glenn, Cheryl, Robert K. Miller, Suzanne S. Webb, and Loretta Gray. ''Hodges' Harbrace Handbook''. Bostn: 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> | |||
Hacker, Diana. ''A Writer's Reference''. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. | Hacker, Diana. ''A Writer's Reference''. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. | ||
Hult, Christine A., and Thomas N. Huckin. ''The New Century Handbook''. 3rd ed. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2005. | |||
[[Category:Composition]] | |||