Grammar What Is an Ellipsis? |
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

What Is an Ellipsis?

Definition:  An ellipsis (plural: ellipses) is a punctuation mark consisting of three dots.

Use an ellipsis when omitting a word, phrase, line, paragraph, or more from a quoted passage. Ellipses save space or remove material that is less relevant. They are useful in getting right to the point without delay or distraction:

Although ellipses are used in many ways, the three-dot method is the simplest. Newspapers, magazines, and books of fiction and nonfiction use various approaches that they find suitable.

Our preference is to enclose the ellipsis with a space on each side. Choose a method and be consistent.

Full quotation: “Today, after hours of careful thought, we vetoed the bill.”

With ellipsis: “Today … we vetoed the bill.”

Some writers and editors feel that no spaces are necessary.

Example: “Today…we vetoed the bill.”

Still others put a space either directly before or directly after the ellipsis.

Examples:
“Today …we vetoed the bill.”
“Today… we vetoed the bill.”

A four-dot method and an even more rigorous method used in legal works require fuller explanations that can be found in other reference books.

Rule 1. Many writers use an ellipsis whether the omission occurs at the beginning of a sentence, in the middle of a sentence, or between sentences.

A common way to delete the beginning of a sentence is to follow the opening quotation mark with an ellipsis, plus a bracketed capital letter:

Example: “… [A]fter hours of careful thought, we vetoed the bill.”

Other writers omit the ellipsis in such cases, feeling the bracketed capital letter gets the point across.

For more on brackets, see Parentheses and Brackets.

Rule 2. Ellipses can express hesitation, changes of mood, suspense, or thoughts trailing off. Writers also use ellipses to indicate a pause or wavering in an otherwise straightforward sentence.

Examples:
I don’t know … I’m not sure.
Pride is one thing, but what happens if she …?
He said, “I … really don’t … understand this.”

If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.

11 responses to “What Is an Ellipsis?”

  1. Bruce A. Hayes says:

    I prefer to see the spaces in between the dots. And I appreciate seeing the four dots when we are at the end of a sentence. Yes, this takes up more space but it is the historical method and gives the eye more of a pause to get across the point more is there.

  2. William Steigelmann says:

    When transmitting an enclosure via email, I often only text a brief description or explanation of what I am sending, followed by ellipsis to indicate i could write more details, but choose not to at this time.
    Is this acceptable or considered to be bad form?

  3. Sandra Raymond says:

    Can ellipses be used to heighten sarcasm?

  4. JHILLY DASGUPTA says:

    The original text:
    Among all its bad influences, the black veil had the one desirable effect, of making its wearer a very efficient clergyman. By the aid of his mysterious emblem–for there was no other apparent cause–he became a man of awful power over souls that were in agony for sin.

    I have been given a section, and I need to identify grammatical errors following The Chicago Manual of Style.
    At the same time, though, it made him “a very efficient clergyman. He became a man of awful power over souls that were in agony for sin.”
    The revised section:
    At the same time, though, it made him “a very efficient clergyman. . . . He became a man of awful power over souls that were in agony for sin.”
    Are the revisions satisfactory?
    Should the the first word after an ellipsis be capitalized?
    Should bracketed ellipses be inserted in such cases?
    Kindly explain.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      It appears that you have properly applied CMOS 13.53 Ellipses with periods. We do not see any particular need for bracketed ellipses (13.58).

  5. JHILLY DASGUPTA says:

    I have been given a section, and I need to correct the grammatical errors following The Chicago Manual of Style

    However, Mr. Hooper cried out “What, but the mystery which it obscurely typifies, has made this piece of crape so awful? I look around me, and, lo! On every visage a black veil!”.

    However, Mr. Hooper cried out, “What, but the mystery which it obscurely typifies, has made this piece of crape so awful? . . . I look around me, and, lo! On every visage a Black Veil!” (Delete period)

    Are the revisions satisfactory?

    Is any other correction required?

    Is the ellipsis following ? in the last sentence necessary?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      We see no reason for the ellipses in the second sentence since nothing was omitted from the first sentence.

  6. Mick Arusha says:

    How do I correctly punctuate this sentence? I’m pretty sure it shouldn’t be commas.
    “we were…what…ten years old”

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