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You see those dots? All three together constitute an ellipsis. The plural form of the word is ellipses, as in "a writer who uses a lot of ellipses." They also go by the following names: ellipsis points, points of ellipsis, suspension points. We're opting for ellipsis points here, just to make things crystal clear. (And since we're aiming for clarity here, we'll also point out that ellipse is a different word, though, we're sorry, it's sometimes used to mean ellipsis.) Photo: woolzian Some thoughts on ellipses are coming… Ellipsis points are periods in groups of usually three, or sometimes four. They signal either that something has been omitted from quoted text, or that a speaker or writer has paused or trailed off in speech or thought. That's the basics. Now we'll dig in to how they're used. 1) Ellipsis points indicate the omission of one or more words within a quoted sentence, as in the following example from the Preamble of the U. S. Constitution. Note that they are usually preceded and followed by a space:
2) Ellipsis points are usually not used to indicate the omission of words that precede the quoted portion. However, in some formal contexts, especially when the quotation is introduced by a colon, ellipsis points are used.
Ellipsis points following quoted material are omitted when the quoted material forms an integral part of a larger sentence.
3) Punctuation used in the original that falls on either side of the ellipsis points is often omitted, but it may be retained if it helps clarify the sentence structure.
If the omitted part includes the end of a sentence, a four-dot ellipsis may be used, with the first dot being, in truth, a period that follows immediately after the last word.
4) If the last words of a quoted sentence are omitted and the original sentence ends with punctuation other than a period, the end punctuation often follows the ellipsis points, especially if it helps clarify the quotation.
5) When ellipsis points are used to indicate that a quotation has been intentionally left unfinished, the terminal period is omitted. No space separates the last ellipsis point and the quotation mark.
6) A line of ellipsis points indicates that one or more lines have been omitted from a poem, as in the following example from Walt Whitman's "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer." The length of the line usually matches the length of the line above.
7) Ellipsis points are used to indicate faltering speech, especially if the faltering involves a long pause or a sentence that trails off or is intentionally left unfinished. Generally, no other terminal punctuation is used.
8) Ellipsis points are sometimes used informally as a stylistic device to catch a reader's attention, often replacing a dash or colon.
9) In newspaper and magazine columns consisting of social notes, local events listings, or short items of celebrity news, ellipsis points often take the place of paragraphing to separate the items.
Ellipsis points are similarly used in informal personal correspondence in place of periods or paragraphing.
And there you have it. Now, go forth and with a new command of ellipsis points and a new sense of confidence when you need to collect your thoughts on the page ... What is a phrase or sentence that indicates that a speaker is moving from one main point?A transition is a phrase or sentence that indicates that a speaker is moving from one main point to another main point in a speech. Basically, a transition is a sentence where the speaker summarizes what was said in one point and previews what is going to be discussed in the next point.
Are words or phrases that join one thought to another and indicate relationship between them?Connectives are words or phrases that join the thoughts of a speech together and indicate the relationship between them.
What is the word or phrase a speaker uses after they have completed making one point and before they move to the next that helps a presentation flow smoothly?What are speech transitions? Speech transitions are words and phrases that allow you to smoothly move from one point to another so that your speech flows and your presentation is unified.
What are the three types of transitions in speech?Types of Speech Transitions. Transition between Similar Ideas or Points. ... . Transition between Contrasting Ideas or Points. ... . Transition to elaborate upon an idea. ... . Transition to Numbered Ideas or Points (or Process Steps) ... . Transition to show Cause-Effect Relationship. ... . Transition to a Supporting Example.. |