Ellipses are handy devices that tell readers that text is missing. This is helpful as a writer if you’re quoting someone but need to omit some of the words to condense the text while ethically letting your readers know that parts have been left out. Ellipses also allow writers to effectively show someone trailing off in speech or being cut off, something that happens in normal conversation, but is otherwise difficult to show in writing.
Terms You Need to Know to Use Ellipses
OMISSION/OMIT: To “omit” is to remove something or not include something that is normally there. In English, we omit letters and numbers in words (don’t) and dates (‘90s) to simplify and shorten ideas.
HESITATION/HESITATING: Hesitation is a show of uncertainty. It is often shown through a pause in speech or action.
CUT OFF: Being “cut off” is an abrupt stop in speech or action. It is common to hear of someone being cut off by another car while driving.
TRAILING OFF: “Trailing off” occurs in speech or thought when an idea is left incomplete. It is different from being cut off because it is not abrupt, and is not stopped by another thought or action.
4 Ways to Use Ellipses
- Indicate Omission of Words
- Indicate Hesitating Speech
- Indicate Speech Being Cut Off
- Indicate Speech Trailing Off
1. Indicate Omission of Words
DESCRIPTION
To ‘omit’ is to remove something or not include something that is normally there. Sometimes we omit words and phrases in writing and speech to shorten ideas.
APPLICATION
To omit words from an idea, add an ellipsis in the section where the omitted words would be.
EXAMPLE
- Original Sentence: Lance explained everything about the time when he lost his prize-winning hedgehog in a letter.
- Omission: Lance explained everything . . . in a letter.
- (In this sentence, the ellipsis shortens the sentence, not including information that may not be relevant for the context in which the writing is being shortened.)
NOTE: Be careful when using ellipses (plural of ellipsis) to omit words. To be ethical and clear, make sure to maintain the original meaning of the document that you are working from.
2. Indicate Hesitating Speech
DESCRIPTION
Hesitation is a show of uncertainty. It is often shown through a pause in speech or action. An ellipsis can be used to show this hesitation when writing dialogue.
APPLICATION
To use an ellipsis to show hesitating speech in dialogue, place an ellipsis in the place where the speech would pause if said aloud.
EXAMPLE
- “Well . . . Harold told me that he was going to take an impromptu trip to Mauritius . . . so that’s why he’s not at work today, ma’am.”
- (In this sentence, the speaker is nervous talking about the subject or to the listener. The ellipses are placed in locations where the speaker would naturally hesitate.)
3. Indicate Speech Being Cut Off
DESCRIPTION
Being “cut off” is an abrupt stop in speech or action. An ellipsis can be used to show a person being cut off in the middle of speech.
APPLICATION
To show speech being cut off, put an ellipsis after the words of the person being cut off
EXAMPLE
- Jeremiah: “I love it when we go on the thrill rides, like when we went on the . . .”
- Kendra: “Oh! Remember when Jamie threw up after riding Twists of Terror?”
- (In this example, the speaker is interrupted mid-sentence, and an ellipsis is used to show that the sentence is left incomplete.)
4. Indicate Speech Trailing Off
DESCRIPTION
“Trailing off” occurs in speech or thought when an idea is left incomplete, and can be indicated with use of an ellipsis. It is different from being cut off because it is not abrupt, and is not stopped by another thought or action.
APPLICATION
To show speech trailing off, put an ellipsis after the last word that was spoken
EXAMPLE
- I wish that I could figure out how to fly across the ocean using bedsheets . . .
- (This sentence is a complete sentence, but the ellipsis shows that the speaker’s thoughts trail off.)