Ellipsis Exercise (76)
In the following sentences, choose the version that correctly reflects the stated intent of the ellipsis.
Answers and Explanations
The rules about ellipsis are precise, but a change in meaning can occur with the insertion or omission of a single dot or a letter space, so it's important to recognize the distinctions.
1. (To indicate a pause) And the award goes to . . . John Smith.
Letter spaces must always precede and follow an ellipsis regardless of the function of the ellipsis.
2. (To indicate that one or more words at the end of a quoted sentence have been omitted because the rest of the sentence is irrelevant to the discussion) Notice the rhyme in "I have a notion about that potion . . . .
A fourth dot is necessary to indicate that the sentence is incomplete.
3. (To indicate an omitted sentence between two complete sentences) I have been there. . . . It’s not worth the price of admission.
Because an ellipsis is supposed to be preceded and followed by a letter space, the space following there in the original version mistakenly indicates that "I have been there" is incomplete. A dot immediately after there signals that "I have been there" is a complete sentence followed by a three-dot ellipsis indicating an omitted sentence.
4. (To indicate text that has been deliberately left incomplete, as when signaling trailing speech) When in Rome . . .
Though "When in Rome" is the beginning of a sentence, for deliberately unfinished sentences, use the ellipsis only, without terminal punctuation. (This is an exception to the rule that applies in the second example, above.
5. (To indicate that text has been omitted at the end of the first sentence) The report focused on implementation . . . . However, the revision emphasized funding.
The dot immediately after implementation implies that the sentence ends there. A letter space followed by a three-dot ellipsis and a fourth dot, which is a period, correctly shows that one or more words has been omitted from the end of the first sentence.