Uses of an Ellipsis (…)

Uses of an Ellipsis (…)

1. Waiting (pausing)/Drama/Suspense

Example: “And the winner is…”

Example: “John, could you please…take out the trash?” asked Dad.
2. A List that goes on

• 
  It’s important that when a writer does this that all the items on the list are for the SAME category/topic
  
• 
  Oftentimes, the ellipsis (…) in this case is replaced by the abbreviation “etc.” (“etcetera”, meaning “and so on and so forth”)
  

Example:

“Our new kitchen has knives, spoons, forks, cups, plates, dishes, …”

(if you read this aloud, when you get to the ellipsis, you can say “etcetera” instead of just pausing or

saying “dot-dot-dot”)
3. Leaving out a string of consecutive words, phrases, and/or sentences

• 
  Writers often do this when they are using word-for-word text from other sources and don’t have to use all of the text and/or they are just wanting to show only the important or necessary wording
  

• 
  Sometimes writers will do this when they want to show just what is important or necessary and don’t have to put everything else because there is TOO much
  

Example:

“I pledge allegiance to the flag…for which it stands…with

liberty and justice for all.”
Example (for our language arts Book Project Sheet activity for any of the items – for this purpose, let’s say it’s for a “comma-conjunction compound sentence example you had to find in your book):
“Logan read his book…, but the teacher got angry because…”
(in this case, the writer uses the ellipsis to show that the rest of the information is not needed and/or is too much, and he/she is showing just the important/necessary parts of the word-for-word text to highlight the parts of the compound sentence that the teacher – ME – would need to see )
4. Interrupting someone who is speaking (cutting someone’s words off)

• 
  This is NOT an “interrupted quote (IQ)”
  
• 
  Someone is talking in a story, and before he/she can finish, another person starts talking; the ellipsis in the first person’s quote indicates where he/she was interrupted and cut off (not being able to finish)
  

Example:

“Jake said, ‘The game the other night was…”

“Bo rudely stopped Jake, yelling, ‘Let’s NOT talk about this!’”