Writing Tip: Ellipses

This week’s writing tip is about ellipses, the dot-dot-dots that are often added to writing. To me, the ellipsis is a mood-maker for the sentence. It stutters showing confusion or intense emotion. It can also drift into silence, indicating a wandering mind or distracted situation.

The correct way to write an ellipsis is to space at the end of the word that precedes the mark, then add the three periods, and follow them

with another space before the next word. *** Okay, I'd been corrected this summer by an author who knows her stuff, but I've learned that according to Chicago Manual of Style that spaces are correct between the periods. Looking like this . . . thanks David!*** If there is no next word because the conversation ebbs in the middle of a sentence, the final period is all that is necessary.

Here are examples of the two situations described:

“What do you mean he isn’t there? Where could he . . .  I mean, are you sure?”

 “Like a cloud, dancing across the water. That’s what I feel like. So very sleepy. I could just
      drift off without . . . ”

Another use of an ellipsis is in the case of an interruption. Sometimes the topic never comes back around as in this example.

“Whatever the noise was it was awfully loud. I thought the sky was about . . . ”
“Did you hear that?” Chris’s outburst filled the room as he ran in, his muddy boots spraying
       clumps of dirt all over Ma’s rug.

Sometimes the interruption, like part of an argument, has a finish to it.

“All I know is I sat here calmly reading and you . . . ”
“I didn’t do anything except walk into the room.”
“. . . you demanded my attention with every stomp and sigh. Okay, what do you want?”

In that case, as you can see, the ellipsis ends the first section of the interruption and begins the second half of that sentence. It wouldn’t work if more than just the interruption itself was stuck into the section. At that point, the first part should be entirely restated and then finished.

I double checked my data with my new copy of the Chicago Manual of Style! (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE getting presents!) And with some of you guys looking over my shoulder, I know we're gonna make sure the information is right!

Do you have any other examples of ellipsis use?

Blessings!