~ Ov pVi'-0Av.

}hilh\ ~I\
~ SIJvt Pe.Je,lin.
Going dotty: a short guide to using ellipses

.SP~
An ellipsis (plural ellipses) is a punctuation mark consisting oftlll'e7'full stops(... ). Ellipses
are used differently in formal and informal writing, but good writers avoid overusing them.
This guide will demonstrate how to use an ellipsis effectively.

Showing omissions
In formal writing, the primary function of an ellipsis is to show when words have been
removed from a quotation. You might find ellipses useful when quoting directly from
\Jf\w
someone else's work butAonly part of the quotation is relevant for your purpose.

Origina(

'The Minister addressed the press regarding the 1 'The Minister addressed the press regarding the ,

new legislation, saying that the policy would come new legislation, saying ... that she is committed to

into effect from 1 July and that she is committed the environmental protection of the area.'

to the environmental protection of the area.'

Jh.t, vot;;.f-i!JA ~Ks /l.11~ ~~ Orperhaps:

4
~J h(;te,, i'The Minister ... is committed to the

:environmental protection of the area.'

'

f'!j f1> tM'oiJ IA.ii'Wi"'J

However, you should neei:-alre!> the meaning or tone of the original quotation when leaving
words out. An ellipsis can represent a few words or a few sentences, but ensure that all parts
of the quoted text relate to the same subject. Do not mislead your reader by joining together
unrelated sentences with an ellipsis.

To omit an entire paragraph, place the ellipsis on its own line.

Example.
-- - - - - -

'A spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources and Mines said that planning for the new

venture was under way.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.'

nron\\ yn :vi ih.'hell Styk"guid..:- entry 2ll 17

 S~ wvi kv _s hJ! IIVl'j u W IA lijplvlt
Conveying tone and writing dialogue ~ Ii. erv-ai/
\U-1,
7

In informal writing, ellipses can convey tone, such as hesitation, suspense, ambivalence, or
confusion. For example,9 increasingly echo everyday speech: conversation is seldom ~ ~ iJ!.
punctuated by full stops, sentences run into each other, and words and phrases are repeated 3wh i vh. )
while assembling the next thought. Creative writers also use ellipses for constructing dialogue d.><h ~
Wp, It, -tu
between characters in order to show the conversational nature of speech. ., r:., J, 1
~tt<-->si !'V\C,,,i1p tut

Hesitation: I'm not sure what to do ... Do you think I should tell her?

Suspense: If you liked last week's lecture, wait until you see what's happening next week ...

Ambivalence: I don't really mind ... I'll leave the decision up to you.

Confusion: I'm puzzled ... I thought we were meeting on Thursday, not Friday.

This method of using an ellipsis is not recommended for business or academic writing. Your
message will be more succinct if you can formulate your thoughts into complete sentences.
Consider the tone that you wish to create for your reader, and avoid using an ellipsis if a
comma, sem(~lon, or full stop is a better choice.
5~0 wiikNs wtwvl~ ~phOA~ ~.
How many dots?
An ellipsis always contains three 'full stop' points. Using two or four dots--0r more-is a
commonly seen error, especially online. Some writers add a full stop before or after the
ellipsis ifthe omitted words are at the end of, or between, sentences. But this can cause
uneven spacing and confusion for the reader, so more recent style manuals advise against this
practice. The Australian Government Style }vfanual recommends three dots in all cases.

Spacing and capitalisation

When showing omissions, treat the ellipsis as a word and use a space on either side. In other
cases, place the ellipsis immediately following the preceding text, and add a space before
beginning a new sentence. Always capitalise the first word after the ellipsis, unless you are
removing words from within a sentence.

Bronwyn i\:litt:hdl Styk-guidi;.~ cnti")- Jo 17

2
Summary
For professional writing, limit your use of ellipses to omit~ig;,''"frds from quotations. While it iS
grammatically correct to use ellipses in other contexts, pr&ing them sparingly in your
writing unless you are aiming for an informal and conversational tone.

Vt:t., ~ p100nc2 \J klv\ j~ ore dtJCAl.i bi 11 tt ~~3 I . ~ fM

\) i qJ/'v-0 \) { ~,(,JhA~. ' vht ~ p( h Se.
Q-{;
1
w~ fN\ j ~ f1J; l dCd CN I W\j
Mi\. ad'I llM \ ~ os ~ \)v ~ % pv o-{Jfse/\ ~ \-> 1 {VI\,(!: '
Works consulted ~our- ~io,ie.s tHv
Commonwealth of Australia. Style A1anual: For Authors, Editors and Printers. 6th ed.
Milton: John Wiley & Sons, 2002. Print.

Fogarty, Mignon. 'Ellipses'. Grammar Girl episode #225. QuickandDirtyTips.com. IO June

2010. Web. 17 April 2015.

Hudson, Nicholas.1'1odernAustralian Usage. Melbourne: Oxford UP, 1993. Print.

New Harts Rules: The handbook ofstyle for writers and editors. (Adapted from The Oxford
guide to style (2002) by R.M. Ritter.) New York: Oxford UP, 2005. Print.

Petelin, Roslyn, and Marsha Durham. The Professional Writing Guide: Writing well and k
Knowing Why Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin, 1992. Print.

Peters, Pam. The Cambridge Guide to Australian English Usage. Melbourne: Cambridge UP,
2007. Print.

Style-guide entry for 'Going dotty' by Bronwyn

Element Quality Points

Content Excellent 4
Structure Excellent 4
Style (use of word s & spel ling) Good 3
Grammar, sentence structure Excellent 4
Punctuation Excellent 4

This entry would get 19/20 = 9Yz/10.

Bro1my n Mit1:hcll Style-guick entry 2DI 7

_,