Ellipses, which are also called ellipsis points and ellipsis dots, represent omissions in quotations and interruptions in dialogue. That seems simple enough, doesn’t it? But, that’s where the simplicity ends because several of our primary style guides disagree on how ellipses should be formatted.
Let’s unravel these conflicting recommendations point by point. Today’s post explains how to use ellipses for omissions within and between quoted sentences. Part 2 covers ellipses between quoted paragraphs. Part 3 discusses ellipses at the beginning and at the end of a quoted sentence. Part 4 uncovers the mystery of ellipses in brackets. And finally, Part 5 tackles ellipses in dialogue.
Regardless of formatting, ellipses should only be used to omit text that is repetitive or in some way unnecessary within the context of your document. They should never be used to change or hide the meaning of quoted material. When in doubt, don’t take it out!
How to Use Ellipses for Omissions within a Quoted Sentence
General Rule: Three ellipses indicate that text has been omitted within a quoted sentence.
The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style) and the Modern Language Association’s MLA Handbook (MLA style) recommend using a space before and after equally spaced ellipses.1
Original: The veterinarian said, “There is minimal chance of a recurrence or setback from the lengthy illness and the patient should recover within one week.”
Truncated: The veterinarian said, “There is minimal chance of a recurrence or setback . . . and the patient should recover within one week.”
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA style) recommend using a space before and after equally spaced ellipses or using a space before and after the ellipsis character available in Microsoft Word and most other word-processing software.2
Truncated: The veterinarian said, “There is minimal chance of a recurrence or setback . . . and the patient should recover within one week.”
Truncated (with ellipsis character): The veterinarian said, “There is minimal chance of a recurrence or setback … and the patient should recover within one week.”
The Associated Press Stylebook (AP style), on the other hand, suggests using a space before and after three adjoined (not spaced) ellipses.3
Truncated: The veterinarian said, “There is minimal chance of a recurrence or setback … and the patient should recover within one week.”
How to Use Ellipses for Omissions between Quoted Sentences
General Rule: A period followed by three ellipses indicate that text has been omitted between sentences. Occasionally, an omission between sentences is indicated by three ellipses followed by a period. In both formats, the omission appears as four points.
Chicago style and MLA style recommend using a period followed by three equally spaced ellipses.4
Original: “The cat expert teaches cat guardians important skills such as how to trim their cat’s nails and how to safely load their cat into a travel carrier. These skills help cat guardians avoid unnecessary vet bills.”
Truncated: “The cat expert teaches cat guardians important skills such as how to trim their cat’s nails. . . . These skills help cat guardians avoid unnecessary vet bills.”
AP style and APA style prefer a period followed by a space, three adjoined ellipses, and another space.5
Truncated: “The cat expert teaches cat guardians important skills such as how to trim their cat’s nails. … These skills help cat guardians avoid unnecessary vet bills.”
Garner’s Modern English Usage, which is a usage guide rather than a style guide, recommends using four equally spaced points (with the last one acting as a period) if the omitted text originally appeared at the end of the first quoted sentence.
Original: “The cat expert teaches cat guardians important skills such as how to trim their cat’s nails and how to safely load their cat into a travel carrier. These skills help cat guardians avoid unnecessary vet bills.”
Truncated: “The cat expert teaches cat guardians important skill such as how to trim their cat’s nails . . . . These skills help cat guardians avoid unnecessary vet bills.”
However, if the omitted text represents one or more complete sentences (but not a whole paragraph) between the quoted sentences, Garner recommends the same format suggested by Chicago style and MLA style, which is a period followed by three equally spaced ellipses.6
Original: “The cat expert teaches cat guardians important skills such as how to trim their cat’s nails and how to safely load their cat into a travel carrier. He also demonstrates safe hair brushing techniques. These skills help cat guardians avoid unnecessary vet bills.”
Truncated: “The cat expert teaches cat guardians important skills such as how to trim their cat’s nails and how to safely place their cat in a travel carrier. . . . These skills help cat guardians avoid unnecessary vet bills.”
I prefer to follow Chicago style and MLA style on this issue because I believe that their simplified ellipsis format is more widely accepted than Garner’s format—and therefore, it’s less likely to be misinterpreted as a typo. However, if you don’t follow one of the primary style guides mentioned, or if you’re in the process of creating your own in-house style guide, Garner’s format is certainly worth considering because it creates an effective distinction between a partial sentence omission and a complete sentence omission.
Further Reading:
How to Use Ellipses, Part 2: Ellipses between Quoted Paragraphs
How to Use Ellipses, Part 3: Ellipses at the Beginning and End of Quoted Sentences
How to Use Ellipses, Part 4: Ellipses in Brackets
How to Use Ellipses, Part 5: Ellipses in Dialogue
References
1. The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017), 13.50; MLA Handbook, 8th ed. (New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2016), 1.3.5;
2. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed. (Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2020), 8.31.
3. The Associated Press Stylebook 2019 (New York: Associated Press, 2019), 325–26.
4. The Chicago Manual of Style, 13.53; MLA Handbook, 1.3.5.
5. The Associated Press Stylebook 2019, 325–26; Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 8.31.
6. Bryan A. Garner, Garner’s Modern English Usage, 4th ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016), 763.
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