Ellipses

1. Ellipses I try to leave out the parts that people skip.  ~Elmore Leonard

2. Ellipses • Three evenly spaced periods • Shows an omission • Never come before • Never come at the end!

3. First – When to quote: • When language is especially vivid or expressive • When exact wording is needed for technical accuracy • When the words of an important authority lend weight to an argument • Highlighting necessary bias or opposite opinions.

4. Quote • I was asked once again for relationship tips, and “I don’t know why anyone would want to ask an actor for dating advice. We are not the poster children for healthy relationships” • (Ginnifer Goodwin).

5. Small Omission • “Being married to someone very successful . . . keeps you hungry to improve. You’ve got to be hungry. If your wife went out with Brad Pitt, you’d want to prove yourself, you know what I mean?” • (Chris Martin – Gwyneth Paltrow’s husband)

6. Long (sentence or more) Omission • “I’ve been off the junk, as I call it, for five years. I’ve had a face-lift, eye job and all that stuff. . . . It didn’t help me one bit. It didn’t get me happier or didn’t make me look particularly younger.” • Kathy Griffin

7. Quote Within a Quote • “When he falls, I’m like, ‘You better get up!’I’m, not the mom that’s going to make him a little wuss.” • Kendra Basket, talking about her son

8. Interpolation • “If Justin Bieber asked me, I’d do that for my daughter. She doesn’t think I’m very cool, so that might [help].” • Mark Wahlberg on whether he’d rap again.

9. Use [sic] to indicate an error in a quotation (Latin for thus or it is so) • Joe Shmoe clearly contends that “She is riddiculous [sic].” Note: When you type [sic] it needs to be in italics, if you are handwriting [sic] you don’t need to put in italics!

10. An omission in poetry • Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

11. Do not use an ellipses at the beginning or the end of a quote. • Always include the space between your dots. • Never split ellipses, they must all be on the same line.

12. So, tell me what you see in this . . . • “She kept saying ‘Bella . . . I like Edward.’ Then I realized, I think she’s talking about Twilight. [It’s] not going to happen!” • Michael Buble, on nixing his fiancé's top choices for baby names.

13. So, tell me what you see in this . . . • “[My son] just turned 14 and he goes, ‘Dad, for my birthday I want to throw a rave,’ I bought a huge sound system, lights, glow sticks. . . . The cops came three times, and he was so pumped.” • Tommy Lee

14. Two more items . . . • Use when your quote hits a 5th typed line! • Lead in with a colon • Tab the quote over twice • End punctuation comes before parentheses. • No Quotation marks. • Blocked quote, Here is my intro for this brilliant long quote: blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.(Smith) Never end a paragraph with a quote, you need that final summation and transition!

15. Two more items . . . • Online sources Lead in “blah blah blah” (Jones). No Page numbers!

16. Only in grammar can you be more than perfect.  ~William Safire Quick check to see if we can at least perfectly identify correct ellipses usage!

17. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 1. In an effort to be more inclusive of an increasingly diverse student population, . . . . avoid carols that mention deity or the Nativity events in Bethlehem. • Correct • Incorrect

18. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 1. In an effort to be more inclusive of an increasingly diverse student population, . . . . avoid carols that mention deity or the Nativity events in Bethlehem. • Correct • Incorrect

19. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 2. The article mentions, “Governing board policy in Mesa allows religious music . . .” • Correct • Incorrect

20. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 2. The article mentions, “Governing board policy in Mesa allows religious music . . .” • Correct • Incorrect

21. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 3. Concerned about this issue, one teacher says, “Despite the freedom to include religious songs in winter programs, most elementary school music teachers do not. . . . We just pick a theme that has nothing to do with the holidays.” • Correct • Incorrect

22. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 3. Concerned about this issue, one teacher says, “Despite the freedom to include religious songs in winter programs, most elementary school music teachers do not. . . . We just pick a theme that has nothing to do with the holidays.” • Correct • Incorrect

23. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 4. A “secular program of education . . .” is what is most important some people believe. • Correct • Incorrect

24. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 4. A “secular program of education . . .” is what is most important some people believe. • Correct • Incorrect

25. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 5. It appears that “With the diversity that is now comprising the classes, what you have is …. many different religions.” • Correct • Incorrect

26. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 5. It appears that “With the diversity that is now comprising the classes, what you have is …. many different religions.” • Correct • Incorrect

27. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 6. One Phoenix lawyer “mailed a memorandum to all school districts, . . . . suppressing references to Christ during the Christmas season violates students' constitutional rights of free expression.” • Correct • Incorrect

28. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 6. One Phoenix lawyer “mailed a memorandum to all school districts, . . . . suppressing references to Christ during the Christmas season violates students' constitutional rights of free expression.” • Correct • Incorrect

29. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 7. “Rarely elementary school programs . . . will typically include songs from other religions in an effort to keep every concert balanced.” A. Correct B. Incorrect

30. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 7. “Rarely elementary school programs . . . will typically include songs from other religions in an effort to keep every concert balanced.” A. Correct B. Incorrect

31. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 8. As mentioned in the article, “Syd Hoffman, principal at Bright Beginnings charter school in Chandler, most schools ‘pick a theme that has nothing to do with the holidays . . . we just stay away from it.’” A. Correct B. Incorrect

32. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 8. As mentioned in the article, “Syd Hoffman, principal at Bright Beginnings charter school in Chandler, most schools ‘pick a theme that has nothing to do with the holidays . . . we just stay away from it.’” A. Correct B. Incorrect

33. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 9. I did not know what to say, my mouthhad no waywith namesmy eyes were blind,and something started in my soul,. . . . and I wrote the first faint line,faint, without substance, purenonsense,pure wisdomof someone who knows nothing, • Correct • Incorrect

34. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 9. I did not know what to say, my mouthhad no waywith namesmy eyes were blind,and something started in my soul,. . . . and I wrote the first faint line,faint, without substance, purenonsense,pure wisdomof someone who knows nothing, • Correct • Incorrect

35. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 10. Most schools are sad they lose the holiday feeling besides, “Who wants to take away Christmas from children? . . . Anyway, there are rarely any complaints from parents about holiday music selection.” • Correct • Incorrect

36. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 10. Most schools are sad they lose the holiday feeling besides, “Who wants to take away Christmas from children? . . . Anyway, there are rarely any complaints from parents about holiday music selection.” • Correct • Incorrect

37. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 11. We have lost even this twilight. No one saw us this evening hand in hand while the blue night dropped on the world. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I remembered you with my soul clenched in that sadness of mine that you know. A. Correct B. Incorrect

38. Identify whether or not the use of the ellipses is correct. 11. We have lost even this twilight. No one saw us this evening hand in hand while the blue night dropped on the world. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I remembered you with my soul clenched in that sadness of mine that you know. A. Correct B. Incorrect

39. You can find the ellipses notes and quick check on our web page! 