Ellipses and Dashes

1. Ellipses and Dashes By: Olivia Baker, Will Hargen, Gracie Nemec, Drew Nichols

2. Ellipses • An ellipsis consists of three evenly spaced periods, or ellipsis points, in a row. There is a space before the ellipsis point, between ellipsis points, and after the last ellipsis point. The plural form isellipses.

3. What they can be used for • Ellipses show where words have been omitted from a quoted passage. They show the reader that some words have been omitted. • Ex. Original- “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” • The edited version is on the next slide.

4. Edited Version • Ex. Edited- “We the People . . . , in Order to form a more perfect Union, . . . do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

5. Ellipses in Advertising • Ellipses in advertising show that words have been omitted from the original. • Ex. Original- “The book did not have a good plot, nor was it very interesting.” • *Ad wording- “. . . good plot . . . very interesting”

6. Ellipses in dialogue and speech • Use an ellipsis to mark a pause in a dialogue or speech. • Ex. “I . . . have no idea what you are talking about.” • Ex. “Oh . . . I didn’t know we were doing that today!”

7. Ellipses in Dialogue and Speech • It is not necessary to use an ellipsis to show an omission at the beginning of the material you are quoting. However, if you choose to omit any words within the material you omit, you must use an ellipsis to show where the information has been omitted. • Ex. “the People . . . in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

8. Ellipses in the middle of sentences • Use an ellipsis in the middle of sentences to show an omission, pause, or interruption. • Ex. “We the People of the United States . . . do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

9. Ellipses at the end of sentences • Use an ellipsis and an end mark to show an omission or a pause at the end of a sentence. • Ex. “My favorite thing to do is . . . .” • ** The fourth dot is the period at the end of the declarative sentence. • If you omit words from a source you are quoting, omit the punctuation that accompanies the words unless it is correct in your sentence.

10. Dashes • Dashes separate certain words, phrases, or clauses from the rest of the sentence or paragraph. They signal a stronger, more sudden interruption in thought. They might also take the place of certain words before an explanation. • **Do not get dashes and hyphens mixed up.

11. Dashes • Use a dash to show a strong, sudden break in thought or speech. • Ex. This is a great pie—who wants to ride bikes? • Ex. I want a pony—I like cheese. • Ex. My car is shiny—Olivia likes ice cream.

12. Dashes • If the interrupting expression is in the middle of the sentence, use a dash on either side of it to set it off from the rest of the sentence. • Ex. I read a book—it was about cows—that interested me greatly.

13. Dashes as replacements • Use a dash in place of in other words, namely, or that is before an explanation. • Ex. I love skydiving for one thing—the thrill of weightlessness.

14. Dashes • Dashes can also be used to set off nonessential appositives or modifiers. • Ex. The carpentry club—started by that guy over there—is a massive disappointment.

15. THEENd