Ellipsis points are periods in groups of usually three, or sometimes four. They signal either that something has been omitted from quoted text, or that a speaker or writer has paused or trailed off in speech or thought. That's the basics. Now we'll dig in to how they're used.
An ellipsis ( ... ) consists of three evenly spaced periods and is used to indicate the omission of words or suggest an incomplete thought.
An ellipsis (...) is a set of three periods that indicates the omission of words from quoted material or can be used to show a pause in a conversation.
(ɪlɪpsɪs ) uncountable noun. In linguistics, ellipsis means leaving out words rather than repeating them unnecessarily; for example, saying 'I want to go but I can't' instead of 'I want to go but I can't go'. [technical]
The ellipsis ... (/əˈlɪpsɪs/, also known informally as dot dot dot) is a series of dots that indicates an intentional omission of a word, sentence, or whole section from a text without altering its original meaning.
An ellipsis is a punctuation mark of three dots (. . .) that shows an omission of words, represents a pause, or suggests there's something left unsaid.
The Answer May Lie In Your Punctuation Some linguists find that younger people tend to see text messages that end with a period as passive-aggressive, or otherwise negative.
An ellipsis might mean, “Well this is awkward.” Those 3 dots are often used by people to express that something is awkward or uncomfortable, without actually saying so. It indicates that they think the conversation has veered into uneasy territory, and they might not feel confident enough to address it explicitly.
An ellipsis has different purposes and can be very useful in your writing. It can be used to show a word or words have been removed from a quote. It can create suspense by adding a pause before the end of the sentence. It can also be used to show the trailing off of a thought.
Use an ellipsis when omitting a word, phrase, line, paragraph, or more from a quoted passage. Ellipses save space or remove material that is less relevant.
In formal writing, the ellipsis is typically only used to indicate omissions, usually in quotations. In informal writing and fiction writing, the ellipsis is often used to indicate hesitation, a long pause, or a sentence trailing off.
Things You Should Know
Interpret an ellipsis (“...”) as flirty, thoughtful, passive-aggressive, or totally meaningless depending on the context of the conversation. Observe the context of the chat to know what a guy means by “....” An ellipsis indicates something has been left unsaid, but what it is depends on context.
Ellipses for omitted material spanning two or more sentences
When quoted material is presented as multiple sentences, four dots should be used for omissions between two or more original sentences; three dots should be used for omissions within a single original sentence.
Correct: We went to the city … and arrived home after midnight. typed three periods without spaces in between. 3) If the ellipsis is in the place of a word or part of a sentence, leave a space on each side of the ellipsis. We went to the city, shopped, ate lunch and arrived home after midnight.
You can use an ellipsis—three consecutive periods, with one space around each ( . . . )—to leave out extra or unnecessary words. The ellipsis represents information that you are omitting from a quotation.
The three vertical dots is called a vertical ellipsis, and like the ordinary ellipsis (...) it indicates that something has been omitted.
There's nothing wrong with loving the ellipsis. It's great for omitting words and phrases and indicating pauses and unfinished thoughts. As with all things, though, you can have too much of a good thing. If your writing is filled with ellipses, you need to stop.
Many writers use ellipses like written equivalents of 'erm' and 'er', but this can be confusing and frustrating for the reader. To avoid inadvertently creating a 'fill in the blanks' puzzle, force yourself to finish your sentences.
When used in casual conversation, ellipses connote hesitation, confusion, and apathy — they're the most passive-aggressive of all the punctuation marks.
THE COY, AWKWARD ELLIPSIS
It asks the receiver of the message to fill in the text, and in that way is very coy and potentially flirty.
In messages, if you're communicating with someone via iMessage (as opposed to regular SMS), you see 3 dots when they're typing, before their message is sent.
Therefore sign ( or ∴), a shorthand form of the word "therefore" or "thus"
The use of the period in this case is meant to show how the phrase has been spoken aloud. Since a period indicates a full stop, this means that the person who spoke the words “must have coffee” stopped after every word, giving each word precise and heavy emphasis.
At the same time, McCulloch says that ending a text with a period isn't always passive aggressive—it really depends on the context. For example, if you're sending a multi-sentence message, the periods are neutral, because they are being used to separate the sentences.