You can format ellipses in several ways:


Typically, the only accepted use of an ellipsis in formal writing is to indicate the omission of information. Most of the time, ellipses are used to shorten quotations by alerting a reader that some text was omitted from the original quote or source.


Keep in mind that you don't need to use the ellipsis to show words omitted at the beginning of a quote. If you paraphrased the beginning of the quote above, you wouldn't need to use ellipsis:

There are a few different instances that call for an ellipsis. In general, there is only one accepted use for an ellipsis in formal writing, but the ellipsis has a few additional uses in informal and fiction writing.

In the ellipsis example above, the part removed came

Preceding punctuation can be omitted, unless needed for comprehension (e.g. a question mark or exclamation mark). The full stop at the end of a complete preceding sentence is retained according to Oxford style and there is no space between the full stop and ellipsis (….).

You’ll see ellipses in a variety of different sentences, but essentially, they always do the same thing: They replace missing text, whether it’s a word, a sentence, or several paragraphs.

An ellipsis (plural ellipses) is a that consists of three dots or periods (...) in writing. Also known as suspension points or even dot-dot-dot, ellipses appear in informal writing, news stories, and fiction.

There is no need to add square brackets around an ellipsis that you’ve added to show an omission, unless the original quoted text already contains an ellipsis.


You can use it for omission or hesitation, but is it too annoying?

The following sentences give examples of how we typically use an ellipsis. The first two sentences would be acceptable in formal writing while the latter two sentences would more likely appear in informal or fiction writing.

How to use ellipses in your writing

The writer has used ellipses to indicate that they have omitted parts of the original source. Importantly, the writer did not change the meaning of what the original quote said; they simply omitted words and sentences they didn’t think were relevant.

What are the uses of ellipses in essays? | Wyzant Ask An Expert

Like in speech, a pause can be essential to conveying the importance of a phrase or point in your writing. Because of this, writers should be aware of the differences between the variety of punctuation marks used to show pauses. Two of the most commonly used and misused punctuation marks I see as a creative writing copy editor are ellipses and dashes.

How to Use Ellipses in Writing (With Examples)

Use a non-breaking space before the ellipsis – Option+Spacebar on a Mac, Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar on a Windows machine. will do this for you as they work on your manuscript.

Whats an Ellipsis? Definition and Examples | Grammarly Blog

In informal writing, it is still fine to use ellipses to indicate omissions. However, ellipses have a few additional common uses in informal and fiction writing.

Ellipsis Meaning: Ellipsis Examples and Uses

Ellipses are a series of three periods that signal the omission of a word, phrase, or more. They are NOT used for a pause. They do NOT replace a comma. Ellipses have two common uses: academic quotes and dialogue.

Can I use ellipses in academic writing

If an ellipsis appears at the end of an incomplete sentence, don’t include the final full stop. However, if the incomplete sentence is at the end of a line of dialogue, add a full stop after the closing speech mark. Retain the full stop at the end of a sentence that precedes the ellipsis: