You've probably seen the three-dot ellipsis in everything from thesis papers to text messages. It indicates the omission of one or more words or a trailing off of speech.
I'm using it in this sentence, which I'm not quite sure how to ...
But if you want to really impress your grammar-freak friends, try the four-dot ellipsis on for size.
This elusive punctuation mark is used at the end of a sentence, often in dialogue, when it follows a grammatically complete sentence.It usually indicates that you’re omittinga sentence and skipping to the next.
For example, here's an excerpt from President Barack Obama's 2009 Inaugural Address.
Advertisem*nt
"My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you've bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. ... Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath."
In this example, I left out a sentence that reads, "I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition."
According to the Associated Press Style Book, the four-dot ellipsis is really comprised of a period and an ellipsis, rather than four dots in a row. A space separates the two marks.
Let's look at another example.
Advertisem*nt
In actress Sally Field's 1984 acceptance speech at the Academy Awards, she says, "I can't deny the fact that you like me. ... Thank you."
We obviously left out "Right now, you like me!"
A sentence should rarely include more than one ellipsis, so remember, sometimes it's best to paraphrase.
