Use ellipsis marks when omitting a word, phrase, line, paragraph, or more from a quoted passage.
NOTE: To create ellipsis marks with a PC, type the period three times and the spacing will be automatically set, or press Ctrl-Alt and the period once.
The Three-dot Method
There are many methods for using ellipses. The three-dot method is the simplest and is appropriate for most general works and many scholarly ones. The three- or four-dot method and an even more rigorous method used in legal works require fuller explanations that can be found in other reference books.
| Rule 1. |
Use no more than three marks whether the omission occurs in the middle of a sentence or between sentences. |
Example: |
Original sentence:
The regulation states, "All agencies must document overtime or risk losing
federal funds."
Rewritten using ellipses:
The regulation states, "All agencies must document
overtime..." |
| Note: |
With the three-dot method, you may leave out punctuation such as commas that were in the original. |
| Example: |
Original sentence from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address:
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."
Rewritten using ellipses:
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth...a new nation, conceived in liberty..." |
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| Rule 2. |
When you omit one or more paragraphs within a long quotation, use ellipsis marks after the last punctuation mark that ends the preceding paragraph. |
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