What does ellipsis mean?
Word: Ellipsis
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Ellipsis means a punctuation mark made of three dots in a row (...). Writers use it to mark a gap in a quotation or a sentence that tails off.
How do you spell ellipsis?
Syllables: el - lip - sis
Tricky part: The word starts with a double l, even though you hear only one.
Watch out for: elipsis, ellipsiss, elipsys
Memory tip: Three dots in the mark, two l's at the start: count them off as you write.
Ellipsis in a sentence
Example 1: The speech bubble in the comic strip trailed off with an ellipsis.
Example 2: Dev's text message ended with an ellipsis, so I knew he had more to say.
Example 3: Our English teacher showed us how to space the dots of an ellipsis in a typed essay.
Fun Fact
The word comes from a Greek word meaning 'a falling short' or 'a leaving out'. In grammar it also names leaving out words that are understood, as in 'I can swim and so can you', where swim is left off the end.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
ellippsis
a) s
b) l
c) i
d) p
Show answer
d) p. One p is all the word needs.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
In her report on the old speech, Amara used an ellepsis to skip the dull middle part of a very long quotation.
a) ellepsis
b) speech
c) quotation
d) report
Show answer
a) ellepsis. After the double l comes an i, not an e.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides:
Ines finished her story with an psslilie so that readers would wonder what came next.
a) ellipsis
b) emphasis
c) ellipse
d) eclipse
Show answer
a) ellipsis. Ellipse and eclipse are too short for eight letters, and emphasis needs an m, an h and an a.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is correct. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. parenthasis 2. semicolan 3. ellipsis 4. apostrofe
a) words added inside brackets as an extra remark
b) dots that stand in for words left out
c) a mark that joins two closely linked parts of a sentence
d) a mark that shows something belongs to someone
Show answer
b) dots that stand in for words left out. The punctuation names should read apostrophe, semicolon and parenthesis, so ellipsis is the only one spelt right.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A newspaper prints: 'The coach said the new ground would be ready ... by March.' What does the ellipsis tell you?
a) The ground will be finished early.
b) The reporter made a typing mistake.
c) The coach was speaking very loudly.
d) The paper has not printed every word the coach said.
Show answer
d) The paper has not printed every word the coach said.
2. Rahul reads aloud: 'I think ... maybe ... yes.' How should he read the dots?
a) by raising his voice at each one
b) with short pauses where they appear
c) by skipping the words after them
d) by reading faster through them
Show answer
b) with short pauses where they appear
