ELLIPSIS, HYPHEN, & DASH (STYLISTIC CHOICE: ADDING DRAMATIC EFFECT)

LEARNING GOALS: L.8.2: DEMONSTRATE COMMAND OF THE CONVENTIONS OF STANDARD ENGLISH CAPITALIZATION, PUNCTUATION, AND SPELLING WHEN WRITING. L.8.2.A: USE PUNCTUATION (COMMA, ELLIPSIS, DASH) TO INDICATE A PAUSE OR BREAK. ELLIPSIS INTRODUCTION VIDEO ELLIPSIS

• AN ELLIPSIS IS A TYPE OF PUNCTUATION THAT IS USED TO INDICATE OMISSION OR PAUSES IN WRITING. IT IS MADE UP OF 3 DOTS … EX. NANETTE KEPT PONDERING HER DECISION . . . AND FINALLY DECIDED SHE HAD MADE A MISTAKE. WHEN TO USE AN ELLIPSIS

1. AN ELLIPSIS CAN BE USED WHEN QUOTING A TEXT TO OMIT (LEAVE OUT) PART OF THE TEXT. • THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE WRITER DECIDES HE/SHE ONLY NEEDS A PORTION OF A QUOTATION TO SUPPORT HIS/HER CLAIM.

EXAMPLE: ORIGINAL QUOTE: "SINCE GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE IN WASHINGTON, EVA HAD BEEN TAKING MEDICINE TO RELIEVE THE PAIN OF HER RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS" (BEITO 119). WITH ELLIPSIS: "SINCE GRADUATING. . . EVA HAD BEEN TAKING MEDICINE TO RELIEVE THE PAIN OF HER RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS" (BEITO 119). NOTE

• YOU MAY CUT OUT TEXT FROM ANYWHERE WITHIN A SENTENCE AND REPLACE IT WITH AN ELLIPSIS AS LONG AS THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF THE SENTENCE STILL MAKE SENSE AND DON’T CHANGE THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF THE SENTENCE . • (ELLIPSIS MAY BE USED AT THE BEGINNING, MIDDLE, OR END OF THE TEXT BEING QUOTED) • IF YOU HAVE AN ENTIRE PARAGRAPH, BUT ONLY WANT A FEW COMPLETE SENTENCES, YOU MAY LEAVE OUT ENTIRE SENTENCES, AS LONG AS YOU USE AN ELLIPSIS BETWEEN SENTENCES. 2. USE AN ELLIPSIS TO INDICATE WHEN A CHARACTER TRAILS OFF IN THINKING OR IN SPEAKING.

EXAMPLE: HAROLD SAID, "I'M NOT SO SURE ABOUT THIS. . ." 3. USE AN ELLIPSIS TO INDICATE PAUSES OR BREAKS IN THE THOUGHT PROCESS OR IN CONVERSATION.

EXAMPLE: LUCY SAID, “I AM NOT SURE WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE FOR DINNER…HOW ABOUT SOME MCDONALDS!” 4. USE AN ELLIPSIS TO SHOW A PAUSE IN SPEECH.

EXAMPLE: I THINK I JUST GOT AN…INTERVIEW! HYPHEN THE HYPHEN CONNECTS TWO THINGS THAT ARE RELATED, USUALLY WORDS THAT FUNCTION TOGETHER AS A SINGLE CONCEPT OR WORK TOGETHER AS A JOINT MODIFIER. • TOLL-FREE • MOTHER-IN-LAW • HAND-MADE • OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN • PART-TIME HYPHENATE NUMBERS WHEN WRITING A COMPOUND NUMBER, USE A HYPHEN BETWEEN EACH WORD. THIS APPLIES TO ANY NUMBER BETWEEN TWENTY-ONE (21) AND NINETY-NINE (99). NUMBERS HIGHER THAN NINETY-NINE DON’T REQUIRE A HYPHEN. USE A HYPHEN WHEN WRITING FRACTIONS • TWO-THIRDS HYPHEN VIDEO DASH • A DASH IS A LONGER LINE—DOUBLE THE LENGTH OF A HYPHEN. • DASHES INDICATE A SUDDEN BREAK OR CHANGE IN THOUGHT. • EXAMPLE: AUNT JEANINE—SHE’S A DOCTOR—WILL BE VISITING NEXT MONTH. • DASHES CAN BE USED BEFORE A FINAL COMMENT. • EXAMPLE: I JUST HAVE TO MAKE ONE PHONE CALL TO THE POLICE AND IT'S ALL OVER— DON'T THINK I WON'T DO IT. • A DASH CAN BE USED IN A SIMILAR WAY AS COMMAS AND PARENTHESIS • WHEN WE GET THERE—IF WE GET THERE—I'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO HIM ABOUT HIS CONFOUNDED MAP. • WHEN WE GET THERE (IF WE GET THERE) I'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO HIM ABOUT HIS CONFOUNDED MAP. • WHEN WE GET THERE, IF WE GET THERE, I'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO HIM ABOUT HIS CONFOUNDED MAP. • DASH VIDEO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMAS, PARENTHESES AND DASHES EM DASH VS. EN DASH

An em-dash is typically used as a stand-in for a comma or parenthesis to separate out phrases. Examples where an em-dash should be used: •School is based on the three R’s—reading, writing, and arithmetic. •Against all odds, Pete—the unluckiest man alive—won the lottery. •I sense something; a presence I've not felt since—

An en-dash is used to connect values in a range or that are related. A good rule is to use it when you're expressing a "to" relationship. Examples where an en-dash should be used: • in years 1939–1945 • pages 31–32 may be relevant • New York beat Los Angeles 98–95 DASH WARNING

• DASHES ARE NOT TO BE USED COMMONLY. (JUST LIKE EXCLAMATION POINTS ( ! ), USE SPARINGLY FOR STYLISTIC/DRAMATIC EFFECT)

• IF YOU HAVE A DASH WHERE A COMMA WOULD WORK, USE THE COMMA! DO NOT REPLACE COMMAS THAT ARE BEING USED FOR AN APPOSITIVE WITH DASHES. SIMPLY BECAUSE IT’S AN INTERRUPTION, DOESN’T MEAN A DASH BELONGS THERE. FINAL THOUGHT: HYPHENS VS. DASHES • HYPHENS ARE USED TO COMBINE TWO WORDS INTO A SINGLE NEW WORD. • A DASH SHOWS A BREAK OR INTERRUPTION OF THOUGHT BETWEEN SENTENCE PARTS.