Saturday 3 July 2010

the ellipsis

like many, i also have a tendency to use points of ellipsis (a.k.a. dot-dot-dot) in my written communication. i have nothing against it when used in the right context. however, there are certain people who overuse the ellipsis, and unintentionally come off as rude or impatient. it's unnecessary. as such, i strongly encourage people to have an understanding of when it is appropriate to use an ellipsis. please find below an extract from wikipedia for your perusal:
' ... a mark or series of marks that usually indicate a pause in speech, an unfinished thought, or, at the end of a sentence, a trailing off into silence. When placed at the end of a sentence, the ellipsis can also inspire a feeling of melancholy longing. The ellipsis calls for a slight pause in speech.'

No comments: