Copywriting: Rules For The Correct Use of the Ellipsis

Ellipses, the grammatical notation for using [...] in the middle of a sentence, have long been pushed to the back of the punctuation usage line. Traditionally, ellipses are strictly used to indicate that part of a quote was omitted (”we had a great team out there today… I’m just glad we were able to pull out the win”), or perhaps in unusual circumstances, to indicate a pause in someone’s actions (”Jim thought and thought about the missing knife… and then thought some more”).

Today, however, in an Internet world where we seek more space to fit musings into 140 characters, and look for ways to communicate that better reflect our own informal discussion style, the ellipsis is making a comeback. I’m all for it, too… I believe that used well, the ellipsis can help you write better stuff, that works better in a new business environment. Keeping in mind that I’m going on my own style here, and not by the book (as is my custom with grammar posts), here are two main cases I like to use ellipses:

1. I use them for proper flow in a sentence. I believe that good writing not only communicates ideas correctly, but does so in correct time. In other words, it’s the flow and feel of a piece, as much as it is the substance, that forms, builds, and broadcasts a brand statement. The ellipses is another tool I keep in the toolbox for just this purpose… giving me the chance to elongate my thoughts, without shortening them again with a comma, or disrupting them with a semi-colon, a hyphen, or a set of parentheses. 

2. I use them to change my thoughts in mid-sentence, without hassling with a new one altogether, or again without interrupting the thoughts with something like a semi-colon. When I talk, I pause and meander. It’s rare that I speak with the authority and clarity that many aspire to write with. And while surely there are times to make your writing more powerful than your speech — with lots of short sentences, for instance — there’s also a time to let your writing imitate your everyday voice. Don’t be afraid, in other words, to let your natural intonations shine through… you might be pleased with the result. 

The rules around ellipses are hazy, and our written understanding of them has yet to catch up with our new usages. So, while these two instances are what work for me, I urge you to find what works for yourself. Be wary of going overboard, of course, because too much of a good thing is no good at all. But try to use a few, see how they work, and them place them appropriately in your own toolbox.

Your Input: did I miss any good uses here? are there any you like, that I didn’t touch on here? any here that you dislike (and would like removed)? Let me know.