posted
First of all, I would like to say "I'm back!!!!", and I'll be on here more often. I have a question that needs to be answered! We all know the famous elipsis. If you dont know what that is either you have not heard of the word or I spelled it wrong. Well, it's the part of writing that goes "..."(Dot Dot Dot). Now, I have played games and see it in Wheel of Time all the time where this techniques is used for that Dramatic Pause. For example, "My dog, he...died". However, after watching a funny Youtube video, I was told that the way it is used, is wrong. supposedly, its used to "word" out something. for example "help...aliens...died!". My question is this:which one is correct, and if it is the latter, how can I correctly use that "Dramatic Pause", thanks guys.
Posts: 15 | Registered: Apr 2010
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posted
The three dots can also be used for an unfinished sentence. This is particularly true with dialogue when the speaker gets emotional and chokes up before he/she finishes what he/she was intending to say.
Posts: 1320 | Registered: May 2008
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posted
Yep, I use it quite heavily in dialogue (if you listen to real people talking, they often let sentences trail off unfinished, and though written dialogue often needs to be different from spoken dialogue, I do try and represent that) and have had no issues with it from editors as far as I can recall...
Posts: 1469 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
Aposiopesis is an abrupt failure to complete a sentence and is often marked with the ellipsis. I figure if there is a term for it that recognizes the artistic merit then it can't be wrong.
Posts: 823 | Registered: May 2009
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