Before we start talking about this punctuation mark, let's find out what an ellipsis is. An ellipsis is a punctuation mark used to indicate a pause or incompleteness in writing in Russian.

In order to correctly understand any text, you should definitely be aware of exactly what functions each punctuation mark performs, this also applies to ellipses. So why do we need this sign in the punctuation system so much and in what cases should it be used?

As mentioned above, the ellipsis expresses a certain interruption of thought and incompleteness, which could be provoked by excitement or external interference. “She was so beautiful... I still can’t believe that she was capable of such a vile act...”

Ellipsis is also used where the previously interrupted narrative continues. This punctuation mark can also be found in those places in a written text (or sentence) where its beginning is missing. “... but these same obstacles did not become serious obstacles for us, and we decided not to stop.”

The use of ellipsis is also relevant in cases where it is necessary to indicate a pause that occurs as a result of the transition from one action to another. Such a transition can be caused by a change of thoughts, some decisions, and even unexpected conclusions. “The weather was beautiful, the sun warmed us with the warmth of its bright light, and it seemed that nothing could foretell trouble... Suddenly, just a few moments later, the sky was covered with dark clouds, it became dark, and suddenly thunder roared.”

You can’t do without ellipses when working with quotations. In this case, a similar punctuation mark denotes a selected part of the text or a sentence from the text. When highlighting a fragment from a sentence, an ellipsis is also used. Some linguists associate ellipses with traces of words that have tiptoed out of a sentence.

Thus, where an entire sentence or several sentences are omitted, ellipses with angle brackets are used. This punctuation mark is placed in place of missing sentences. Ellipses are also found where intervals are indicated, for example: “6...9 months” or “the temperature is expected to drop -2...-4 degrees.”

School graduates need to know about the functions and uses of ellipsis and, preferably, use this punctuation mark, along with other punctuation marks, when writing a statement or essay. It is especially important not to just use an ellipsis, but to use it correctly and not forget about this sign when working with quotations. The level of knowledge of schoolchildren is checked by the GIA, that is, the state final certification.

Maybe one of the graduates will think of writing an essay, for example, about ellipses? Wonderful! In your work, you can resort to this sign when emphasizing unexpected moments, to which the ellipsis will add some mystery and even sophistication, while eliminating the need to focus on obvious details and conclusions. It is quite logical to replace them with ellipses, which will also allow giving not only some freedom to the reader in interpreting what they read, but also taking a pause before any dramatic moment.

This sign, appearing in the text, signals some reticence, hesitation, absent-mindedness or confusion of the subject of written speech. In grammar, ellipsis is defined as follows.

An ellipsis is a punctuation mark consisting of three dots written side by side. Serves to indicate an unfinished thought or pause by the author.

This punctuation mark is used for the following purposes:

1. In order to show the incompleteness of the statement, some confusion of thoughts caused by the state of the speaker, a break in the logical development of thought; interference arising from the external environment, as well as to indicate interruptions in speech. Typically used in direct speech. For example:

- I can’t... I can’t do this... It’s not fair and wrong... I can’t!...

“I would say who you are... but I prefer not to talk about girls like that.”

- I remember. I remember this girl... she was good... Why are you asking about her?

2. To indicate hesitations not only between words, but also in the words themselves, For example:

- For... for... forget me! – she was shaking all over with anger.

“Wa... Wha... Vanya, now you’re completely wrong,” said Masha.

3. To indicate the boundaries of quotes. It is used in cases where the quotation is not introduced in full, but only in parts that are most significant for the context. There are several ways to enter ellipses in quotations.

a) To indicate that the boundaries of a quotation, which is an independent sentence in relation to the context, do not coincide with the boundaries of the sentence in the quoted text:

Pushkin, highlighting the works of his contemporaries, characterized Derzhavin this way: “... Some of Derzhavin’s odes, despite the irregularity of the language and the unevenness of the syllable, are filled with impulses of genius...”.

In this example, we see that the quotation, firstly, is an independent sentence, and secondly, although it is framed as a sentence, it has clearly different boundaries in the source text. And indeed, in Pushkin’s original text we see this sentence in its entirety:

“I agree that some of Derzhavin’s odes, despite the unevenness of the syllable and the irregularity of the language, are filled with impulses of true genius, that in Bogdanovich’s “Darling” there are poems and entire pages worthy of La Fontaine, that Krylov has surpassed all fabulists known to us, with the possible exception of this La Fontaine himself, that Batyushkov, a happy associate of Lomonosov, did for the Russian language what Petrarch did for Italian; that Zhukovsky would have been translated into all languages ​​if he himself translated less.” (Pushkin, “On the reasons that slowed down the progress of our literature)

However, if the quotation is framed as indirect speech, then in this case there is no need to put an ellipsis:

The writer, covering everything done before him, said that “Derzhavin’s odes... are filled with impulses of genius.”

b) To indicate an omission within a quotation:

Pushkin wrote: “And poetry... should be stupid.” In the original: “And poetry, God forgive me, must be stupid.”

Ellipsis(ellipsis, from the Greek ellipsis - empty) - an independent typographical sign, a type of outlining, consisting of three dots in a row, used to indicate hidden meaning, features of oral speech (sigh, pause, thoughtfulness), understatement or to exclude certain words from the text , for example when quoting.

The ellipsis can be horizontal, vertical and diagonal.

Once again I would like to emphasize that the ellipsis is a separate, independent typographical sign and, be that as it may, it differs from three dots. In this case, the ellipsis can be formed by both an exclamation mark and a question mark.
What is the difference between the ellipsis and the three dots that led to its appearance? When you type three dots, they seem to merge into one continuous line, so that this does not happen, the dots begin to bounce off each other with additional spaces. Thus, the set began to look more even and pleasing to the eye. This is the eternal “struggle” between display fonts and text ones: a text font always strives for a flat gray, as if trying to turn into a ribbon, and a display font, on the contrary, tries to be as bright and unusual as possible, to invigorate the line in order to attract the reader’s eye.

Technical information

To prevent the points in the ellipsis from merging into a solid line, they move away from each other (the distance between the points increases). The exception is monospace fonts, where each character has the same width, i.e. An ellipsis fits into one character and becomes shorter, and three dots, respectively, into three characters! But this means that when typing in a monospaced font, you need to use punctuation marks based on their future fate: if these are texts for a site that is most likely not designed in a monospaced font, then you should use ellipses, and if comments in the code - three dots.

Has UTF code 2026. HTML codes & hellip; and and ASCII code 133 (Alt+0133)

Historical background

Ellipsis has been used since BC. and it is not possible and not necessary in the context of this article to name the exact dates of the appearance of this symbol. Ellipses were used back in Ancient Greece to replace “what is already clear to everyone,” for example, an ellipsis could end the phrase “don’t poke your nose into someone else’s business,” like this: “don’t poke your nose...”. This is the most primitive example; you can come up with an analogy yourself. Also, the Greeks and Romans used ellipsis in syntactic constructions that looked incomplete and in constructions determined by the peculiarities of Latin.
But even understandable constructions with ellipses, if combined multiple times, turn into a bunch of incoherent words that have no boundaries. This is what Quintilian (Quintilianus, in Latin) spoke about in his writings, calling for the use of ellipsis only in those cases where “everything is already clear”! This, naturally, caused controversy: how to figure out where it is clear and where it is not. I would like to repeat that these problems were caused, in many respects, by the peculiarities of the language and are characteristic of the European community, but not the Russian one; the Russian language is distinguished by linguistic constructions.

Karamzin was the first to use ellipses in Russia in the 18th century. And initially it was used as an artistic device, mainly in prose, to express the emotional component, and only then migrated to ordinary texts as a symbol of understatement and incompleteness, intermittency, etc.
Finally, the prelude is over and we can get down to the real issues of using ellipses in practice. Hooray!

Rules of use

When is ellipsis used?

1. To display speech pauses (even in the middle of words):

To indicate that the beginning or end of a quotation is not the same as the beginning or end of a sentence in the quoted text, for example:
Pushkin, assessing all his predecessors, wrote: “...Some of Derzhavin’s odes, despite the irregularity of the language and the unevenness of the syllable, are filled with impulses of genius...”.

To indicate a gap within a quotation, for example:
Marx wrote that “language... is practical, existing for other people and only thereby existing also for myself, real consciousness.”

At the beginning of a text or sentence in order to reflect the confusion of thought, or a large time interval separating the sentence from the previous one.
“...Wa... wa... wa... your Excellency,” Popov whispered.

In places where the ending of the phrase is generally known, for example:
“Who are you going to hang out with…”
"We wanted the best..."

To indicate intervals (along with the dash and division sign ÷)
+7…+9С
15…19 kilograms

In mathematics

To skip numbers in a sequence:
1 + 2 + 3 +…+ 10

To write periodic fractions or transcendental numbers:
1/3 = 0,33333333…
Pi = 3.14159…

In Runet

To display a continuing list of pages, for example in search results, it is sometimes formatted as a link:
… 2 3 4 5 6 7…
1…15 16 17

As a list of element numbers displayed on the current page or the following in the page navigation list:
1…15 16…30 31…45

Terms of use

How to use it correctly?

1. An ellipsis is separated from the next word by a space and is not separated from the previous word:
   There is darkness all around... and only small lights of the city in the distance...
2. When both an ellipsis and a comma occur in the same place, the comma is absorbed by the ellipsis:
   My work... but, however, let's not talk about it.
3. When both an ellipsis and a question or exclamation mark occur in the same place, they are combined using a question or exclamation point:
   Well, what are you thinking again?..
   In this case, the distance between the question mark and the period should be reduced. And if there is an exclamation-question mark, then one dot is added!
   Yes, how long can you dig, after all?!
4. In direct speech, if there is a dash after an ellipsis, then it (the dash) is not separated by a space from the ellipsis:
   “Have you thought?..Are you sure?..” she said in a weakened voice.
5. If there are quotes or parentheses after the ellipsis, they are not separated by a space from the ellipsis:
   He said: “I don’t understand your words...”
6. If an ellipsis appears in a heading, highlighted on a separate line, then, like exclamation and question marks, it is not omitted. It is worth noting that the period is omitted in this case.
   In search of the truth...
   or
   Will Microsoft Buy Yahoo...
7. If an ellipsis is at the beginning of a sentence, it is not separated by a space:
   ...The night passed and the first rays of the sun began to play on the tops of the trees.
8. When typing into a placeholder, the spaces between the ellipsis and the previous word must remain unchanged:
   From a new point of view... and from a new point of view...
   and not
   Again... and again...
9. In number intervals, ellipses are not separated by spaces:
   1…3
   +29…+31
10. If the quotation is not given in full, then the omission is indicated by an ellipsis, which is placed:
    • before the quotation (after the opening quotation marks), which is not syntactically related to the author’s text, to indicate that the quotation is not given from the beginning of the sentence: L. N. Tolstoy wrote:
      “...in art, simplicity, brevity and clarity are the highest perfection of the art form, which is achieved only with great talent and great work”;
    • in the middle of a quote, when part of the text inside it is missing:
      Speaking about the merits of the language of folk poetry, the speaker recalled: “It is no coincidence that our Russian classics... recommended reading fairy tales, listening to folk speech, studying proverbs, reading writers who possess all the richness of Russian speech”;
    • after the quotation (before the closing quotation marks), when the quoted sentence is not fully quoted:
      Speaking in defense of the culture of oral speech, Chekhov wrote: “In essence, for an intelligent person, speaking poorly should be considered the same indecency as not being able to read and write...”
11. After a quotation ending with an ellipsis, a period is placed if the quotation is not an independent sentence:
    M.V. Lomonosov wrote that “the beauty, splendor, strength and richness of the Russian language is evident from books written in past centuries...”.
12. If large parts of the text or entire sentences are cut out when quoting, it is customary to surround the ellipsis with angle brackets:
    The article was sharp, sharp, but although Pushkin, when starting the publication of the magazine, did not at all “seek to aggravate the journal controversy<…>, but Pushkin appreciated Gogol’s article and accepted it into the first issue, advising the author to soften the harshest expressions.” quote taken from

Ellipsis(…) - a punctuation mark in the form of several (in Russian three) dots placed side by side. Used to indicate interruption of speech, incompleteness of a statement, or an omission in the text.

Russian language

In the Russian language, ellipsis as one of the punctuation marks was first indicated in the grammar of A. Kh. Vostokov in 1831. Then it was called a “preventive sign.”

Currently, in the Russian language, ellipses are used in the following cases:

Sometimes ellipses are used with question marks or exclamation marks. In these cases, only two dots are placed after the sign: “!..” and “?...”. Examples:

• What is there to offer?.. And then they write, write... Congress, some Germans... My head is swelling. Take everything and divide it... (M. Bulgakov “Heart of a Dog”).
• It's getting light!.. Ah! how quickly the night has passed! (A. S. Griboedov “Woe from Wit”).

Ellipsis in other languages

Ellipsis exists in other languages, but the rules for its use vary from language to language.

In English (as in Russian), an ellipsis has three dots, but in Chinese it consists of 6 dots (2 groups of 3 dots).

In Unicode, the ellipsis (horizontal ellipsis) has the code U+2026, in HTML the ellipsis corresponds to the name .... In Windows OS it is entered using the key combination Alt+0133.

Mathematics

In mathematics, ellipsis is used to mean “and so on” and, in particular, means:

Use in computer science

In some programming languages ​​(C/C++, etc.), ellipses are used to indicate an arbitrary number of unknown arguments in a function description. For example:

int printf(const char * fmt, ...);

means that the printf function has a first argument of type const char * , and then there can be any number of arguments with arbitrary types.

In user interfaces, ellipses in menu items and buttons usually indicate that the user will be required to enter additional data (usually in a separate dialog box) before the action associated with that interface element can be performed.

Typography

There is no consensus on how to correctly type an ellipsis (with one character, “...”, or several “...”). Supporters of the first typing option cite as an argument the fact that if such a symbol exists, it serves to enrich the text. In addition, this typing option allows you to save bytes when using UTF-16 or UTF-32. But when using the most common UTF-8 encoding, both options take 3 bytes. Also in favor of the second option (supported by, for example,

1. The ellipsis has a number of different meanings associated with the content, logical and emotional aspects of speech. At the beginning of a sentence, an ellipsis means a logical or meaningful break in the text, a transition from one thought to another (when they are not related to each other).

Such an ellipsis is usually placed at the beginning of a paragraph: But only the wheels were knocking in the black void: Ka-ten-ka, Ka-ten-ka, Ka-ten-ka, finally, finally, finally... But...

Abruptly, as if having flown into a dead end, the carriage stopped, the brakes squealed with an iron scream, the chains rattled, the windows rattled, several suitcases fell heavily from the top shelf (A. T); He looked at Olga Nikolaevna’s proud head, weighed down by a knot of hair, answered inappropriately and soon, citing fatigue, went into the room assigned to him.

And so the days dragged on, sweet and melancholy (Sh.);

The crossroads of the strange city were empty, and the flower girls again placed their green stools with buckets and blue enamel bowls at the crossroads of the two most elegant streets, where roses floated, tormenting the sleeping man with their incredible beauty and brightness, capable of killing him in his sleep if a long sea wave, smooth and cool, did not calm the sleeping person. ...He again saw the yacht, the lime-white tower of the port lighthouse (Kav.) leaving.

2. Inside a sentence, an ellipsis conveys difficulty in speech caused by great emotional stress, the meaningfulness of what was said, subtext, as well as the intermittent nature of speech, indicates deliberately omitted words, etc.:

Don’t worry... it’s not me, it’s Romka the jester... I know the rules. Everything is right here...

Duty wishes... otherwise you can order... (Hab.);

So and so... the thing is... you understand... (Nab.)

3. The expressive functions of ellipsis are manifested in speech that is emotionally or intellectually intense. Therefore, ellipsis is most typical for literary and journalistic texts, in particular for dialogues:

In part, I myself am not a stranger to authorship, that is, of course... I don’t dare call myself a writer, but... still, my drop of honey is in the hive... I published three children’s stories at different times - you haven’t read, of course... I translated a lot and... and my late brother worked at Delo.

So... uh... How can I help?

You see... (Murashkina lowered her eyes and blushed).

I know your talent... your views, Pavel Vasilyevich, and I would like to know your opinion, or, rather... ask for advice (Ch.);

My father was fired from the factory after a strike, exiled to Siberia... My mother has four of us... I, the eldest, was nine years old then... (Sh.).

If only you, young people, could live and live... but you... like these... crazy people are carried around the world, you can’t find a place for yourself (V. Sh.);

I would give the girl an education to finish the chorus... the chorus... - not the first time, the grandfather takes the tricky word from the buildup - ho-re-ogra-fi-ches-koe (Ast.).

4. Inside a sentence, an ellipsis can also perform a special function: it “separates” words, indicating the incompatibility of their meanings, semantic shifts, and unusual combinations of words: Treasure ... under the hostel (gas); Sent to resignation... position (gas.); Balloon... in a purse (gas); Reward... before the start (gas); Swimming... on the shore (gas).