Question

Which of the following statements correctly applies to the function or use of an ellipsis?

A) An ellipsis should only be used when cutting material out of a direct quotation.
B) An ellipsis usually consists of three spaced periods, but more may be used to indicate a bigger gap.
C) The ellipsis should be used sparingly.
D) The ellipsis is usually interchangeable with parenthesis or brackets.

Answer 1

An ellipsis is a punctuation mark used to indicate the omission of words from a direct quotation or to show a pause or hesitation in speech or writing. The correct statement is that an ellipsis usually consists of three spaced periods, but more may be used to indicate a bigger gap. It is important to use an ellipsis sparingly and to avoid distorting the original meaning.

Step-by-step explanation:

An ellipsis is a punctuation mark consisting of three spaced periods. It is used to indicate the omission of words from a direct quotation or to show a pause or hesitation in speech or writing.

Option B is the correct statement that applies to the function or use of an ellipsis. An ellipsis usually consists of three spaced periods, but more may be used to indicate a bigger gap. It is important to note that the use of an ellipsis should be sparing and should not distort the original meaning.

For example, if we have the quotation: 'The quick brow... jumps over the lazy dog,' the ellipsis is used to indicate omitted words in the middle of the sentence.