Elipses With Question Mark
This punctuation mark is called an ellipsis. An ellipsis represents an omission of one or more words within a quoted passage. The plural of ellipsis is ellipses. When a complete sentence ends in punctuation other than a period, such as a question mark or an exclamation point, the sequence is word, punctuation mark, space, ellipsis, space.
The ellipsis, also known as ellipsis points, shows that something has been omitted from a sentence or quotation. It may also be used to show a pause in a quotation or in reported speech . Table of Contents
An ellipsis consists of exactly three dots called ellipsis pointsnever two dots, never four dotsjust three dots. How you actually make the ellipsis is a matter of style. The Chicago Manual of Style puts spaces between the dots and the AP stylebook doesn't, 2, 3 so check whichever style guide you use or if you're writing for yourself
This convention applies equally to dialogue and narration. Following the ellipsis, you can use a capital letter to indicate the start of a new sentence, especially to signal a definite shift as in the fourth example Though a sentence-ending period isn't retained with an ellipsis, a question mark or an exclamation point is. The
4 If the ellipsis is used to replace words at the end of a sentence, it should be followed by a period ., question mark ? or exclamation point ! to end the sentence. 4. Use an ellipsis with a period to shorten a quote. If the ellipsis is followed by a period, then you will have 4 dots. For example
At a minimum, there should be a space on both sides of the ellipsis. For example Correct quotI don't know maybe you're right.quot Incorrect quotI don't knowmaybe you're right.quot Rule 5 Ellipsis at the End of a Sentence. When an ellipsis is used at the end of a sentence, it can be followed by a period, question mark, or exclamation point.
The ellipsis and em dash represent different kinds of breaks in text. The em dash denotes an interruption the ellipsis shows trailing off or hesitation. Lyss Maurer's article on interrupted dialogue is a great resource that shows this difference. The em dash never represents missing words that's the job of the ellipsis. It's a question
Punctuation and ellipses is a blog for another day, but for your question above, you would place the period as you normally would without a space and then begin the ellipsis. Anonymous on December 14, 2011 at 1224 pm
There is no universally accepted standard for the form or use of the ellipsis. See Wikipedia, a more authoritative source, or any of a number of style manuals for additional information on the use of spaces, the role of periods, etc. I agree with Dan that the question mark is in addition to the ellipsis, which is its own mark of punctuation.
An ellipsis plural ellipses is a mark that comprises a series of three dots. The dots in an ellipsis may be separated by spaces . . . or they may not , depending on the style you follow. In a quotation, an ellipsis signifies omitted words and sentences. Be careful not to change or skew the meaning of the original speech or text.