Ellipsis.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me if it is correct to leave white spaces around an ellipsis?

"I don't want to go in there...I don't know what's in there."

or

"I don't want to go in there ... I don't know what's in there."

Any help would be appreciated.

[Tdol]

This suggests leaving space:
http://spider.georgetowncollege.edu/...0/wp1spa97.htm

[Mister Micawber]

From tdol's reference, one opinion:

'leave one space after words, commas, semicolons and between dots in ellipsis marks.'

This suggests that the first dot of the ellipsis abuts the previous word; then a space between the first dot and the 2nd dot; then a space between the 2nd dot and the 3rd dot; then the 3rd dot abuts the following word if the sentence continues. If the sentence ends there, one space between the 3rd dot and the period would seem to be called for.

...Got that?

[Casiopea]

From tdol's reference, one opinion:

'leave one space after words, commas, semicolons and between dots in ellipsis marks.'

This suggests that the first dot of the ellipsis abuts the previous word; then a space between the first dot and the 2nd dot; then a space between the 2nd dot and the 3rd dot; then a space between the 3rd dot and the following word if the sentence continues. If the sentence ends there, one space between the 3rd dot and the period.

I got lost after the '2nd dot'. An example or two wouldn't hurt.

[Mister Micawber]

Me too. . . .

[Casiopea]

Me too. . . .

Doesn't "Me, too" stand for something else. That is, shouldn't the dots be here:

Pat: I like cake.
Sam: As for me, I like cake, too.
Sam: . . . me, . . ., too.

All the best, :D

[Mister Micawber]

You'll never get a job as a scriptwriter, Cass.

[Casiopea]

You'll never get a job as a scriptwriter, Cass.

Thank gawd.