[Grammar] RE: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

[monsterjazzlicks]

RE: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

Hi folks,

I have been trying to find out the reasons why authors make the decisions to present certain grammatical which they do. This question is somewhat similar to my recent question regarding a capital letter following a colon.

Some writers use a capital letter after an ellipsis while others do not. For example:

". . . as a gigantic wave descended upon our village."

". . . As a gigantic wave descended upon our village."


​

As you can see there is a capital letter (after the ellipsis) in the second example. I see equal amounts of both variants throughout my reading.

Many thanks in advance for any kind assistance offered here . . .

Ta,

Paul

 

[emsr2d2]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

Unless the word after the ellipsis is a proper noun or the first person singular pronoun, I see no reason to use a capital letter to start it.

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

I think it's the nature of the text, not the author, that determines whether that letter is capitalized. Can you provide any examples from publications illustrating the two styles?

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

Unless the word after the ellipsis is a proper noun or the first person singular pronoun, I see no reason to use a capital letter to start it.

I only just noticed this reply! Thanks.

OK, so more or less the same 'rule(s)' apply as with 'capital letters following a colon' (as per previous question under separate cover).

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

I think it's the nature of the text, not the author, that determines whether that letter is capitalized. Can you provide any examples from publications illustrating the two styles?

I only just noticed this reply! Thanks.

The example I gave was something I just knocked together for the purposes of demonstration.

I will see if I can dig out a genuine example for you.

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

GoesStation,

I found an example in one of the texts I am analyzing. It is from: 'The Return of Shackleton from Weddell Sea' (1916). It is basically a journal compiled by the captain of the ship documenting how his ship sailed adrift during an expedition.

Now here, having studied it more closely, I perceive it (ie. the capital letter after the ellipsis) as being the start of a new sentence (the sentence is very long and so I am actually starting off with an ellipsis!; therefore my question relates to the second ellipsis):

". . . as indicated by Fincher's discovery in 1912 of the junction here of the main land-mass and the ice-barrier . . . From here the drift took on a northwesterly course."
​

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

The second ellipsis should have been followed by a period ("full stop" in British English). In other words, there should be four dots after "ice-barrier".

 

[emsr2d2]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

I can't even see a reason for the ellipsis there. "ice-barrier" appears to be the end of the sentence I would expect a full stop straight after it. A capitalised "From" would then make sense.
=
Still, writing styles were a bit different in 1916 so maybe that explains it too. I notice that they have put a space between each dot of the ellipsis. That is incorrect these days. It should be "word, space, dotdotdot, space, word".

In other words ... that's how it should look.

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

The publication could be extracted from journals, with the ellipsis representing omitted text.

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

The second ellipsis should have been followed by a period ("full stop" in British English). In other words, there should be four dots after "ice-barrier".

To be honest, I have only seen three ellipsis followed by the capital letter of the next sentence (as is the above example). I totally understand what you are saying. I just have never seen your suggestion anywhere before (if my memory serves me correctly!).

In any event, should the text have been written:

". . . as indicated by Fincher's discovery in 1912 of the junction here of the main land-mass and the ice-barrier . . . . From here the drift took on a northwesterly course."

 

[Rover_KE]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

The second ellipsis should have been followed by a period ("full stop" in British English). In other words, there should be four dots after "ice-barrier".

Correct.

Many thanks in advance for any kind assistance offered here . . .

I can't see any reason for your ellipsis here, Paul. It's clearly the end of a sentence.

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

I can't even see a reason for the ellipsis there. "ice-barrier" appears to be the end of the sentence I would expect a full stop straight after it. A capitalised "From" would then make sense.

Quite, the sentence does seem to terminate. In fact, it is a very long sentence even without the ellipsis (hence I started the quote mid-way)!

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

In any event, should the text have been written:

"...as indicated by Fincher's discovery in 1912 of the junction here of the main land-mass and the ice-barrier.... From here the drift took on a northwesterly course."

Not exactly - see my correction above. (I removed extraneous spaces around the dots. The first three dots are the ellipsis. Some typesetters would, I think, put a small space after them, setting the final period a little apart from them.)

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

To be honest, I have only seen [STRIKE]three[/STRIKE] an ellipsis followed by the capital letter of the next sentence....

"Ellipsis" is singular. It consists of three dots, closely-spaced when properly typeset. The last syllable is pronounced like the first syllable of sister. I inserted an ellipsis above to indicate that I omitted some words from the end of the quoted sentence.

The plural is ellipses. The last syllable is pronounced like sees.

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

I can't see any reason for your ellipsis here, Paul. It's clearly the end of a sentence.

Well, if I was an expert on the topic of 'ellipsis' then I would not have posted this thread in the first place!

As clearly stated in my original first two posts (which have since been moved/modified): "Moderators please feel free to move or make any corrections to my threads/comments as required" (or words to that effect). Also, I did made it quite clear that I am currently only at pre-GCSE level.

 

[jutfrank]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

There are varying conventions when it comes to use of ellipses. Some stylists use a period after an ellipsis (four dots) and some feel no need (myself included). Similarly, there are differences in use of spacing.

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

Not exactly - see my correction above. (I removed extraneous spaces around the dots. The first three dots are the ellipsis. Some typesetters would, I think, put a small space after them, setting the final period a little apart from them.)

OK. I think I have got it now, thanks. So there are no spaces between the ellipsis. Again, I have seen it expressed both ways, but I will stick to your rule from now on!

Regarding an ellipsis followed by the opening of a new sentence:

you would (as per your above example/correction in red ink) place the ellipsis and the period together (ie. with no space between the final 'dot' of the ellipsis and the period), and the leave a space between the period and the opening capital letter of the new sentence (as you would do normally).
​

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

There are varying conventions when it comes to use of ellipses. Some stylists use a period after an ellipsis (four dots) and some feel no need (myself included). Similarly, there are differences in use of spacing.

Do you mean that it is down to what the preferences of the 'publisher' are (ie. as opposed to those of the writer), please?

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

OK. I think I have got it now, thanks. So there are no spaces between the ellipsis.

There cannot be a space "between" an ellipsis any more than there can be an orange "between" a banana. An ellipsis is a single punctuation mark consisting of three closely-spaced dots.

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Capital Letter after Ellipsis (Question)

Regarding an ellipsis followed by the opening of a new sentence:

you would (as per your above example/correction in red ink) place the ellipsis and the period together (ie. with no space between the final 'dot' of the ellipsis and the period), and then leave a space between the period and the opening capital letter of the new sentence (as you would do normally).
​

Yes.