Grammar and vocabulary

[Ashcroft]

Hi Ashcroft and Hopewrites

You new bugs might want to check out the Toolbox thread in Writing Resources. It was started by one of our more esteemed and respected members and was designed as a collective repository for all manner of technical advice. Ashcroft - I reckon you should bolt your informative post in there (if you haven't done so already).

Regards,

Peter

Ah, okie dokie. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Lilmizflashythang]

It wasn't just that. It was that she put the commas where they belonged, except near the end of the sentence..

You know, I started to use--I know what it's called, I just can't spell it--those three periods at the end of the sentence.

 

[Mouse]

Ashcroft, thank you.

I feel even more confused than ever now though, after reading this thread! I thought I had a vague idea of what a run on was, at least. Now I don't even have that.

 

[The Judge]

Good thinking, Peter. I was going to suggest the very thing to Ashcroft -- the more good posts we have up there, the better.

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

You know, I started to use--I know what it's called, I just can't spell it--those three periods at the end of the sentence.

Ellipsis. Spelled just like that. But that, technically, would have been just as wrong as it is used to break off an unfinished thought.

 

[JunkMonkey]

Ellipsis. Spelled just like that. But that, technically, would have been just as wrong as it is used to break off an unfinished thought.

I thought there are two forms of ellipsis. A three dot one for, as you describe, a break in a thought, and a four dot one for when such a break comes at the end of a sentence. I suppose really it's a three dot ellipsis followed by a full stop.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

They can also be used to allow a reader to insert their own emotion, to indicate a pause in speech etc

At least acccording to my book.

 

[Pyan]

I find that I tend to use ellipses (and dashes) an awful lot... but only in informal writing, especially when posting on a forum. I think that they give a better impression of the actual message as if you could hear me say the post rather than reading it - it's almost as if they mark breathing points... (Anyone who hasn't noticed is welcome to look at "Other posts by this user"...)

But I don't use them in "formal" writing, except in their right place, which I understood to be as JunkMonkey spelled out above. Punctuation is important - bad or missing punctuation has caused disputes over wills, bequests, treaties... As Edgar Allan Poe said:

The writer who neglects punctuation, or mispunctuates, is liable to be misunderstood. … For the want of merely a comma, it often occurs that an axiom appears a paradox, or that a sarcasm is converted into a sermonoid.

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

I thought there are two forms of ellipsis. A three dot one for, as you describe, a break in a thought, and a four dot one for when such a break comes at the end of a sentence. I suppose really it's a three dot ellipsis followed by a full stop.

Actually, I've never seen a four-period ellipsis, but I suppose you could do that. In either case, it signifies a broken, interrupted, or trailed off thought. It's a softer stop than a hyphen, but tends to be more permanent.

 

[Ashcroft]

Ashcroft, thank you.

I feel even more confused than ever now though, after reading this thread! I thought I had a vague idea of what a run on was, at least. Now I don't even have that.

Hey, it's all good. I've been very lucky to have a friend who's doing a PhD in English Literature, so I continuously nag him with grammar queries!

I've tried to go into a little bit more depth in the toolbox thread. If you have any queries then feel free to send me a PM or post a question in a relevant sub-forum (I presume that'd be The Workshop?). I'm always happy to try to explain grammar as best I'm able.

Remember: I'm not infallible, so if someone thinks they've spotted an error in something I've written then please do feel free to publicly correct me - I love the grammar nazis!

EDIT: I just wanted to say, I've read some of your stuff, Mouse, and it's very impressive. You needn't worry about your grammar because it's certainly far, far past the stage where it's detracting from your writing.

 

[Mouse]

I've tried to go into a little bit more depth in the toolbox thread. If you have any queries then feel free to send me a PM or post a question in a relevant sub-forum (I presume that'd be The Workshop?). I'm always happy to try to explain grammar as best I'm able.

Thank you massively! I had a look at your post in the Toolbox thread.

EDIT: I just wanted to say, I've read some of your stuff, Mouse, and it's very impressive. You needn't worry about your grammar because it's certainly far, far past the stage where it's detracting from your writing.

Again, thanks. I worry about everything when it comes to writing though.

 

[JunkMonkey]

Actually, I've never seen a four-period ellipsis, but I suppose you could do that. In either case, it signifies a broken, interrupted, or trailed off thought. It's a softer stop than a hyphen, but tends to be more permanent.

I used to come across them a lot when I used to volunteer proofread for Gutenberg.org (which is great fun, and I learnt a lot from doing it). This is from their guidelines on ellipses:

http://www.pgdp.net/c/faq/proofreading_guidelines.php#period_p