ellipsis
A mark of three spaced periods (. . .) indicating omitted words, hesitation, or speech or thought that trails off. The plural is ellipses.
An ellipsis marks an omission from quoted material. The writer removes words that the point at hand does not need, and the ellipsis tells the reader that something was cut: “We the People . . . do ordain and establish this Constitution.” Preserve the original meaning, and make sure the shortened quotation fits grammatically into the surrounding sentence. Do not add an ellipsis merely to show that a quotation begins or ends partway through the original passage: The mayor described the proposal as “a practical solution.” An ellipsis at the end of a quotation is needed only when the original sentence itself trails off unfinished. In dialogue, an ellipsis also marks speech that falters or trails off: “I thought . . . I mean, I hoped you would come.” See also ellipsis points: spacing and punctuation. Each use of the ellipsis has its own entry, listed under Ellipsis.
Examples
UseThe report found that “costs rose . . . in every region.” (The ellipsis shows that words were removed from the middle of the quotation.)
Use“If we leave now . . .” she said, then stopped. (The ellipsis shows the sentence trailing off unfinished.)
AvoidThe mayor called the plan “. . . a sound investment . . .” (The ellipses are unnecessary; the quotation is plainly an excerpt.)