In my last post I distinguished between ellipses used in formal writing--like legal documents or academic papers--and ellipses used in informal writing. In casual writing, ellipses are usually employed to suggest a pause, or some sort of emotion or state of mind. In this case, the ellipsis looks the same, but it's not meant to indicate omission of one or more words.
When we text, write emails, personal letters, or fiction, ellipses can add a range of meaning to our expressions. First of all, ellipses can indicate an unfinished thought, or a trailing off into silence.
Like this: She hadn't ever given politics much thought, but then . . . .
Notice the ellipsis is followed by a period because it falls at the end of the sentence.
Ellipses are also useful for indicating the passage of time, or an unfinished list.
For example: The minutes ticked . . . and ticked, adding up to hours, days, weeks, . . . .
Lastly, ellipses are great for suggesting an awkward or temporary silence within or between sentences. They might indicate faltering or fragmented speech caused by confusion, uncertainty, or strong emotion.
For example: I can't believe it . . . what they did to me. It was so . . . unfair!
Note that a dash could be used instead of the first ellipsis in the above example. But my sources suggest that dashes should be reserved for stronger, more emphatic pauses within a sentence.
The last thing I want to say about ellipses is to warn against their over-use. When summarizing material, it's usually better to paraphrase than quote extensively, using too many ellipses. They tend to annoy readers.
That's especially true in informal writing. Overuse tends to make even our most casual writing seem vague, disjointed, or wishy-washy.
A friend sent me the following link to a BBC article about a new grammar test being implemented in British schools. Check it out.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22403731
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