Worksheet 1: Introduction to Ellipses

Practice the fundamental uses of the ellipsis (...) for showing omitted text and indicating pauses. Click below to print or save as a PDF.

Worksheet 1: Introduction to Ellipses

Name: _________________________   Date: _________________________

1. Identifying the Use of an Ellipsis

Read each sentence and write whether the ellipsis is used for an "Omission" or a "Pause".

1. The original speech was long, so he quoted, "Four score and seven years ago..." __________________
2. I was trying to remember the name... John, I think. __________________
3. The article stated, "The committee... eventually reached a decision." __________________
4. He hesitated for a moment and then said, "I'm not sure... maybe." __________________

2. Shortening Quotations

Use an ellipsis to shorten the following quotation by removing the underlined part.

Original: The book states, "The planet Mars, which is often called the Red Planet, is the fourth planet from the sun."

Corrected:

3. Sentence Writing

Write one sentence using an ellipsis to show a pause in thought or speech.

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