Authors can use an ellipsis for several purposes, including:
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Omission of Text: To indicate that some text has been omitted from a quotation. This is common in academic writing when condensing a longer passage to maintain clarity or relevance.
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Pause or Hesitation: To create a pause in dialogue or narrative, conveying a character's hesitation or a moment of reflection.
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Creating Suspense: To evoke suspense or anticipation, suggesting that there is more to come or that something important is being left unsaid.
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Truncating Quotes: In journalism and other forms of writing, ellipses are often used to truncate quotes while preserving the original meaning.
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Indicating Unfinished Thoughts: To suggest that a thought is unfinished or that the speaker is trailing off, leaving the reader to interpret what might come next.
Overall, ellipses serve as a versatile punctuation mark to convey various nuances in writing.