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Dashes, Semicolons, and Ellipses in Dialogue



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Sun Sep 02, 2007 4:36 am
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Snoink says...



Semicolons indicates a dramatic pause, which is later finished.

"This is not a good idea; it will lead us into danger."

"Hush!"

Ellipses (the dot-dot-dot thing) indicate a trailing off.

"I don't think that's a good idea..."

"Hush!"

Dashes indicate an abrupt cutting off.

"I don't think --"

"Hush!"

What's the difference between the dash and the ellipsis? With dashes, you cut off the sentence before it is complete. With an ellipsis, you indicate a cliffhanger sentence. It's still complete grammatically, but the idea isn't.

Ellipses and dashes are most effectively used in dialogue or first-person narration, although they can be used sparingly in other narration as well.
Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.

"The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly." ~ Richard Bach

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"For a short space of time I remained at the window watching the pallid lightnings that played above Mont Blanc and listening to the rushing of the Arve, which pursued its noise way beneath. The same lulling sounds acted as a lullaby to my too keen sensations; when I placed my head upon my pillow, sleep crept over me; I felt it as it came and blessed the giver of oblivion."
— Mary Shelley, Frankenstein