Ellipsis are three full stops in a row, but, some people get confused about whether or not to use a capital letter directly afterwards. Today, we’ll look at what these rules are, what different style guides say, and when to use them, and what the difference between “Ellipsis” and “Ellipses” is.
Do You Capitalize After An Ellipsis?
If you wish to cut out text or elongate a word, use lower case. “Today we’ll talk about… the meaning of life…apples… the planet…”. “Anyway…. how are you?” For an independent clause, or a reveal, use capitals. “It was him… Boris!”, “I like apples…. Apples grow on trees”.
What do style guides say about capitalizing after an ellipsis?
There are two main style guides when it comes to the ellipsis, there are times when you’re told to use one over the other, but otherwise, you can choose- even if that means choosing neither.
According to APA, the only time you should capitalise after an ellipsis is for an independent clause. “I like apples… Apples grow on trees”.
MLA disagrees. According to this style guide, the three dots should always be spaced. “…” is fine, but “…” is not. Also, the only purpose for the ellipsis is to omit text, all the other reasons we mentioned should use other punctuation.
How to use an ellipsis
I know that some of the style guides we’ve just spoken about might disagree with me here, but here’s what I’ve gathered based on reading.
- To omit information
When you wish to exclude information, use an ellipsis. This can be from the beginning, middle, or end.
- Pause
Usually, the pause is for when someone is thinking of an answer
- Big Reveal
Think of each “.” as being “dun”. Therefore, “…” is “dun dun dun!”
- Before an independent clause (optional)
You don’t have to. But, if you want, you could use “…” before an independent clause.
When to not capitalise after an ellipsis
Firstly, let’s explore when to use lower case after an ellipsis.
The first instance is when you are omitting text, this is usually because the text is boring or irrelevant. Think of the ellipsis as a wormhole with only relevant information on either end.
Also, if you wish to make “Anyway” sound like “aaaaaanywayyy”, write it as “Anyway…”. The use of “…” shows the reader that they need to spend longer on that word than they naturally would.
Some people would disagree with what I’ve just written, however, I gathered this rule based upon things I have read in the past.
5 examples of when not to capitalise after an ellipsis
- “Welcome to this class. Today we’ll talk about… apples… the meaning of life… my favourite book is…my doctor once said to me…. now, who’s excited to learn?”
- “Anyway… I haven’t heard from you in a while. How have you been?”
- “The reason I’m annoyed is that… when my sister came round you…. don’t get me started on… your mother… apple sauce all over the worktop”
- “Well… there was that one time in France. But I won’t bore you with all the details”.
- “I went to Berlin… and I had a big ice cream… from the new parlour”
When to capitalise after an ellipsis
And now, it’s time to discuss the times when it’s better to use a capital letter after an ellipsis.
The first one is for an independent clause, or a new sentence.
“I like apples… Apples grow on trees”. The phrase “Apples grow on trees” would make sense if it were written as its own sentence. This is why it’s better to capitalize the word “Apples”.
The other time to capitalize the first word after an ellipsis is for a big reveal.
“I saw her standing there… With a gun!”.
The use of the capital letter highlights the importance of the reveal.
5 examples of when to capitalise after an ellipsis
- “I got a new house…. My brother grew up in my new house. But, it was still a nice big house”
- “The bear looked down… He was naked. Of course he was, he was a bear”
- “I played Tennis…. I lost against a child. In my defence, he had been training ever since he was about 7”
- “I dropped the plant… On my foot! It really hurt and it also made a big mess”
- “I went to the East Coast… And died!”
Ellipsis vs Ellipses: is there a difference?
When you’re reading about the rules, you may sometimes see the word “ellipsis” and at other times, you will see “ellipses”. Unlike many other alternative spellings, the difference here is not UK vs USA.
“Ellipsis” is the singular noun, “I saw an ellipsis at the end of the document”. This means just three dots.
“Ellipses” is the plural noun, “The text will filled with ellipses”. For when there is more than one ellipsis.
Generally, when a noun ends in “is”, to make it plural, you need to get rid of the “is” and replace it with “es”. To make “synopsis” plural, make it into “synopses”.
What does an ellipsis mean in text?
When you’re texting someone, have you ever wondered: “What Does … Mean In Text?” An ellipsis with no words can have 4 different meanings.
- I’m thinking of a response
You have just said something they’re not used to and they need to think about what to say.
- Go away you creep
You’ve just said something you shouldn’t. Now would be a good time to end the conversation.
- That’s weird
What you’ve just said has caused the other person to raise an eyebrow.
- I don’t know
You’ve just asked a question that they don’t know the answer to.
Conclusion
And now you know all the rules surrounding whether or not to capitalise after an ellipsis. If you want to elongate a word, or remove words, don’t.
But, if you want to reveal something, or have an independent clause, do!
There may be some linguists who disagree with this article, different style guides will have different rules. And if you disagree, that’s fine!
But, if you were utterly confused before, and had no idea what any of the rules are, hopefully, I’ve given you some idea of what you should or shouldn’t do.
Next time you have an ellipsis, you should now feel more confident when you decide whether or not to capitalize after an ellipsis.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
