Using an ellipsis to shorten a quotation

Question 1

What does the ellipsis (…) show here? The report said that the river "rose … to its highest level in fifty years."

• A. a list
• B. a sentence trailing off into silence
• C. words left out of a quotation
• D. a pause in speech

Question 2

Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly and keeps the meaning? Original: "The castle, built in 1270 by a powerful local family, still dominates the town." • "The castle … family … dominates." • "The castle … still dominates the town." • "The castle built … town." • "… 1270 … town."

• A. "The castle … family … dominates."
• B. "The castle … still dominates the town."
• C. "The castle built … town."
• D. "… 1270 … town."

Question 3

What does the ellipsis (…) show here? The report said that the river "rose … to its highest level in fifty years."

• A. a pause in speech
• B. words left out of a quotation
• C. a sentence trailing off into silence
• D. a list

Question 4

Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly and keeps the meaning? Original: "I was nervous, I admit, but I walked onto the stage." • "I was … stage." • "I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage." • "I … admit … stage." • "Nervous … but … walked."

• A. "I was … stage."
• B. "I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage."
• C. "I … admit … stage."
• D. "Nervous … but … walked."

Question 5

What does the ellipsis (…) show here? "If only I had listened…" she sighed.

• A. words left out of a quotation
• B. a sentence trailing off unfinished
• C. a list
• D. an interruption by another speaker

Question 6

Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly and keeps the meaning? Original: "The castle, built in 1270 by a powerful local family, still dominates the town." • "… 1270 … town." • "The castle … still dominates the town." • "The castle … family … dominates." • "The castle built … town."

• A. "… 1270 … town."
• B. "The castle … still dominates the town."
• C. "The castle … family … dominates."
• D. "The castle built … town."

Question 7

What does the ellipsis (…) show here? "I think… no, I'm sure… it was here."

• A. a list of items
• B. the end of a question
• C. words left out of a quotation
• D. a pause or hesitation in speech

Question 8

Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly and keeps the meaning? Original: "The castle, built in 1270 by a powerful local family, still dominates the town." • "The castle … family … dominates." • "The castle … still dominates the town." • "The castle built … town." • "… 1270 … town."

• A. "The castle … family … dominates."
• B. "The castle … still dominates the town."
• C. "The castle built … town."
• D. "… 1270 … town."

Question 9

What does the ellipsis (…) show here? "If only I had listened…" she sighed.

• A. an interruption by another speaker
• B. words left out of a quotation
• C. a sentence trailing off unfinished
• D. a list

Question 10

Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly and keeps the meaning? Original: "The castle, built in 1270 by a powerful local family, still dominates the town." • "The castle … still dominates the town." • "… 1270 … town." • "The castle built … town." • "The castle … family … dominates."

• A. "The castle … still dominates the town."
• B. "… 1270 … town."
• C. "The castle built … town."
• D. "The castle … family … dominates."

Question 11

What does the ellipsis (…) show here? The report said that the river "rose … to its highest level in fifty years."

• A. words left out of a quotation
• B. a list
• C. a pause in speech
• D. a sentence trailing off into silence

Question 12

Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly and keeps the meaning? Original: "The castle, built in 1270 by a powerful local family, still dominates the town." • "The castle built … town." • "… 1270 … town." • "The castle … family … dominates." • "The castle … still dominates the town."

• A. "The castle built … town."
• B. "… 1270 … town."
• C. "The castle … family … dominates."
• D. "The castle … still dominates the town."

Question 13

What does the ellipsis (…) show here? "If only I had listened…" she sighed.

• A. a sentence trailing off unfinished
• B. a list
• C. an interruption by another speaker
• D. words left out of a quotation

Question 14

Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly and keeps the meaning? Original: "The volunteers, despite the freezing rain, planted over two hundred trees." • "The volunteers despite … trees." • "… planted over …" • "The volunteers … planted over two hundred trees." • "The volunteers, despite the rain, planted trees …"

• A. "The volunteers despite … trees."
• B. "… planted over …"
• C. "The volunteers … planted over two hundred trees."
• D. "The volunteers, despite the rain, planted trees …"

Question 15

What does the ellipsis (…) show here? She opened the door slowly and saw… nothing.

• A. a dramatic pause to build suspense
• B. a mistake
• C. a list
• D. words left out of a quotation

Question 16

Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly and keeps the meaning? Original: "The fox, which had been hiding under the shed for days, finally crept out into the moonlight." • "The fox, … finally crept out into the moonlight …" • "The fox … under the shed … crept … moonlight." • "The fox which had been hiding … crept out moonlight." • "The fox … finally crept out into the moonlight."

• A. "The fox, … finally crept out into the moonlight …"
• B. "The fox … under the shed … crept … moonlight."
• C. "The fox which had been hiding … crept out moonlight."
• D. "The fox … finally crept out into the moonlight."