Understanding the Ellipsis
A Grade 6 ELA worksheet focusing on the proper use and meaning of the ellipsis in sentences and quoted text.
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Understanding the Ellipsis
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Read each question carefully and follow the instructions to demonstrate your understanding of the ellipsis.
An ellipsis (plural: ellipses) is a series of three dots (...) that indicates an omission of words from a quoted passage, or a pause or trailing off of thought in informal writing. It is important to use ellipses correctly to maintain the original meaning of the text.
1. What is the primary purpose of an ellipsis in a quotation?
To add extra information
To show a pause or hesitation
To indicate omitted words
To highlight important words
2. In informal writing, an ellipsis can be used to show:
Excitement
A sudden stop
A trailing thought
A question
3. An ellipsis is made up of exactly dots.
4. When you remove words from the middle of a quote, you should use an ellipsis to show the .
5. In a sentence like 'I wonder if she will come...', the ellipsis suggests a or an unfinished thought.
6. Rewrite the following sentence, using an ellipsis to omit the phrase 'who was very tired'.
Original: The student, who was very tired, finally finished her homework.
7. Explain the difference in meaning between these two sentences:
A: 'He said, "I will go to the store... and buy some milk."'
B: 'He said, "I will go to the store and buy some milk."'
8. An ellipsis can be used at the beginning of a quote if words are omitted from the start.
True
False
9. It is acceptable to change the meaning of a quote when using an ellipsis.
True
False
10. Write a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) describing a time you felt uncertain or a thought trailed off, using at least one ellipsis correctly.