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Posted By: Neurolanis Sep 18, 2004 - 05:33 pm

I have some dumb but important technical questions for anyone who can answer them.

1.In a sentence where a character speeks, which would be the correct '...' ending?
"Yeah, sure..." Tom scratched his head.
or "Yeah, sure..," Tom scaratched his head.

2.Is this correct?
Bob thought about it... The wind shifted.

(After '...' can you have a capital??)

I'm just a little confused by this.

Posted By: Bmat Sep 18, 2004 - 06:00 pm

http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/ellipsis.htm

http://www.iol.ie/~pbalfe/afo/doc_tutorials/part8.htm

The second link may be more helpful.

http://www.archereditorial.com/arch2.htm

Here is a paragraph from the third link:

---

Quote:

Ellipses generally appear as three dots. You'll use a four-dot ellipsis (which is really a period followed by a regular ellipsis) when you are inserting an ellipses after a full sentence or after a grammatically complete phrase. You must put spaces before and after the three dots, and you may put spaces between them if you like. If you use the four dots, do not put a space before the first dot. If there is a different punctuation in the original phrase before you want to put the ellipsis (comma, question mark, or exclamation point), you may put the punctuation, then insert the ellipsis. Ellipses are not used at the beginning or the end of material in quotes because they are implied by the virtue of the fact that you are quoting something (though sometimes, they are used at the end of quotes to note someone's thought trailing off).

---

Posted By: Kevin Sep 18, 2004 - 06:14 pm

When you're writing a novel, I feel you can twist the rules of grammar, though not so far that it becomes confusing.
In number two for instance, the sentence is a bit of a run-on, and yes you can have it as capital, though it's considered poor grammar. There's no rule against it.

Posted By: Neurolanis Sep 18, 2004 - 06:56 pm

Thanks for your comments.

I'll check out those sites, Bmat.

Posted By: Magus Sep 18, 2004 - 09:04 pm

I'm not sure, exactly. The first should be, I think, the first posted. But I agree with Kevin. Novels can twist rules slightly. Stephen King does it all of the time.

Posted By: Aldan Sep 19, 2004 - 12:37 am

It's the same with chatlines. They can twist the rules slightly, also... but that doesn't make them easier to read by a long shot. The most important thing about grammar is not ease of use for a writer, but ease of use for the READER. It is for this reason that it's often suggested that you do not attempt to spell out accents and such in one's writing - other than accepted things like "Y'all" and such. I tend to do it as a joke, but it can get quite difficult to follow, as are many chatlines...

Posted By: Neurolanis Sep 19, 2004 - 07:00 pm

I have another: Brackets. Which of the following is correct?

a.Sam thought so (But what Sally had said still plagued him.)

b.Sam thought so. (But what Sally had said still plagued him.)

c.Sam thought so (But what Sally had said still plagued him).

Posted By: ricke Sep 20, 2004 - 06:02 am

for the first question, I'd say the first option is clearly the one I use. One punctuation is enough - the lead off indicates all that is needed to communicate to the reader.

in the second instance, only capitalize the first word after if you intend on leaving the first sentence undone. If the words that come after are supposed to complete the words before, they should not be capital. If the elipsis is used to signal a drop off in thought, before you move on, then cap the next first letter.

I guess that's how I use them, but I'm no expert.

Posted By: ricke Sep 20, 2004 - 06:06 am

C looks correct, except you don't need to cap the But inside the paranthesis.

Again, I have seen variations of B used, too. Sometimes it's more effective, but generally you would want to go with C - if you have to use them at all.

Posted By: chowder Sep 20, 2004 - 06:54 am

Why use brackets at all? Just slip a comma in there.

Posted By: Neurolanis Sep 20, 2004 - 12:28 pm

I just made that up as an example

Posted By: Magus Sep 20, 2004 - 12:48 pm

I agree, it should be commas, but if I had to pick one I'd pick c.

Stephen king, whenever he uses brackets, stops mid-sentence makes a new paragraph just for the brackets, and then continues, mid-sentence, the line in the next paragraph. I think its wquite effective in separating the thoughts and making the one stand out all the more.

Posted By: Aldan Sep 21, 2004 - 10:28 pm

ricke, you really should reread the first sentence you wrote in terms of modern slang... I laughed by butt off!
*Aldan wanders off looking for his backside*

Posted By: ricke Sep 22, 2004 - 08:08 am

HA!

Yeah, I could have worded that a little better.