<P> The most common form of an ellipsis is a row of three periods or full stops ( ... ) or a precomposed triple - dot glyph ( ... ) . The usage of the em dash ( -- ) can overlap the usage of the ellipsis , especially in dialogue . Style guides often have their own rules governing the use of ellipses . For example , The Chicago Manual of Style recommends that an ellipsis be formed by typing three periods , each with a space on both sides ( ... ) . Whether or not an ellipsis at the end of a sentence needs a fourth dot to finish the sentence is a matter of debate ; for example , Chicago advises it , but the OxfordWords blog has suggested that a full stop is considered to be paradoxical to an ellipsis used to indicate an incomplete thought , so it is omitted . </P>
<P> The most common form of an ellipsis is a row of three periods or full stops ( ... ) or a precomposed triple - dot glyph ( ... ) . The usage of the em dash ( -- ) can overlap the usage of the ellipsis , especially in dialogue . Style guides often have their own rules governing the use of ellipses . For example , The Chicago Manual of Style recommends that an ellipsis be formed by typing three periods , each with a space on both sides ( ... ) . Whether or not an ellipsis at the end of a sentence needs a fourth dot to finish the sentence is a matter of debate ; for example , Chicago advises it , but the OxfordWords blog has suggested that a full stop is considered to be paradoxical to an ellipsis used to indicate an incomplete thought , so it is omitted . </P>
what are the dots after a sentence called
what are the dots after a sentence called
an ellipsis
an ellipsis