Page 137 - SpringBoard_Writing_Workshop_Grade8_Flipbook

Lesson: Punctuating Pauses, Breaks, and Omissions (continued)
Showing an Omission
When you are quoting someone else, you can use ellipses to show where you have left out words. For instance, if the person you are quoting said, “The poet uses several figures of speech, including similes and metaphors, to compare the mountain to a giant,” and you want to leave out including similes and metaphors, you would use three spaced periods to show the omission:
“The poet uses several figures of speech . . . to compare the mountain to a giant.”
Check Your Understanding
A. On your own paper, write a short dialogue between two people who are trying to figure something out or solve a problem. Use at least two ellipses to show pauses in speech or a speaker trailing off. Also use two dashes to show breaks in thought or speech.
B. On your own paper, write down a long quotation. Then, rewrite it, omitting some words and using ellipses to show where the omissions are. Make sure the quotation still makes sense.
2 SpringBoard® Writing Workshop with Grammar Activities Grade 8
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