Transcript Document
How do you use an ellipsis to
indicate an omission?
For example:
“We the People of the United States…
do ordain and establish this
Constitution of the United States of
America.”
In this lesson you will learn
how to use an ellipsis to
indicate an omission by
identifying the most supportive
information in a quotation.
Let’s
Review
Let’s
Review
Comma for pause or break
Ellipsis for pause or break
Dash for pause or break
Ellipsis for omission
Let’s
Review
Let’s
Review
The ellipsis looks like this
…
You may hear people say:
“dot, dot, dot.”
The plural of ellipsis is ellipses.
Core
Lesson
Let’s
Review
We can use an ellipsis to take the place of
omitted text, words we have left out.
When you omit words, be sure what
remains makes sense alone.
Core
Lesson
Let’s
Review
Preamble of the U.S. Constitution
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a
more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic
Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote
the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of
Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and
establish this Constitution for the United States of
America.
Core
Lesson
Let’s
Review
“We the People of the United States…
do ordain and establish this
Constitution of the United States of
America.”
Core
Lesson
Let’s
Review
1
Locate a quotation that contains the
information you need to report or that
supports your thesis or opinion.
2
Ask, “How much of the quotation is
necessary or helpful in supporting my
work?”
3
Eliminate the unnecessary section of
the quotation and insert the ellipsis.
Core
Lesson
Let’s
Review
Writing Prompt
According to the preamble of the U.S. Constitution, what are
three reasons the Founding Fathers (politicians of the day) gave
for writing the Constitution?
Core
Lesson
Let’s
Review
1
Locate a quotation that contains the
information you need to report or that
supports your thesis or opinion.
Okay, so let’s
check out that
preamble.
Core
Lesson
Let’s
Review
Preamble of the U.S. Constitution
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more
perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility,
provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare,
and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our
Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United
States of America.
Core
Lesson
Let’s
Review
2
Ask, “How much of the quotation is
necessary or helpful in supporting my
work?”
• Establish Justice
Uhm, I only
need three
reasons…
• Provide for common
defense
• Secure the Blessings of
Liberty.
3
Core
Lesson
Let’s
Review
Preamble of the U.S. Constitution
We the People of the United States, in
Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic
Tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general Welfare,
and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain
and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America.
“… establish
Justice…provide for
the common
defense…and secure
the Blessings of
Liberty…”
Core
Lesson
Let’s
Review
The full answer to your question, might
look like this:
According to the preamble of the U.S.
Constitution, to “… establish Justice…provide
for the common defense…and secure the
Blessings of Liberty…” are three reasons given
by the Founding Fathers for writing the
Constitution.
Core
Lesson
Let’s
Review
Ellipses can appear at the beginning, in the
middle or at the end of a quotation—or in
more than one place.
According to the preamble of the U.S.
Constitution, to “… establish Justice…provide
for the common defence…and secure the
Blessings of Liberty…” are three reasons given
by the Founding Fathers for writing the
Constitution.
Core
Lesson
Let’s
Review
Grammatically correct use of ellipses:
The first words of the U.S. Constitution are, “We the People of
the United States…”
In my opinion, the most powerful phrase of the preamble is,
“…secure the Blessings of Liberty…”, because it demonstrates
hope for a future of freedom.
The preamble ends with the name of the new country, “…the
United States of America.”
In this lesson, you have
learned to use an ellipsis to
indicate an omission by
identifying the most supportive
information in a quotation.
Guided
Practice
Let’s
Review
On the next slide is part of an order sent by
General George Washington to his troops
about cursing. Read it, and answer the
following question using a quotation with
at least one ellipsis.
Who does General Washington want to be responsible for
improving the style of language used by the troops?
Guided
Practice
Let’s
Review
The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked
practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice heretofore little
know in an American army, is growing into fashion. He hopes the
officers will, by example as well as influence endeavor to check it,
and that both they and the men will reflect, that we can have little
hope of the blessing of Heaven on our arms, if we insult it by our
impiety and folly.
Guided
Practice
Let’s
Review
Now try to answer another question based on
the same part of General Washington’s order.
Be sure to use at least one ellipsis in your
answer.
How can we know from this order that cursing is not part of the
language traditionally used by the soldiers in General Washington’s
army?
Extension
Let’s
ReviewActivities
Group Quiz Review Construction
•Get into groups of three or four.
•Think about an upcoming quiz or test in English
or Social Studies that will cover material from a
text (textbook, novel, etc.).
•Write three to four questions that might appear
on the quiz/test that could be answered using
quotations from the text.
•When you think you have good questions, get
them approved by your teacher.
Extension
Let’s
ReviewActivities
Group Quiz Review
•Once your review questions have been
approved, trade them with another group in the
room.
•Now, as a group, try to use your text to answer
the questions using quotations with ellipses.
•Be prepared to share your answers with the
class.
Quick Quiz
Let’s
Review
Here
is one more question to answer based on
the same part of General Washington’s order.
Be sure to use at least one ellipsis in your
answer.
How can we know from this order that General Washington is not
happy with the language of his troops?
Guided
Practice
Let’s
Review
The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked
practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice heretofore little
known in an American army, is growing into fashion. He hopes the
officers will, by example as well as influence endeavor to check it,
and that both they and the men will reflect, that we can have little
hope of the blessing of Heaven on our arms, if we insult it by our
impiety and folly.