Three asterisks (preferred form) or three periods, separated by en spaces, are used to denote an ellipsis within a sentence, at the beginning or end of a sentence, or in two or more consecutive sentences. To achieve faithful reproduction of excerpt material, editors using period ellipses should indicate placement of the terminal period in relation to an ellipsis at the end of a sentence. Note, in the following examples, the additional spacing necessary to clearly define commas and the terminal period when period ellipses are employed.
- The Senate having tried Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, upon articles of impeachment exhibited against him by the House of Representatives, and two-thirds of the Senators present not having found him guilty of the charges contained in the second, third, and eleventh articles of impeachment, it is therefore
- Ordered and adjudged. That the said Andrew Johnson, President of the United States be, and he is, acquitted of the charges in said articles made and set forth.
- The Senate having tried Andrew Johnson * * * upon articles of impeachment * * * and two-thirds of the Senators present not having found him guilty of the charges * * *, it is therefore
- Ordered and adjudged. That the said Andrew Johnson, President of the United States be * * * acquitted of the charges * * *.
- The Senate having tried Andrew Johnson … upon articles of impeachment … and two-thirds of the Senators present not having found him guilty of the charges …, it is therefore
- Ordered and adjudged. That the said Andrew Johnson, President of the United States be … acquitted of the charges.…
Ellipses are not overrun alone at the end of a paragraph.
When periods are not specifically requested for ellipses in copy that has both periods and asterisks, asterisks will be used.
A line of asterisks indicates an omission of one or more entire paragraphs. In 26½-pica or wider measure, a line of "stars" means seven asterisks indented 2 ems at each end of the line, with the remaining space divided evenly between the asterisks. In measures less than 26½ picas, five asterisks are used. Quotation marks are not used on a line of asterisks in quoted matter. Where an ellipsis line ends a complete quotation, no closing quote is used.
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