When to use ellipses?

[Keakealani]

Technically, the only time it's "proper" to use an ellipse is as a literary technique (common in fiction) or when quoting something but omitting something in the middle; for example, say I wanted to quote "the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" but I wanted to omit a bit. The correct quote might look something like this: "the...fox jumped over the lazy dog". It could also look like this: "the [...] fox jumped over the lazy dog". It really depends on the style of quotation you prefer.

The only other time I can think to use it is when you specifically want to let something "hang", often in fiction right before a time shift:

"Lucy sensed something was wrong. Little did she know..."

Of course, I over-use ellipses when I'm casually speaking, and there are other reasons to use them, but generally speaking, that would be what you use them for.  

[georgette_x]

Allllll the time. I'm a bit of an ellipse whore. Even though until now I thought ellipses were ovals.  

[Hyotana]

Elispes are a desiese and a way out.

and I use them WAY too much.  

[Myriane]

Ellipse-whore over here too!!  

[Keakealani]

georgette_x

Allllll the time. I'm a bit of an ellipse whore. Even though until now I thought ellipses were ovals.

Huh. Looking it up, you're right....the term for the "..." is "ellipsis", not "ellipse" which is, indeed, a geometrical shape similar to an oval (technically ovals aren't really ellipses because it's based on the distance of the points from the centre, but that's pure technicality) xd good fun  

[dark and demented]

Well seeing as how i'm absolutely horrible at ending my thoughts I generally end most of the things I type like so...

But when I occasionally have a great ending their not used at all. I just find them more appealing then one period though I only use them at the end of a thought or paragraph.

I guess you could call me a major Ellipsis whore...

 

[[Riyuu]]

I use them all the time as well. I can't really explain when to use them or not.

I just know when...

HAHA.

Oh man.  

[Lou101]

I overuse them whenever I don't know how to end my sentence  

[Pink Rain Today]

They're typically used in quoates when you want to cut something off. Example:instead of "Amanda has too much time on her hands-for she is oftentimes bored-and a computer to assist her", one could put down, "Amanda has too much time on her hands[...]and a computer to assist her".  

[Ariomness]

I over use them as well... Basically to say my mind's drifting to a different topic and the transition won't be smooth. See? Yeah...
Or that I don't really know what to say, which is the case when "Yeah" comes before the ellipses.  

[Raspukittin]

I have an ongoing vendetta against ellipses, simply because they're the most abused puntuation marks on the face of the internet. People just can't resist throwing them in at random, whenever the hell they wish.

Ellipses can be used to omit words.

Ellipses can be used to end a sentence that's meant to trail off.

Ellipses cannot be used to indicate a pause in speech, no matter how dramatic that pause is. It's like throwing in random periods just to look cool.

I can tolerate it in casual chats, but it has no place in RPs or fiction and people need to get that through their skulls.

[/rant]

Yes, it's a bit of a pet peeve of mine. :/

Edit: Because. . . doesn't it make me. . . look like a complete. . . asstard when I type like. . . this? Yeah it does.  

[limp dick]

From what I've come to understand, (and someone has most likely posted something similar to what I'm about to type) is that the only time I really use ellipses is when I'm doing some sort of paper (eg. term or research) and I have a quote that I want to excise words from.


Other than that, I don't use them quite often.

I've seen people use them to trail off as said before, and I've also seen people use them in the middle of sentences. I don't know why.
It doesn't really makes sense to me.  

[Niccea Majeare]

I use ellipses when I'm RPing. I have a silent type of character who trails off or just says "..." I also use them a lot in informal writing. It is usually what I type to show that the thoughts are slightly interrupted. Typing in ellipses are my way of taking a breath while typing. I never write them out. (you know when you have a pen in paper like you parents used to)