8th Grade ELA Quiz
Practice Use Ellipsis For Omissions in 8th Grade ELA with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.
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Original passage: The coach reminded players to bring water, wear shin guards, and arrive fifteen minutes early for warm-ups. Anyone who arrives late will start on the bench for the first quarter.
A reporter wants to quote only the first sentence but omit the words "for warm-ups." Which quotation is correct?
This quiz focuses on Use Ellipsis For Omissions, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for 8th Grade ELA.
Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.
Original passage: The coach reminded players to bring water, wear shin guards, and arrive fifteen minutes early for warm-ups. Anyone who arrives late will start on the bench for the first quarter.
A reporter wants to quote only the first sentence but omit the words "for warm-ups." Which quotation is correct?
Explanation: To drop words from the end of a quoted sentence, use a three-dot ellipsis where the words are cut, which is what Choice A does after "early." Choice B removes "for warm-ups" but adds no ellipsis, so it hides the omission, Choice C runs four dots together with no space, and Choice D keeps "for warm-ups," the very words meant to be cut, so only Choice A is correct.
A student is quoting from the passage below but wants to leave out the entire middle sentence.
Original passage: The robotics team tested three designs during lunch. The first two prototypes overheated after ten minutes. The final design stayed cool and completed the obstacle course.
Which quotation correctly shows the omission between sentences?
Explanation: Tests using ellipsis (three dots: ...) to indicate omission of words or sentences from quoted material while preserving original meaning and maintaining grammatical coherence. Ellipsis indicates omitted material within quotations: Use three dots with spaces (...) to show words omitted from middle of sentence ("The committee reviewed proposals ... before deciding" omits "carefully and thoroughly"). Between sentences, use period then three-dot ellipsis (. ...) to show omitted sentence(s) ("Results were positive. ... Further research continues" omits middle sentence). At beginning or end of quotation, ellipsis optional depending on whether words omitted from original ("Students must submit by Friday ..." shows omitted ending; starting mid-sentence without ellipsis often acceptable if quotation integrates grammatically). Critical rule: omitted material must not change the meaning of the original—cannot remove words that alter author's intent or create misleading quotation. The original passage contains three sentences: "The robotics team tested three designs during lunch. The first two prototypes overheated after ten minutes. The final design stayed cool and completed the obstacle course." When quoting across sentences and omitting the middle sentence, Choice B correctly shows: "The robotics team tested three designs during lunch. ... The final design stayed cool and completed the obstacle course." uses period + ellipsis (. ...) showing the omitted middle sentence "The first two prototypes overheated after ten minutes." Choice B correctly uses the period + three-dot ellipsis format to show an entire sentence was omitted between the first and third sentences. Choice A incorrectly omits the period before the ellipsis when showing omission between sentences, Choice C uses four dots instead of the correct three, and Choice D simply combines sentences without indicating the omission. Ellipsis placement rules: (1) Omitting within sentence: place ellipsis where words removed ("X Y Z" becomes "X ... Z" when Y omitted), (2) Omitting between sentences: use period ending first sentence, then ellipsis before next ("Sentence one. ... Sentence three" when sentence two omitted), (3) Beginning/ending: ellipsis at start if words omitted from beginning ("... the council approved" from "After deliberation, the council approved"), at end if words omitted from end ("submit by Friday ..." from "submit by Friday to be considered"). When NOT to use: when naturally starting or ending quotation at complete thought boundaries—don't need ellipsis just because you're not quoting entire passage, only when omitting words from within the portion you are quoting.
Read the original passage and then choose the quotation that correctly uses an ellipsis to omit words from the middle of a sentence.
Original passage (from a science article): "In the lab, the students measured the water temperature every two minutes and recorded the results in a shared spreadsheet. They noticed that the temperature rose quickly at first, then increased more slowly as the beaker approached a steady state. Their teacher reminded them to repeat the trial to confirm the pattern."
Which quotation correctly omits the words "every two minutes and recorded the results in a shared spreadsheet"?
Explanation: Tests using ellipsis (three dots: ...) to indicate omission of words or sentences from quoted material while preserving original meaning and maintaining grammatical coherence. Ellipsis indicates omitted material within quotations: Use three dots with spaces (...) to show words omitted from middle of sentence ("The committee reviewed proposals ... before deciding" omits "carefully and thoroughly"). Between sentences, use period then three-dot ellipsis (. ...) to show omitted sentence(s) ("Results were positive. ... Further research continues" omits middle sentence). The original sentence reads: "In the lab, the students measured the water temperature every two minutes and recorded the results in a shared spreadsheet." The task requires omitting "every two minutes and recorded the results in a shared spreadsheet" from within this sentence. Choice A correctly places the ellipsis where the words are omitted: "In the lab, the students measured the water temperature ... They noticed that the temperature rose quickly at first, then increased more slowly as the beaker approached a steady state." This maintains grammatical coherence (subject-verb structure intact) while clearly indicating the omission. Choice B creates a grammatically incorrect fragment by including "and recorded the results in a shared spreadsheet" without the preceding context, Choice C incorrectly places the ellipsis after "minutes" leaving an incomplete prepositional phrase, and Choice D incorrectly adds a period before the ellipsis suggesting a sentence break where none exists in the original. Ellipsis placement rules: (1) Omitting within sentence: place ellipsis where words removed ("X Y Z" becomes "X ... Z" when Y omitted), (2) Omitting between sentences: use period ending first sentence, then ellipsis before next ("Sentence one. ... Sentence three" when sentence two omitted), (3) Beginning/ending: ellipsis at start if words omitted from beginning ("... the council approved" from "After deliberation, the council approved"), at end if words omitted from end ("submit by Friday ..." from "submit by Friday to be considered"). Purpose of ellipsis in quotations: shorten lengthy passages, remove irrelevant details, focus on key information, indicate you've combined non-consecutive portions.
A student is quoting from a museum brochure and wants to shorten the final sentence by omitting the ending words.
Original passage: "The museum’s new exhibit features maps, letters, and tools used by early explorers. Visitors can listen to recorded stories that describe daily life on long journeys. The brochure reminds guests that photography is allowed in most rooms, but flash can damage delicate materials."
Which quotation correctly uses an ellipsis to omit the words "but flash can damage delicate materials" from the last sentence?
Explanation: Tests using ellipsis (three dots: ...) to indicate omission of words or sentences from quoted material while preserving original meaning and maintaining grammatical coherence. Ellipsis indicates omitted material within quotations: Use three dots with spaces (...) to show words omitted from middle of sentence ("The committee reviewed proposals ... before deciding" omits "carefully and thoroughly"). Between sentences, use period then three-dot ellipsis (. ...) to show omitted sentence(s) ("Results were positive. ... Further research continues" omits middle sentence). At beginning or end of quotation, ellipsis optional depending on whether words omitted from original ("Students must submit by Friday ..." shows omitted ending; starting mid-sentence without ellipsis often acceptable if quotation integrates grammatically). Critical rule: omitted material must not change the meaning of the original—cannot remove words that alter author's intent or create misleading quotation. The student wants to omit "but flash can damage delicate materials" from the end of the sentence: "The brochure reminds guests that photography is allowed in most rooms, but flash can damage delicate materials." When omitting words from the end of a sentence, the ellipsis replaces the omitted portion: "The brochure reminds guests that photography is allowed in most rooms ..." Choice A correctly places three dots with spaces to show the ending was omitted. Choice B incorrectly includes a comma before the ellipsis, but the original comma was part of the phrase being omitted (it introduced "but flash can damage"), so it should be removed along with those words. Choice C incorrectly adds a period before the ellipsis, creating four dots total when only three are needed for mid-sentence omission. Choice D incorrectly spaces the period separately from the ellipsis (. ...), which would indicate omission between sentences rather than from the end of this sentence.
A student is revising a quotation from a history textbook to remove extra detail but keep the author’s point.
Original passage: "During the winter at Valley Forge, the soldiers faced freezing temperatures and a shortage of supplies. Many lacked proper shoes, and some left bloody footprints in the snow. Even so, the training they received helped the army become more organized and prepared for future battles."
Which quotation correctly shows that the middle sentence was omitted?
Explanation: Tests using ellipsis (three dots: ...) to indicate omission of words or sentences from quoted material while preserving original meaning and maintaining grammatical coherence. Ellipsis indicates omitted material within quotations: Use three dots with spaces (...) to show words omitted from middle of sentence ("The committee reviewed proposals ... before deciding" omits "carefully and thoroughly"). Between sentences, use period then three-dot ellipsis (. ...) to show omitted sentence(s) ("Results were positive. ... Further research continues" omits middle sentence). At beginning or end of quotation, ellipsis optional depending on whether words omitted from original ("Students must submit by Friday ..." shows omitted ending; starting mid-sentence without ellipsis often acceptable if quotation integrates grammatically). Critical rule: omitted material must not change the meaning of the original—cannot remove words that alter author's intent or create misleading quotation. The original has three sentences, and the student wants to omit the middle sentence: "Many lacked proper shoes, and some left bloody footprints in the snow." To show a complete sentence was omitted between two other sentences, use period + ellipsis format: "During the winter at Valley Forge, the soldiers faced freezing temperatures and a shortage of supplies. ... Even so, the training they received helped the army become more organized and prepared for future battles." Choice B correctly uses this format with the first sentence ending in its period, followed by space, three dots, space, then the third sentence. Choice A incorrectly places ellipsis within the first sentence, suggesting words were omitted from inside that sentence. Choice C reverses the punctuation order (... .) which is incorrect. Choice D shows no ellipsis at all, failing to indicate that a sentence was omitted from the original passage. Purpose of ellipsis in quotations: shorten lengthy passages, remove irrelevant details, focus on key information, indicate you've combined non-consecutive portions.
A student is told to omit the exact words "to help the community" from a quotation while keeping the rest the same.
Original passage: "The volunteers met early on Saturday to help the community by cleaning litter from the riverbank. They worked in teams, sorting trash into bags and recording what they found. At the end of the morning, the coordinator thanked everyone for giving up their free time."
Where should the ellipsis be placed to show the omission correctly?
Explanation: The instruction is to remove the exact phrase "to help the community" and keep everything else. The correct answer drops the ellipsis right where those four words stood, so the quotation reads smoothly from "Saturday" straight to "by cleaning litter." Every removed word is accounted for, and nothing extra is lost. The choice that keeps "to help" only removes "the community by" — it deletes part of the target phrase but leaves "to help" in and cuts words it was not supposed to touch. The choice that keeps "to help the community" removes only "cleaning," so the specified phrase is still there and a different word is gone instead. The choice that omits "on Saturday to help the community by cleaning" cuts far more than requested, throwing out details the instruction said to keep. Only the first option removes precisely "to help the community" and nothing else, which is why it is the single correct placement.
A student is quoting from a science article but wants to omit some extra descriptive words in the middle of a sentence.
Original passage: "The researchers recorded temperature changes every minute during the storm and compared them to data from earlier summers. They found that the lake warmed rapidly near the surface, especially during calm, sunny hours, and then cooled after strong winds returned. The report notes that these shifts can affect fish habitats and algae growth."
Which quotation correctly uses an ellipsis to omit the words "especially during calm, sunny hours" while preserving the meaning?
Explanation: The article says the lake "warmed rapidly near the surface, especially during calm, sunny hours, and then cooled after strong winds returned." You want to drop only the middle phrase "especially during calm, sunny hours." The correct choice places a three-dot ellipsis exactly where that phrase was removed, keeping the comma and the surrounding words intact, so the meaning stays the same. One distractor puts the ellipsis after "cooled" instead, which signals that words were dropped from a different spot and misrepresents where the omission happened. Another uses only two dots instead of the required three, which is not a proper ellipsis. The last choice places the ellipsis correctly in the middle but also cuts "near the surface," so it removes more than the phrase named in the question and changes the detail being quoted. Only the first choice omits the exact middle phrase and nothing else, using a properly spaced three-dot ellipsis.
Original passage (from an essay): "Reading primary sources can be challenging because the language is sometimes unfamiliar. Still, letters and diary entries can reveal how people felt during important events. When students compare several sources, they often notice details that do not appear in a textbook."
A student quotes the second sentence exactly as written: "Still, letters and diary entries can reveal how people felt during important events."
Does this quotation require an ellipsis?
Explanation: An ellipsis marks a spot where you have left words out of a quotation. Here the student copies the whole second sentence word for word, so nothing is missing and no ellipsis is needed. That is why the choice pointing to no omission is correct. The idea that any quotation longer than a clause needs an ellipsis invents a rule about length that does not exist. The claim that coming from the middle of a paragraph forces an ellipsis confuses a sentence's location with omitted words; where a sentence sits in a paragraph does not require you to mark it. Finally, a leading ellipsis is only used when you cut off the beginning of a sentence, but this sentence is quoted complete from its first word, so no opening ellipsis belongs there either.
Read the original passage and choose the quotation that correctly uses an ellipsis to omit the end of the passage without changing the meaning.
Original passage: In the interview, Dr. Chen said that exercise can improve mood by lowering stress hormones. She added that even a ten-minute walk can help on difficult days, especially when it becomes a regular habit.
Which quotation correctly shortens the second sentence by omitting the final words about the habit becoming regular?
Explanation: You are cutting words from the END of one sentence, so you need a three-dot ellipsis with a space before it to signal the omission. The correct quotation reads "...help on difficult days ..." — three dots, spaced, marking that words were removed from the same sentence. The version that adds a period before the ellipsis ("days. ...") is wrong because the period-plus-ellipsis form is used when you omit a whole later sentence, not words from within the sentence you are quoting. The version ending with just a period and no ellipsis is wrong because it silently drops the words without any signal that something was removed, which misleads the reader. The version with four dots run together ("days....") is wrong because standard ellipsis uses exactly three dots with proper spacing, not four dots crammed against the word. Only the spaced three-dot version follows the rule for trimming the end of a quoted sentence while keeping Dr. Chen's meaning intact.
A student is revising a quotation to correctly show omitted material.
Original passage: "During the debate, the candidates discussed transportation, education, and public safety. They answered questions from residents for nearly two hours. At the end, they thanked the audience for attending."
Which quotation correctly shows the omission of the second sentence?
Explanation: To omit a whole sentence from a quotation, first end the sentence you keep with its own punctuation, then add a spaced three-dot ellipsis before the next sentence. The correct choice ends the first sentence with a period after "public safety," adds "..." to mark the missing middle sentence, and continues cleanly with the third sentence. One option uses only an ellipsis after "safety" with no period, so the two remaining sentences run together as one—the first sentence never properly ends. Another places a comma after "safety" before the ellipsis; a comma cannot close a complete sentence, so this also fails to mark the sentence boundary. The last option drops the original words "and public safety" and ends with "education," changing what the candidates actually discussed—an omission that alters the passage's meaning, which is never allowed. Only the version with a period, then a spaced ellipsis, both preserves the original wording and correctly signals that an entire sentence was removed.
A student is quoting from a historical speech for an essay and wants to remove some words from the middle of a sentence. Original sentence: "The mayor promised to rebuild the bridge quickly and safely so that families could travel across the river again." Which quotation correctly shows the omission?
Explanation: An ellipsis is exactly three dots that marks where words have been dropped from a quotation. To leave out "quickly and safely" from the middle, you replace that whole phrase with a single three-dot ellipsis in that spot, which is what the correct choice does. One wrong choice uses only two dots after "quickly," so it isn't a proper ellipsis and it also keeps a word it should have removed. Another wrong choice places a correct three-dot ellipsis but leaves "safely" in, so it only removes part of the phrase instead of all of it. The last wrong choice strings together five dots, which is not the standard three-dot ellipsis mark. Only the three-dot version placed where the omitted words were is both correctly formed and correctly positioned.
Original passage: In her editorial, Maya argues that recycling matters, but she also points out that reducing waste is even more effective. She describes how using refillable bottles cuts down on plastic, and she suggests packing lunches in reusable containers.
Which quotation properly indicates that words were omitted from the middle of the first sentence?
Explanation: To show words dropped from the middle of a sentence, use three spaced dots with a space on each side and no extra punctuation. The correct quotation does exactly this, cleanly linking "recycling matters" to "reducing waste is even more effective" with a three-dot ellipsis. One option adds a period after "matters," which wrongly ends the first sentence before the omission even begins. Another uses only two dots, which is not a valid ellipsis at all. The last uses four dots, which signals an omission that includes the end of a sentence, not words dropped from the middle of a single continuing sentence. Only the three-dot version marks a mid-sentence omission correctly.
A student is writing a biography and wants to quote only the main point from a longer passage.
Original passage: "After years of practice, the violinist finally earned a spot in the city orchestra. She described the audition as the most nerve‑racking performance of her life, even more stressful than her school concerts. When her name appeared on the final list, she called her grandmother first. She said the moment reminded her that steady effort can lead to unexpected opportunities."
Which version correctly uses an ellipsis to omit the middle two sentences and keep the first and last sentences together?
Explanation: When you drop one or more whole sentences from the middle of a quotation, you first close the sentence you keep with its normal period, then add a spaced three‑dot ellipsis, then continue with the next kept sentence. The best answer keeps the period after "orchestra," then shows ". ..." before the final sentence, signaling that complete sentences were removed between two intact sentences. The version with just "... " and no period after "orchestra" is wrong because dropping the period suggests words were cut from inside a single sentence, not that whole sentences were omitted between two complete ones. The version that writes "... ." reverses the correct order; the closing period of the kept sentence must come before the ellipsis, not after it. The version that also adds an ellipsis at the very end is wrong because a trailing ellipsis implies the final sentence itself was cut short, when the student actually kept that sentence complete and only removed material from the middle.
Choose the quotation that correctly uses ellipsis and punctuation to show that a full sentence was omitted.
Original passage: The principal announced a new tutoring program after school. It will be staffed by volunteer teachers on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students can sign up online or through the counseling office. The program begins next month.
A writer wants to quote the first and last sentences only. Which option is correct?
Explanation: When you drop one or more complete sentences from the middle of a quotation, you keep the period that ends the first sentence, then add a three-dot ellipsis before the next sentence you quote. That is why the version reading "...after school. ... The program begins..." is correct: the period closes the first sentence, and the three dots signal the omitted middle sentences about staffing and sign-up. The option that uses only an ellipsis with no period ("...after school ... The program...") is wrong because it drops the period needed to end a complete first sentence. The option that places the period after the ellipsis ("...after school ... . The program...") reverses the correct order—the period belongs before the ellipsis, not after it. The option using only two dots ("...after school. .. The program...") is wrong because a standard ellipsis requires exactly three dots, not two. Remember: period first to close the sentence, then three dots to mark what was cut.
A student includes a quotation in a literary analysis and wonders whether an ellipsis is needed.
Original passage: "Mara stepped onto the porch and listened to the rain settle into a steady rhythm. She felt calmer than she had all week. For the first time, she believed the problem could be solved."
The student wants to quote only the second sentence: "She felt calmer than she had all week." Does this quotation require an ellipsis?
Explanation: An ellipsis (three dots) signals that words have been left out from inside the material you are quoting. Here the student quotes one whole sentence exactly as it appears: "She felt calmer than she had all week." Nothing has been cut from within that sentence, so no ellipsis is required. The idea that any quotation pulled from a longer passage needs an ellipsis is wrong—an ellipsis marks omitted words, not the fact that you chose a portion of a larger text. The claim that a quotation from the middle of a passage must open with an ellipsis is also wrong; you only add one at the start if you begin partway through a sentence or drop opening words, which the student is not doing. Finally, an ellipsis is not limited to omissions at the end of a sentence—it can mark words missing from the beginning, middle, or end—but the real point is that none are missing at all. Because the student is quoting a full sentence with nothing removed, the correct answer is that no ellipsis is needed.
A student wants to quote from a news interview but omit a few words from the middle of a sentence. Original passage: "The coach said the team stayed calm under pressure and followed the game plan even when they were behind." Which version correctly uses an ellipsis to show that words have been left out from the middle of the quotation while keeping it grammatical?
Explanation: An ellipsis (...) marks the exact spot where words are removed from a quotation, and the words that remain must still read as a complete, grammatical sentence. The best answer removes "stayed calm under pressure and" so the quote reads "The coach said the team ... followed the game plan even when they were behind" — the ellipsis sits precisely where the missing words were, and the sentence still makes sense. The version placing the ellipsis after "said" cuts out "the team," which was never meant to be omitted; it drops the subject of the action. The version keeping "stayed calm under pressure" and ellipsizing before "when" removes the wrong words — it deletes "and followed the game plan even," changing the coach's meaning. The version that keeps "stayed calm" before the ellipsis only omits part of the target phrase, so words the student wanted to cut still appear. Only the keyed answer removes the intended phrase, places the ellipsis at that exact break, and leaves a grammatical sentence.
A student wants to shorten the quotation by removing a descriptive phrase but keep the meaning.
Original passage: The novel describes the river as wide, muddy, and slow-moving, curling around the fields like a long ribbon. At dusk, the main character watches the water and thinks about leaving home.
Which quotation correctly uses an ellipsis to omit "wide, muddy, and slow-moving,"?
Explanation: The task is to cut the words "wide, muddy, and slow-moving," while showing that something was removed. The correct choice replaces exactly that phrase with an ellipsis, so the reader knows words were left out but the ribbon description still makes sense: "The novel describes the river as ... curling around the fields like a long ribbon." The choice that keeps "wide, muddy, and slow-moving" and then adds an ellipsis fails because it never removes the phrase you were told to omit—the ellipsis marks a cut that didn't happen. The choice ending with the main character watching the water goes too far: its ellipsis skips into the next sentence and drops the ribbon image, changing the meaning. The last choice does delete the phrase but uses no ellipsis at all, so a reader can't tell that any words were removed from the original. Use an ellipsis right where the words are cut, and only there.
Read the original passage and then choose the quotation that correctly uses an ellipsis to shorten it.
Original passage: The city librarian explained that the renovation will add quiet study rooms, update the computer lab, and improve wheelchair access. She also noted that the library will remain open during construction with limited seating. The project is scheduled to finish in early May.
Which version correctly uses ellipsis to shorten the quotation while keeping the meaning the same?
Explanation: The passage lists three renovation features: quiet study rooms, updating the computer lab, and improving wheelchair access. To shorten a quotation, an ellipsis (...) marks words removed from the middle while the sentence still reads smoothly and keeps its meaning. The correct answer drops "update the computer lab" and joins the remaining items: "add quiet study rooms ... and improve wheelchair access." The sentence still flows grammatically and still means the renovation adds study rooms and improves access. The version that keeps "and improve wheelchair access" as its own leftover phrase reads as "the computer lab ... improve wheelchair access," which is grammatically broken because it removes the connecting word "and," leaving two pieces that no longer fit together. The version that jumps to "The project is scheduled to finish in early May" skips an entire sentence, so it needs a period before the ellipsis (. ...) to show a full sentence was omitted; without it, the punctuation is wrong. The version reading "the renovation ... update the computer lab" removes "will add quiet study rooms," which cuts the verb the sentence needs, leaving "the renovation update the computer lab" ungrammatical. Only one choice both places the ellipsis correctly and keeps the sentence grammatical and true to the original.
Original passage (from a speech): "Our town has faced hard storms before, and we have always rebuilt together. Volunteers cleared fallen branches, checked on neighbors, and brought supplies to families without power. The work was exhausting, but it reminded us of what community means. Tonight, we begin the next step: repairing homes and reopening schools."
A student wants to quote the first and last sentences together, using an ellipsis to show that the second and third sentences were left out. Which quotation punctuates this correctly?
Explanation: When whole sentences are omitted, the first quoted sentence keeps its own period, and the ellipsis follows to mark the cut. Choice B does this: "together. ... Tonight," so it is correct. Choice A drops the period, so the first sentence never properly ends. Choice C puts the ellipsis inside the first sentence, where nothing was removed, and shows no omission between the sentences. Choice D wrongly uses a comma before the ellipsis instead of ending the sentence.
Original passage: "The principal announced that the school will pilot a later start time next semester. She explained that the change is meant to support student sleep and improve focus in morning classes. Families will receive a survey next week, and the final schedule will be shared after the results are reviewed."
A student shortened this quotation for a news summary by removing the middle sentence. The four versions below differ only in small punctuation details, so compare the periods and ellipsis dots around the omission carefully. Which version punctuates the omission correctly and keeps the meaning?
Explanation: When a whole sentence is removed from a quotation, the sentence before the cut keeps its own period, and a three-dot ellipsis then marks the omission. Choice B does exactly that, so it is correct. Choice A drops the period, so the first sentence never ends. Choice C adds a stray ellipsis at the end, wrongly suggesting the quotation trails off. Choice D runs the period into the ellipsis as four dots in a row with no space, which mispunctuates the omission.