correct use of …

[cybmole]

I google ellipsis & read that is should be preceded by a space, but in an epub that can mean a line break occurring between the last word and the dots.

I don't think that is done in print, so I am wondering how … should be correctly used in epub e.g. should it always be preceded by   - intuitively that feels wrong - or should it just go next to the preceeding word with no space in between

what do others do ?

[Jellby]

First, different languages have different typographic convetions/traditions, so even though it may be usual to add a space before an ellipsis in English, it is most often wrong in Spanish, for instance.

In English ePubs, I tend to put a normal space before and after an ellipsis, when it is in the middle of a sentence (and by the way, I don't use … most of the time), and a   at the end:

She would not sleep, she thought; she could last until tomorrow night. . . . The train wheels clicked in accented rhythm.

"But . . ." said Taggart, "but . . . but nobody's ever used it before!"

(in red, the actual ellipsis: . . .)

I don't think it's so wrong to break the line before an ellipsis in the middle of a sentence.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by Jellby

I don't think it's so wrong to break the line before an ellipsis in the middle of a sentence.

"wrong" was probably the wrong word to use, but it looks odd - to me - to see an ellipsis all by itself on a line, when it occurs at the end of a sentence:

and then
...

[Kirtai]

Originally Posted by Jellby

(in red, the actual ellipsis: . . .)

It's odd that you do it that way since an ellipsis character can look noticeably different to three periods. e.g. Much narrower.

[cybmole]

Visually, I prefer the …, and will often edit out constructs like Jeeby's,

but what I don't like is when the ellipse strays onto a new line
...

like that

[DiapDealer]

If I need a space in front of the ellipse, I always use the non-breaking space to avoid having the ellipse start a new line. Strictly a personal preference for me ... I have no interest in whether it's typographically correct or not.

[theducks]

I would find a trailing ellipse on a separate line extremely annoying

I tend to use: last_word&hellip
and forget all those 'conventions' ( I don't sell my work, so there )

[cybmole]

I found an interesting debate here
http://howpublishingreallyworks.blog...-ellipses.html

seems the most important thing is to choose an approach & stick to it i.e. be consistent.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by cybmole

"wrong" was probably the wrong word to use, but it looks odd - to me - to see an ellipsis all by itself on a line, when it occurs at the end of a sentence:

and then
...

That's why I said I use a normal space in the middle of a sentence, and a   when the ellipsis is at the end.

Originally Posted by Kirtai

It's odd that you do it that way since an ellipsis character can look noticeably different to three periods. e.g. Much narrower.

That's exactly why I do it, because I want the periods spaced out, like many printed books (again, only in English, in Spanish I just use "...", which is the recommended form).

[Kirtai]

Originally Posted by Jellby

That's exactly why I do it, because I want the periods spaced out, like many printed books (again, only in English, in Spanish I just use "...", which is the recommended form).

Odd, I'm the exact opposite. I absolutely hate seeing spaced out ellipses, it just seems wrong to me.

[Ripplinger]

When I scan a book, I set the ellipses the way the original text had it. If they were more spaced out in the printed book, they stay spaced out in the ebook, and I've run into that most often with older books.

I've also run into the end of a sentence then followed by an ellipse, which meant 4 periods and no space of course between the last word and the first period of course. And the next ellipse in the same paragraph might have a space before the ellipse started. And I keep both of those the same. All depends on the original for me.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

When I scan a book, I set the ellipses the way the original text had it. If they were more spaced out in the printed book, they stay spaced out in the ebook, and I've run into that most often with older books.

I've also run into the end of a sentence then followed by an ellipse, which meant 4 periods and no space of course between the last word and the first period of course. And the next ellipse in the same paragraph might have a space before the ellipse started. And I keep both of those the same. All depends on the original for me.

so when a piece of dialogue "just fizzles out like this...."
there should be a total of 4 dots, not 3? I was not aware of that subtlety. Looks a bit strange now that I have typed it.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by cybmole

so when a piece of dialogue "just fizzles out like this...."
there should be a total of 4 dots, not 3? I was not aware of that subtlety. Looks a bit strange now that I have typed it.

I see it done as: fizzle space period

&hellip .

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by theducks

I see it done as: fizzle space period

&hellip .

would have to be a NBSP or the final period could appear on a different line ?

[DiapDealer]

Yes. If it were me doing it, I'd take the appropriate measures (nbsp) to prevent the possibility that the last line of a paragraph might be a single, lonely period.