Editing User:AKAAkira/Language Editing Guidelines (draft) (section)

===Ellipses===
There are three way to render ellipses:
#three periods (...);
#the ellipsis character (…); or
#three spaced periods (. . .).

As it is the easiest to search and reportedly uses less bytes than the second option, '''using three periods is the most recommended option on Baka-Tsuki'''. However, as the literal ellipsis character is automatically input in a word processor<ref>To turn off AutoCorrect in a Microsoft Word processor (from 2007 and later), click the Home symbol at the top-left, then →Word Options→Proofing→AutoCorrect Options. There will be two tabs in there, "AutoCorrect" and "Math AutoCorrect", both from which the three periods-case will need to be deleted.</ref> and it may become too tedious to change all instances by hand<ref>Plug-ins like [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/foxreplace/ FoxReplace] makes the replacing process easier.</ref>, '''the second option is acceptable on Baka-Tsuki''' (i.e. does not warrant an edit for replace by itself).

The third option is an older style of rendering ellipses, and is "unnecessarily wide and requires non-breaking spaces to keep it from breaking at the end of a line"<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:MOS#Ellipses</ref>; there should never be a case where this is needed.

In light novels, ellipses are used abundantly. However, in English only three dots are sufficient to convey an ellipsis' functions; any more are redundant<ref>One exception would be [[Sword Art Online:Rondo of the Transient Sword]], Chapter 2, where in one instance the number of ellipses represent continually lengthening pauses.</ref>. '''On Baka-Tsuki ellipses should be represented by only three dots''', not the number of dots in the source material.

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<th>Ellipses usage</th>
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There are four instances in which ellipses are used:
#To indicate a pause in sentence recitation;
#To indicate a trail-off at the end of sentence recitation;
#To gradually resume speech; or
#To remove a portion of text from a quote
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1. Whenever a noticeable, hesitant pause exists in speech, an ellipsis is used. This pause may occur in the middle of a sentence, or even before uttering a sentence. In this case, the ellipsis should be rendered with no space to either side. Also, if the pause occurs before a sentence is started, the first word after the ellipsis should be capitalized.

:E.g.:
:"I...can't," she admitted.

:"...I see?"
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2. Trail-offs, again of the more gradual variety than dashes, are marked with an ellipsis. In this case, the ellipsis should be rendered with space on the right side with the next word capitalized, to indicate that the next sentence is a new one.

:E.g.:
:"You've gotta be kidding me..."

:Instead, she hesitated, and gave me a look of... If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a look of reluctant admiration.

2. (cont.) Though it may become difficult to distinguish between #1 and #2, there is a test: mentally replace the ellipsis with either a comma or a period. If the comma makes more sense in that spot, then that ellipsis' purpose is to be a pause. If the period appears more appropriate, then that ellipsis' purpose should be a trail-off.
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3. Ellipses are used to "resume" sentences, usually in a more gradual manner than using dashes. In this case, the word immediately after the ellipsis is never capitalized (unless it is a proper noun), as that point is not the true start of a sentence.

:E.g.:
:[...] I was mostly dead to the world. Eyes closed, arms sprawled, sleep about to overtake me—until a strange phrase struck my consciousness and sparked the entire mess.
:"...wasn't for that other blacksmith!"

:"[...] Our only solution is to find her and hope to negotiate, and for that we need—" Here Agil suddenly stopped, and turned to me. He ran a critical eye over my frame, his expression frozen in one of contemplation. "...a good tracker, and a good talker," he completed.
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4. Ellipses are also used in quotes, whenever a portion of its text is cut out. In these cases they are rendered with a space on either side, and may be framed by square brackets (such as [...]), especially if the quoted text has ellipses of its own, to avoid confusion. However, this should not be needed on Baka-Tsuki.
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