The reason is simple-when you type three periods, that text is automatically replaced by the three-dot ellipses string, so you never really get a chance to have four periods considered for replacement. If you create an AutoCorrect entry that replaces four periods with the desired ellipses text string, it will never be used by Word. This presents a problem for the four-dot ellipses, however. When you type three periods in a row, those periods are replaced with the text string for the ellipses, as you want them. You've now got the replacement for the standard three-dot ellipses. Word asks you if you are sure you want to replace the entry with the new information, to which you should reply in the affirmative. This pastes your ellipses text string into the With box.
Select the contents of the With box (the single-character ellipses symbol) and press Ctrl+V.The AutoCorrect entry should move up into the Replace and With boxes. In the list of AutoCorrect entries, locate and select entry that has three periods in the left column.The AutoCorrect tab of the AutoCorrect dialog box. Word displays the AutoCorrect tab of the AutoCorrect dialog box. Choose AutoCorrect from the Tools menu.Select the seven characters that make up the text string and press Ctrl+C.For the non-breaking spaces, simply press Ctrl+Shift+Space Bar. In a document, create the three-ellipses text string described earlier.The method you choose depends on how you do your writing and editing.Ī lot of people choose the AutoCorrect method because that is the method already used by Microsoft for the single-character ellipses that Mary Anne doesn't find acceptable. You can choose to use AutoCorrect, AutoText, or create a macro. The variances in the solutions come in how you utilize your ellipses strings.
In addition, the string starts with period, not a non-breaking space. Again, the only space that isn't non-breaking is the last one. In the case of the four-dot ellipses, the string would consist of a period, non-breaking space, period, non-breaking space, period, non-breaking space, period, space. Note that the only space that isn't non-breaking is the final one this allows Word to break a line after the ellipses, but not before. In the case of the three-dot ellipses, the string would consist of a non-breaking space, period, non-breaking space, period, non-breaking space, period, and a space. This consists of a certain number of periods, separated by non-breaking spaces. All of the solutions have one thing in common: creating a string of characters that represents what you want to use for ellipses. There are several solutions you can use to this problem and the one you choose depends on what you are most comfortable with. Word's default ellipsis character does not break over two lines, but she cannot use it as it has no spaces between the dots. Mary Anne likes to keep ellipses all on one line, but because of the spaces, Word will spread them over two lines. If an entire sentence has been left out of the quotation, there will be four dots, each separated by a space, but with no space before the four. Most academic styles dictate an ellipsis of three dots, each separated by a space, with a space before and a space after the three. In the academic documents on which she works, when part of a quotation is left out, an ellipsis must be inserted.
Mary Anne works as an academic editor, which means she must conform to specific, rigorous styles for formatting.