Speaker Trails Off or is Cut Off
How to handle speakers who trail off or are cut off mid-sentence.
Speaker Trails Off or is Cut Off
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Hyphens for Cut-offs
Hyphens, up against the word
- Usually followed by another speaker or a description of the interruption in square brackets
- Can be closed with a question mark
- This is also to be used when a speaker rapidly changes direction
Example: "Are you coming to the meet-"
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Ellipses for Trailing Off
Ellipses are used for when someone trails off of their own accord.
- Can be closed with a question mark
- Indicates natural trailing off rather than interruption
Example: "Are you here for the party, or...?"
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Key Distinctions
- Hyphen (-) = Cut off by external force (interruption, event)
- Ellipses (...) = Speaker trails off naturally
- Question mark can be used with either when appropriate
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Usage Examples
Cut off by interruption:
"I think we should go to the-"
Speaker A: Wait, what time is it?
Trails off naturally:
"Well, I suppose we could try that approach..."