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The popularity oftext messaginghas meant learning a whole new way of communicating.
Let’s talk about using those three dots…
Punctuation plays a very big role intext conversations.
The way you end a sentence (orcapitalize it) can say a lot about how you’re feeling.
Joe Fedewa / How-To Geek
I think that’s why some people turn to the classic ellipses (…).
Related:Why Is Texting in no caps So Trendy?
At the end of a sentence, it can have a different feeling.
Again, it can be used for trailing off on a thought.
But ending a sentence with ellipses can also have a sort of ominous or passive-aggressive feel to it.
Here are a couple of examples.
I’m really not sure which emotion is being conveyed.
Now let’s use those exact same phrases with different punctuation (or no punctuation).
“Okay, I’ll be there soon”
“Are you sure about that?”
“We need to talk.”
“Sounds good.”
“That’s great!”
You may not realize it, but the change in punctuation makes these phrases come across more clearly.
“Okay, I’ll be there soon” is plain and informative.
I’ll be there soon!"
Think of a long pause and a sigh.
Similarly, “That’s great!”
A simple “That’s great” without punctuation is a calm show of support.
But “That’s great…” trails off in a way that could come across as disingenuous.
And slapping a period on the end can give it a petty “good for you” attitude.
What…are you trying to say?
This is why elipses can come across so ominously.
You’re leaving the interpretation up to them to decide.
“Are they not happy to see me or is this just how they text…?”
Commas, periods, and exclamation points have relatively clear meanings in the texting world.
Ellipses are an enigma, and that can be a scary thing to receive.
If this all sounds very complicated—you’re right!Language is often very imprecise.
You might not pick up on the emotion someone is trying to convey even in spoken conversations.
We’re all just trying our best to be understood.
Related:Yes, Emoji Have Multiple Meanings Too
