Question

Jake was nervous as he confronted Margot and said, "I want you to know something. I I love you." What is the best way to punctuate the sentence to reflect how nervous Jake is? Jake was nervous as he confronted Margot and said, "I want you to know something. I! love you." Jake was nervous as he confronted Margot and said, "I want you to know something. I. I love you." Jake was nervous as he confronted Margot and said, "I want you, to know something; I love you." Jake was nervous as he confronted Margot and said, "I want you . . . to know something. I . . . I love you."

Answer 1

Jake was nervous as he confronted Margot and said, "I want you . . . to know something. I . . . I love you."

Step-by-step explanation:

Ellipsis dots indicate that you have left something out of a sentence. When writing or reading fiction, an ellipsis is usually meant to show an unfinished thought. It makes the reader use his/her imagination to figure out what comes next. In this case, it would make sense for Jake to stammer or have an unfinished thought, especially if he is nervous and professing his love for Margot. Ellipses can disrupt the flow of a sentence, so they are used very specifically in certain situations.

Answer 2

Example 1 and Example 2 are not grammatically correct because "I" can not stand on its own as a sentence and thus can't receive an exclamation point or period.

Example 3 is not gramatically correct because there is a misplaced comma.

Example 4 is correct. The ellipses (dot-dot-dots) show pauses in Jake's speech.