Be a Better Writer--PUNCTUATING DIALOGUE
Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 10:04 am
I don’t usually post on writing mechanics, but this easily correctable error has shown up in my life so many times in the past week that I thought a quick lesson was in order.
First, why don’t you test yourself? Read the following sentence, and see if you can pick out error. Then scroll down a bit, and see if you got it right:
“I’d like a double order of tiramisu.” Jan said.
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The error is very common, and very easy to miss—even when I’m doing professional editing, I often overlook it on first reading. It should be written thus:
“I’d like a double order of tiramisu,” Jan said.
Do you see the difference? It’s that little comma after tiramisu, which is a period in the incorrect sentence.
I think many writers make this mistake because they’re so used to putting a period at the end of a sentence, and I’d like a double order of tiramisu is a complete sentence. Except that it’s not, in this case: Jan said completes the sentence (in fact, Jan is the subject of the sentence and said is the verb). Since we can’t have two periods in one sentence, the comma is used to separate the clauses.
Now, here’s a slight variation of the sentence:
“I’d like a double order of tiramisu.” She said.
Do you see the problem there?
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I see this error quite frequently, too. The correct way of writing this:
“I’d like a double order of tiramisu,” she said.
In this case, the common error is in capitalizing the pronoun she. Again, writers have the habit of beginning a sentence with a capital letter, and since she follows a period, it must be the beginning of a new sentence, right? But since the period is wrong, so is the capital letter.
This combination of comma-inside-end-quotes followed by either a proper name or an uncapitalized pronoun also works for verbs other than said.
“Don’t start eating without me,” Jan requested.
OR
“Don’t start eating without me,” she insisted.
Oh, and if the punctuation mark inside the end quotes is a question mark or an exclamation point, it’s considered like a comma for purposes of capitalization:
“Don’t start eating without me!” she shouted.
“What did I tell you about eating my dessert?” she demanded.
Finally—if the action of the speaker following the sentence in quotation marks uses a verb other than said or a substitute for said (shouted, whispered, mumbled, retorted, etc.), then that action needs to be in its own sentence, with its own capital letter.
“I can’t believe how delicious this tiramisu is.” Jan smacked her lips.
“I can’t believe how delicious this tiramisu is.” She reached for a second helping.
HOMEWORK:
1. Write several sentences of your own that contain dialogue tags and are correctly punctuated and capitalized.
2. Ask a question or make a comment.
Now--two requests from me:
1. Please tell other FaithWriters about these lessons.
2. Don't forget to use the Critique Circle for more detailed critique than you'd typically get in the Writing Challenge. You can enter previous Writing Challenge pieces there, too.
First, why don’t you test yourself? Read the following sentence, and see if you can pick out error. Then scroll down a bit, and see if you got it right:
“I’d like a double order of tiramisu.” Jan said.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
The error is very common, and very easy to miss—even when I’m doing professional editing, I often overlook it on first reading. It should be written thus:
“I’d like a double order of tiramisu,” Jan said.
Do you see the difference? It’s that little comma after tiramisu, which is a period in the incorrect sentence.
I think many writers make this mistake because they’re so used to putting a period at the end of a sentence, and I’d like a double order of tiramisu is a complete sentence. Except that it’s not, in this case: Jan said completes the sentence (in fact, Jan is the subject of the sentence and said is the verb). Since we can’t have two periods in one sentence, the comma is used to separate the clauses.
Now, here’s a slight variation of the sentence:
“I’d like a double order of tiramisu.” She said.
Do you see the problem there?
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
I see this error quite frequently, too. The correct way of writing this:
“I’d like a double order of tiramisu,” she said.
In this case, the common error is in capitalizing the pronoun she. Again, writers have the habit of beginning a sentence with a capital letter, and since she follows a period, it must be the beginning of a new sentence, right? But since the period is wrong, so is the capital letter.
This combination of comma-inside-end-quotes followed by either a proper name or an uncapitalized pronoun also works for verbs other than said.
“Don’t start eating without me,” Jan requested.
OR
“Don’t start eating without me,” she insisted.
Oh, and if the punctuation mark inside the end quotes is a question mark or an exclamation point, it’s considered like a comma for purposes of capitalization:
“Don’t start eating without me!” she shouted.
“What did I tell you about eating my dessert?” she demanded.
Finally—if the action of the speaker following the sentence in quotation marks uses a verb other than said or a substitute for said (shouted, whispered, mumbled, retorted, etc.), then that action needs to be in its own sentence, with its own capital letter.
“I can’t believe how delicious this tiramisu is.” Jan smacked her lips.
“I can’t believe how delicious this tiramisu is.” She reached for a second helping.
HOMEWORK:
1. Write several sentences of your own that contain dialogue tags and are correctly punctuated and capitalized.
2. Ask a question or make a comment.
Now--two requests from me:
1. Please tell other FaithWriters about these lessons.
2. Don't forget to use the Critique Circle for more detailed critique than you'd typically get in the Writing Challenge. You can enter previous Writing Challenge pieces there, too.