Apparently A Lot Of People Get Dialogue Punctuation Wrong Despite Having An Otherwise Solid Grasp Of

Apparently a lot of people get dialogue punctuation wrong despite having an otherwise solid grasp of grammar, possibly because they’re used to writing essays rather than prose. I don’t wanna be the asshole who complains about writing errors and then doesn’t offer to help, so here are the basics summarized as simply as I could manage on my phone (“dialogue tag” just refers to phrases like “he said,” “she whispered,” “they asked”):

“For most dialogue, use a comma after the sentence and don’t capitalize the next word after the quotation mark,” she said.

“But what if you’re using a question mark rather than a period?” they asked.

“When using a dialogue tag, you never capitalize the word after the quotation mark unless it’s a proper noun!” she snapped.

“When breaking up a single sentence with a dialogue tag,” she said, “use commas.”

“This is a single sentence,” she said. “Now, this is a second stand-alone sentence, so there’s no comma after ‘she said.’”

“There’s no dialogue tag after this sentence, so end it with a period rather than a comma.” She frowned, suddenly concerned that the entire post was as unasked for as it was sanctimonious.

More Posts from J-drawings and Others

5 years ago
にじいろのものがたり By 邪仁寿(邪ニス)
にじいろのものがたり By 邪仁寿(邪ニス)
にじいろのものがたり By 邪仁寿(邪ニス)
にじいろのものがたり By 邪仁寿(邪ニス)
にじいろのものがたり By 邪仁寿(邪ニス)
にじいろのものがたり By 邪仁寿(邪ニス)
にじいろのものがたり By 邪仁寿(邪ニス)
にじいろのものがたり By 邪仁寿(邪ニス)
にじいろのものがたり By 邪仁寿(邪ニス)
にじいろのものがたり By 邪仁寿(邪ニス)

にじいろのものがたり by 邪仁寿(邪ニス)

Arguably one of the greatest art works I’ve ever seen. Check out the hi-res version in the link above, because Tumblr won’t let me post the full-size image in its original quality.

* Permission was granted by the artist to repost this work. I take absolutely no credit for this.

6 years ago

One Piece and Minecraft

...

HELL YES!

j-drawings - J Drawings
4 years ago
So I Just Found The Most Useful Photo Album In Existence For Tumblr Arguments
So I Just Found The Most Useful Photo Album In Existence For Tumblr Arguments
So I Just Found The Most Useful Photo Album In Existence For Tumblr Arguments
So I Just Found The Most Useful Photo Album In Existence For Tumblr Arguments
So I Just Found The Most Useful Photo Album In Existence For Tumblr Arguments
So I Just Found The Most Useful Photo Album In Existence For Tumblr Arguments
So I Just Found The Most Useful Photo Album In Existence For Tumblr Arguments

So I just found the most useful photo album in existence for tumblr arguments

4 years ago

Blind Dog Was Scared To Walk. So Owner Made This For Him 

(via)

8 years ago

YES! I wanna join!

Sensitive, Much?

Now, maybe this is just my cold, INTP logic kicking in here, but am I the only one who thinks that the fashion today is to be a victim? Because it seems that everyone is out there looking for an excuse to be offended about something.

And no, I’m not intending to offend anyone. Please, please, please. I’m not trying to step on any toes. And if I’m not thinking exactly like you, I most humbly beg your pardon for, oh, I dunno, being a different person with different beliefs and a different background and a different favourite flavour of ice cream.

The point is, there are real victims in the world. There are people who are actually hurting. There are children who are abandoned in the street because their mothers don’t like how they look when they’re born. There are young women who are kidnapped and sold as sex slaves. There are people who are living with the threat of bombs falling on their heads every day.

And then there’s you. Maybe your one of those real victims. Or maybe you just don’t like what someone said to you.

Ya know what I’m getting at? If someone disagrees with you or says something that strikes you as wrong, immediately you have to lash out and rip into them and tell them that they’re a horrible bigot or a wretched sinner. Do you honestly think that that’s going to change their mind?  And I’m not saying I’m always right. But I’m not always wrong, either.

I wonder if maybe all this oversensitivity on every side is occurring because people don’t have a sense of humour. (By sense of humour, I mean the ability to NOT take yourself seriously all the time.)

A while back my brother got mad at me for not taking life seriously all the time. Now, this isn’t quite true. I do take life seriously. But I most certainly try not to take myself seriously. That’s the most dangerous thing a person can do, because then he can get to thinking that he’s more important than he actually is. And when you start thinking that, then you think that everyone ought to recognize how important you are. You trade in personal dignity for annoying pompousness and personal kindness for condescension. You get offended easily because people are disagreeing with you, and HEAVEN FORBID that anyone should ever disagree with infallible you!

Perhaps we could all lighten up a bit. Just because someone doesn’t hold the same views that you do doesn’t mean that he’s out to get you and take away all your personal freedoms. Not every Muslim is an extremist and not every Christian is a hypocrite, for example. And just because you side with one or the other doesn’t mean you should get mad when someone who supports an opposite viewpoint expresses an opinion. Maybe if you don’t get offended, you’ll set a good example to others. Maybe if you laugh it off, rather than getting all huffy at what someone said. Maybe if you admit they have a point, and really mean it, you’ll make more of an impression than if you start lambasting them for being opposed to you.

The thing is, when we go around trying not to step on people’s toes, we’ll never give others the chance to think. If you’re never challenged you’ll never truly understand what you do believe in. You’ll never question, you’ll never grow, and you’ll never become stronger.

I suppose when we stop thinking ourselves the pinnacle and end result of the universe, we’ll start realizing that it’s okay to be different. And sometimes, it’s even okay to disagree with other people! I’m trying to break the trend of being a victim. I don’t want to have to avoid “trigger” subjects just because they aren’t topics that I like to converse on.

It’s good to talk about things that make you uncomfortable. You aren’t entitled to be comfortable. Comfortable people don’t grow and develop. Victims might be wounded, but heroes rise above their wounds.

Heroes forgive and forget.

So, I’ve decided that, while I’m not going to go out of my way to offend people, I’m also not going to shy away from stuff that I don’t like. And I’m not going to shy away from stuff just because other people don’t like it. I want to grow, even if it makes me uncomfortable.

Do you want to join me?

8 years ago

This birb! *sniff*

Comic N-009: “CHERISH THIS BIRD”

Comic N-009: “CHERISH THIS BIRD”

As much as I like those other guys we gotta pay tribute to the objectively best characters.

4 years ago
Cheat Sheets For Writing Body Language
Cheat Sheets For Writing Body Language

Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language

We are always told to use body language in our writing. Sometimes, it’s easier said than written. I decided to create these cheat sheets to help you show a character’s state of mind. Obviously, a character may exhibit a number of these behaviours. For example, he may be shocked and angry, or shocked and happy. Use these combinations as needed.

by Amanda Patterson

4 years ago

Words to replace said, except this actually helps

I got pretty fed up with looking for words to replace said because they weren’t sorted in a way I could easily use/find them for the right time. So I did some myself.

IN RESPONSE TO Acknowledged Answered Protested

INPUT/JOIN CONVERSATION/ASK Added Implored Inquired Insisted Proposed Queried Questioned Recommended Testified

GUILTY/RELUCTANCE/SORRY Admitted Apologized Conceded Confessed Professed

FOR SOMEONE ELSE Advised Criticized Suggested

JUST CHECKING Affirmed Agreed Alleged Confirmed

LOUD Announced Chanted Crowed

LEWD/CUTE/SECRET SPY FEEL Appealed Disclosed Moaned

ANGRY FUCK OFF MATE WANNA FIGHT Argued Barked Challenged Cursed Fumed Growled Hissed Roared Swore

SMARTASS Articulated Asserted Assured Avowed Claimed Commanded Cross-examined Demanded Digressed Directed Foretold Instructed Interrupted Predicted Proclaimed Quoted Theorized

ASSHOLE Bellowed Boasted Bragged

NERVOUS TRAINWRECK Babbled Bawled Mumbled Sputtered Stammered Stuttered

SUAVE MOTHERFUCKER Bargained Divulged Disclosed Exhorted

FIRST OFF Began

LASTLY Concluded Concurred

WEAK PUSY Begged Blurted Complained Cried Faltered Fretted

HAPPY/LOL Cajoled Exclaimed Gushed Jested Joked Laughed

WEIRDLY HAPPY/EXCITED Extolled Jabbered Raved

BRUH, CHILL Cautioned Warned

ACTUALLY, YOU’RE WRONG Chided Contended Corrected Countered Debated Elaborated Objected Ranted Retorted

CHILL SAVAGE Commented Continued Observed Surmised

LISTEN BUDDY Enunciated Explained Elaborated Hinted Implied Lectured Reiterated Recited Reminded Stressed

BRUH I NEED U AND U NEED ME Confided Offered Urged

FINE Consented Decided

TOO EMO FULL OF EMOTIONS Croaked Lamented Pledged Sobbed Sympathized Wailed Whimpered

JUST SAYING Declared Decreed Mentioned Noted Pointed out Postulated Speculated Stated Told Vouched

WASN’T ME Denied Lied

EVIL SMARTASS Dictated Equivocated Ordered Reprimanded Threatened

BORED Droned Sighed

SHHHH IT’S QUIET TIME Echoed Mumbled Murmured Muttered Uttered Whispered

DRAMA QUEEN Exaggerated Panted Pleaded Prayed Preached

OH SHIT Gasped Marveled Screamed Screeched Shouted Shrieked Yelped Yelled

ANNOYED Grumbled Grunted Jeered Quipped Scolded Snapped Snarled Sneered

ANNOYING Nagged

I DON’T REALLY CARE BUT WHATEVER Guessed Ventured

I’M DRUNK OR JUST BEING WEIRDLY EXPRESSIVE FOR A POINT/SARCASM Hooted Howled Yowled

I WONDER Pondered Voiced Wondered

OH, YEAH, WHOOPS Recalled Recited Remembered

SURPRISE BITCH Revealed

IT SEEMS FAKE BUT OKAY/HA ACTUALLY FUNNY BUT I DON’T WANT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD Scoffed Snickered Snorted

BITCHY Tattled Taunted Teased

Edit: People, I’m an English and creative writing double major in college; I understand that there’s nothing wrong with simply using “said.” This was just for fun, and it comes in handy when I need to add pizzazz. 

  • kameotakuwu
    kameotakuwu reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • many-bees
    many-bees reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • arternestkirkland
    arternestkirkland reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • arternestkirkland
    arternestkirkland liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • seventeenlovesthree
    seventeenlovesthree liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • blanchenotes
    blanchenotes reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • bloody-simp
    bloody-simp liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • stardating
    stardating reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • newengland-selkie
    newengland-selkie reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • filiafanfiction
    filiafanfiction reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • general-sir
    general-sir liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • miniaturetanks
    miniaturetanks reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • musicallynerdy
    musicallynerdy reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • writeintrees
    writeintrees reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • seraphsnorlax
    seraphsnorlax liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • thestitchpanda
    thestitchpanda reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • thestitchpanda
    thestitchpanda liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • tinamisu
    tinamisu liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • thefirefleshedarchivist
    thefirefleshedarchivist liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • rae-hxn
    rae-hxn reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • awful-earworm
    awful-earworm liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • shinladyanarki
    shinladyanarki reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • cherrichou
    cherrichou liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • gettingbyi
    gettingbyi reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • sometimesiwritestories
    sometimesiwritestories reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • autisticamerican
    autisticamerican reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • raesreveriee
    raesreveriee liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • samalong2
    samalong2 liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • sapphic-suchoripterus
    sapphic-suchoripterus reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • ghostofcinders
    ghostofcinders liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • berriicherrii
    berriicherrii reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • berriicherrii
    berriicherrii liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • jeegoo
    jeegoo reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • suresnips
    suresnips reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • suresnips
    suresnips liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • emyy250
    emyy250 reblogged this · 2 weeks ago
  • hadesgoddess
    hadesgoddess liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • veganwithbeef
    veganwithbeef liked this · 2 weeks ago
  • comatoseauthor
    comatoseauthor reblogged this · 3 weeks ago
  • deathofwhichauthor
    deathofwhichauthor reblogged this · 3 weeks ago
  • deathofwhichauthor
    deathofwhichauthor liked this · 3 weeks ago
  • otter-chaos-violence
    otter-chaos-violence liked this · 3 weeks ago
  • rosifire
    rosifire reblogged this · 3 weeks ago
  • sweetest-florida-blue-peach
    sweetest-florida-blue-peach liked this · 3 weeks ago
  • bookshelfbrunette
    bookshelfbrunette reblogged this · 3 weeks ago
  • starlightbelle
    starlightbelle reblogged this · 3 weeks ago
j-drawings - J Drawings
J Drawings

I draw

163 posts

Explore Tumblr Blog
Search Through Tumblr Tags