A Grammatical Fable
A Young Writer climbed the Mountain where the Grammarian lived in a cave overlooking a sheer cliff. He asked: "How do I write what was said and also who said it properly? I know I should have learned this at school or just by paying attention to what I read, but I am not able to write who said what correctly." The Young Writer flushed in shame and looked away from the Grammarian. "And sometimes," the Young Writer admitted in an embarrassed whisper, "I am incapable of capitalizing in the standard way."
The Grammarian said, "Yes, you should have paid better attention to your teachers, or observed how published prose is presented. However, this is easily taught. I will explain, and you will observe carefully. If the tag, the who-said-it part, follows the what-was-said part, do it like this." With a wave of one hand, the Grammarian displayed a set of correct and glowing sentences before the Young Writer:
"He keeps his opinions to himself," Martin said.
"He keeps his opinions to himself," said Martin.
"He keeps his opinions to himself," he said.
"Why does he keep his opinions to himself?" asked Martin.
"Why does he keep his opinions to himself?" Elaine asked.
"Why does he keep his opinions to himself?" she asked.
"Why does he keep his opinions to himself?" asked the girl.
"I see," said the Young Writer. "And if the Tag comes first? I may have seen something like that. Is that possible? Is it hard to learn?"
"That is easily taught," the Grammarian said. "When the Tag precedes the dialogue, do it like this." Another set of glowing sentences appeared before the Young Writer:
Martin said, "He keeps his opinions to himself."
Said Martin, "He keeps his opinions to himself."
He said, "He keeps his opinions to himself."
Asked Elaine, "Why does he keep his opinions to himself?"
Said he, "Why does he keep his opinions to himself?"
"Is there yet another way of correctly writing dialogue tags?" the Young Writer asked.
"Yes," said the Grammarian. "You can do it this way. Watch carefully: this way is subtle and can be done correctly in two circumstances. The first is when you have only one complete dialogue sentence." And yet another set of sentences appeared in the air before the Young Writer:
"I don't know why, but he keeps his opinions to himself."
"It would seem he keeps his opinions to himself."
"Notice the extant comma breaks in the first example and the introductory phrase in the second. The tag can be inserted in sentences like this quite smoothly." With a wave of his hand the displayed sentences shifted to include a tag:
"I don't know why,' Martin said, 'but he keeps his opinions to himself."
"It would seem," Ellian said, "he keeps his opinions to himself."
"Now," the Grammarian said, "if the character has more to say, the dialogue is punctuated appropriately: Observe the last example."
"I don't know why," Martin said, "but he keeps his opinions on his closet shelf. He's strange that way."
"Ah," the Young Writer said. "Now I know all I need to know about writing! All the other Young Writers will envy my friends and I."
The Grammarian laughed cruelly, and kicked the presumptuous Young Writer off the cliff. The Grammarian shouted after the falling youth: "You have yet to master the way of the Pronoun."
Comments must contain at least 3 words
Chapter: 1
While I can appreciate the humour in this, and sympathize with the sentiment of dealing with writers who think their writing is better than it actually is (no matter how far we've come, there's always room for improvement), I find this somewhat pretentious. :/
Just my two-cent's worth; if you like giving people concrit, try to keep in mind we all have to start somewhere, and that once upon a time, you were where some of these other writers are, now.
Long story short; humility.
April 28, 2015 | Shannon Rohrer
The Young Write could have gone to:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=111 --for help with dialogue tag sentences.
I know that I was not born with a facility for grammar: I learned it by constant correction and good examples. There is really no excuse for anyone who has read Dick and Jane in first grade to screw up basic dialogue tagged sentences, unless like the Young Writer she hasn't been paying attention.
Now, let's see if the absolutewrite address come through legibly.
April 28, 2015 | Lynn Hollander
Apparently not.
AbsoluteWriteWaterCooler is an excellent site for a variety of forums about writing. The Guide to Dialogue Tagged Sentences can be found under Syntax and Grammar.
April 28, 2015 | Lynn Hollander
I'm actually a member of that site (though I haven't logged on in some months).
*Sigh* Look, I get what you're saying, but I'm also fairly certain you've missed the point I was making (and clearly you haven't checked your inbox, either).
I'm saying there's a good way and a bad way to assist other writers with their craft--and coming across with a superior attitude isn't one of them. Which is precisely what the Grammarian in your story did at the end. That was the point I was making.
April 28, 2015 | Shannon Rohrer
Chapter: 1
September 24, 2015 | Chase Talon
Chapter: 1
Grammarian has not come to a face off with a Grammar Nazi, I take it.
You use a period at the end of a sentence, not a comma.
I've also noticed some of your comments on other works contradict what is said in this piece. Just thought I'd point it out to you.
September 30, 2015 | Chantelle Bosch
Sentences can also end with an exclamation point or a question mark. I located one typo where a comma came at the end of a sentence and corrected it. If you can find other goofs or errors of fact, please be specific about what and where. Thank you for your comment.
October 1, 2015 | Lynn Hollander