When a character is speaking, listen up!

When a character is speaking, listen up!

A Lesson by Delilah Plain
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This lesson will teach you how you should correctly input grammar when your character is speaking.

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Having your characters involved in your story is very important. So what's the easiest way for your character to be involved? You guessed, through dialogue! Dialogue is very important. It not only helps your plot flow, but it can also help your character grow. Having dialogue put in correct grammatical form helps the reader understand what your character is saying.

For example, your character is speaking. He or she is just using a normal declarative sentence,(which is a sentence that just makes a normal statement) it should look like this:

*Your paragraph*

"It's a beautiful day," Arthur said.

*New paragraph begins or another character speaking*
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If your character is using an interrogative sentence,(where he or she is asking a question) it should look like this:

*Your paragraph*

"What is your favorite color?" Sally asked the handsome waiter.

*Another character speaks or new paragraph begins*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If your character is using an imperative sentence,(where he or she giving a command or request) it should look like this:

*Your paragraph*

"Please, will you hand me the salt?" Karen politely asked her brother.

*Another character speaks or new paragraph begins*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally, if your character is using an exclamatory sentence, they are expressing strong emotion. An exclamatory sentence looks like this:

*Your paragraph*

"How could you cheat on me, George?!" Lizzy screamed as she threw her purse at him.

*Another character speaks or new paragraph begins*
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Comments

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Posted 12 Years Ago


So... The difference between the format for the last three are exactly the same?... It's not necissary to know terms like "exclamatory" or "imperative" sentences in order to write them, especially when there really isn't much of a difference betweeen them.

[send message]

Posted 12 Years Ago


Can I ask what those stars mean? How do you get them?
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Author

Delilah Plain
Delilah Plain

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About
I'm a young writer. I enjoy reading all kinds of books, but I especially like supernatural and paranormal romance books. I'm kind of a gramatical freak. I seriously will correct your grammar. I think ..
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