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StormyKnight Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

Writing Dialogue: Punctuation Question

Hello!
After posting a couple of anonymous questions and having them quickly answered, I decided to register, as I will probably be asking many more Emotion: smile

In dialogue, how do you punctuate a broken statement that is not split by a dialogue clause (he said/she said), but by a sentence?

Are either of these correct?

"He is not--" The lady cleared her throat. "Your father."

or could it be:

"He is not," The lady cleared her throat. "Your father."

Thanks!
  

Top answer

Hi, After posting a couple of anonymous questions and having them quickly answered, I decided to register, as I will probably be asking many more. You are an outstanding example to everyone, and have warmed our hearts! It's so much nicer to have some kind of individual on the other end of a conversation.

— Clive

  • Hi, After posting a couple of anonymous questions and having them quickly answered, I decided to register, as I will probably be asking many more.
  • You are an outstanding example to everyone, and have warmed our hearts!
  • It's so much nicer to have some kind of individual on the other end of a conversation.
  • Welcome, StormyKnight.
  • In dialogue, how do you punctuate a broken statement that is not split by a dialogue clause (he said/she said), but by a sentence?
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5 Answers
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Hi,

After posting a couple of anonymous questions and having them quickly answered, I decided to register, as I will probably be asking many more. You are an outstanding example to everyone, and have warmed our hearts! It's so much nicer to have some kind of individual on the other end of a conversation. Welcome, StormyKnight.

I
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I'd say "He is not," the lady cleared her throat, "your father." What I'm trying to do is give it a continuous kind of feeling.



Well, if that works for you, it works for me!
Thanks!
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An alternative version:

"He is not"—the lady cleared her throat—"your father."

MrP
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MrPedantic"He is not"—the lady cleared her throat—"your father."
Oooo....that looks good too! Thanks! So I guess there isn't a hard and fast rule for this type of thing?
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Hi,

So I guess there isn't a hard and fast rule for this type of thing? I guess if you read a punctuation book, you'd find some, but I'd view them as rules that are not 'hard and fast'. Guidelines, suggestions.

Best wishes, Clive
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