Dialogue punctuation: commas vs semi-colons

[Brian G Turner]

I've noticed recently that I've got in the habit of using semi-colons to separate character actions that precede dialogue, ie:

John said; "Are you sure?"

However, I'm under the impression that a semi-colon or a comma could be used in the above example.

The question is, are there are any specific rules as to when to use a comma, or a semi-colon, in the break between action and dialogue?

 

[Hex]

I don't remember seeing a semi colon used like that before, Brian. Does it come from somewhere specific?

 

[Scott R. Forshaw]

I'd go with a comma in this instance, Brian. As I'm led to believe, semi-colons are becoming less popular, (much to the detriment of writing standards, if you ask me), and commas are the more favoured option among editors, at this present time.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I have used it a couple of times, but as ever Harebrain's rule* is the key:

I sat down, tired; the day had been longer than I expected.

If I used a dialogue tag after tired, I might use a semi before continuing ( might cos I think a full stop might work in the clause too, and would be smoother.)
So, yes, to link two parts of dialogue that would have a semi anyway, otherwise no, I think. So no, in this case because with John says you have a new sentence, which can't start with a semi.

* if it doesn't read like a sentence without the dialogue punctuation and tags, it isn't right.

At Scott, I am in trouble, then, I use them a lot and don't agree a comma or full can replace a correctly placed semi. Harummmph. Wanders off, muttering : D

 

[The Judge]

I'd never use a semi-colon in that case, Brian. In that particular example I'd use only a comma, though I have used a colon when the pre-dialogue bit is a lot longer and already has commas in the sentence. Mostly, though, I'd rephrase as it's always a bit clunky that way round.

 

[Scott R. Forshaw]

At Scott, I am in trouble, then, I use them a lot and don't agree a comma or
full can replace a correctly placed semi. Harummmph. Wanders off, muttering :
D

In your case, Springs, they work very well. I, too, am a fan of the semi; it just seems that modern editors don't share our enthusiasm.

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

Sorry to be part of a chorus, but not so much with the semi- here.

Separating actions, yeah; or two related but complete thoughts, sure. But not as part of dialogue.

 

[Warren_Paul]

I've seen a colon used in that fashion, but never a semi-colon. It isn't right. There is a right place for the semi-colon, but often we don't seem to really know where that right place is. But it should always be a comma for dialogue tags, imo.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

No, it can be done, just not in this instance.

"Well, that was nice," he said; "memorable, but nice."

Without the tag that reads

Well that was nice; memorable, but nice."

It isn't a great example - tis getting late here - but if we have a conjoined clause in dialogue it can be divided by a dialogue tag and use a semi before the new speech mark. It is rarely elegant, though, but I have seen it done ( whcih led to me having the confidence to using it, once.)

 

[Ursa major]

Can I join the chorus suggesting that the semicolon in Brian's example doesn't look right.


By the way, the problem with the semicolon in:

"Well, that was nice," he said; "memorable, but nice."

isn't so much the grammar as the semicolon calling attention to itself. The reader may, if only for a moment, be wondering why you didn't write:

"Well, that was nice," he said. "Memorable, but nice."

 

[Warren_Paul]

isn't so much the grammar as the semicolon calling attention to itself. The reader may, if only for a moment, be wondering why you didn't write:

"Well, that was nice," he said. "Memorable, but nice."

Exactly my thoughts. I'd go with the fullstop over the semi. Sorry, Springs. But half of it is probably personal preference. There might very well be nothing grammatically wrong with using a semi there.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Yep, i agree the example is clunky, i said that in the original post. When i am at my proper computer i will try to find an eg of when i have done it, but the rule applies, i think, that if there is a conjunction in dialogue that should be a semi, then it is grammatcally ok, if clunky, to use it before the second dialogue piece.

 

[HareBrain]

I noticed Tolkien uses semis to separate two bits of the same dialogue sentence where he would have used a semi if it weren't separated.

He quite often uses a semi-colon before "but", so: The cat, sitting on the desk, was red; but its tail was black. (Not an actual quote.)

In dialogue, he might write this:

"The cat, sitting on the desk, is red," she said; "but its tail is black."

(Which is what springs said, I think, since a semi-colon is valid before a conjunction where the previous bit contains commas -- or maybe even if it doesn't, I'm not sure.)

I do this sometimes too, but wouldn't use a semi in any other way to punctuate dialogue, and never as in Brian's example. Mind you, I see them being used wrongly all over the place these days.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Ok, I stand corrected.

I'm not sure where I picked that habit up from, but will now erase it from my toolbox.

 

[chrispenycate]

Ok, I stand corrected.

I'm not sure where I picked that habit up from, but will now erase it from my toolbox.

Why? Whilst I would definitely indicate it as a point worthy of perusal, if you feel the text requires more than a comma's worth of pause then a semicolon is your next step up. I frequently (and this is the pedant writing) use a semicolon in a space which technically only required a comma; a sort of inverse comma splice. But I carefully consider beforehand whether the extra space I've added is important enough to be worth bending a grammatical 'rule'.

 

[Bowler1]

a sort of inverse comma splice.

POP...

Yellow goo on all the walls as my smiley head exploded.

 

[Warren_Paul]

That's uh... just lovely, Bowler.

 

[Astner]

I wouldn't use commas unless they were absolutely necessary. Furthermore, I've never seen semicolons used to initiate a speech. For instance:

The wind was silenced with the Dragon's roar, the whispering of the trees ceased, and Bob looked down at his little sister—who despite all her agony couldn't overcome her punctured lung and let out a scream. He grabbed her hand, ‘don't worry, I'm here for you.’ Bob said with a tears running down his cheeks. ‘It's going to be alright. We're going to...’ it was too much, Bob couldn't finish the sentence. He grabbed her in his arms and leaned her head against his chest. He had promised her that he'd be there until the end. And he was.

Granted, it's not well-written, but it flows well. You get time to sneak in reactions and facial expressions in-between replies to vivify the scene.

 

[Hex]

Hi Astner! Welcome to the Chrons!

I know little of this strange thing called dialogue punctuation but I think it needs to work like this:

He grabbed her hand. ‘Don't worry, I'm here for you,’ Bob said with tears running down his cheeks. ‘It's going to be alright. We're going to...’ It was too much, Bob couldn't finish the sentence.

(although I wouldn't fight for that last capital 'i')

springs has a bit on this in the workshop Toolbox thread but basically, I think, if it's something someone does that doesn't directly describe the dialogue ("He grabbed her hand."), it has a full stop. If it's directly related to the dialogue ('He said', 'She demanded' etc) then it's separated from the dialogue by a comma (conventionally) -- 'I'm here for you," Bob said./ Bob said, 'I'm here for you.'

 

[Warren_Paul]

The wind was silenced with the Dragon's roar, the whispering of the trees ceased, and Bob looked down at his little sister—who despite all her agony couldn't overcome her punctured lung and let out a scream. He grabbed her hand, ‘don't worry, I'm here for you.’ Bob said with a tears running down his cheeks. ‘It's going to be alright. We're going to...’ it was too much, Bob couldn't finish the sentence. He grabbed her in his arms and leaned her head against his chest. He had promised her that he'd be there until the end. And he was.

I'm afraid Hex is correct, Astner. There are some common grammar mistakes in this example of yours. Here is how it should be:

He grabbed her hand. ‘Don't worry, I'm here for you.’ Tears ran down his cheeks. ‘It's going to be alright. We're going to....’ It was too much, Bob couldn't finish the sentence. He grabbed her in his arms and leaned her head against his chest. He had promised her that he'd be there until the end. And he was.

The action of grabbing her hand takes the place of the dialogue tag, but it isn't a dialogue tag though, so it needs a full stop, not a comma, and dialogue is always a capital for the first letter, even though technically it isn't the beginning of a sentence. You don't put 'he said' afterwards since you had the action tag before the dialogue to show it was him speaking.

When you're putting an ellipsis at the end of a sentence it is always four dots - you add an extra for the full stop that would normally be at the end of a sentence - or a question mark if needed. I believe if you are adding a dialogue tag after the speech, then you can use a comma instead of the fourth full stop.

And the narrative that follows the dialogue is always a capital unless it's a dialogue tag.