Grammar Girl here, today's topic is how to use Attributives.

Guest writer Sal Glenn writes,

Dialogue is hard to write and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Getting characters to have individual voices has caused more sleepless nights than too much

coffee late in the day.

Once the dialogue sounds right and reads right on the page, there's the problem of Attributives.

Attributive, also known as an identifier or signifier, is the he said she said that

show the reader who's saying what?

Writers who try to get around them will find themselves more confused than their anticipated

readership.

Use the name of the speaker if it's not already established so the reader can get right

into the scene.

Attributives can be placed in the middle of a line of dialogue, as in,

Nasty as the job may be, said Henrik, the goat needs a good scrubbing.

Trust your ear in deciding where to insert, never break into the dialogue, with,

Nasty as the job, said Henrik, may be, the goat needs a good scrubbing.

For a short line of dialogue, Attributives usually go at the end like so.

Help me find my leopard skin pillbox hat, said Daphne.

You can avoid Attributives by using the name of the character being addressed, as in,

Daphne, your leopard skin pillbox hat is on top of the refrigerator.

Go scrub a goat, Henrik.

In two characters are speaking, Attributives are only necessary for the character's first

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