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The difference between dialogue marks



The 2019 Stack Overflow Developer Survey Results Are InStriking the balance between dialogue and narrativeWhat is the difference between “creative writing” and “fiction writing”?Which one is the correct dialogue punctuation format?How to correctly punctuate this dialogue?Using colons and semi-colons in dialogueUsing comma splices in dialogueWhen dialog is italicized, should the quotation marks be italicized as well?Punctuation issue quoting dialoguePunctuation when using inline dialogueIs it okay to use a lot of exclamation marks?










1















Most authors use dialogue in writing, especially when writing fiction. Now, if I remember my first grade primary school correctly, dialogue can be directly separated from narration in a number of ways.



Either quotation marks,




"Murder," she said.




dashes,




-Murder,- she said.




or angle brackets / angle carets / Guillemets:




«Murder,» she said.




I'm a personal fan of the last example and I dislike using quotation marks for dialogue, but that's just my personal opinion. What I'm wondering here is if, from a typographic standpoint, there are reasons to prefer one over the other when reporting dialogue.



This is limited to the scope of creative writing mainly, since non-creative (e.g. technical) writing usually has stricter rules.










share|improve this question



















  • 4





    What you have there are different cultural conventions. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotation_mark#Specific_language_features

    – Luba
    7 hours ago






  • 1





    @Luba this should probably be edited into an answer or listed as a new answer, because this is the right one.

    – Blue Caboose
    4 hours ago















1















Most authors use dialogue in writing, especially when writing fiction. Now, if I remember my first grade primary school correctly, dialogue can be directly separated from narration in a number of ways.



Either quotation marks,




"Murder," she said.




dashes,




-Murder,- she said.




or angle brackets / angle carets / Guillemets:




«Murder,» she said.




I'm a personal fan of the last example and I dislike using quotation marks for dialogue, but that's just my personal opinion. What I'm wondering here is if, from a typographic standpoint, there are reasons to prefer one over the other when reporting dialogue.



This is limited to the scope of creative writing mainly, since non-creative (e.g. technical) writing usually has stricter rules.










share|improve this question



















  • 4





    What you have there are different cultural conventions. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotation_mark#Specific_language_features

    – Luba
    7 hours ago






  • 1





    @Luba this should probably be edited into an answer or listed as a new answer, because this is the right one.

    – Blue Caboose
    4 hours ago













1












1








1








Most authors use dialogue in writing, especially when writing fiction. Now, if I remember my first grade primary school correctly, dialogue can be directly separated from narration in a number of ways.



Either quotation marks,




"Murder," she said.




dashes,




-Murder,- she said.




or angle brackets / angle carets / Guillemets:




«Murder,» she said.




I'm a personal fan of the last example and I dislike using quotation marks for dialogue, but that's just my personal opinion. What I'm wondering here is if, from a typographic standpoint, there are reasons to prefer one over the other when reporting dialogue.



This is limited to the scope of creative writing mainly, since non-creative (e.g. technical) writing usually has stricter rules.










share|improve this question
















Most authors use dialogue in writing, especially when writing fiction. Now, if I remember my first grade primary school correctly, dialogue can be directly separated from narration in a number of ways.



Either quotation marks,




"Murder," she said.




dashes,




-Murder,- she said.




or angle brackets / angle carets / Guillemets:




«Murder,» she said.




I'm a personal fan of the last example and I dislike using quotation marks for dialogue, but that's just my personal opinion. What I'm wondering here is if, from a typographic standpoint, there are reasons to prefer one over the other when reporting dialogue.



This is limited to the scope of creative writing mainly, since non-creative (e.g. technical) writing usually has stricter rules.







creative-writing dialogue punctuation






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 11 hours ago









weakdna

3,53242363




3,53242363










asked 16 hours ago









LiquidLiquid

8,68622072




8,68622072







  • 4





    What you have there are different cultural conventions. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotation_mark#Specific_language_features

    – Luba
    7 hours ago






  • 1





    @Luba this should probably be edited into an answer or listed as a new answer, because this is the right one.

    – Blue Caboose
    4 hours ago












  • 4





    What you have there are different cultural conventions. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotation_mark#Specific_language_features

    – Luba
    7 hours ago






  • 1





    @Luba this should probably be edited into an answer or listed as a new answer, because this is the right one.

    – Blue Caboose
    4 hours ago







4




4





What you have there are different cultural conventions. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotation_mark#Specific_language_features

– Luba
7 hours ago





What you have there are different cultural conventions. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotation_mark#Specific_language_features

– Luba
7 hours ago




1




1





@Luba this should probably be edited into an answer or listed as a new answer, because this is the right one.

– Blue Caboose
4 hours ago





@Luba this should probably be edited into an answer or listed as a new answer, because this is the right one.

– Blue Caboose
4 hours ago










7 Answers
7






active

oldest

votes


















13














I think this is dependent on the convention in the country or location where you are publishing. In the U.S., it's double quotes, but in Britain, it's single quotes. I believe France and Italy use guillemets. I've seen the dashes but I don't recall where they are used.



The upshot is that, as JonStonecash wisely said, use whatever will be expected by and invisible to your readers.






share|improve this answer


















  • 2





    I can say Poland uses em-dashes.

    – SF.
    14 hours ago






  • 1





    indeed french novels I've read have used guillements

    – BKlassen
    10 hours ago






  • 1





    In Brazil the dialog is written with the dash. However the double quotes are gaining popularity as lazy translators use lazy software that cares only for textual content and not typography to make their translations. The norm, however is to use dashes. cobra.pages.nom.br/ctp-tec-tracoetravessao.html

    – Mindwin
    8 hours ago











  • Please don't perpetuate the myth that British English uses single quotes. It's not a hard and fast rule by any means.

    – Andrew Leach
    2 hours ago


















10














As a retired engineer, I habitually focus on the end result. While all of the choices are valid, I suspect that most readers will find all but the traditional double quotes to be jarring. If that is the result you are seeking, go for it. If you want the mechanics of dialogue to disappear then I would stick to said, asked, and double quotes.



An exception might be in order if there are more than one means to convey dialogue, such as telepathy or some special communication channel. If it is important to the story, you might use one of the alternate approaches to signify the difference.



Albert Einstein said, "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." My point is that you should use whatever is needed to tell your story. And, if it is not needed, don't use it.






share|improve this answer


















  • 10





    +1. If I saw angle brackets or dashes used for ordinary dialogue, I'd stop and go back over the last couple of pages, because I'd assume I missed the part where the characters are telepathic/wearing headsets/texting/whatever.

    – Evil Sparrow
    8 hours ago


















4














There are two other common options.



Italics.




Murder, she said.




And nothing at all.




Murder, she said.




Or more likely set up as narration.




She said murder.




I prefer anything to the nothing option. I honestly don't know what goes through an author's head choosing that. Do they think readers enjoy not being sure if a character is speaking or thinking or if the narrator is talking?



As an American reading in English, my preference for the other options is clear: double quote marks. Specifically, curly quotes (straight quotes, like you see in this post, are fine for online reading, but for a book, they need to be curly).



Italics is gimmicky for speech, though readable. I'd rather see them saved for character thoughts and other unspoken utterances.



Your other examples may be the preference in other countries that use English or in other languages. If that's the case in the language/country you're writing in, use them. None of them would make for seamless reading in the U.S.



Your typographic goal is to make the marks invisible and glaringly obvious at the same time. Just like "she said" is. There's no doubt who said it but you barely notice. Dialogue marks should be the same way. Your eye should glide across the page not even paying attention to punctuation, yet you know without a doubt which words were spoken out loud.






share|improve this answer






























    2














    As JonStoneCash has said, the other choices would be jarring. I know that I expect quotation marks to indicate spoken dialogue.



    While all are sound, the traditional quotation marks have the weight and benefit of tradition, rendering them invisible.



    It is your book, but if you want readers to enjoy it, allow for the possibility that the punctuation you select can disturb immersion, if only briefly.



    Quotation marks are so commonly used that the use of the others might make a reader pause and then go on - ah, yes, dialogue.






    share|improve this answer






























      2














      The convention in English is to use double quotes, or occasionally, single quotes. Anything else if jarring and confusing. I don't know what first grade teacher said that hyphens or angle brackets are a routine way to identify quotes. If this was a teacher of the English language, he was just what I like to call "wrong".



      You might use some other notation for special cases. Like if you're writing a science fiction novel and you need some way to set off the aliens' non-verbal communication or the telephathic links or some such.



      You can, of course, always break the conventions. But have a reason to do it, not just because you prefer some alternate convention. As for any writing rule, if the rule gets in the way of the story, sure, break it. But don't break rules just because you feel like it.



      But for normal human speech, use quotes. Anything else, readers will have to figure out that you're using this other symbol instead of quotes for no apparent reason, and it will be continually jarring.






      share|improve this answer






























        1














        In simple prose in English use inverted commas “ ” or ‘ ’ It is a matter of preference which to use. Double quote marks are unlikely to be confused with apostrophes, but single quotes are shorter and less intrusive.



        Paragraphing properly is also important. Each change of speaker requires a new paragraph, even if they only say one word.



        Some authors dislike standard quotation marks. James Joyce (Ulysses) never used inverted commas, and hated that some editors "corrected" his manuscript to include them. He began each quote with an em dash at the start of a line and ended the quote by context or a paragraph break.




        Buck Mulligan peeped an instant under the mirror then covered the bowl smartly.



        — Back to barracks, he said smartly.



        He added in a preacher's tone:



        — For this, O dearly beloved is the genuine Christine [...]




        Guillemets are not used in standard English, nor are the various conventions of double commas found in German, Polish and some other languages. „Guten Tag!“






        share|improve this answer






























          0














          I haven't heard of or seen dashes or brackets being used to indicate dialogue. Primary teachers make up a lot of things, for example that you can't begin sentences with 'because'. It is because they have to simplify things.






          share|improve this answer























          • Because they have to simplify things, primary teachers make up a lot of things. FTFY

            – CDspace
            5 hours ago











          Your Answer








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          7 Answers
          7






          active

          oldest

          votes








          7 Answers
          7






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes









          13














          I think this is dependent on the convention in the country or location where you are publishing. In the U.S., it's double quotes, but in Britain, it's single quotes. I believe France and Italy use guillemets. I've seen the dashes but I don't recall where they are used.



          The upshot is that, as JonStonecash wisely said, use whatever will be expected by and invisible to your readers.






          share|improve this answer


















          • 2





            I can say Poland uses em-dashes.

            – SF.
            14 hours ago






          • 1





            indeed french novels I've read have used guillements

            – BKlassen
            10 hours ago






          • 1





            In Brazil the dialog is written with the dash. However the double quotes are gaining popularity as lazy translators use lazy software that cares only for textual content and not typography to make their translations. The norm, however is to use dashes. cobra.pages.nom.br/ctp-tec-tracoetravessao.html

            – Mindwin
            8 hours ago











          • Please don't perpetuate the myth that British English uses single quotes. It's not a hard and fast rule by any means.

            – Andrew Leach
            2 hours ago















          13














          I think this is dependent on the convention in the country or location where you are publishing. In the U.S., it's double quotes, but in Britain, it's single quotes. I believe France and Italy use guillemets. I've seen the dashes but I don't recall where they are used.



          The upshot is that, as JonStonecash wisely said, use whatever will be expected by and invisible to your readers.






          share|improve this answer


















          • 2





            I can say Poland uses em-dashes.

            – SF.
            14 hours ago






          • 1





            indeed french novels I've read have used guillements

            – BKlassen
            10 hours ago






          • 1





            In Brazil the dialog is written with the dash. However the double quotes are gaining popularity as lazy translators use lazy software that cares only for textual content and not typography to make their translations. The norm, however is to use dashes. cobra.pages.nom.br/ctp-tec-tracoetravessao.html

            – Mindwin
            8 hours ago











          • Please don't perpetuate the myth that British English uses single quotes. It's not a hard and fast rule by any means.

            – Andrew Leach
            2 hours ago













          13












          13








          13







          I think this is dependent on the convention in the country or location where you are publishing. In the U.S., it's double quotes, but in Britain, it's single quotes. I believe France and Italy use guillemets. I've seen the dashes but I don't recall where they are used.



          The upshot is that, as JonStonecash wisely said, use whatever will be expected by and invisible to your readers.






          share|improve this answer













          I think this is dependent on the convention in the country or location where you are publishing. In the U.S., it's double quotes, but in Britain, it's single quotes. I believe France and Italy use guillemets. I've seen the dashes but I don't recall where they are used.



          The upshot is that, as JonStonecash wisely said, use whatever will be expected by and invisible to your readers.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered 14 hours ago









          Lauren IpsumLauren Ipsum

          67.3k699222




          67.3k699222







          • 2





            I can say Poland uses em-dashes.

            – SF.
            14 hours ago






          • 1





            indeed french novels I've read have used guillements

            – BKlassen
            10 hours ago






          • 1





            In Brazil the dialog is written with the dash. However the double quotes are gaining popularity as lazy translators use lazy software that cares only for textual content and not typography to make their translations. The norm, however is to use dashes. cobra.pages.nom.br/ctp-tec-tracoetravessao.html

            – Mindwin
            8 hours ago











          • Please don't perpetuate the myth that British English uses single quotes. It's not a hard and fast rule by any means.

            – Andrew Leach
            2 hours ago












          • 2





            I can say Poland uses em-dashes.

            – SF.
            14 hours ago






          • 1





            indeed french novels I've read have used guillements

            – BKlassen
            10 hours ago






          • 1





            In Brazil the dialog is written with the dash. However the double quotes are gaining popularity as lazy translators use lazy software that cares only for textual content and not typography to make their translations. The norm, however is to use dashes. cobra.pages.nom.br/ctp-tec-tracoetravessao.html

            – Mindwin
            8 hours ago











          • Please don't perpetuate the myth that British English uses single quotes. It's not a hard and fast rule by any means.

            – Andrew Leach
            2 hours ago







          2




          2





          I can say Poland uses em-dashes.

          – SF.
          14 hours ago





          I can say Poland uses em-dashes.

          – SF.
          14 hours ago




          1




          1





          indeed french novels I've read have used guillements

          – BKlassen
          10 hours ago





          indeed french novels I've read have used guillements

          – BKlassen
          10 hours ago




          1




          1





          In Brazil the dialog is written with the dash. However the double quotes are gaining popularity as lazy translators use lazy software that cares only for textual content and not typography to make their translations. The norm, however is to use dashes. cobra.pages.nom.br/ctp-tec-tracoetravessao.html

          – Mindwin
          8 hours ago





          In Brazil the dialog is written with the dash. However the double quotes are gaining popularity as lazy translators use lazy software that cares only for textual content and not typography to make their translations. The norm, however is to use dashes. cobra.pages.nom.br/ctp-tec-tracoetravessao.html

          – Mindwin
          8 hours ago













          Please don't perpetuate the myth that British English uses single quotes. It's not a hard and fast rule by any means.

          – Andrew Leach
          2 hours ago





          Please don't perpetuate the myth that British English uses single quotes. It's not a hard and fast rule by any means.

          – Andrew Leach
          2 hours ago











          10














          As a retired engineer, I habitually focus on the end result. While all of the choices are valid, I suspect that most readers will find all but the traditional double quotes to be jarring. If that is the result you are seeking, go for it. If you want the mechanics of dialogue to disappear then I would stick to said, asked, and double quotes.



          An exception might be in order if there are more than one means to convey dialogue, such as telepathy or some special communication channel. If it is important to the story, you might use one of the alternate approaches to signify the difference.



          Albert Einstein said, "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." My point is that you should use whatever is needed to tell your story. And, if it is not needed, don't use it.






          share|improve this answer


















          • 10





            +1. If I saw angle brackets or dashes used for ordinary dialogue, I'd stop and go back over the last couple of pages, because I'd assume I missed the part where the characters are telepathic/wearing headsets/texting/whatever.

            – Evil Sparrow
            8 hours ago















          10














          As a retired engineer, I habitually focus on the end result. While all of the choices are valid, I suspect that most readers will find all but the traditional double quotes to be jarring. If that is the result you are seeking, go for it. If you want the mechanics of dialogue to disappear then I would stick to said, asked, and double quotes.



          An exception might be in order if there are more than one means to convey dialogue, such as telepathy or some special communication channel. If it is important to the story, you might use one of the alternate approaches to signify the difference.



          Albert Einstein said, "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." My point is that you should use whatever is needed to tell your story. And, if it is not needed, don't use it.






          share|improve this answer


















          • 10





            +1. If I saw angle brackets or dashes used for ordinary dialogue, I'd stop and go back over the last couple of pages, because I'd assume I missed the part where the characters are telepathic/wearing headsets/texting/whatever.

            – Evil Sparrow
            8 hours ago













          10












          10








          10







          As a retired engineer, I habitually focus on the end result. While all of the choices are valid, I suspect that most readers will find all but the traditional double quotes to be jarring. If that is the result you are seeking, go for it. If you want the mechanics of dialogue to disappear then I would stick to said, asked, and double quotes.



          An exception might be in order if there are more than one means to convey dialogue, such as telepathy or some special communication channel. If it is important to the story, you might use one of the alternate approaches to signify the difference.



          Albert Einstein said, "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." My point is that you should use whatever is needed to tell your story. And, if it is not needed, don't use it.






          share|improve this answer













          As a retired engineer, I habitually focus on the end result. While all of the choices are valid, I suspect that most readers will find all but the traditional double quotes to be jarring. If that is the result you are seeking, go for it. If you want the mechanics of dialogue to disappear then I would stick to said, asked, and double quotes.



          An exception might be in order if there are more than one means to convey dialogue, such as telepathy or some special communication channel. If it is important to the story, you might use one of the alternate approaches to signify the difference.



          Albert Einstein said, "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." My point is that you should use whatever is needed to tell your story. And, if it is not needed, don't use it.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered 14 hours ago









          JonStonecashJonStonecash

          46424




          46424







          • 10





            +1. If I saw angle brackets or dashes used for ordinary dialogue, I'd stop and go back over the last couple of pages, because I'd assume I missed the part where the characters are telepathic/wearing headsets/texting/whatever.

            – Evil Sparrow
            8 hours ago












          • 10





            +1. If I saw angle brackets or dashes used for ordinary dialogue, I'd stop and go back over the last couple of pages, because I'd assume I missed the part where the characters are telepathic/wearing headsets/texting/whatever.

            – Evil Sparrow
            8 hours ago







          10




          10





          +1. If I saw angle brackets or dashes used for ordinary dialogue, I'd stop and go back over the last couple of pages, because I'd assume I missed the part where the characters are telepathic/wearing headsets/texting/whatever.

          – Evil Sparrow
          8 hours ago





          +1. If I saw angle brackets or dashes used for ordinary dialogue, I'd stop and go back over the last couple of pages, because I'd assume I missed the part where the characters are telepathic/wearing headsets/texting/whatever.

          – Evil Sparrow
          8 hours ago











          4














          There are two other common options.



          Italics.




          Murder, she said.




          And nothing at all.




          Murder, she said.




          Or more likely set up as narration.




          She said murder.




          I prefer anything to the nothing option. I honestly don't know what goes through an author's head choosing that. Do they think readers enjoy not being sure if a character is speaking or thinking or if the narrator is talking?



          As an American reading in English, my preference for the other options is clear: double quote marks. Specifically, curly quotes (straight quotes, like you see in this post, are fine for online reading, but for a book, they need to be curly).



          Italics is gimmicky for speech, though readable. I'd rather see them saved for character thoughts and other unspoken utterances.



          Your other examples may be the preference in other countries that use English or in other languages. If that's the case in the language/country you're writing in, use them. None of them would make for seamless reading in the U.S.



          Your typographic goal is to make the marks invisible and glaringly obvious at the same time. Just like "she said" is. There's no doubt who said it but you barely notice. Dialogue marks should be the same way. Your eye should glide across the page not even paying attention to punctuation, yet you know without a doubt which words were spoken out loud.






          share|improve this answer



























            4














            There are two other common options.



            Italics.




            Murder, she said.




            And nothing at all.




            Murder, she said.




            Or more likely set up as narration.




            She said murder.




            I prefer anything to the nothing option. I honestly don't know what goes through an author's head choosing that. Do they think readers enjoy not being sure if a character is speaking or thinking or if the narrator is talking?



            As an American reading in English, my preference for the other options is clear: double quote marks. Specifically, curly quotes (straight quotes, like you see in this post, are fine for online reading, but for a book, they need to be curly).



            Italics is gimmicky for speech, though readable. I'd rather see them saved for character thoughts and other unspoken utterances.



            Your other examples may be the preference in other countries that use English or in other languages. If that's the case in the language/country you're writing in, use them. None of them would make for seamless reading in the U.S.



            Your typographic goal is to make the marks invisible and glaringly obvious at the same time. Just like "she said" is. There's no doubt who said it but you barely notice. Dialogue marks should be the same way. Your eye should glide across the page not even paying attention to punctuation, yet you know without a doubt which words were spoken out loud.






            share|improve this answer

























              4












              4








              4







              There are two other common options.



              Italics.




              Murder, she said.




              And nothing at all.




              Murder, she said.




              Or more likely set up as narration.




              She said murder.




              I prefer anything to the nothing option. I honestly don't know what goes through an author's head choosing that. Do they think readers enjoy not being sure if a character is speaking or thinking or if the narrator is talking?



              As an American reading in English, my preference for the other options is clear: double quote marks. Specifically, curly quotes (straight quotes, like you see in this post, are fine for online reading, but for a book, they need to be curly).



              Italics is gimmicky for speech, though readable. I'd rather see them saved for character thoughts and other unspoken utterances.



              Your other examples may be the preference in other countries that use English or in other languages. If that's the case in the language/country you're writing in, use them. None of them would make for seamless reading in the U.S.



              Your typographic goal is to make the marks invisible and glaringly obvious at the same time. Just like "she said" is. There's no doubt who said it but you barely notice. Dialogue marks should be the same way. Your eye should glide across the page not even paying attention to punctuation, yet you know without a doubt which words were spoken out loud.






              share|improve this answer













              There are two other common options.



              Italics.




              Murder, she said.




              And nothing at all.




              Murder, she said.




              Or more likely set up as narration.




              She said murder.




              I prefer anything to the nothing option. I honestly don't know what goes through an author's head choosing that. Do they think readers enjoy not being sure if a character is speaking or thinking or if the narrator is talking?



              As an American reading in English, my preference for the other options is clear: double quote marks. Specifically, curly quotes (straight quotes, like you see in this post, are fine for online reading, but for a book, they need to be curly).



              Italics is gimmicky for speech, though readable. I'd rather see them saved for character thoughts and other unspoken utterances.



              Your other examples may be the preference in other countries that use English or in other languages. If that's the case in the language/country you're writing in, use them. None of them would make for seamless reading in the U.S.



              Your typographic goal is to make the marks invisible and glaringly obvious at the same time. Just like "she said" is. There's no doubt who said it but you barely notice. Dialogue marks should be the same way. Your eye should glide across the page not even paying attention to punctuation, yet you know without a doubt which words were spoken out loud.







              share|improve this answer












              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer










              answered 11 hours ago









              CynCyn

              17.8k13883




              17.8k13883





















                  2














                  As JonStoneCash has said, the other choices would be jarring. I know that I expect quotation marks to indicate spoken dialogue.



                  While all are sound, the traditional quotation marks have the weight and benefit of tradition, rendering them invisible.



                  It is your book, but if you want readers to enjoy it, allow for the possibility that the punctuation you select can disturb immersion, if only briefly.



                  Quotation marks are so commonly used that the use of the others might make a reader pause and then go on - ah, yes, dialogue.






                  share|improve this answer



























                    2














                    As JonStoneCash has said, the other choices would be jarring. I know that I expect quotation marks to indicate spoken dialogue.



                    While all are sound, the traditional quotation marks have the weight and benefit of tradition, rendering them invisible.



                    It is your book, but if you want readers to enjoy it, allow for the possibility that the punctuation you select can disturb immersion, if only briefly.



                    Quotation marks are so commonly used that the use of the others might make a reader pause and then go on - ah, yes, dialogue.






                    share|improve this answer

























                      2












                      2








                      2







                      As JonStoneCash has said, the other choices would be jarring. I know that I expect quotation marks to indicate spoken dialogue.



                      While all are sound, the traditional quotation marks have the weight and benefit of tradition, rendering them invisible.



                      It is your book, but if you want readers to enjoy it, allow for the possibility that the punctuation you select can disturb immersion, if only briefly.



                      Quotation marks are so commonly used that the use of the others might make a reader pause and then go on - ah, yes, dialogue.






                      share|improve this answer













                      As JonStoneCash has said, the other choices would be jarring. I know that I expect quotation marks to indicate spoken dialogue.



                      While all are sound, the traditional quotation marks have the weight and benefit of tradition, rendering them invisible.



                      It is your book, but if you want readers to enjoy it, allow for the possibility that the punctuation you select can disturb immersion, if only briefly.



                      Quotation marks are so commonly used that the use of the others might make a reader pause and then go on - ah, yes, dialogue.







                      share|improve this answer












                      share|improve this answer



                      share|improve this answer










                      answered 11 hours ago









                      RasdashanRasdashan

                      9,75311160




                      9,75311160





















                          2














                          The convention in English is to use double quotes, or occasionally, single quotes. Anything else if jarring and confusing. I don't know what first grade teacher said that hyphens or angle brackets are a routine way to identify quotes. If this was a teacher of the English language, he was just what I like to call "wrong".



                          You might use some other notation for special cases. Like if you're writing a science fiction novel and you need some way to set off the aliens' non-verbal communication or the telephathic links or some such.



                          You can, of course, always break the conventions. But have a reason to do it, not just because you prefer some alternate convention. As for any writing rule, if the rule gets in the way of the story, sure, break it. But don't break rules just because you feel like it.



                          But for normal human speech, use quotes. Anything else, readers will have to figure out that you're using this other symbol instead of quotes for no apparent reason, and it will be continually jarring.






                          share|improve this answer



























                            2














                            The convention in English is to use double quotes, or occasionally, single quotes. Anything else if jarring and confusing. I don't know what first grade teacher said that hyphens or angle brackets are a routine way to identify quotes. If this was a teacher of the English language, he was just what I like to call "wrong".



                            You might use some other notation for special cases. Like if you're writing a science fiction novel and you need some way to set off the aliens' non-verbal communication or the telephathic links or some such.



                            You can, of course, always break the conventions. But have a reason to do it, not just because you prefer some alternate convention. As for any writing rule, if the rule gets in the way of the story, sure, break it. But don't break rules just because you feel like it.



                            But for normal human speech, use quotes. Anything else, readers will have to figure out that you're using this other symbol instead of quotes for no apparent reason, and it will be continually jarring.






                            share|improve this answer

























                              2












                              2








                              2







                              The convention in English is to use double quotes, or occasionally, single quotes. Anything else if jarring and confusing. I don't know what first grade teacher said that hyphens or angle brackets are a routine way to identify quotes. If this was a teacher of the English language, he was just what I like to call "wrong".



                              You might use some other notation for special cases. Like if you're writing a science fiction novel and you need some way to set off the aliens' non-verbal communication or the telephathic links or some such.



                              You can, of course, always break the conventions. But have a reason to do it, not just because you prefer some alternate convention. As for any writing rule, if the rule gets in the way of the story, sure, break it. But don't break rules just because you feel like it.



                              But for normal human speech, use quotes. Anything else, readers will have to figure out that you're using this other symbol instead of quotes for no apparent reason, and it will be continually jarring.






                              share|improve this answer













                              The convention in English is to use double quotes, or occasionally, single quotes. Anything else if jarring and confusing. I don't know what first grade teacher said that hyphens or angle brackets are a routine way to identify quotes. If this was a teacher of the English language, he was just what I like to call "wrong".



                              You might use some other notation for special cases. Like if you're writing a science fiction novel and you need some way to set off the aliens' non-verbal communication or the telephathic links or some such.



                              You can, of course, always break the conventions. But have a reason to do it, not just because you prefer some alternate convention. As for any writing rule, if the rule gets in the way of the story, sure, break it. But don't break rules just because you feel like it.



                              But for normal human speech, use quotes. Anything else, readers will have to figure out that you're using this other symbol instead of quotes for no apparent reason, and it will be continually jarring.







                              share|improve this answer












                              share|improve this answer



                              share|improve this answer










                              answered 9 hours ago









                              JayJay

                              20.1k1654




                              20.1k1654





















                                  1














                                  In simple prose in English use inverted commas “ ” or ‘ ’ It is a matter of preference which to use. Double quote marks are unlikely to be confused with apostrophes, but single quotes are shorter and less intrusive.



                                  Paragraphing properly is also important. Each change of speaker requires a new paragraph, even if they only say one word.



                                  Some authors dislike standard quotation marks. James Joyce (Ulysses) never used inverted commas, and hated that some editors "corrected" his manuscript to include them. He began each quote with an em dash at the start of a line and ended the quote by context or a paragraph break.




                                  Buck Mulligan peeped an instant under the mirror then covered the bowl smartly.



                                  — Back to barracks, he said smartly.



                                  He added in a preacher's tone:



                                  — For this, O dearly beloved is the genuine Christine [...]




                                  Guillemets are not used in standard English, nor are the various conventions of double commas found in German, Polish and some other languages. „Guten Tag!“






                                  share|improve this answer



























                                    1














                                    In simple prose in English use inverted commas “ ” or ‘ ’ It is a matter of preference which to use. Double quote marks are unlikely to be confused with apostrophes, but single quotes are shorter and less intrusive.



                                    Paragraphing properly is also important. Each change of speaker requires a new paragraph, even if they only say one word.



                                    Some authors dislike standard quotation marks. James Joyce (Ulysses) never used inverted commas, and hated that some editors "corrected" his manuscript to include them. He began each quote with an em dash at the start of a line and ended the quote by context or a paragraph break.




                                    Buck Mulligan peeped an instant under the mirror then covered the bowl smartly.



                                    — Back to barracks, he said smartly.



                                    He added in a preacher's tone:



                                    — For this, O dearly beloved is the genuine Christine [...]




                                    Guillemets are not used in standard English, nor are the various conventions of double commas found in German, Polish and some other languages. „Guten Tag!“






                                    share|improve this answer

























                                      1












                                      1








                                      1







                                      In simple prose in English use inverted commas “ ” or ‘ ’ It is a matter of preference which to use. Double quote marks are unlikely to be confused with apostrophes, but single quotes are shorter and less intrusive.



                                      Paragraphing properly is also important. Each change of speaker requires a new paragraph, even if they only say one word.



                                      Some authors dislike standard quotation marks. James Joyce (Ulysses) never used inverted commas, and hated that some editors "corrected" his manuscript to include them. He began each quote with an em dash at the start of a line and ended the quote by context or a paragraph break.




                                      Buck Mulligan peeped an instant under the mirror then covered the bowl smartly.



                                      — Back to barracks, he said smartly.



                                      He added in a preacher's tone:



                                      — For this, O dearly beloved is the genuine Christine [...]




                                      Guillemets are not used in standard English, nor are the various conventions of double commas found in German, Polish and some other languages. „Guten Tag!“






                                      share|improve this answer













                                      In simple prose in English use inverted commas “ ” or ‘ ’ It is a matter of preference which to use. Double quote marks are unlikely to be confused with apostrophes, but single quotes are shorter and less intrusive.



                                      Paragraphing properly is also important. Each change of speaker requires a new paragraph, even if they only say one word.



                                      Some authors dislike standard quotation marks. James Joyce (Ulysses) never used inverted commas, and hated that some editors "corrected" his manuscript to include them. He began each quote with an em dash at the start of a line and ended the quote by context or a paragraph break.




                                      Buck Mulligan peeped an instant under the mirror then covered the bowl smartly.



                                      — Back to barracks, he said smartly.



                                      He added in a preacher's tone:



                                      — For this, O dearly beloved is the genuine Christine [...]




                                      Guillemets are not used in standard English, nor are the various conventions of double commas found in German, Polish and some other languages. „Guten Tag!“







                                      share|improve this answer












                                      share|improve this answer



                                      share|improve this answer










                                      answered 5 hours ago









                                      James KJames K

                                      1506




                                      1506





















                                          0














                                          I haven't heard of or seen dashes or brackets being used to indicate dialogue. Primary teachers make up a lot of things, for example that you can't begin sentences with 'because'. It is because they have to simplify things.






                                          share|improve this answer























                                          • Because they have to simplify things, primary teachers make up a lot of things. FTFY

                                            – CDspace
                                            5 hours ago















                                          0














                                          I haven't heard of or seen dashes or brackets being used to indicate dialogue. Primary teachers make up a lot of things, for example that you can't begin sentences with 'because'. It is because they have to simplify things.






                                          share|improve this answer























                                          • Because they have to simplify things, primary teachers make up a lot of things. FTFY

                                            – CDspace
                                            5 hours ago













                                          0












                                          0








                                          0







                                          I haven't heard of or seen dashes or brackets being used to indicate dialogue. Primary teachers make up a lot of things, for example that you can't begin sentences with 'because'. It is because they have to simplify things.






                                          share|improve this answer













                                          I haven't heard of or seen dashes or brackets being used to indicate dialogue. Primary teachers make up a lot of things, for example that you can't begin sentences with 'because'. It is because they have to simplify things.







                                          share|improve this answer












                                          share|improve this answer



                                          share|improve this answer










                                          answered 14 hours ago









                                          S. MitchellS. Mitchell

                                          5,04811026




                                          5,04811026












                                          • Because they have to simplify things, primary teachers make up a lot of things. FTFY

                                            – CDspace
                                            5 hours ago

















                                          • Because they have to simplify things, primary teachers make up a lot of things. FTFY

                                            – CDspace
                                            5 hours ago
















                                          Because they have to simplify things, primary teachers make up a lot of things. FTFY

                                          – CDspace
                                          5 hours ago





                                          Because they have to simplify things, primary teachers make up a lot of things. FTFY

                                          – CDspace
                                          5 hours ago

















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                                          ValueError: Expected n_neighbors <= n_samples, but n_samples = 1, n_neighbors = 6 (SMOTE) The 2019 Stack Overflow Developer Survey Results Are InCan SMOTE be applied over sequence of words (sentences)?ValueError when doing validation with random forestsSMOTE and multi class oversamplingLogic behind SMOTE-NC?ValueError: Error when checking target: expected dense_1 to have shape (7,) but got array with shape (1,)SmoteBoost: Should SMOTE be ran individually for each iteration/tree in the boosting?solving multi-class imbalance classification using smote and OSSUsing SMOTE for Synthetic Data generation to improve performance on unbalanced dataproblem of entry format for a simple model in KerasSVM SMOTE fit_resample() function runs forever with no result