For all you grammar experts out there, a little help please.
Can dialogue before a beat legitimately end with a period?
For example:
“All quiet.” she reported. or should it always be, “All quiet,” she reported. The auto-grammar checks online found both these ok, but I'm getting pulled up over on Authonomy. Can anyone clarify?
Hi guy's, just joined the website and saw your post. I would personally go for your second example.
'These grammatical rules are rather confusing,' she said.
'But of course.' Clive twirled his moustache manfully. 'If they weren't, just anybody could write a book.'
'That,' she said, 'is exactly what we don't want.'
'How is the MS going?' he asked.
'Badly.' She sighed.
'Badly?' he sighed, in imitation of the previous dialogue tag and noting the difference between them. 'Well. At least you have a decent grasp of this punctuation malarky now.'
Thanks guys, comma it is ))