“That depends,” said he.
“I should like to know what takes you away,” said she.
“I dare say,” said he, smiling.
“I shouldn’t wonder if I know,” said she.
“I dare say you might guess,” said he.
There are so many devices for avoiding repetition that only gross carelessness can commit a fault like this. The abundance of terms which may be used—said, remarked, observed, replied, returned, retorted, asked, inquired, demanded, murmured, grumbled, growled, sneered, explained, exclaimed, and the rest of the long list of words of allied meanings—leaves the writer of English without excuse if he fail to vary the words of specification in dialogue. There are, too, many ways of evading the need of employing any of these. Frequently the nature of the talk indicates sufficiently the speaker; and it is often possible and well to introduce the name of the character addressed. The simple device of altering the relative position of the verb and the subject is not to be despised. In the extract just given the ear would receive as a relief and a boon a single “he said” among so many “said he’s.” Opening Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” almost at random, and taking the words on a couple of pages which indicate the speakers and their utterances, I find these:—
Observed Silver…. Cried the cook…. Returned Morgan…. Said another…. Cried Silver…. Said Merry…. Agreed Silver…. Said Morgan…. Said the fellow with the bandage…. Observed another.
On a couple of pages of one of Hardy’s books the phrases are:—
Said a young married man…. Murmured Joseph…. Dashed in Mark Clark…. Added Joseph…. Said Henry…. Observed Mr. Mark…. Whispered Joseph…. Said Mr. Oak…. Continued Joseph.
The variety does not come by chance, but by care and a finely trained perception of the value of trifles. It is of importance that the exact significance and intensity of the verb employed be taken into account. There is a distinct difference between “dashed in” and “continued;” between “cried” and “exclaimed.” The author should have a sense of the mood and manner of his personages so clear and so fine that only one of all the possible words shall seem to him fit. If his dialogue is at all related to real life, it will so vary in its fine shadings that the terms indicating the manner of utterance will vary naturally and inevitably.