Is this one sentence or two?

arjaybe · 03-05-2015, 01:24 PM

"Do you mean when I was dying?" Fran finished for him.

PeterT · 03-05-2015, 01:51 PM

I'd say one. Try speaking it and adding a long pause after "Do you mean when I was dying?" and see if it makes any sense.

cromag · 03-05-2015, 11:09 PM

I'd say one, but dialog is an interesting case and I'm not an English major. If the quote had been a declarative sentence it would be set off by a comma in the quote. Question marks, exclamation points, etc., are necessary to distinguish them from declarative quotes, but if one is a sentence then they all are. At least, as far as I know.

HarryT · 03-06-2015, 12:09 PM

It's one sentence containing a quote.

arjaybe · 03-06-2015, 01:59 PM

I think it could be either. I don't think there's any way to say for sure, is there?

Penforhire · 03-06-2015, 06:06 PM

I'm with Harry. It is one sentence of dialog. Think of "said" in place of "finished for him."

AlexBell · 03-06-2015, 08:57 PM

I'm with Harry too. If the question mark was a comma it would be obvious. And if the question mark was a full stop it would make no sense at all.

arjaybe · 03-06-2015, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexBell

I'm with Harry too. If the question mark was a comma it would be obvious. And if the question mark was a full stop it would make no sense at all.

Why would it make no sense? I don't see the problem.

"Do you mean when I was dying?" Fran finished for him.

It looks as if it could be two sentences to me.

Or did you mean that "Do you mean when I was dying?" can't end in a period because it's a question?

ATDrake · 03-06-2015, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arjaybe

Why would it make no sense? I don't see the problem.

"Do you mean when I was dying?" Fran finished for him.

It looks as if it could be two sentences to me.

It's all about clause and effect.

"Fran finished for him." is a subordinate follow-up to her dialogue bit, unless Fran is finishing something for him other than the sentence she is saying.

If you were to split it into two separate sentences, like thus (spaced in between for demonstrative emphasis):

Quote:

"Do you mean when I was dying?"

Fran finished for him.

they would no longer be linked in meaning, which is what I'm assuming you're trying to go for, and Fran finishing something for him would be a separate activity unrelated to her words.

Rizla · 03-07-2015, 08:03 AM

It's one, and it's dreadful.

ApK · 03-07-2015, 08:42 AM

It's as ATDrake says. One if you're attributing the quote, just like 'Fran asked' or 'she said'. It's two if you meant Fran finished painting the wall for him or something.

And I don't necessarily agree with Rizla. In the right context it could read like fairly natural dialog.

arjaybe · 03-07-2015, 12:14 PM

The reason I asked the question is that it looks as if there's no way to say for sure. Quality of the writing aside, it's an example of an apparently unavoidable lack of clarity, without rewriting it.

ApK · 03-07-2015, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arjaybe

The reason I asked the question is that it looks as if there's no way to say for sure. Quality of the writing aside, it's an example of an apparently unavoidable lack of clarity, without rewriting it.

I can't imagine it being ambiguous in context.
Lots of perfectly good constructions are ambiguous out of context.

You'd have to go out of your way to craft a scene where it was ambiguous.

Just don't do this:

Quote:

Bob added the penultimate brush stroke to the grassy scene he and Fran were working on. He hovered his brush over the green paint bottle and said "The last time we painted like this was before you...I mean, when you were still...."
Fran darted her brush to the last bare spot on the canvas.
"Do you mean when I was dying?" Fran finished for him.

EDIT:
On the other hand, the attribution is not strictly accurate.
"Do you mean...." was almost certainly not how the other person was going to finish whatever he was saying.

Something to clearly indicate the 'finishing' might be more accurate, and therefore clearer as well, since Fran is clearly finishing a statement:

Quote:

"...when I was dying?" Fran finished for him.

Nabeel · 03-07-2015, 05:09 PM

Definitely one sentence, containing a quote.

AlexBell · 03-07-2015, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arjaybe

Why would it make no sense? I don't see the problem.

"Do you mean when I was dying?" Fran finished for him.

It looks as if it could be two sentences to me.

Or did you mean that "Do you mean when I was dying?" can't end in a period because it's a question?

You're right.

"Do you mean when I was dying." Fran finished for him.

does make sense. But I still don't think it flows.

03-05-2015, 01:24 PM	#1
arjaybe Wizard Posts: 1,066 Karma: 12500000 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Okanagan Device: Sony PRS-650, Kobo Clara	Is this one sentence or two? "Do you mean when I was dying?" Fran finished for him.

03-07-2015, 08:42 AM	#11
ApK Award-Winning Participant Posts: 7,389 Karma: 68329346 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: NJ, USA Device: Kindle	It's as ATDrake says. One if you're attributing the quote, just like 'Fran asked' or 'she said'. It's two if you meant Fran finished painting the wall for him or something. And I don't necessarily agree with Rizla. In the right context it could read like fairly natural dialog. Last edited by ApK; 03-07-2015 at 08:44 AM.

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03-05-2015, 01:51 PM	#2
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,507 Karma: 78910112 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	I'd say one. Try speaking it and adding a long pause after "Do you mean when I was dying?" and see if it makes any sense.

03-05-2015, 11:09 PM	#3
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,283 Karma: 459765791 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	I'd say one, but dialog is an interesting case and I'm not an English major. If the quote had been a declarative sentence it would be set off by a comma in the quote. Question marks, exclamation points, etc., are necessary to distinguish them from declarative quotes, but if one is a sentence then they all are. At least, as far as I know.

03-06-2015, 12:09 PM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	It's one sentence containing a quote.

03-06-2015, 01:59 PM	#5
arjaybe Wizard Posts: 1,066 Karma: 12500000 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Okanagan Device: Sony PRS-650, Kobo Clara	I think it could be either. I don't think there's any way to say for sure, is there?

03-06-2015, 06:06 PM	#6
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	I'm with Harry. It is one sentence of dialog. Think of "said" in place of "finished for him."

03-06-2015, 08:57 PM	#7
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	I'm with Harry too. If the question mark was a comma it would be obvious. And if the question mark was a full stop it would make no sense at all.

03-07-2015, 08:03 AM	#10
Rizla Member Retired Posts: 3,183 Karma: 11721895 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Nook STR (rooted) & Sony T2	It's one, and it's dreadful.

03-07-2015, 12:14 PM	#12
arjaybe Wizard Posts: 1,066 Karma: 12500000 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Okanagan Device: Sony PRS-650, Kobo Clara	The reason I asked the question is that it looks as if there's no way to say for sure. Quality of the writing aside, it's an example of an apparently unavoidable lack of clarity, without rewriting it.

03-07-2015, 05:09 PM	#14
Nabeel Zealot Posts: 147 Karma: 2747136 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Britain Device: Kobo Aura One	Definitely one sentence, containing a quote.

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