Contraction Use

KyBunnies · 03-19-2017, 10:46 PM

Have you ever seen an author put 'll instead of using will? It just seems odd to me.

Examples:
"Yeah, these old places'll do that. Gotta love 'em."

The vendor'll haul the old tank out and drop the new one in.

Coffee'll be done in a minute."

The detective'll keep busy interviewing them all."

Phogg · 03-19-2017, 10:55 PM

It is called "vernacular ."
If you wish to portray a segment of the population accurately then you must make your dialogue match their speech patterns.

Dazrin · 03-19-2017, 10:57 PM

I've seen it and will accept it in limited cases where it is one character speaking in dialect. If that occurs in text, as opposed to dialog, I would have issues with it. And if it occurs very often I would have a problem. Dialect is ok when used in moderation but gets old quickly.

KyBunnies · 03-19-2017, 11:12 PM

Book is set in Massachusetts. It must be the dialogue for the north. I know it is not something we use in my area Kentucky-Tennessee state line.

Thanks. Just seems weird and it throws me off when I come across it.

Cinisajoy · 03-19-2017, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyBunnies

Book is set in Massachusetts. It must be the dialogue for the north. I know it is not something we use in my area Kentucky-Tennessee state line.

Thanks. Just seems weird and it throws me off when I come across it.

I have heard it but Y'all is you all. You'll do this does sound correct.
Though I agree, dialogue would be ok. But it would start to look lazy and places' ll just looks totally wrong. I'll, he'll, she'll would be ok.
Ah only with pronouns is actually correct.
With nouns awkward and wrong.
Any other noticeable errors and can I venture a guess, self-published.

GeoffR · 03-19-2017, 11:54 PM

With certain short words it is very common and natural, for example I'll, he'll, she'll, we'll.

The examples you give: place'll, coffee'll, vendor'll, detective'll all sound quite unnatural to me though.

Cinisajoy · 03-19-2017, 11:57 PM

Sounds like the person that didn't know his fathers' house's for the tree's.
Note there are 3 errors in that sentence.

KyBunnies · 03-19-2017, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I have heard it but Y'all is you all. You'll do this does sound correct.
Though I agree, dialogue would be ok. But it would start to look lazy and places' ll just looks totally wrong. I'll, he'll, she'll would be ok.
Ah only with pronouns is actually correct.
With nouns awkward and wrong.
Any other noticeable errors and can I venture a guess, self-published.

I can handle the she'll, he'll, you'll things like that but it is the prove'll and other things that mess me up.

No it was published by Berkley in 2008.

Author's bio states she lives in southeastern Massachusetts. So maybe it is common speech in that area. I don't know but I am wondering if I will make it through the other 9 books in this series.

Cinisajoy · 03-20-2017, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyBunnies

I can handle the she'll, he'll, you'll things like that but it is the prove'll and other things that mess me up.

No it was published by Berkley in 2008.

Author's bio states she lives in southeastern Massachusetts. So maybe it is common speech in that area. I don't know but I am wondering if I will make it through the other 9 books in this series.

Is the story worth the torture?

KyBunnies · 03-20-2017, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Is the story worth the torture?

It is a cozy mystery. For me the story is interesting and I like it. I started it this afternoon and on Chapter 14 out of 32. I will finish it and probably the whole series. If I don't then I will sit and wonder if I would have loved or hated the series.

Cinisajoy · 03-20-2017, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyBunnies

It is a cozy mystery. For me the story is interesting and I like it. I started it this afternoon and on Chapter 14 out of 32. I will finish it and probably the whole series. If I don't then I will sit and wonder if I would have loved or hated the series.

Rather like Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich. If she had said NASCAR GUY one more time I would have given up. It was always name NASCAR GUY.
Got old in a hurry.

KyBunnies · 03-20-2017, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Rather like Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich. If she had said NASCAR GUY one more time I would have given up. It was always name NASCAR GUY.
Got old in a hurry.

I have not read that one but I am not a big fan of Janet Evanovich.

This is One Bad Apple by Sheila Connolly. Book has gotten better and I have not seen the prove'll or anything similar again. Except with he'll or she'll. What I look at as normal.

meeera · 03-20-2017, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyBunnies

Have you ever seen an author put 'll instead of using will? It just seems odd to me.

Examples:
"Yeah, these old places'll do that. Gotta love 'em."

The vendor'll haul the old tank out and drop the new one in.

Coffee'll be done in a minute."

The detective'll keep busy interviewing them all."

So long as these were in dialogue, they wouldn't bother me at all. These constructions all sound normal to me. I couldn't say whether I've seen them before in books, because they wouldn't have registered with me.

RichL · 03-20-2017, 02:57 AM

Can't say as I read it much but I hear it a lot. "The coffee'll be done in a bit." The house'll be down next week." etc. I'm from the Northwest (Portland Or.) and hear that contraction quite often.

HarryT · 03-20-2017, 03:56 AM

Seems pretty normal to me for dialogue. My pet hate is people who write "of" instead of the contraction "ve". E.g., "I should of done it", rather than "I should've done it". That's just plain ignorant.

03-19-2017, 10:46 PM	#1
KyBunnies Book & Bunny Crazy Posts: 1,291 Karma: 6468095 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: USA Device: K3 (x2), Fire HD 7-inch (x2), Fire HDX 8.9, Acer Android Tablet	Contraction Use Have you ever seen an author put 'll instead of using will? It just seems odd to me. Examples: "Yeah, these old places'll do that. Gotta love 'em." The vendor'll haul the old tank out and drop the new one in. Coffee'll be done in a minute." The detective'll keep busy interviewing them all."

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03-19-2017, 10:55 PM	#2
Phogg PHD in Horribleness Posts: 2,320 Karma: 23599604 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: In the ironbound section, near avenue L Device: Just a whole bunch. I guess I am a collector now.	It is called "vernacular ." If you wish to portray a segment of the population accurately then you must make your dialogue match their speech patterns.

03-19-2017, 10:57 PM	#3
Dazrin Wizard Posts: 2,631 Karma: 73864785 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: PDXish Device: Kindle Voyage, various Android devices	I've seen it and will accept it in limited cases where it is one character speaking in dialect. If that occurs in text, as opposed to dialog, I would have issues with it. And if it occurs very often I would have a problem. Dialect is ok when used in moderation but gets old quickly.

03-19-2017, 11:12 PM	#4
KyBunnies Book & Bunny Crazy Posts: 1,291 Karma: 6468095 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: USA Device: K3 (x2), Fire HD 7-inch (x2), Fire HDX 8.9, Acer Android Tablet	Book is set in Massachusetts. It must be the dialogue for the north. I know it is not something we use in my area Kentucky-Tennessee state line. Thanks. Just seems weird and it throws me off when I come across it.

03-19-2017, 11:54 PM	#6
GeoffR Wizard Posts: 3,821 Karma: 19162882 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Te Riu-a-Māui Device: Kobo Glo	With certain short words it is very common and natural, for example I'll, he'll, she'll, we'll. The examples you give: place'll, coffee'll, vendor'll, detective'll all sound quite unnatural to me though.

03-19-2017, 11:57 PM	#7
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	Sounds like the person that didn't know his fathers' house's for the tree's. Note there are 3 errors in that sentence.

03-20-2017, 02:57 AM	#14
RichL Evangelist Posts: 407 Karma: 1096520 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: back to x51v	Can't say as I read it much but I hear it a lot. "The coffee'll be done in a bit." The house'll be down next week." etc. I'm from the Northwest (Portland Or.) and hear that contraction quite often.

03-20-2017, 03:56 AM	#15
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Seems pretty normal to me for dialogue. My pet hate is people who write "of" instead of the contraction "ve". E.g., "I should of done it", rather than "I should've done it". That's just plain ignorant.