Uncategorized
Adverb Dialogue Tag
Flags dialogue tags with -ly adverbs ("he said angrily").
What It Does
Detects speech verbs (said, asked, whispered, etc.) followed within 3 tokens by an -ly adverb. Flags the combination as telling rather than showing.
Why It Matters
Adverb dialogue tags are the classic example of "telling vs. showing." "He said angrily" tells the emotion; "He slammed his fist on the table" shows it. The dialogue itself — or an action beat — should convey the tone.
What Gets Flagged
| Severity | Example | Why | Suggested Revision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information | "said angrily" | Adverb tells emotion | Show through action or dialogue content |
| Information | "whispered softly" | Redundant adverb | "whispered" already implies softness |
Technical Details
- Source:
prose-craft - Scope: Sentence-level within dialogue paragraphs
- Method: Speech verb + RB -ly token detection