I\u2019m a stickler for proper English grammar. I get really annoyed when people justify their horrible grammar with excuses, as though it\u2019s snobby to use subject-verb agreement. It\u2019s not. It\u2019s our language. If you want use English to a professional end, you should have a level of mastery. <\/p>\n
I\u2019ll admit it: my skin crawls when people don\u2019t use adverbs properly or are grossly ignorant with bravado (Madre de vs. Maitre d\u2019). I worked as a copy editor for a newspaper when I was younger, so I probably have more of an eye for grammar than the average person. However, even my grammar isn\u2019t fantastic, which you\u2019ll notice in reading this blog \u2013 but at least I make a concerted effort. <\/p>\n
If your grammar is not stellar, please hire someone to read through your script who does have stellar grammar. I\u2019d say, on average, well written screenplays come in with less than a handful of typos \u2013 five or less. If your script has more typos than this, it just looks like gross negligence, and I wonder why the writer is writing if they have such a poor grasp on our most basic tool.<\/p>\n
Typos and formatting errors can be insidious and very easy to miss. We tend to fix typos in our mind, and it really does take a fresh eye to catch errors. I did a copy editing pass for a friend recently who thought there would be only a couple of errors, but I found many, many errors \u2013 in some cases, six to a page. <\/p>\n
So, here is the short of it on the most frequent errors I see. When you do a proofreading pass on your own work, here\u2019s what to look for.<\/p>\n
The Comma<\/strong> 1. When addressing someone, use a comma. Depending upon usage, if you do not insert a comma in this scenario, your sentence will have a different meaning than the one you intended. 2. Asides 3. The comma (period, punctuation) goes INSIDE the quotation mark and the apostrophe. Always. DO NOT PUT THE COMMA OUTSIDE THE QUOTATION OR APOSTROPHE. This is my main pet peeve. Didn\u2019t we learn this rule in the fourth grade? Come on, people. This is likely by far the most common mistake I see. Contractions<\/strong> You can specifically not use a contraction as a choice if you are putting special emphasis on those words. It\u2019s vs. Its<\/strong> There, Their, They\u2019re<\/strong> 1. \u201cThere\u201d = location, placement, here\/there, over there 2. \u201cTheir\u201d = possession, they have 3. \u201cThey\u2019re\u201d = contraction of \u201cthey are\u201d Your vs. You\u2019re<\/strong> 2. You\u2019re is a contraction of \u201cyou are\u201d Apostrophe and Possessive<\/strong> Apostrophe when abbreviating years No apostrophe in ages The Dash (–) The Ellipses (\u2026)<\/strong> The Parenthetical<\/strong> (a line in parenthesis underneath the speaker\u2019s name and above the dialogue) I generally appreciate the occasional parenthetical if the subtext of that parenthetical indicates an emotion that is perhaps contrary to the line, such as above. Do not use a parenthetical to state the obvious interpretation of the line. Not: Be conservative with parenthetical usage. <\/p>\n The CAPS Caps also can be used for loud noises (SCREAM) or to flag an important word within an action sequence (for example, the introduction of a GUN or a LEAP across a building). <\/p>\n To my mind, the capping of selective words on the page helps the reader read down the page (dialogue and key words to understand the plot). If you cap too many words, the reader will not know where to focus the eye, and then won\u2019t get those outstanding details. Make the reader\u2019s job very easy and in long sequences of action lines CAP only the key words the reader needs to get the story. <\/p>\n Exclamation (!)<\/strong> Also…
\nThe comma has many applications. I am addressing the most common incorrect usage I see in the scripts I read. <\/p>\n
\nExample: \u201cHey, there, Sam.\u201d
\nNot: \u201cHey there Sam.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nExample: \u201cI don\u2019t know, Brian.\u201d (You are telling Brian that you do not know.)
\nNot: \u201cI don\u2019t know Brian.\u201d (You are telling a third party that you are unacquainted with and have never physically met the individual Brian.)
\nThese sentences have two very different meanings, and it is not my job as your reader to try to intuit what you mean to say. Use a comma when it is grammatically correct to do so to indicate the first example. <\/p>\n
\nExample: \u201cHey, there.\u201d
\nNot: \u201cHey there.\u201d
\nExample: \u201cAnyway, I was thinking we should go to the movies.\u201d
\nExample: \u201cFurthermore, he needs to get his shit together.\u201d
\nExample: \u201cHowever, it doesn\u2019t usually go like that.\u201d
\nExample: \u201cMoreover, you suck.\u201d
\nExample: \u201cNevertheless, it was a good idea.\u201d
\nThere are a bunch of rules on asides. The main one appears to be that if you begin a sentence with an aside, it warrants a comma. If the aside falls within the sentence, it might not require a comma unless you are placing specific emphasis on that word. All I know is I get very annoyed if I am reading an entire script and there are no commas anywhere. That does really bother me. <\/p>\n
\nExample: She said to me, \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful day, don\u2019t you think?\u201d
\nNot: She said to me, \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful day, don\u2019t you think\u201d?
\nExample: My favorite show is \u201cSeinfeld.\u201d
\nNot: My favorite show is \u201cSeinfeld\u201d.
\nExample: He loves \u201cSeinfeld,\u201d especially the one wherein Kramer gets an award for being retarded.
\nNot: He loves \u201cSeinfeld\u201d, especially the one wherein Kramer gets an award for being retarded.<\/p>\n
\nMost people don\u2019t speak without using contractions. To this end, make sure in your dialogue you are conscious of when someone speaks with a contraction and when not. Make your dialogue sound how real human beings speak.
\nExample: \u201cYou\u2019re such an ass.\u201d
\nNot: \u201cYou are such an ass.\u201d
\nExample: \u201cIf you\u2019re so high and mighty, you do it.\u201d
\nNot: \u201cIf you are so high and mighty, you do it.\u201d
\nIn both of these instances, the speaker would likely be angry and would not take the time to separate out the \u201cyou are.\u201d In general, use the contraction, otherwise the reader will wonder why you didn\u2019t. <\/p>\n
\nExample: \u201cYou are the most beautiful woman I\u2019ve ever met.\u201d
\nThis puts special thoughtfulness into the way the speaker would say \u201cyou are,\u201d and because it is filled with emotion, may well be appropriate to that moment. <\/p>\n
\nBasically, if you\u2019re not saying \u201cit is,\u201d DO NOT use an apostrophe.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s\u201d = It is. This is a contraction.
\nExample: \u201cIt\u2019s raining.\u201d
\nExample: \u201cIt\u2019s a good thing.\u201d
\nNot: \u201cIts a good thing.\u201d
\n\u201cIts\u201d indicates possession. In this case, the object is possessed by the it.
\nExample: (re: carpet) \u201cYou can tell by its faded color that it\u2019s really, really old.\u201d
\nNot: (re: carpet) \u201cYou can tell by it\u2019s faded color that its really, really old.\u201d
\nExample: (re: a car) \u201cYou can tell its tires are worn just by looking at them.\u201d
\nNot: (re: a car) \u201cYou can tell it\u2019s tires are worn just by looking at them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThis is also a very frequent mistake. But, it is a very simple rule.<\/p>\n
\nExample: \u201cLook over there.\u201d
\nNot: \u201cLook over their.\u201d
\nExample: \u201cThere\u2019s the gun.\u201d (there is the gun)
\nNot: \u201cTheirs the gun.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nExample: \u201cTheir eyes are blue.\u201d (two or more individuals have blue eyes)
\nNot: \u201cThere eyes are blue.\u201d
\nExample: \u201cIt\u2019s their problem, not mine.\u201d
\nNot: \u201cIt\u2019s there problem, not mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nExample: \u201cThey\u2019re up on the roof.\u201d
\nNot: \u201cTheir up on the roof.\u201d
\nExample: \u201cThey think they\u2019re doing well, but they\u2019re not.\u201d
\nNot: \u201cThey think their doing well, but there not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n1. \u201cYour\u201d indicates possession.
\nExample: \u201cI really like your handbag. Is that an Orla Kiely?\u201d
\nExample: \u201cI\u2019m sorry to tell you, but your screenplay needs work.\u201d
\nNot: \u201cI\u2019m sorry to tell you, but your\u2019re screenplay needs work.\u201d <\/p>\n
\nExample: \u201cYou\u2019re being ridiculous.\u201d
\nNot: \u201cYour being ridiculous.\u201d
\nExample: \u201cYou\u2019re making a mountain out of a molehill.\u201d <\/p>\n
\nThe apostrophe indicates possession. Do not use an apostrophe when you are just making something plural. You don\u2019t need it. If you add an apostrophe, it means somebody has it.
\n* Bags does not equal bag\u2019s
\nExample: Sarah\u2019s handbag
\nExample: Scott\u2019s toothbrush
\nExample: People were emerging from their brownstones.
\nNot: People were emerging from their brownstone\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\nExample: The civil rights movement of the 1960s was an important period in our nation\u2019s history.
\nExample: The civil rights movement of the \u201960s was an important period in our nation\u2019s history. (in this instance, the apostrophe should face away from the year)
\nNot: The civil rights movement of the 1960\u2019s was an important period in our nation\u2019s history.
\nNot: It was the 1960\u2019s and times were good.<\/p>\n
\nExample: DAVID BLANE, 40s,
\nNot: DAVID Blane, 40\u2019s,<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The dash indicates someone being cut off or interrupted in dialogue. An abrupt stop to the line. It is standard within screenwriting software to use two hyphens together.
\nExample: \u201cDon\u2019t think that if you–\u201d
\nExample: \u201cYou fucking asshole. I\u2019m going to cut off your–\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThe ellipsis indicates a pause in dialogue, such as a thought trailing off. Unlike the dash, this is not an abrupt ending or interruption. This could be used when someone loses their train of thought\u2026 Most people don\u2019t talk like space cadets, wandering around with their sentences trailing off, so please be conservative when using the ellipsis, or make sure this is a definite character trait before you write in too many ellipses.
\nI just looked up proper formatting of the ellipsis, and technically the ellipsis should have a space both before and after AND ALSO spaces in between each of the three periods. However, I find that this isn\u2019t the most prevalent usage. I\u2019m happy if people use three periods together \u2013 but there must be a space after the three periods.
\nExample (stylistically proper): \u201cI don\u2019t know . . . I was thinking . . . Maybe you ought to do it?\u201d
\nExample (common): \u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026 I was thinking\u2026 Maybe you ought to do it?\u201d
\nNot: \u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026I was thinking\u2026Maybe you ought to do it?\u201d
\nThe average script now does not have a period before or after an ellipsis. I don\u2019t know how that got popularized, but it\u2019s wrong. You need a space after the ellipsis. Or, better yet, don\u2019t use it at all. <\/p>\n
\nA good use of parenthetical is if that character is speaking another language.
\nExample:
\nBOBBY
\n(in Russian)
\nI\u2019m going to slit your throat and watch you bleed to death. <\/p>\n
\nExample:
\nSARAH
\n(smiling)
\nI\u2019m going to slit your throat and watch you bleed to death. <\/p>\n
\nSARAH
\n(angry)
\nI\u2019m going to slit your throat and watch you bleed to death. <\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Caps are to be used when introducing a character. The first and last names only are in caps.
\nExample: TONY SMITH, 39, impresario extraordinaire.
\nNOT: IMPRESARIO EXTRAORDINAIRE TONY SMITH 39
\nNOT: IMPRESARIO extraordinaire Tony Smith thirty nine.<\/p>\n
\nDo not overuse!!! Most of the time, you don\u2019t need the exclamation. The sentiment will be abundantly clear from the line. If it\u2019s not, consider rewriting the line before adding an exclamation point. If you take a basically dramatic line and add an exclamation onto it, it becomes melodramatic, at which point I start using melodramatic voices in my head and satirizing your dialogue (either inside my own head or out loud).
\nExample: \u201cYou killed my mother.\u201d
\nNot: \u201cYou killed my mother!\u201d
\nThe first line might be interpreted by an actor with rich subtext, however the second comes off as something out of a Mexican soap opera. <\/p>\n
\nAn additional resource from the Capital Community College Foundation<\/a>. <\/p>\n