提醒13 确保读者知道是谁在说话[reminder-13]

除非你指明说话者是谁，否则对话就彻底失效。在没有定语动词的长篇对话段落中，读者可能会迷失，不得不回头重读，好把事情弄明白。含糊不清是对读者的强加，更不用说它对作品的损害了。

在对话中，要确保你的定语动词不会别扭地打断一句说出来的话。把它们放在说话时自然会有的停顿处——也就是说话者会为了强调或换气而停顿的地方。确定定语动词位置的最佳检验方法，是把句子大声说出来。

• 误："Now, my boy, we shall see," he said, "how well you have learned your lesson."
• 正："Now, my boy," he said, "we shall see how well you have learned your lesson."

• 误："What's more, they would never," she added, "consent to the plan."
• 正："What's more," she added, "they would never consent to the plan."