Hello, all: I have this piece of dialog: The lady in the blue suit was quick to add: -We have many works by Poe. -That Poe is Edgar Alan Poe, isn't it? I asked. -Indeed, it is the writer Edgar Alan Poe. When I read this, it seemed to me that the it in the third line shoud be he (isn't he?), but then, in the fourth line it shoud also be he, to be consistent. But that he is not a person in the situation and, alas, I say "It's Santa", so now I'm confused. Any thoughts on this?
I think the use of 'it' is more natural sounding. I've tried saying it out loud a few times, and it's easier to say. Because it's dialogue, it's doesn't need to be proper.
I'm not 100% certain it matters. Are either of the individuals extremely well versed in grammar? Dialogue doesn't have to be perfect because people are not perfect and do not speak perfectly. Making it too proper can sound clunky and less genuine. For that matter, the second person wouldn't repeat ".... it is the writer Edgar Alan Poe," they'd probably just say "Yes," or "Indeed." Most people don't usually feel the need to repeat things for confirmation unless, say, the first speaker had poor pronunciation. All in all, it depends: How do you want your character to be? Are they someone who greatly values grammar over other things? Someone who would say "he" or "it?" Is the person they are speaking to someone who does repeat things, as you have it written?
That Poe is Edgar Alan Poe, isn't it? What's being asked here is if one is correct in one's statement. The "it" is really a place holder for , isn't (that correct)? That guy is Edgar Alan Poe, isn't he? This would feel more logically contextual if you were actually looking at a live man and trying to determine if he was in fact Mr. Poe.
The lady in the blue suit was quick to add "We have many works by Poe." "You mean Edgar Alan Poe?" I asked. "The very one."
Inside dialogue, there are no rules. You get away with unclear/incorrect/ambiguous language. There is only one rule, what's inside the quotes should be exactly what was said. You will have to bend your character a little to make him/her say it another way. That Poe is Edgar Alan Poe, isn't it? We are talking about a name ('Poe'), names are it, or we are talking about a statement ('Poe is Edgar Alan Poe') statements are it, or we are talking about the correctness of a statement, statements about statements, are it. Even if this suggest that 'it' is OK, I would rephrase. Shadowfax has a god one.
Thank you all for your answers. The dialog ocurrs betweeen a curator (the lady) and a PhD, so I want it to be formal. The lady is proud to have works by Poe, but the Phd is pissed that Poe's work is even included, so they are wielding some words between them, hence the repetition. The writer is not actually Poe, but a fictional famous artist whose death was caused by the institution carrying his work, but I changed the name to convey the idea that it is very famous. I apreciate the comment by Parthan that dialogue doesn't have to be perfect. My characters are scientists, so they tend to speak formally (I have to loosen this a bit when there is tension in the dialog), but I have a teenager character that causes me some trouble, because I never used to speak like teenagers did. Can somebody give some advice on this topic? I will keep the it.
Regarding the teenager, a lot of teens use slang. Even if it's just a little. As long as it's consistent it should be fine. Try watching a few shows or listening to the way teens speak with a note pad. Might help
"It" is fine. We use that construction all the time. "Is that the postman at the door?" "No, it's Mom." (And, by the way, it's Edgar Allan Poe.)
Just a quibble: I wouldn't be so sure that scientists speak formally. Now, yours may speak formally, but 'scientist', alone, is IMO not a guarantee.
