Attribution is important in stories, and you may be confused about whether you should use “says” or “said.” You might also wonder: Does it really matter?
This won’t surprise you, but at Active Voice Communications, we think it ALL matters. At a bare minimum, it matters because style consistency is important. So, your organization should have a preference for “says” or “said.” (You might even decide to use “said” in press releases and “says” in blog posts. But regardless, there should be a rule.
So, what is better — “says” or “said”?
The Associated Press says to go with “said” when attributing a quote and “says” when describing an opinion or long-held belief. As one of our favorite college professors used to say, “Did they say it one time in an interview with you? Or is this sentence something they say all the time?”
This, of course, makes a ton of sense and allows for more precise writing.
However, magazines commonly use “says” regardless of intent because it’s more conversational. At AVC, we also usually prefer “says” (sorry, professor, you did your best) except in specific situations such as press releases or more formal documents.
Should the attribution go before or after the name?
Almost always after. It’s more conversational and, therefore, easier for the reader. Think about it:
- “I want to go outside and play,” the boy said.
- “I want to go outside and play,” said the boy.
The second one is more stilted. If you were telling your story out loud, you would never say, “said the boy,” right? So, we argue you shouldn’t in writing either.
Of course, grammarians love exceptions, and this is no … exception. If you want to introduce additional details about the speaker (or if they have a particularly long title you need to include), let the name and those details follow the attribution verb. For example:
- “I want to go outside and play,” said the boy, who had been sick and stuck inside since last Tuesday.
–SC