Question

posted by rfvv Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 5:57am

1. I laugh. Don't laugh, I tell myself. Think of tomorrow's math test. That works. I sit quietly.
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In the book, 'Don't laugh' is in italic type.
In the book 'Think of tomorrow's math test.'is in italic type.
In that case, what is the role of the sentences in italic type?
To emphasize 'Don't laugh', was it inverted?

Reed Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 7:02am
The italicized words are what the speaker is thinking or saying to himself. We would not italicize them. I would put them in quotation marks. Italics are for emphasis. To use the italics is acceptable, but the quotation marks should also be there.
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2. Don't laugh, I tell myself. [Don't laugh is in italics]
3. I tell myself Don't laugh. [Don't laugh is in italics]
4. I tell myself, "Don't laugh."
5. I say to myself, "Don't laugh."
6. I talk to myself, "Don't laugh."
7. I speak to myself, "Don't laugh."

Q1: Can we use #3?
Q2: Why is "Don't laugh" used at the beginning? Is it to emphasize the expression?
Q3: Are the other sentences okay?

Answer 1

Many authors who are writing dialogue for their characters use quotation marks for what they are saying, but italics for what they're thinking. However, I've read books and stories in which the author uses quotation marks for both speaking and thinking, as well as many in which the author uses quotation marks for speaking and nothing extra for what a character is thinking.

It's an author's choice! All work fine.