Mechanics 101

[Comsie]

Just a question that has been running through my mind while writing lately. It was brought up before on the Shack Library, and I thought I'd ask you guys your opinion on it.

 

When you're writing it in a sentence, do you guys say "All of the sudden" or "All of a sudden"? Is it 'THE' or 'A'? I've literally read some of my sentences outloud to see which one sounds more natural, but it could literally go either way. And it bugs me when I use it now, hehehe, because I don't want to use it wrong.

 

So what is the consensus here? Which one do you guys think sounds morenatural?

[Benji]

Just a question that has been running through my mind while writing lately. It was brought up before on the Shack Library, and I thought I'd ask you guys your opinion on it.

 

When you're writing it in a sentence, do you guys say "All of the sudden" or "All of a sudden"? Is it 'THE' or 'A'? I've literally read some of my sentences outloud to see which one sounds more natural, but it could literally go either way. And it bugs me when I use it now, hehehe, because I don't want to use it wrong.

 

So what is the consensus here? Which one do you guys think sounds morenatural?

 

 

........I'm no English Lit. major..... but "All of the sudden" sounds more natural to me.

[C James]

The colloquial phrase "all of the sudden" which has another variant, "all the sudden" are regional corruptions of the English phrase "all of a sudden", so I'd use the latter in dialog UNLESS I was trying to illustrate a strong regional dialect (which would need to be illustrated in the narration, I think). I don't think I'd use either phrase in narration, as I'd go with "suddenly" Or "before I could react" or in a heartbest" or some other illustrative term.

 

That's just my opinion, anyway.

[Benji]

The colloquial phrase "all of the sudden" which has another variant, "all the sudden" are regional corruptions of the English phrase "all of a sudden", so I'd use the latter in dialog UNLESS I was trying to illustrate a strong regional dialect (which would need to be illustrated in the narration, I think). I don't think I'd use either phrase in narration, as I'd go with "suddenly" Or "before I could react" or in a heartbest" or some other illustrative term.

 

That's just my opinion, anyway.

 

 

...........CJ are you implying I'm corrupted?

[Graeme]

"All of a sudden". I had never heard of the other option before, and it sounds very unnatural to me.

[Madbomber]

I have to chime in on this one. When this topic came up at the Library I actually did a little bit of research into the matter so that I could put forth something other than my opinion. In the end what I found out was, it doesn't really matter. Either usage is a form of slang, and slang is entirely regional, as C James has already stated. I believe that when you use these terms in your stories, as all of them are told from the first person, then whatever feels comfortably to you should be used. Most of your characters are from the same area as you so whatever you feel like saying would be correct. Additionally, as C James has also pointed out, if this term would be used in a term paper or something written for school or if it was told from a third person point of view, the term suddenly would be more correct. Anyway, that's my take on it, in the end, it doesn't really matter. It's like the difference in saying soda, pop, or coke, when referring to carbonated beverages. Hope all of this helps, Com. Later, Me.

 

PS Here is what I posted in the Library:

 

Date Posted: 16:27:15 10/10/07 Wed

 

I hear myself using the term "all of the sudden" more often. I did a quick search on the issue so that I wasn't just stating my opinion on the matter. Here's what I found.

 

Either phrase is fine when using dialog coming from characters. It does not matter which phrase is used: "all of the sudden," or "all of a sudden." Both are forms of slang. Slang is not considered grammatically correct when writing a college thesis paper, but in a fictional story coming from a character that speaks that way, it's more than fine to do. If writing formally, the word "suddenly" should be used. The phrase (either way) is an idiom. An idiom, as defined by wikipedia is: an expression (i.e., term or phrase) whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal definitions and the arrangement of its parts, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through common use. (Here's the link for that entire article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom )

 

I also found an entire thread on the issue from a web site called Pain in the English. Here's that link:

http://www.painintheenglish.com/post.php?id=483

 

If you're going to start reading that thread though just be fore warned that they start to really bicker about which way is most correct. Which in the end, it seems that either way works just fine when referring to fictional characters and their dialog. Slang, when used the way it is being used here, is not correct or incorrect. So you can't really say that Com is incorrect. Most of what I read on that discussion thread states that the phrase is purely regional in it's use. In the South, "all of the sudden" is used more, and in the North, "all of a sudden" is used. There is also, "all the sudden," which is used elsewhere. The people in this thread went so far as to trace the phrase and it's evolution back to the 1500s or something, so I can't see how it could be wrong which ever way it is used.

 

And that is entirely more than anyone needs to know about the issue. In the end I am sure it is just a pet peeve and I know you aren't trying to start anything with it. For the record, neither am I. I just wanted to share what I found about the ever evolving English language and it's many uses. So, to all that are reading, this is just a discussion! It is not in anyway a personal attack on anyone. The is a forum for writers to discuss writing and that's all that I'm doing. Okay? All right. Later, Me.