We all know them. We all use them. I don’t care who you are or how long you’ve been writing — you’ve used one, and you’ll use one some time after reading this article.

No, I’m not talking about drugs. I’m talking about “said-isms,” when you replace “said” with something else for–DUN DUN DUN–dramatic effect.

Here is an example of a said-ism:

“What a beautiful garden!” she exclaimed.

The word “exclaimed” is not welcome here. For one thing, it’s redundant. The exclamation point is put at the end of an. . .? Yes! Exclamation! So to put “exclaimed” right there after the exclamation point is like saying she exclaimed it twice. Other words that would have the same redundant effect are “shouted,” “yelled,” “cried,” “ejaculated” (oh yes, it has that meaning) and “clamored.”

Here’s a tiny revision:

“What a beautiful garden!” she said.

Of course, we can make it significantly better with a wonderful little tool I like to call “context.”

She gazed with wonderment at the blooming flowers, the ripening tomatoes, and the bright colors that dominated every inch of the patch. Even the bugs held a distinctive grace.

“What a beautiful garden!” she said.

See how much better that is? Now that we know what makes the garden beautiful, and her reactions to this beauty, it’s not a stretch of the imagination to suppose that she is exclaiming, with a bright smile on her face, that the garden is beautiful, even though “said” may seem like a mild term.

Now, there are times when “said” doesn’t work. Normally, this is after a question. In that case, we put “asked” instead of “said.”

Note the difference:

“How do you do that?” he said.

“How do you do that?” he asked.

Note the unbelievably high levels of awkwardness you probably felt when you read “said” instead of “asked.” This is because “said” typically denotes a statement, and just doesn’t fit in with questions. Another word that may be used is “replied,” when somebody replies to somebody else in a conversation.

Sometimes “said” isn’t necessary because we just know who’s talking. Usually this is when two people are having a conversation, though you still should use “said” once:

Billy paced back and forth for so long that Jenny nearly went insane.

“So how long do you think before the hole separating the Earth’s hemispheres is finished?” she said.

“Hey, you may be able to keep a cool head all the time, but I happen to be human and get nervous,” Billy replied.

“You think I’m not nervous? I’m just not the one digging my way to China.”

“Yeah, well I’ll be sure to bring you back some sushi and dragon shaped fireworks.”

You may be tempted to use a “said-ism” because it makes the sentence “feel” more how you wanted to. After all, “he shouted” just feels like it works better than “he said,” especially when  he is, in fact, shouting.

If that’s the case, your sentence is in need of revision. As I showed above, context tells more about your situation than a single word. If you truly feel like you’re not getting your point or emotion across, then the issue lies with the context of your situation.