"My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?"
— Jane Austen
Read the full supplied practice passage
"My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?"
Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.
"But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it."
Mr. Bennet made no answer.
"Do not you want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife, impatiently.
"You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."
This was invitation enough.
"Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week."
"What is his name?"
"Bingley."
"Is he married or single?"
"Oh, single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!"
"How so? how can it affect them?"
"My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome? You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."
"Is that his design in settling here?"
"Design? Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes."
"I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go--or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party."
"My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty."
"In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of."
Words to notice in this passage
Find these phrases in the supplied text. What changes if you remove or replace them?
- have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?
- You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it
Why read both excerpts?
This dialogue is a different excerpt from the opening’s narrator-led irony. Read both to compare a broad rule with a conversation that makes the same social interests concrete.
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Why This Passage Matters
This scene gives the speakers different rhythms. Mrs. Bennet supplies the news and its implications; Mr. Bennet often answers with a short question or a deliberately literal reply. The reader can infer their competing purposes without a separate explanation after each line.
Writing Techniques to Notice
Unequal speech lengths:
A long report about the new tenant sits beside replies such as “Bingley.” The contrast changes the scene’s pace.A reply to the motive:
“You want to tell me” responds to the desire behind the question instead of simply answering it.Questions reveal assumptions:
“Is that his design in settling here?” challenges the leap from a new neighbor to a marriage plan.
💡 Key Takeaway
Give dialogue speakers different aims and rhythms; let their replies expose the disagreement.
Try the technique in your own writing
Write a disagreement through dialogue
Write 6–10 lines between fictional housemates deciding whether to buy a second sofa. One wants to discuss visiting friends; the other keeps asking where the sofa will fit. Use one long answer and two short replies. Do not explain their personalities outside the dialogue.
This optional exercise practices a writing choice. Typing speed and accuracy do not grade this original writing.
One possible model and review checks
“If everyone comes on Saturday, we could finally have somewhere for them all to sit, and Maya wouldn’t have to carry the kitchen chair through the hall again.” “Where?” “Beside the window.” “That is the door.” “Not across it. Just a little to the left.” “Show me.” “Could we discuss comfort before measurements?” “The tape measure is on the current sofa.”
- The speakers want different things from the conversation.
- Long and short replies create a noticeable contrast.
- The practical disagreement is visible without a narrator labeling either person.
Study this technique with more examples · Try a guided original-writing assignment
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