Punctuating Dialogue

Dialogue punctuation refers to the use of specific punctuation marks to indicate spoken words in writing, such as quotation marks, commas, and exclamation points.

Quotation marks are used to enclose the exact words spoken by a character.

A question mark (?) is used at the end of a spoken question.

If the dialogue ends with a period, exclamation mark, or question mark, that punctuation goes inside the quotation marks.

The correct way is: 'I love ice cream,' she said.

A comma (,) follows the dialogue before the closing quotation marks.

Start with quotation marks, write the spoken words, and end with the appropriate punctuation before the closing quotation marks.

The correct way is: 'Can we go outside?' I asked.

Use a comma before the closing quotation marks if the sentence continues after the command.

Use an exclamation mark (!) inside the quotation marks to indicate excitement or strong emotion.