Punctuating Dialogue

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What is dialogue?

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Dialogue is two or more people speaking to each other in a written conversation.

Front

Which is the correct way to punctuate this dialogue? "Hey," said Isabel, "that is a song from the movie Pitch Perfect!"

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Correct: "Hey," said Isabel, "that is a song from the movie Pitch Perfect!"

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How do you punctuate a question in dialogue?

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You place a question mark inside the quotation marks, followed by the dialogue tag. Example: "May I have another cookie?" asked Billy.

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What is the correct punctuation for this sentence? Has anyone seen my data spreadsheet asked Mrs. Balkam?

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Correct: "Has anyone seen my data spreadsheet?" asked Mrs. Balkam.

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How do you punctuate dialogue that includes a greeting?

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You use a comma before the closing quotation mark. Example: "Hello," he asked cautiously, "is anyone home?"

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What punctuation mark is used to end a statement in dialogue?

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A period is used to end a statement in dialogue.

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What punctuation mark is used to end a question in dialogue?

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A question mark is used to end a question in dialogue.

Front

What punctuation mark is used to end an exclamation in dialogue?

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An exclamation mark is used to end an exclamation in dialogue.

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How do you format dialogue when a new speaker begins?

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Start a new line for each new speaker's dialogue.

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What is the purpose of quotation marks in dialogue?

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Quotation marks indicate the exact words spoken by a character.