Puctuating Dialogue

Front

What is punctuation in dialogue?

Back

Punctuation in dialogue refers to the marks used to clarify the meaning of spoken words in writing, such as quotation marks, commas, and question marks.

Front

What are quotation marks used for?

Back

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

Front

How do you punctuate a question in dialogue?

Back

When a character asks a question, you place a question mark inside the quotation marks at the end of the spoken words.

Front

What is the correct way to write: 'Did you see that?' asked Sam?

Back

The correct way is: "Did you see that?" asked Sam.

Front

What punctuation mark is used to show excitement in dialogue?

Back

An exclamation mark is used to show excitement or strong emotion in dialogue.

Front

How do you punctuate a statement in dialogue?

Back

For a statement, you use a comma before the closing quotation marks if it is followed by a tag like 'said' or 'asked.'

Front

What is a dialogue tag?

Back

A dialogue tag is a phrase that attributes the spoken words to a character, such as 'he said' or 'she asked.'

Front

How do you write a dialogue with a tag?

Back

You write the spoken words in quotation marks, followed by the dialogue tag, e.g., "I love ice cream," she said.

Front

What is the correct punctuation for: 'I can't believe it' she exclaimed?

Back

The correct punctuation is: "I can't believe it!" she exclaimed.

Front

What do you do if a dialogue is interrupted?

Back

If a dialogue is interrupted, use a dash to indicate the interruption, e.g., "I was going to say—".