Punctuating Dialogue

Front

What is dialogue punctuation?

Back

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

Front

When do you use quotation marks in dialogue?

Back

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

Front

What punctuation mark follows a dialogue tag?

Back

A comma is used to separate the dialogue from the dialogue tag when the tag comes after the spoken words.

Front

How do you punctuate a question in dialogue?

Back

If the spoken words are a question, a question mark is placed inside the quotation marks.

Front

What is a dialogue tag?

Back

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

Front

How do you punctuate a statement in dialogue?

Back

A period is placed inside the quotation marks at the end of a statement.

Front

What is the correct punctuation for interrupted dialogue?

Back

Use a dash to indicate an interruption in dialogue, followed by the closing quotation marks.

Front

How do you format dialogue that is split between two lines?

Back

If dialogue is split between two lines, start the second line with an opening quotation mark.

Front

What is the rule for capitalizing the first word in dialogue?

Back

The first word of the spoken sentence should be capitalized, regardless of its position in the sentence.

Front

How do you punctuate a command in dialogue?

Back

A command in dialogue ends with an exclamation mark or a period, depending on the tone.