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?

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

Front

What punctuation mark follows a statement in dialogue?

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A comma is used before the closing quotation mark if the dialogue is followed by a tag (e.g., he said, she asked).

Front

How do you punctuate a question in dialogue?

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

Front

What is the correct punctuation for this sentence: "Can we go to the park" Maria asked?

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The correct punctuation is: "Can we go to the park?" Maria asked.

Front

How do you punctuate a sentence that ends with an exclamation?

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If the spoken words are an exclamation, place an exclamation mark inside the quotation marks.

Front

What is the correct way to write: "I love ice cream" she said?

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

Front

What punctuation is used to separate dialogue from the speaker's tag?

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A comma is used to separate the dialogue from the speaker's tag.

Front

How do you write a sentence with interrupted dialogue?

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Use commas to separate the parts of the dialogue, e.g., "I think," she said, "that we should go."

Front

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

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