Punctuating Dialogue

Front

What is dialogue in writing?

Back

Dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters in a story, often indicated by quotation marks.

Front

What punctuation is used to indicate dialogue?

Back

Quotation marks are used to indicate dialogue.

Front

How should a comma be used in dialogue?

Back

A comma should be placed before the opening quotation mark when introducing dialogue.

Front

What is the correct way to punctuate this sentence? Jane said, 'I love pizza'

Back

Jane said, 'I love pizza.' (A period is needed inside the quotation marks.)

Front

What is the purpose of quotation marks?

Back

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

Front

How do you punctuate a question in dialogue?

Back

If the dialogue is a question, a question mark should be placed inside the quotation marks.

Front

What is the correct punctuation for this sentence? The teacher asked, 'Are you ready?'

Back

The teacher asked, 'Are you ready?'

Front

What is the difference between a period and a comma in dialogue?

Back

A period ends a statement, while a comma is used to separate the dialogue from the dialogue tag.

Front

How do you format dialogue when a new speaker talks?

Back

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

Front

What is an example of incorrect dialogue punctuation?

Back

Incorrect: The girl said, 'I am happy'.