Punctuating Simple Dialogue

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What is dialogue punctuation?

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Dialogue punctuation refers to the use of specific punctuation marks to indicate spoken words in writing, helping to clarify who is speaking and how the dialogue is delivered.

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What punctuation mark is used to indicate the start and end of spoken dialogue?

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Quotation marks (" ") are used to indicate the start and end of spoken dialogue.

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How do you punctuate a sentence that includes dialogue and a tag (like 'said')?

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Place a comma before the closing quotation mark if the dialogue is followed by a tag, e.g., "I'm not sure," said Ray.

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What is a dialogue tag?

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

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When should you use a question mark in dialogue?

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Use a question mark at the end of a spoken question within quotation marks, e.g., "Are you coming?" she asked.

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What is the correct punctuation for a statement followed by a dialogue tag?

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Use a comma before the closing quotation mark, e.g., "It's a beautiful day," he said.

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How do you punctuate dialogue that ends with an exclamation?

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Use an exclamation mark inside the quotation marks, e.g., "Watch out!" she shouted.

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What happens to the punctuation when a dialogue is interrupted?

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If a dialogue is interrupted by a tag, use a comma before the tag and continue the dialogue after the tag, e.g., "I can't believe it," she said, "it's finally happening!".

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

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Capitalize the first word of the dialogue only if it starts a new sentence or follows a period, e.g., "He said, 'Hello.'".

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How do you punctuate a sentence with a quote inside dialogue?

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Use single quotation marks for the quote inside the dialogue, e.g., "He said, 'It's a great day!'".