Punctuating Simple Dialogue

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What is dialogue in writing?

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

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What punctuation is used to indicate spoken words?

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Quotation marks (" ") are used to indicate spoken words in dialogue.

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How do you punctuate a dialogue tag?

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A dialogue tag is punctuated with a comma before the closing quotation marks if it follows the spoken words.

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What is a dialogue tag?

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

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When should you use a period in dialogue?

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A period is used at the end of a sentence when the dialogue is complete and not followed by a dialogue tag.

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How do you punctuate a question in dialogue?

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

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What is the correct punctuation for interrupted dialogue?

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Use an em dash (—) to indicate an interruption in dialogue.

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How do you format a quote within dialogue?

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Use single quotation marks (' ') for a quote within dialogue that is already in double quotation marks.

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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 whether it is preceded by a dialogue tag.

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How do you punctuate a statement followed by a dialogue tag?

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Use a comma before the closing quotation marks if the statement is followed by a dialogue tag.