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 is used to indicate a question in dialogue?

Back

A question mark (?) is used at the end of a spoken question.

Front

How do you punctuate a statement in dialogue?

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A statement in dialogue ends with a period (.) inside the quotation marks.

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What is the correct way to punctuate this sentence: 'She said, I love ice cream'?

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The correct punctuation is: 'She said, "I love ice cream."'

Front

How do you separate dialogue from the speaker's tag?

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A comma is used to separate the dialogue from the speaker's tag, and the tag starts with a lowercase letter unless it begins a new sentence.

Front

What is a speaker's tag?

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

Front

How do you punctuate dialogue that is interrupted?

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Use a dash (—) to indicate the interruption, and continue the dialogue after the dash.

Front

What is the correct punctuation for this sentence: 'Can we go outside she asked'?

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The correct punctuation is: 'Can we go outside?' she asked.

Front

What punctuation is used before a quote in dialogue?

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A comma is used before the opening quotation mark when introducing a quote.