punctuating dialogue

Front

What is the purpose of quotation marks in dialogue?

Back

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

Front

How do you punctuate dialogue when a speaker is interrupted?

Back

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

Front

What punctuation follows a dialogue tag when it precedes the spoken words?

Back

A comma is used before the opening quotation marks.

Front

How do you punctuate a question in dialogue?

Back

Place the question mark inside the quotation marks if the spoken words are a question.

Front

What is a dialogue tag?

Back

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

Front

When should you use an exclamation mark in dialogue?

Back

Use an exclamation mark to convey strong emotion or emphasis in the spoken words.

Front

How do you punctuate a statement in dialogue?

Back

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

Front

What is the correct punctuation for this dialogue: 'I can't believe it she exclaimed'?

Back

"I can't believe it," she exclaimed.

Front

How do you format dialogue that spans multiple paragraphs?

Back

Use opening quotation marks at the beginning of each paragraph, but only close the quotation marks at the end of the final paragraph.

Front

What is the rule for punctuating dialogue with a question and a dialogue tag?

Back

The question mark goes inside the quotation marks, and the dialogue tag starts with a lowercase letter unless it's a proper noun.