Punctuating 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, such as quotation marks, commas, and question marks.

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When do you use quotation marks in dialogue?

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

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What punctuation mark is used to indicate a question in dialogue?

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

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How do you punctuate a sentence that includes dialogue and a tag?

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You place a comma before the closing quotation mark if the dialogue is followed by a tag (e.g., 'he said').

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What is a dialogue tag?

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

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How do you punctuate a sentence with a dialogue tag before the dialogue?

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If the dialogue tag comes before the dialogue, use a comma before the opening quotation mark.

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What is the correct punctuation for a sentence that starts with a dialogue tag?

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Example: 'She said, "Let's go to the park."'

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How do you punctuate a sentence with interrupted dialogue?

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Use commas to separate the dialogue from the tag, and use quotation marks to enclose the spoken words.

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What punctuation is used to show excitement in dialogue?

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An exclamation mark (!) is used at the end of a sentence to show excitement.

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How do you punctuate a sentence with a question and a dialogue tag?

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Example: '"Are you coming?" she asked.'