Punctuating Dialogue

Front

What are quotation marks used for in dialogue?

Back

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

Front

How should a question be punctuated in dialogue?

Back

A question in dialogue should end with a question mark inside the quotation marks.

Front

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

Back

A statement should end with a comma inside the quotation marks if followed by a dialogue tag.

Front

When should a period be used in dialogue?

Back

A period is used at the end of a statement inside the quotation marks if it is not followed by a dialogue tag.

Front

What is a dialogue tag?

Back

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

Front

How do you punctuate a dialogue tag that comes before the spoken words?

Back

If the dialogue tag comes before the spoken words, the spoken words should start with a capital letter.

Front

What is the rule for punctuating dialogue that is interrupted?

Back

If dialogue is interrupted by a dialogue tag, use a comma before the tag and continue the dialogue with a lowercase letter.

Front

How do you punctuate a quote within dialogue?

Back

Use single quotation marks for a quote within dialogue, and double quotation marks for the main dialogue.

Front

What is the correct way to write a sentence with a dialogue tag at the end?

Back

The spoken words should end with a comma inside the quotation marks if followed by a dialogue tag.

Front

What happens to the punctuation when a dialogue is a question?

Back

If the dialogue is a question, the question mark replaces the comma before the dialogue tag.