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

What punctuation mark is used to indicate the beginning and end of spoken words?

Back

Quotation marks (" ") are used to indicate the beginning and end of spoken words.

Front

How do you punctuate a sentence that ends with a question in dialogue?

Back

You place a question mark inside the quotation marks at the end of the spoken sentence.

Front

What is the correct way to punctuate this sentence: 'I am happy' she said?

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The correct punctuation is: 'I am happy,' she said.

Front

When do you use a comma in dialogue?

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A comma is used to separate the spoken words from the dialogue tag (e.g., 'he said,' 'she asked').

Front

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 'he said' or 'she asked.'

Front

How do you punctuate a sentence that ends with an exclamation in dialogue?

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You place an exclamation mark inside the quotation marks at the end of the spoken sentence.

Front

What is the correct way to write: 'Can we go?' I asked?

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The correct way is: 'Can we go?' I asked.

Front

What is the rule for capitalizing the first word in dialogue?

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The first word of the spoken sentence should always be capitalized.

Front

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

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You place a comma before the opening quotation mark, e.g., 'He said, "Hello."'.