Dialogue

Dialogue

The Rules of Formatting Dialogue

• Quotation marks go at the beginning and ending of spoken words

• A speaker's sentence should always start with a capital letter

• Some form of punctuation (comma, question mark, exclamation mark, or period) should go at the end of spoken words, but before the closing (end) quotation mark.

• Each time a new speaker speaks, a new paragraph is needed. (Enter then tab)

Options -

• Write the spoken words first and then the narrator's words at the end

• To do this, write the spoken words in quotation marks; before the final quotation mark, you will add a question mark, period, exclamation point, or comma

• "Okay," she said.

• "Will it be enough?" she asked.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is written correctly?

• "I don't have enough money," he told me.

• "What is going on here"? Mom asked.

Option -

• Write the narrator's words first and then the spoken words at the end.

• To do this, write the narrator's words, then a comma, then the spoken words (beginning with a capital letter) in quotation marks.

Example

• Before Edgar could sign the answer, Claude said, "She had a cut near her eye, but it wasn't deep."

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Multiple Choice

Which of these sentences is written correctly?

• When she walked into the store, she said, "Yikes, it's busy!"

• After listening to the question, Alex said "the answer is 9."

Options

• Interrupt the spoken words by placing the narrator's words in the middle.

• Write some of the speaker's words, plus a comma in quotation marks, then the narrator's words, plus a comma, and then the rest of the spaker's words in quotation marks again

Example

• "My name is Louisa Wilkes," she continued, "and well, the fact is, I don't know exactly why I'm here."

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Multiple Choice

Which sentence is written correctly?

• "stop what you are doing" the teacher yelled. "we are moving to another activity"!

• "Stop what you are doing," the teacher yelled, "we are moving to another activity!"

Options

• Write the spoken word with NO comment from the narrator.

• In this case, it will be obvious who the speakers are because the previous speaker is tagged - so during a conversation between characters

• Make sure to enter and indent with each new or change in speaker