03.04 - Dialogue Lesson

03.04

Dialogue Lesson

Work through each slide to learn about dialogue then take the 03.04 Quiz on Schoology for a grade!

Lesson Objectives

• I can identify the purpose of dialogue in narrative.

• I can punctuate and capitalize dialogue correctly.

• I can place taglines properly when writing dialogue.

How Dialogue Helps a Narrative:

• One of the best ways to bring your narrative to life is to add dialogue.

• Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people. When used effectively, it makes readers feel like they are in your story, listening to your characters speak.

Multiple Choice

What is dialogue?

• A conversation between two people.

• Descriptions in a story.

• What the characters in a story are doing.

Effective dialogue always serves one of two purposes.

It develops your characters or enhances your story.

• How dialogue helps your characters:

  It shows what they feel or want.

  It provides details about relationships or personalities.

• How dialogue helps your story:

  It reveals information about the plot or setting.

  It builds tension or increases the conflict.

This dialogue is not effective. The conversation does not enhance the plot or develop the characters.

• It could be replaced with a sentence like:

• Erin was upset when Javier called to say he would be late.

Multiple Choice

Todd smiled. "The protest is starting. Let's go."

"What if we get in trouble?" whispered Jack.

"The whole school is marching out of class. What are they going to do, punish everyone?"

"I don't know," Jack sighed. "I've never done anything like this before."

"None of us have. But it's time we stood up for what we believe."

"Can I take a moment to think about it?"

Todd patted his friend's back, then rose from his seat. "Take all the time you want. I'll be outside when you decide to do what's right."

• This is effective dialogue.

• This is NOT effective dialogue.

Three Simple Rules for Writing Dialogue

• Each change of speaker equals a new paragraph.

• The quotation marks surround the speaker’s exact words and punctuation.

• The spoken words are capitalized and punctuated normally.

Multiple Select

What are the three simple rules for writing dialogue? (Select 3 answers.)

• The quotation marks surround the speaker’s exact words and punctuation.

• Each change of speaker equals a new paragraph.

• The spoken words should be written in a speech bubble.

• The spoken words are capitalized and punctuated normally.

Tips for Taglines

When you write conversations into your story, be sure your reader knows which character is talking and how the character is expressing himself.

You can accomplish this by using taglines. Taglines are short phrases that not only identify the speakers in written dialogue, but also give the reader information about the characters' feelings.

Taglines may be placed before, after, or between quotations. The rules vary slightly depending on where taglines are placed.

BEFORE the Quotation Taglines

• Rules:

  Put a comma after the tag.

  Capitalize and punctuate the spoken words as normal.

• Example:

  Dirk asked, "What's that noise?"

AFTER the Quotation Taglines

• Rules:

  Capitalize and punctuate the spoken words as normal.

  Put a period after the tag.

• Example:

  "Do you hear something?" asked Sharla.

• Exception: If the spoken words end with a period, change the period to a comma. "I hear something," said Sharla.

BETWEEN Quotations Taglines

• Rules:

  Treat the first sentence like an After the Quotation tag.

  Place quotations around the second quotation.

  Capitalize and punctuate the spoken sentences as normal.

• Example:

  "It's a fire!" screamed Eric. "Everybody run!"

Multiple Choice

Which sentence uses taglines, capitalization, and punctuation correctly?

• "What's wrong" asked Mom?

• "What's wrong?" asked Mom.

• "what's wrong? asked Mom."

• What's wrong" Asked Mom.

Quiz time!

Go back to Schoology to take the 03.04 - Dialogue Quiz.

Come back to review this Quizizz lesson if you don't do well the first time!