Dialogue Lesson

Writing Dialogue in a Story Mini Lesson

Stories are practically nothing without dialogue! If you are not sure how exactly dialogue works, read on!

Quotation marks

Quotation marks (") are those two lines next to the "enter" button on your keyboard. When people are talking, you use these to show someone is talking.

Example: "Everett, can you get me the whisk please?" Ava said.

Puncuation

When someone is talking, there are different ways they can say something. Use a period when you are stating something or commanding someone to do something. Use a question mark when you are asking something. Lastly, use an exclamation point when you are saying something loudly.

Example: "He said that?"

Example: "He said that."

Example: "He said that!"

Multiple Choice

Choose the sentence that is written correctly.

• "I think I know who did it? Emily said.

• "Blue is sus," Camille claimed.

• Charlie was found at the crime scene, Alex whispered.

• Who is she" Penelope wondered.

Commas

When you add a tag to a statement, instead of a period, use a comma.

Example: "Dawn said she saw Red there," Jessie said.

Example: "Correct," Jessie said, "Dawn said she saw Red there."

Tags

You can put tags at the beginning, middle, or end of the sentence. Tags include the speaker's name and how they said it.

Example: Bonnie began. "The boy was sitting all alone on the side of the road."

Example: "The boy," Bonnie began, "was sitting all alone on the side of the road."

Example: "The boy was sitting all alone on the side of the road," Bonnie began.

Paragraphs

When someone else starts speaking, start a new paragraph. When the same person does an action after talking, include that in the paragraph.

Example:

"Oh no," Nancy frowned, searching her backpack for the sign-up sheet.

"What's wrong?" Emma wondered. She opened her locker and put her own backpack inside.

Multiple Choice

Choose the string of dialogue that is written correctly.

• Kim was wondering if she could borrow your book, Lila said. Maybe, Cecilia said.

• "danny. Melanie called in a sing-songish tone.
  
  "shut up danny replied.

• "what!" he exclaimed. 'no way!" I know right I said.
  

• "What's wrong?" Ali asked, putting her hand on mine.

  
  

  "Leave me alone," I cried, avoiding her eyes.

No tags

If you are going to do a lot of dialogue at once, you don't have to do tags.

Example:

"No, you won't!"

Yes, I will."

"No, you won't!"

"Yes, I will."

"Yes, you will," he said.

"No, I won't!"