Dialogue Punctuation

Front

What is the purpose of quotation marks in dialogue?

Back

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

Front

How should punctuation be placed when using quotation marks?

Back

Punctuation marks such as commas and periods should be placed inside the quotation marks.

Front

What is the correct way to punctuate a sentence that includes dialogue?

Back

The dialogue should be enclosed in quotation marks, and the sentence should end with appropriate punctuation before the closing quotation mark.

Front

When should a comma be used in dialogue?

Back

A comma should be used to separate the dialogue from the dialogue tag (e.g., 'he said,' 'she exclaimed').

Front

What is a dialogue tag?

Back

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

Front

How do you format a question in dialogue?

Back

If the dialogue is a question, the question mark should be placed inside the quotation marks.

Front

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

Back

The first word of the dialogue should be capitalized, regardless of whether it follows a comma or a period.

Front

What is an example of incorrect dialogue punctuation?

Back

An example of incorrect dialogue punctuation is: 'She said, 'I will go to the store.' without the comma before the opening quotation mark.

Front

How should exclamations be punctuated in dialogue?

Back

Exclamations should be punctuated with an exclamation mark inside the quotation marks.

Front

What is the correct way to write interrupted dialogue?

Back

Use a dash to indicate the interruption, e.g., 'I was going to say—'.