punctuating dialogue

Front

What is the purpose of punctuation in dialogue?

Back

Punctuation in dialogue helps clarify the meaning, indicate pauses, and separate the spoken words from the speaker's tag.

Front

How do you punctuate a dialogue that is a complete sentence?

Back

You place a comma inside the quotation marks before the speaker tag and capitalize the first word of the speaker tag.

Front

What is a speaker tag?

Back

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

Front

When should you use a comma in dialogue?

Back

Use a comma to separate the spoken words from the speaker tag, and to indicate a pause in the dialogue.

Front

How do you punctuate interrupted dialogue?

Back

Use commas to separate the parts of the dialogue and include the speaker tag in the appropriate place.

Front

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

Back

The first word of the dialogue should be capitalized, unless it follows a comma in a speaker tag.

Front

How do you punctuate a question in dialogue?

Back

If the dialogue is a question, place a question mark inside the quotation marks.

Front

What happens to the punctuation when the dialogue is split?

Back

When dialogue is split, use a comma after the first part and a comma after the speaker tag, with the second part starting with a lowercase letter.

Front

What is the correct punctuation for this dialogue: 'I can't believe it she said'?

Back

"I can't believe it," she said.

Front

How do you indicate a pause in dialogue?

Back

You can indicate a pause by using ellipses (...) or commas.