Punctuating Dialogue

Front

What is dialogue punctuation?

Back

Dialogue punctuation refers to the use of quotation marks, commas, and other punctuation marks to indicate spoken words in writing.

Front

When do you use quotation marks in dialogue?

Back

Quotation marks are used to enclose the exact words spoken by a character.

Front

What punctuation mark follows a dialogue tag?

Back

A comma is used to separate the spoken words from the dialogue tag when the tag comes before the dialogue.

Front

How do you punctuate a question in dialogue?

Back

If the spoken words are a question, use a question mark inside the quotation marks.

Front

What is a dialogue tag?

Back

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

Front

How do you punctuate a statement in dialogue?

Back

If the spoken words are a statement, use a period inside the quotation marks.

Front

What is the correct punctuation for this dialogue: Melanie said, 'I love reading'

Back

The correct punctuation is: Melanie said, 'I love reading.'

Front

How do you punctuate dialogue when the speaker is interrupted?

Back

Use an em dash to indicate the interruption, and continue the dialogue after the dash.

Front

What is the rule for punctuation when a dialogue tag comes after the dialogue?

Back

If the dialogue tag comes after the dialogue, the spoken words should end with a comma before the closing quotation marks.

Front

How do you punctuate a quote within dialogue?

Back

Use single quotation marks for the quote within the dialogue, and double quotation marks for the main dialogue.