Punctuating Dialogue for 5th Graders

What does Dumbledore see when he looks into the Mirror of Erised?

• A hat

• A wand

• A book

• A pair of thick woolen socks

What is dialogue in a story?

• The author's thoughts

• A description of the setting

• Background music

• Characters talking out loud

What punctuation marks are used to indicate spoken words in dialogue?

• Exclamation points

• Periods

• Quotation marks

• Commas

Where should punctuation be placed in relation to quotation marks?

• After the quotation marks

• Inside the quotation marks

• Outside the quotation marks

• Before the quotation marks

What is the purpose of a comma in dialogue?

• To ask a question

• To show excitement

• To end a sentence

• To indicate a break in cadence

What does a period indicate in dialogue?

• A question

• A pause

• Excitement

• The end of a statement

When should exclamation points be used in dialogue?

• To ask a question

• To end a statement

• To indicate a pause

• When a character is excited or mad

How should a question be punctuated in dialogue?

• With a period outside the quotation marks

• With an exclamation point inside the quotation marks

• With a comma outside the quotation marks

• With a question mark inside the quotation marks

What is a tag line in dialogue?

• A break indicating who is speaking

• The end of a sentence

• A question

• A pause

What should you do to avoid confusion when writing dialogue with multiple speakers?

• Use complex tag lines

• Avoid using periods

• Remind the reader who is talking

• Use only one speaker