Punctuating Dialogue

Front

What is dialogue punctuation?

Back

Dialogue punctuation refers to the use of specific punctuation marks to indicate spoken words in writing, such as quotation marks, commas, and periods.

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 follow a dialogue tag when the dialogue is followed by a speaker attribution (e.g., he said, she asked).

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 spoken words to a speaker, such as 'he said' or 'she asked'.

Front

How do you punctuate a statement in dialogue?

Back

Use a comma before the closing quotation mark if the dialogue is followed by a dialogue tag.

Front

What is the correct way to punctuate this sentence: 'I can't believe it' she said?

Back

The correct punctuation is: 'I can't believe it,' she said.

Front

What do you do if a dialogue tag interrupts a sentence?

Back

If a dialogue tag interrupts a sentence, use commas to separate the dialogue from the tag.

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.

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 dialogue tag.