Punctuating Dialogue

Front

What is a dialogue tag?

Back

A dialogue tag is a phrase that attributes speech to a speaker, often indicating who is speaking and how they are speaking, such as 'said,' 'asked,' or 'shouted.'

Front

How do you punctuate dialogue?

Back

Dialogue is punctuated with quotation marks around the spoken words, and a comma is used before the dialogue tag if it follows the speech.

Front

What is the purpose of quotation marks in dialogue?

Back

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

Front

When should you start a new paragraph in dialogue?

Back

You should start a new paragraph each time a different character speaks.

Front

What is the correct punctuation for a question in dialogue?

Back

A question in dialogue should end with a question mark inside the quotation marks.

Front

How do you punctuate a statement followed by a dialogue tag?

Back

A statement should end with a comma inside the quotation marks if followed by a dialogue tag.

Front

What is an example of a correctly punctuated dialogue?

Back

"I love reading books," she said.

Front

What happens if a dialogue tag interrupts a sentence?

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If a dialogue tag interrupts a sentence, the first part ends with a comma, and the second part starts with a lowercase letter unless it's a proper noun.

Front

What is the difference between direct and indirect dialogue?

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Direct dialogue quotes the exact words spoken, while indirect dialogue paraphrases what was said without quotation marks.

Front

What is an example of a dialogue tag?

Back

Examples of dialogue tags include 'said,' 'asked,' 'replied,' and 'shouted.'