Formatting Dialogue

Front

What is dialogue?

Back

Dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters in a story.

Front

What are quotation marks used for in dialogue?

Back

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

Front

How do you punctuate a sentence that includes dialogue?

Back

You place punctuation inside the quotation marks at the end of the spoken sentence.

Front

What is the correct way to write a sentence with dialogue?

Back

The correct way includes a comma before the opening quotation mark if the dialogue is preceded by a tag (e.g., he said, she asked).

Front

What is a dialogue tag?

Back

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

Front

How do you format a question in dialogue?

Back

If the spoken sentence is a question, use a question mark inside the quotation marks.

Front

What is the correct punctuation for a statement in dialogue?

Back

Use a period inside the quotation marks if the spoken sentence is a statement.

Front

What happens to the punctuation when the dialogue is followed by a tag?

Back

The punctuation at the end of the dialogue usually changes to a comma if followed by a tag.

Front

How do you write a sentence with dialogue that ends with an exclamation?

Back

Use an exclamation mark inside the quotation marks and a comma after the closing quotation mark if followed by a tag.

Front

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

Back

The first word of the dialogue should always be capitalized.