Dialogue Format

Which example shows: a comma separating the dialogue tag.

• He said "Look at the moon."

• He, said "Look at the moon."

• He said, "Look at the moon."

• He said. "Look at the moon."

Which example shows: a comma separating the dialogue tag.

• "Today is not my birthday." he announced.

• "Today is not my birthday" he announced.

• "Today is not my birthday," he announced.

• "Today is not my birthday", he announced.

Which example shows: two commas separating the dialogue tag.

• "When it rains" she said "I will stay home."

• "When it rains," she said, "I will stay home."

• "When it rains" she said, "I will stay home."

• "When it rains." she said, "I will stay home."

Which examples shows: capitalize the first word of speech.

• She asked, "how late is the club open?"

• She asked, "how Late is the club open?"

• She asked, "HOW LATE IS THE CLUB OPEN?"

• She asked, "How late is the club open?"

Which example shows: when the dialogue tag is in the middle, do not capitalize the second part.

• "What I really worry about," she said, "is falling asleep in class."

• "What I really worry about," she said, "Is falling asleep in class."

• "What I really worry about," she said, "IS FALLING ASLEEP IN CLASS."

• "What I really worry about," She said, "is falling asleep in class."

Which example shows: quotation marks around speech.

• We yelled, Go team! "at the game."

• We yelled, "Go team!" at the game.

• "We yelled," Go team! at the game.

• "We yelled, Go team! at the game."

Which example shows: a dialogue tag before speech.

• "They repeated we will not skip class. We will not skip class," he said.

• "We will not skip class," they repeated, "we will not skip class."

• "We will not skip class. We will not skip class," they repeated.

• They repeated, "We will not skip class. We will not skip class."

Which example shows: the dialogue tag after speech.

• "Open the curtain and let some light in," she said.

• "Open the curtain," she said, "and let some light in."

• She said, "Open the curtain and let some light in."

• "Open the curtain and let some light in, she said."

Which example shows: the dialogue tag in the middle of speech.

• "Open your textbooks to page 2051," the teacher said.

• "Open your textbooks the teacher said," to page 2051.

• "Open your textbooks," the teacher said, "to page 2051."

• The teacher said, "Open your textbooks to page 2051."

Which example shows: a dialogue tag

• She answered.

• She read.

• She ran.

• She said,