Punctuating dialogue

Dialogue (spoken words in a story) follows specific punctuation rules. Each character's spoken words go inside quotation marks. A comma (not a full stop) usually separates the spoken words from the reporting clause ("she said", "he asked") when it comes after. Each time a new person speaks, start a new paragraph. Punctuation that belongs to the spoken words (like a question mark) goes inside the quotation marks.

Key terms

Dialogue:

The spoken words of characters in a story.

Reporting clause:

The part of a sentence that shows who is speaking (e.g. "she said").

Questions

1. 1. Dialogue is:

   • A type of punctuation
   • The spoken words of characters
   • A narrative structure
   • A type of essay

2. 2. Spoken words in dialogue are placed inside:

   • Brackets
   • Quotation marks
   • Commas only
   • Nowhere special

3. 3. When a new character starts speaking, you should:

   • Keep the same paragraph
   • Start a new paragraph
   • Stop the story
   • Remove all punctuation

4. 4. A reporting clause like "she said" mainly shows:

   • The setting
   • Who is speaking
   • The ending
   • A question

5. 5. Punctuation belonging to the spoken words (like a question mark) usually goes:

   • Outside the quotation marks
   • Inside the quotation marks
   • Nowhere
   • Before the quotation marks

6. 6. Which sentence correctly punctuates dialogue?

   • "Are you ready" she asked.
   • "Are you ready?" she asked.
   • Are you ready? she asked.
   • "Are you ready" she asked?

7. 7. A comma (not a full stop) is usually used:

   • To separate spoken words from a reporting clause that follows
   • To end every sentence
   • To replace question marks
   • At the start of dialogue only

8. 8. Which sentence correctly punctuates dialogue with a comma before the reporting clause?

   • "I'm ready," she said.
   • "I'm ready." she said.
   • "I'm ready" she said.
   • "I'm ready," She said.

9. 9. In a conversation between two characters, correctly formatting dialogue means:

   • Keeping everything in one paragraph
   • Starting a new paragraph each time the speaker changes
   • Never using quotation marks
   • Using only exclamation marks

10. 10. Which sentence correctly places the question mark with dialogue?

    • She asked, "Are you coming"?
    • She asked "Are you coming?"
    • She asked, "Are you coming?"
    • She asked "Are you coming"

11. 11. In '"Watch out!" he shouted.', where does the exclamation mark belong?

    • Outside the quotation marks
    • Inside the quotation marks
    • After "shouted"
    • Nowhere

12. 12. Which sentence is correctly punctuated dialogue?

    • "Let's go," said Mia, "before it gets dark."
    • "Let's go" said Mia "before it gets dark"
    • "Let's go, said Mia, before it gets dark."
    • Let's go, said Mia, before it gets dark.

13. 13. When a reporting clause comes before the dialogue, it's usually followed by a:

    • Full stop
    • Comma
    • Question mark
    • Nothing

14. 14. Which shows correct capitalisation in dialogue?

    • "watch out!" he shouted.
    • "Watch out!" he shouted.
    • "Watch Out!" He Shouted.
    • "watch out!" He shouted.

15. 15. Which correctly punctuates dialogue interrupted by a reporting clause mid-sentence?

    • "I think," she said, "we should leave now."
    • "I think, she said, we should leave now."
    • "I think" she said "we should leave now"
    • "I think," She said, "We should leave now."

16. 16. A script with dialogue all crammed into one paragraph without new paragraphs for each speaker would likely:

    • Read clearly and smoothly
    • Confuse the reader about who is speaking
    • Be perfectly correct
    • Improve readability

17. 17. Which sentence correctly handles a question inside dialogue followed by a reporting clause?

    • "Why did you do that?" she asked.
    • "Why did you do that," she asked?
    • "Why did you do that?", she asked.
    • "Why did you do that" she asked?

18. 18. In formatting dialogue, why does each new speaker typically get a new paragraph?

    • It has no real purpose
    • It visually signals a change of speaker to the reader
    • It is only a stylistic choice with no benefit
    • It replaces the need for quotation marks

19. 19. Which sentence correctly punctuates a reporting clause that comes in the middle of one continuous sentence of dialogue?

    • "Stop right there," he said, "or I'll call for help."
    • "Stop right there." he said, "or I'll call for help."
    • "Stop right there," He said, "Or I'll call for help."
    • "Stop right there" he said "or I'll call for help"

20. 20. Correct dialogue punctuation matters most because it:

    • Has no effect on the reader
    • Helps the reader clearly follow who is speaking and what is said
    • Replaces the need for a plot
    • Is only used in poetry