Punctuating dialogue

1. Punctuating dialogue • Use quotation marks before and after a person’s exact words. Place period inside quote marks.

2. Punctuating dialogue • Use quotation marks before and after a person’s exact words. Place period inside quote marks. • “Peter and Esteban are joining us.”

3. Punctuating dialogue • Use a comma to set off the speaker’s tag from the beginning of a quotation.

4. Punctuating dialogue • Use a comma to set off the speaker’s tag from the beginning of a quotation. • Harry said, “Come on, Juan. It’ll be fun.” • “Let’s go,” Gilda said.

5. Punctuating dialogue • Use quotation marks around each part of a divided quotation.

6. Punctuating dialogue • Use quotation marks around each part of a divided quotation. • “I’m not sure,” said Juan, “that I feel like it.”

7. Punctuating dialogue • Place a question mark or an exclamation point inside the quotation marks when it’s a part of the quotation.

8. Punctuating dialogue • Place a question mark or an exclamation point inside the quotation marks when it’s a part of the quotation. • “When will we be back?” Juan asked. • “That’s great!” said Iris.

9. Punctuating dialogue • Place question mark or exclamation point outside quotation marks only when it’s not a part of the quotation.

10. Punctuating dialogue • Place question mark or exclamation point outside quotation marks only when it’s not a part of the quotation. • Did I hear Juan say, “Okay”? • I can’t believe he said, “Okay”!

11. Punctuating dialogue • Start a new paragraph each time you switch from one speaker to the next, no matter how short the line is.

12. Punctuating dialogue “How long of a hike is it?” asked Juan. “I don’t know whether I have the energy.” “It’s about seven miles,” Iris said. “Really?” he said. “Yes, I’m afraid so.”