Punctuating dialogue

1. Punctuating dialogue 1)Begin a new paragraph every time the speaker changes.“Do you remember when you fell up the stairs yesterday?” Kerry smirked when she said this. She was always reminding Nori of her blunders, which was easy because there were so many. “Yes!” laughed Nori, remembering.

2. 2)Place quotations at the beginning and end of the speaker’s exact words. Ex. “Nora, it’s time for you to learn some origami,” Mrs. Muro said.

3. 3)When the dialogue tag interrupts a quoted sentence, begin the second part of the quotation with a lower case letter. Ex. “ Maybe,” Nori asked, “you can teach me how to make a paper crane?”What is a “dialogue tag”? Examples:.

4. 4)If the second part of the divided quotation is a new sentence, it should begin with a capital letter.Ex. “Do your homework,” Nori’s mother said. “Grandmother might teach you later.”

5. 5)When a direct quotation comes at the beginning of a sentence, use a comma, question mark, or exclamation point—but not a semicolon—to separate it from the dialogue tag that follows. Ex. “Of course I will,“ Mrs. Muro answered kindly. OR ”Of course I will not!” Mrs. Muro answered rudely.

6. 6)Commas and periods always go BEFORE the quotation marks.Ex. “While you wash the dishes, I’ll get my papers,” Grandma said.

7. 7)When the speaker’s words are a question or an exclamation, place the question mark or exclamation point BEFORE the closing quotation marks. Remember: No comma added!Place the period after the dialogue tag that follows. Ex. “Do you remember how you cried when your paper got wet?”“Yes!” laughed Nori, remembering.

8. 8)When the quotation itself isn’t a question or an exclamation, place the ? or ! AFTER the quotation marks. Ex. Who said, “I have but one life to give for my country”?“Please stop saying, “It’s all your fault”!