How to Punctuate Dialogue: 15 Steps
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1. Use Quotation Marks: Whenever someone is speaking, enclose their spoken words within double quotation marks (” “). This helps readers identify dialogue.
2. Single Quotation Marks for Dialogue within Dialogue: If there’s a dialogue inside a character’s dialogue, use single quotation marks (‘ ‘) around the inner speech.
3. Start a New Paragraph for Each Speaker: Begin a new paragraph when the speaker changes to keep the conversation organized and easy to follow.
4. Capitalize the First Word of the Dialogue: The first word of dialogue should always be capitalized.
5. Punctuating Dialogue Tags (Speaker Attribution): Place a comma before or after a dialogue tag to separate it from the spoken text, such as “He said” or “She whispered.”
6. Periods and Commas Inside Quotation Marks: If dialogue is followed by a tag, place the comma or period inside the quotation marks.
7. Question Marks and Exclamation Points Inside Quotation Marks: Keep question marks and exclamation points inside the quotation marks if they are part of the dialogue.
8. Punctuation Outside Quotation Marks If it Doesn’t Belong to the Dialogue: If punctuation like question marks or exclamation points don’t belong to the spoken words, place these outside of quotation marks.
9. Use Ellipses to Indicate a Pause or Unfinished Sentence: If a character is pausing in their speech or interrupted, use an ellipsis (three dots) inside the quotation marks.
10. Dashes for Abrupt Interruptions: If someone is interrupted mid-sentence by another speaker, use a dash (-) inside the quotation marks, and start a new line with the interrupting dialogue.
11. Capitalize Beginning of Sentences After Interrupted Dialogues: If an interrupted sentence resumes after another line of dialogue or narrative, capitalize the first word of that sentence.
12. Avoid Excessive Dialogue Tags: To make the dialogue less clunky, use a mixture of dialogue tags and actions to show who’s speaking rather than constantly repeating “he said” or “she replied.”
13. Using Action Beats: Instead of dialogue tags, use actions to convey the speaker’s emotions and movements, making the conversation more engaging.
14. Formatting Dialogue with Italics for Emphasis: When a word or phrase in dialogue is intended for emphasis, use italics instead of capitalizing or underlining.
15. Punctuating Internal Dialogue: For inner thoughts or unspoken words, use italics without quotation marks to distinguish from spoken dialogue, or characters can think aloud using quotation marks.
By following these 15 steps, you’ll punctuate dialogue correctly and effectively, helping your readers follow the conversation with ease. Practicing these techniques will undoubtedly enhance your writing skills and make your dialogues stand out.