Guidelines for

Dialogue Punctuation

 

Name: __________________ Date: _______ Class Period:  ____

 

Here are some ideas to keep in mind when you are punctuating dialogue

 

·       All actual speech spoken by a character must be set off in quotation marks.

·       Each  time a new speaker speaks, you must start a new paragraph

·       Speech set off in quotation marks must be set off from the rest of the sentence by commas.

·       The commas almost always come before the quotation marks, whether before the quotation marks begin or before they close.

·       Some sentences end at the end of the quotation, others continue.  Be sure to punctuate appropriately.

 

Example:

 

        “We are writing a short story in Ms. Quinson’s class,” said Sally.

        Mary turned to Sally and responded, “I wouldn’t know what to write about!”

        “It really isn’t all that difficult,” explained Mary. “She gives us lots of ideas and practice.”

        “The last time I got to write a story,” sighed Sally, “I was in the fifth grade.”