Asked by: David Roberts

A colon, yes. A colon can substitute for a comma to introduce dialogue or quoted material. A semicolon, however, is not the punctuation for that purpose.

Can you use colon in dialogue?

A colon is used to give emphasis, present dialogue, introduce lists or text, and clarify composition titles. Emphasis—Capitalize the first word after the colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. (She had one love: Western Michigan University.)

How do you punctuate dialogue tags?

How To Use Dialogue Tags

1. Use a comma after the dialogue tag.
2. If the dialogue is the beginning of a sentence, capitalize the first letter.
3. End the dialogue with the appropriate punctuation (period, exclamation point, or question mark), but keep it INSIDE the quotation marks.

Can you use a colon before speech?

Use a colon to introduce direct speech or a quotation: He stood up and said loudly: “Ladies and Gentlemen, please be seated.” John whispered in my ear: “Have you seen Andrea?” As Confucius once wrote: “When words lose their meaning, people lose their freedom.”

Can I use semicolons in dialogue?

I was speaking with a friend about punctuation—what odd topics writers and editors end up discussing—and the use of semicolons in fiction came up. While a legitimate punctuation mark, the semicolon has been shunned for use in fiction, especially for dialogue.

How do you use a colon answer?

Colon

1. Use a colon at the end of a complete statement to introduce a list. …
2. Use a colon at the end of a complete statement to introduce a summary, restatement, or explanation of the ideas presented in the preceding independent clause. …
3. Use a colon at the end of a complete statement to introduce a long, formal quotation.

What is the proper way to use a colon?

Colons follow independent clauses (clauses that could stand alone as sentences) and can be used to present an explanation, draw attention to something, or join ideas together.
Colons

1. To announce, introduce, or direct attention to a list, a noun or noun phrase, a quotation, or an example/explanation. …
2. To join sentences.

What can I say instead of Said in dialogue?

Here are dialogue words you can use instead of ‘said’, categorised by the kind of emotion or scenario they convey:

• Anger: Shouted, bellowed, yelled, snapped, cautioned, rebuked.
• Affection: Consoled, comforted, reassured, admired, soothed.
• Excitement: …
• Fear: …
• Determination: …
• Happiness: …
• Sadness: …
• Conflict:

How do you use dialogue tags like a pro?

When you use dialogue tags, try to:

1. Keep them unobtrusive. The dialogue itself is what’s important: The tag is just functional. …
2. Use a tag whenever it’s unclear who’s speaking. …
3. Avoid using adverbs too frequently in dialogue tags. …
4. Vary where you position your dialogue tags.

Are dialogue tags necessary?

You should not need to use a dialogue tag in every sentence—show readers who is speaking through the words spoken and through actions and through the tags, using a variety of means to show who is speaking. If only two characters are speaking, you may only need dialogue tags every fifth or sixth paragraph or so.

What is a semi colon used for?

Use a semicolon to join two related independent clauses in place of a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet). Make sure when you use the semicolon that the connection between the two independent clauses is clear without the coordinating conjunction.

What do em dashes do?

Em dashes can be used in pairs to mark off additional information that is not essential to understand the sentence. Here they function similarly to parentheses or a pair of commas. An em dash is usually written without spaces on either side, although some style guides do recommend using spaces.

How do you show dialogue interruption?

To show an interruption of the spoken words, include an em dash inside the quotation marks, at the point where the dialogue is interrupted. “I knew you’d drop it.”
Related posts:

1. Even More Punctuation in Dialogue—A Reader’s Question.
2. Punctuation in Dialogue.
3. Dialogue—The Speech of Fiction.

How do you say interrupted my thoughts?

Examples of Writing an Interruption in Thoughts

Just like you should eliminate the frame, you don’t need to tell us that thoughts have been interrupted. Give us the thoughts. Give us the interruption. Then give us the results.

How do you write an action between dialogue?

Writing movement and action in dialogue: 6 tips

1. Use background action to add tone and mood.
2. Add movement to dialogue to keep the story moving.
3. Use mid-dialogue actions for tense interruption.
4. Reveal character relationships through movement and action.
5. Add dramatic emphasis to characters’ emotions in a scene.

What are some examples of dialogue?

Here are some examples of writing questions in dialogue:

• “Will you ever stop being a child?” she asked.
• “What about that man over there?” he whispered, pointing in a old gentleman’s direction. “Doesn’t he look odd too?”
• “What’s the big deal, anyway?” she huffed.

How do you write a dialogue conversation?

How to Format Dialogue in a Story

1. Use Quotation Marks to Indicate Spoken Word. …
2. Dialogue Tags Stay Outside the Quotation Marks. …
3. Use a Separate Sentence for Actions That Happen Before or After the Dialogue. …
4. Use Single Quotes When Quoting Something Within the Dialogue. …
5. Use a New Paragraph to Indicate a New Speaker.

What is a dialogue tag?

In American English, a dialogue tag is a phrase that precedes, breaks up, or follows a bit of written dialogue and establishes who the speaker is, how they are delivering the dialogue, and whether or not a new speaker is talking.

Is spat a dialogue tag?

Bill may speak, Bill may spit, and Bill may even do both at the same time, but spat is not a proper dialogue tag.

Should dialogue be capitalized?

Dialogue always starts with a capital letter, unless a sentence is interrupted by a tag or action and the same sentence then continues. In this case, use lower case to continue the dialogue. (See example 4). Dialogue tags are also known as attributions.

Does dialogue need a new line?

Every time there is a new speaker in the conversation, a new line is used. Each new section of dialogue is like beginning a new paragraph, so in a printed novel you will see that each new line is also indented – this is when a line starts further in from the margin.

When writing dialogue where does the period go?

Dialogue punctuation

1. Tag Line. The tag line is the statement before the dialogue that typically signifies who the speaker is. …
2. Dialogue Ending Sentence. With dialogue ending a sentence, the period should stay within the quotation marks. …
3. Question Inside of Quotation Marks. …
4. Question Mark Outside of Quotation Marks.

Does dialogue have its own paragraph?

Dialogue should be treated as part of its containing sentence, and no more than one person’s dialogue should exist in one paragraph. Sentences accompanying a line of dialogue in a paragraph should be dedicated to describing what the character does or how he speaks.