Asked by: Kobby Lobdell

How do you punctuate dialogue within a paragraph?

Dialogue is punctuated by quotation marks to show when it begins and ends. Dialogue will usually include a dialogue tag to describe who is speaking. You would then use common punctuation marks within the quotation marks, such as commas, periods, question marks and exclamation points.

Can you put dialogue in a paragraph?

Dialogue and narration can be placed into the same paragraph. If the narration refers to a single character or is in the point of view of only one character, simply add the dialogue. Dialogue can go at the beginning, the middle, or the end of the paragraph and the narration.

What is the format for dialogue?

Dialogue is written using quotation marks around the speaker’s exact words. These quotation marks are meant to set the dialogue apart from the narration, which is written as standard text.

How do you write dialogue in the middle of a sentence?

Inserted into the middle of a sentence. A dialogue tag can be inserted into the middle of a sentence. When this happens, the dialogue tag is set off with commas, and the sentence is capitalized as if the dialogue tag weren’t there. Right: “Andy,” his mother called, “come here now!”

Do you capitalize the first word in dialogue?

When writing dialogue, only capitalize the first letter of a word to indicate the end of the sentence. There may be times when you end the quote with punctuation that would normally require the next word to be capitalized, such as an exclamation point or question mark.

Where does the comma go in dialogue?

With dialogue, specific punctuation is needed. Most often, commas and periods go within the quotation marks, but there are some forms of punctuation and examples that go outside of the quotation marks. Utilize these tips to make sure that the punctuation of your dialogue is correct.

Should dialogue be in separate paragraphs?

Dialogue should be enclosed within quotation marks. Each new line of dialogue is indented, and a new paragraph should be started every time a new person is speaking. It should be concise. Long, wordy passages of dialogue might seem like a good way to get information across, but they can be tedious for the reader.

How do you indent dialogue in a short story?

To format dialogue in a story, insert a paragraph break and indent every time a new speaker starts talking. Then, put what they’re saying inside a set of double quotation marks.

How do you interrupt dialogue in writing?

To Indicate Interrupted Dialogue, Use An Em-Dash

To create interrupted dialogue that everyone will recognize as such, use an em-dash where you want to end the dialogue. You create an em-dash by typing two hyphens, and most word processing programs will tie them automatically into the longer dash.

Do you capitalize after a comma in dialogue?

A comma is used before the dialogue tag and goes INSIDE quotation marks. Unless the dialogue tag begins with a proper noun, it is not capitalized. A comma is used after the dialogue tag, OUTSIDE of quotation marks, to reintroduce the dialogue.

Do you italicize punctuation in dialogue?

Notice that quotation marks and other punctuation are used as if the character had spoken aloud. You may also use italics without quotation marks for direct internal dialogue.