Dialogue and Speech Punctuation
Dialogue brings characters to life—use it to show personality and move the story forward.
Rules to Remember
- Use speech marks (quotation marks) around what is spoken.
- Punctuation goes inside the closing speech mark.
- Start a new line for a new speaker.
- Use a reporting clause: said, whispered, shouted, asked.
Examples
“Hurry up!” shouted Amir.
“Do you think it will rain?” asked Priya.
Try It
- Write a conversation with two speakers (four lines total).
- Use at least two different reporting verbs.
Step-by-step: writing good dialogue
- Decide who is speaking and why — each line should do something (show feeling, move the story, or give information).
- Start a new paragraph each time the speaker changes.
- Put what they say inside speech marks and keep punctuation inside the marks.
- Add a short reporting clause if you need to show how it was said (e.g., whispered, laughed).
Model conversation with punctuation
"Did you lock the shed?" asked Ben.
"I thought you did," replied Sara, "but I’m not sure."
Ben frowned. "We must check — quick!"
Note how each speaker starts on a new line and commas or question marks are inside the speech marks.
Common mistakes and quick fixes
- Forgetting to start a new line for a new speaker — fix: press enter and start a new paragraph.
- Putting punctuation outside speech marks — fix: move the comma or question mark inside the quotes.
- Using speech for long chunks of description — fix: keep speech short and use actions to describe.
Scaffolded exercises
- Beginner: Copy the model conversation and change the names.
- Intermediate: Write a four-line exchange that shows a misunderstanding and a fix.
- Challenge: Write a short scene where one line of dialogue is spoken silently (show thought using italics or a reporting clause instead of speech marks).
Common punctuation patterns
- Comma with reporting clause: "I'm hungry," said Jay.
- Question inside speech: "Are you coming?" she asked.
- Interrupted speech with dash: "I thought—" he began, but the bell rang.
Model answers — scaffolded exercises
Beginner:
"Hurry!" shouted Kim. "We're late!"
Intermediate (misunderstanding):
"You took my pencil," said Aaron. "No, I didn't," replied Mei. "Check your desk — it's under your ruler," Mei added, smiling.
Challenge (thought/show not speech):
Tom stared at the note. He felt his stomach drop. He didn't say it out loud, but his mind screamed that this was a bad idea.