Punctuating dialogue
- proper use of quotation marks in dialogue
- do you use quotation marks in dialogue
- how to use quotation marks in dialogue
- dialogue quotation marks
How to quote dialogue between two characters.
6 Unbreakable Dialogue Punctuation Rules All Writers Must Know
Dialogue punctuation is a critical part of written speech that allows readers to understand when characters start and stop speaking.
By following the proper punctuation rules — for example, that punctuation marks almost always fall within the quotation marks — a writer can ensure that their characters’ voices flow off the page with minimal distraction.
This post’ll show you how to format your dialogue to publishing standards.
6 essential dialogue punctuation rules:
1.How to use quotation marks in dialogue examples
Always put commas and periods inside the quote
The misplacement of periods and commas is the most common mistake writers make when punctuating dialogue. But it’s pretty simple, once you get the hang of it. You should always have the period inside the quote when completing a spoken sentence.
Example: “It’s time to pay the piper.”
As you’ll know, the most common way to indicate speech is to write dialogue in quotation marks and attribute it to a speaker with dialogue tags, such as he said, she said, or Margaret replied, or chirped Hiro