Dialogue and Quotation Marks Flashcards

Grade 4 · English · Flashcards

Study key rules and terms for writing dialogue correctly using quotation marks and punctuation.

Flashcards

Dialogue: Written conversation between two or more characters in a story
Quotation marks: The double marks (") placed around the exact words a character says
Speaker tag: The phrase that identifies who is speaking and how, such as 'she said' or 'he shouted'
Comma inside the quotes: Rule: when a speaker tag follows a quote, the comma goes inside the closing quotation mark
Capitalize first word: The first word of dialogue is always capitalized, even when the speaker tag comes first
Speaker tag before quote: Format: Speaker tag + comma + open quote + capitalized first word — She said, "Let's go."
Speaker tag after quote: Format: open quote + dialogue + comma inside quote + close quote + speaker tag — "Let's go," she said.
Question in dialogue: Use a question mark inside the quotes when the spoken words form a question: "Are you okay?" he asked.
Exclamation in dialogue: Use an exclamation point inside the quotes for strong emotion: "Watch out!" she cried.
New paragraph for new speaker: Every time a different character speaks, start a new indented paragraph
Interrupted dialogue: When a speaker tag splits a sentence of dialogue: "I think," she said, "we should go."
Dialogue verb: The action word in a speaker tag that shows HOW someone speaks: whispered, shouted, asked, replied