Dialogue Punctuation and Formatting
Grade 11th Grade · ELA · 45 min
What's Included
Learning Objective
I can write dialogue in a short story using proper punctuation and formatting.
Reading Passage
Writing Great Dialogue
Dialogue brings characters to life and moves your story forward. But poorly written dialogue can confuse readers. Mastering a few simple rules will make your writing shine.
First, each new speaker gets a new paragraph. This makes it clear who is talking. Start each paragraph with an indent. For example:
"What do you mean?" she asked. "I mean exactly what I said," he replied, not meeting her eyes.
Second, use quotation marks to show a character's exact words. Open the quotation before the character starts speaking and close it after they finish. Punctuation goes *inside* the quotation marks. For example:
"I can't believe you did that!" she exclaimed.
Third, use commas to separate dialogue tags (like "he said" or "she asked") from the dialogue itself. If the tag comes before the dialogue, put a comma after it. If it comes after, put a comma before the closing quotation mark. For example:
He whispered, "I have a secret." "That's amazing," she replied.
Fourth, use em dashes (—) to show interruptions or abrupt changes in thought. For example:
"I was going to—" he started, but she cut him off. "No excuses!" she shouted.
By following these guidelines, you can create clear, engaging dialogue that enhances your short stories.
Guided Notes
3 key concepts
- 1
Each new speaker should begin a new paragraph, and their exact words should be enclosed in quotation marks.
- 2
Use commas to separate dialogue tags from the dialogue itself, placing the comma either after the tag if it comes before the dialogue or before the closing quotation mark if it comes after.
- 3
Use em dashes to indicate interruptions or abrupt changes in thought within dialogue.
Practice Questions
7 questions · Multiple choice & Short answer
Exit Ticket
Quick comprehension check
“Write a short dialogue (at least 4 lines) between two characters, Alice and Bob, following all the rules of punctuation and formatting discussed. Include at least one dialogue tag and one instance of an em dash.”
Complete Lesson Package
Get all 3 ready-to-use resources:
