1. Writing with Dialogue

2. dialogue = two people speaking
di = two
logue = speak
dialogue = two people speaking

3. Punctuating Dialogue (this is identical to the handout you received in class!)
Put quotation marks around the words people speak. If the character speaks more than one sentence at a time, you still should use only one set of quotation marks.
“I don’t understand question 12. I’d like to stay for tutorials on Monday,” said Fred.
Use a comma to separate the quotation from the speaker tag. Place the comma inside the closing quotation mark. If the character is asking a question, replace the comma with the question mark; if your character is yelling, replace the comma with an exclamation point.
“Please turn to page 34 in your textbook,” instructed the teacher.
“I need help!” yelled Fred.
“Will you be here after school?” asked Ramona.
Capitalize the first word of the quotation. Continue to capitalize the first words of all sentences within the quotations, just like you normally would.
Do not capitalize a word in the middle of a sentence, even if the sentence is broken up by the speaker tag. Put commas before and after the speaker tag when it interrupts the quote.
“I don’t understand question 12,” Fred said, “so I’d like to stay for tutorials on Monday.”
Only capitalize the first word of the speaker tag when it’s a proper noun or is the beginning of the sentence.
“Please start your warmup,” the teacher said.
The teacher said, “Please start your warmup.”
“Please start your warmup,” Ms. Cooper said.
When a quotation ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation point, place it inside the quotation marks.
Ramona yelled, “I need help!”
Fred asked, “Will you be here after school?”
Ramona said, “Tonight I will study for the test.”
Every time a different person talks, go to a new paragraph. It doesn’t matter if the character speaks one word or ten sentences—start a new paragraph EVERY time a new person talks.
“Can you stay after school today?” asked Ramona.
“No,” answered Fred.
“How about tomorrow?” she asked.
Fred thought for a moment and replied, “Maybe.”

4. “Look Calvin, you’ve got to relax a little
“Look Calvin, you’ve got to relax a little. Your balance will be better if you’re loose,” Dad patiently explained.
“I can’t help it! Imminent death makes me tense! I admit it!” Calvin yelled.
Dad replied, “You need a goal. Concentrate on your goal.”
“My goal is to dismantle this bicycle and mail every piece to a different country so it can never be rebuilt!” Calvin shouted.
“OK, that’s not a good goal,” replied Dad.
“Well I’m not changing it!” screamed Calvin in frustration.

5. Your turn!