Transcript PUNCTUATING DIALOGUE

PUNCTUATING
DIALOGUE
Share your response with a Shoulder Partner:
1. What is Dialogue?
2. Why is Dialogue used within a story?
3. How can Dialogue add to the overall affect of a
story?
DIALOGUE
Denotation:
Dialogue:
(Noun) A conversation between two or more people
as a feature of a book, play, or movie.
OR
(Verb) To take part in a conversation or discussion
with another individual.
Why is DIALOGUE used within a
story
There are many reasons why strong/effective writers
use dialogue in their writing.
Some reasons include:
• We use dialogue to add more detail
• We use dialogue to re-live a scene
• We use dialogue to reveal more information to the
reader about our character's personality traits.
• We use dialogue to show our character interactions
The Parts to Dialogue
There are 2 main parts of a piece of dialogue.
The QUOTE: What the person actually said
Example: “Daddy, I want a pony,” said the little girl.
The TAG: an explanation of who spoke the quote
and how
Example: “Daddy, I want a pony,” demanded the
little girl.
Rule 1:
• Use quotation marks before and after
someone’s exact words.
• Put your period mark INSIDE the closing
quotation marks.
“Ali and I are going to Wal-Mart tomorrow
morning.”
Rule 2:
• When the speaker’s tag (he/she said) comes
before a quotation, use a comma outside of the
quotation.
Ali said, “Hold on, Mom. I need to find my shoes.”
• When the speaker’s tag comes after a quotation,
place the comma inside closing quotation marks.
“Let’s go,” I said.
Rule 3:
• Sometimes the speaker’s tag comes in the
middle of a quote (like an interrupter).
Don’t forget to use your commas.
“Don’t let me forget,” I said, “to pick up
shampoo.”
Rule 4:
• Place your question mark or exclamation
point inside the quotation marks when it is
a part of the quotation.
“Do we have a long list?” Ali asked.
Rule 5:
• Place your question mark or exclamation
point outside the quotation marks when it
is NOT a part of the quotation.
Did I hear you say, “Yes mam”?
Rule 6:
• When the speaker changes, start a new
paragraph.
“I think I did,” Ali said. “I can’t remember
though.”
“Well, just remember to use your
manners,” I replied.
Rule 7:
• Dialogue always begins with a capital
letter unless it is broken in the middle of a
sentence by the speaker identification:
“The concert will be so worth it,” Amanda
said, “even if I will be broke for the next
month.”
“Said” is Dead
• As young writers, we often use the word
“said” too many times to describe who is
speaking.
• In 7th grade, it is time to put “Said” to rest
• You are challenged with the task to
use alternative words instead of “said”
Alternative Words to “Said”
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added
admitted
answered
apologized
argued
barked
began
blabbed
blurted
boasted
boomed
cackled
called
chuckled
commanded
complained
concluded
confessed
continued
cried
decided
declared
demanded
described
droned
elaborated
encouraged
exclaimed
explained
expressed
fumed
gabbed
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gasped
giggled
growled
grumbled
guessed
hinted
hissed
howled
implied
implored
informed
inquired
interrupted
joked
lamented
laughed
lied
mentioned
mumbled
observed
offered
pestered
pleaded
pointed out
pondered
promised
questioned
rambled
ranted
reasoned
remarked
remembered
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responded
roared
sang
scolded
screamed
snarled
snickered
sobbed
spoke
stated
suggested
supposed
taunted
teased
threatened
told
thought
uttered
voiced
wailed
warned
whispered
wished
wondered
yelled
Practice
With a shoulder partner, add the correct dialogue
needed to understand this excerpt:
I told him Papa was fine and handed him the slip my grandpa
had given me. They sure are some fine looking pups he said.
You’ll have to go around to the door. I’m sure my feet never
touched the ground as I flew around the building. He unlocked
the door, and I stepped in, looking for my dogs. I couldn’t see
anything but boxes, barrels, old trunks, and some rolls of barbed
wire. The kindly stationmaster walked over to one of the boxes.
Do you want box and all he asked. I told him I didn’t want the
box. All I wanted was the dogs. How are you going to carry them
he asked I think they’re a little too young to follow.
Check Yourself
I told him Papa was fine and handed him the slip my grandpa
had given me.
“They sure are some fine looking pups,” he said. “You’ll have to
go around to the door.”
I’m sure my feet never touched the ground as I flew around
the building. He unlocked the door, and I stepped in, looking for
my dogs. I couldn’t see anything but boxes, barrels, old trunks, and
some rolls of barbed wire.
The kindly stationmaster walked over to one of the boxes.
“Do you want box and all?” he asked.
I told him I didn’t want the box. All I wanted was the dogs.
“How are you going to carry them? He asked. “I think they’re a
little too young to follow.”