Punctuation for Dialog:
1. Quotation Marks:
* Direct quotes: Use double quotation marks (" ") to enclose the exact words spoken.
* Single quotes: Use single quotes (' ') for quotes within quotes.
Example:
"I'm going to the store," she said. "Do you want anything?"
"Actually, could you grab a gallon of milk?" he asked. "And maybe some cheese?"
2. Commas and Periods:
* Commas: Place commas before and after a dialogue tag (the speaker attribution) if it interrupts the quote.
* Periods: Place periods inside the closing quotation mark if the tag follows the quote.
Example:
"I'm going to the store," she said, "Do you want anything?"
He asked, "Could you grab a gallon of milk?"
3. Question Marks and Exclamation Points:
* Inside quotes: Place question marks and exclamation points inside the closing quotation mark if they belong to the quoted material.
* Outside quotes: Place question marks and exclamation points outside the closing quotation mark if they belong to the entire sentence.
Example:
"Are you going to the store?" he asked.
She exclaimed, "I'm going now!"
4. Dashes:
* Interrupted speech: Use an em dash (-) to indicate a break in a character's speech.
* Adding emphasis: Use a dash to add emphasis or a dramatic pause.
Example:
"I'm going to the store," she said, "but I might be - "
"Well, don't forget the milk," he said.
5. Parentheses:
* Adding clarifying information: Use parentheses to provide additional information about the speaker or the speech.
Example:
"I'm going to the store (the one on Main Street)," she said.
6. Capitalization:
* Start with a capital letter: Begin a new quote with a capital letter.
* Lowercase after a tag: If the tag interrupts the quote, start the second part with a lowercase letter.
Example:
"I'm going to the store," she said. "Do you want anything?"
Note: These are just general rules, and sometimes you may need to adjust punctuation based on the context and flow of the dialogue.