Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people or a speech written down as part of a narrative text.

It can be presented as reported speech, direct speech (using speech marks), or Play Script.

Writers can use dialogue to advance the plot of their story by getting their characters to reveal their plans of action or share their inner thoughts and emotions.

Dialogue can also reveal how different characters feel about each other. By depicting how characters talk to each other, the author helps us to understand their relationships better.

We can learn much about characters through their dialogue, whether they’re shy or confident, friendly or angry, relaxed or anxious. The way characters speak reveals much about who they are and what they’re like.

Examples of Dialogue

Here are some examples of dialogue writing for kids to help them better understand the concept.

Dialogue can appear in many different forms of text. For example, a dialog can occur in the following conditions:

Inverted commas: Punctuation marks – “ ” – used to restrict direct speech in a sentence.

Direct speech: A sentence where the exact words spoken are represented in inverted commas.

Dialogue: A conversation or speech that is written down as part of a piece of narrative text.

Written speech:

In a written speech, speech marks or quotation marks are used; this will appear in books, news articles, and most forms of printed text with dialogue. For example:

“Today, my class is learning about speech and dialogue,” said John.

“That sounds exciting. Do you know much about it?” asked Sally.

It is an extended piece of dialogue because it includes a response. Therefore, each time a new person speaks, it should be put on a new line.

Playscript:

In a play script, dialogue is set out with the character’s name on the left, followed by a colon with the conversation. It does not require speech marks. For example:

John: Today, my class is learning about speech and dialogue.

Sally: That sounds exciting. Do you know much about it?

Dialogue Punctuation

The dialogue punctuation we use depends on where the dialogue is found. If the conversation is written in a play script, it doesn’t require inverted commas but is introduced with a colon after the speaker’s name. For example:

Chelsea: I love strawberries!

Hannah: So do I!

After the colon, you’d punctuate the sentence as you would normally.

If the dialogue is written as direct speech in a book, newspaper article, or any other form of text, then there are specific rules you must follow. Inverted commas are the most essential dialogue punctuation you will use in these cases. These should surround the part of the sentence that is spoken. For example:

“I’m hungry!” Kyle cried.

Any punctuation relating to the spoken sentence (in this case, the exclamation mark) should go inside the speech marks.

If a reporting clause breaks up the speech, the first section should end with a comma (again, inside the speech marks) to show that the speech is not finished. For example:

“I’m not buying that umbrella,” Sophie said indignantly, “It’s too expensive!”

The most common dialogue punctuation you use is the inverted comma (also known as speech marks or quotation marks). Ensure you’re using the appropriate punctuation for the form you’re writing!

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