Fundamentals dialog punctuation presentation

1. Dialog Punctuation (With me, Mrs. Cannon)

2. Every story has dialog. Here are a few tips to help you punctuate it properly.

3. Tip 1: Always start a new paragraph and indent when someone starts speaking. Here is an example.

4. Mrs. Cannon was writing on the board as everyone arrived. Then she turned around. “Hi, everyone!”

5. Tip 2: Always use quotation marks. For example: “The little red squiggles on either side of this text are called quotation marks.”

6. Tip 3: Never use a period before a “he said.” (Please ignore the banned word.  ) Only commas, exclamation points, and question marks are allowed.

8. “Hi!” he exclaimed.

9. “Hi?” he repeated. But never: “Hi.” he whispered.

10. What if you want to put a “he said” in the middle of a sentence?

11. Tip 4: Use commas to put a “he said” in mid-sentence. For example: “Inside the cave,” he explained, “you will find the answers you seek.”

12. Ta da! That’s all you need to get started! Have questions? Just let me know.