How to Punctuate Dialogue (US)
Writing dialogue can get tricky. Not just because making conversations feel natural while progressing the story at a good pace is hard but because the punctuation can get confusing. Here are some rules from the Chicago Manual of Style (most commonly used US book style guide) to help you out.
First off, start a new paragraph every time someone new speaks. If you can do that, that clears up a lot of confusion! You’re doing great!
Commas and Dialogue Tags
If there is a dialogue tag (he said, she wrote, they replied), you need a comma. The comma should come between the dialogue tag and the dialogue.
Susan said, “I want to go shopping.”
“I want to go shopping,” Susan said.
“I want,” Susan said, “to go shopping.”
[Tip: Notice how the beginning of the quote starts with a capital letter whether or not it’s at the beginning of the sentence.]
Run-In Quotes
You don’t need a comma if the introduction to the quote is not a dialogue tag and it is instead incorporated into the sentence.
Susan said that “she wanted to go shopping.”
Susan said she wanted to “go shopping.”
[Tip: Notice how these examples of dialogue do not start with a capital letter because the sentence is not set off with a dialogue tag; it’s incorporated into the sentence. Although the phrases in quotation marks could be complete sentences, they don’t reflect the intended meaning of the sentence. It’s out of context.]
Colon
Use a colon following an independent clause to introduce a quotation. It may include a formal introductory phrase, if necessary, such as “the following.”
I remember what Susan said: “I want to go shopping.”
Wait a minute! Isn’t “he said” (a dialogue tag) an independent clause? Yes. Technically, you can use a colon to introduce a quote with the dialogue tag, “he said,” but it looks formal.
He said: “I want to go home.”
If you do that, you have to be consistent when you use it. For example, you can use it for dramatic effect or to introduce a multi-sentence quote. Don’t do it all the time though because that’s weird (and distracting for the reader).
[Tip: Just like with a comma, the dialogue begins with a capital letter when the quote is a complete sentence.]
End Punctuation
Notice how the end punctuation goes inside the quotation marks for all three of these. This applies to periods and commas. It does not apply to semicolons or colons—these go outside the quotation marks. Question marks, dashes, and exclamation points . . . it depends.
Here are some examples of why questions marks may or may not go inside the quotation marks. Exclamation points work the exact same way.
She asked, “Can we go shopping?” Question mark applies only to what’s inside the quotation marks.
Did Susan ask if we can “go shopping”? Question mark applies to the entire sentence.
If the question includes quotation marks, put the question mark outside the quotation marks to encompass the entire sentence. If the question is what’s in quotation marks, put the question mark inside the quotation marks to only apply to that phrase.
Periods and Action Tags
When an action tag is used in the middle of the quote rather than a dialogue tag, use periods. An action tag defines the speaker by explaining their action while speaking. Do not use commas for these, only periods.
Susan grabbed her purse. “I want to go shopping.”
“I want to go shopping.” Susan grabbed her purse.
Other Punctuation to Indicate Speaking Pace
“I think . . . writing dialogue is . . . confusing—”
“It’s not that hard!”
What happened there? The ellipsis ( . . . ) shows slow, fragmented speech. It often happens during shock, nervousness, or confusion. Then the em dash (—) shows an interruption. The person who said, “It’s not that hard!” interrupted the nervous/confused/shocked person and cut them off. These are powerful tools to create a scene in the reader’s mind; use them appropriately.
When to Use Single Quotation Marks vs. Double Quotation Marks
When there is a quotation within a quotation, use double quotes first, then single quotes. (This is opposite for UK and some other areas.)
Bill said, “The doctor told me to ‘ice and elevate’ my leg.”
Multi-Paragraph Quotes
When dialogue or a quote spans across more than one paragraph, begin each paragraph with an open quotation, and end the last paragraph with a close quote. Do not end each paragraph with a close quote—only the last one.
Dialogue can be tricky to punctuate, but I hope these rules and reminders can help you. If this was helpful, email me!
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