![]() ![]() Sometimes dialogue will have no tags because who is saying it is implied. The dialogue tag tells us who said it and (sometimes) how. Let's start with the most basic and then move on to the most complicated.ĭialogue is usually made of two parts: the dialogue, and the dialogue tag. You may reproduce this article for educational purposes like writing workshops as long you distribute our copyright notice and our URL (with each page.įor use in conferences, websites, blogs or other uses not mentioned here, please contact us.I usually don't do posts on punctuation, because I figure it's something that anyone can simply look up, but lately I've been running into quite a bit of dialogue that has been punctuated improperly, which is really no surprise, because when you are learning to write dialogue, punctuating is super confusing. Let us help you advance your writing career.įor additional tips, worksheets, and discussions, order your own copy of the The Plain English Writer’s Workbook.Īll rights reserved. Inspiration for Writers offers a detailed Manuscript Analysis, which identifies your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. ![]() Hear the invisibility of the hardworking “said.” Read the before and after examples given here aloud. Using it effectively means tagging it effectively. This is personal choice and personally, I usually use the tag.ĭialogue is one of the most important tools a writer has to convey character and to build plot. If your dialogue contains a question, such as: “Who are you?” he asked, it is not necessary to punctuate with a question mark and use “asked” as a tag. Therefore, it can be written in one of two ways: “I love you,” she said and smiled. “Smiled” cannot be a tag it is an action. Note: “I love you,” she smiled, is never correct. If it is necessary to interrupt a dialogue sentence, as in the last sentence in the above example, use the tag and action, thus allowing a comma instead of a period. If action only (no tag at all, as in the first sentence in the example) is used, it is considered a separate and complete sentence and should be punctuated as such. If a tag is used (preferably “said,” but an occasional “asked” or “repeated” is permitted), a comma separates the dialogue from the tag (see examples in sentences 2 and 4 above). While we are on the topic of dialogue tags, let’s also talk about correct punctuation. This is particularly effective when interrupting dialogue, as in the last sentence of the after example above. Just like “the” and “a” and “his” and other parts of speech that are used several times on each page, “said” slides right past the reader and allows him to concentrate on what’s important: the action and the dialogue. In fact, it is so boring and overused that it’s invisible.
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