Dialogue punctuation
With dialogue, specific punctuation is needed. Most often, commas and periods go within the quotation marks, but there are some forms of punctuation and examples that go outside of the quotation marks. Utilize these tips to make sure that the punctuation of your dialogue is correct.
Tag Line
The tag line is the statement before the dialogue that typically signifies who the speaker is.
Example
“I am writing,” he said.
Notice the comma mark is within the quotation marks in this instance.
He said, “I’m writing.”
The comma is between the tagline and dialogue.
Dialogue Ending Sentence
With dialogue ending a sentence, the period should stay within the quotation marks. This pertains to dialogue without parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence.
Example
John said, “It is a beautiful day today.”
Question Inside of Quotation Marks
With a question mark, the question mark should stay within the quotation marks if it pertains to the quote/dialogue.
Example
“Where do I put the symbol?” Sally asked.
This is because the question is contained within the quote itself.
Question Mark Outside of Quotation Marks
If the sentence containing the dialogue is a question, then the question mark goes outside of the quotation marks.
Example
Did the teacher say, “The symbol goes here”?
Contributors: Nathan Lachner