Dialogue is an important part of works of fiction, as it helps the reader better understand the characters, shows how they interact, and energizes the narrative. Although many authors, such as Ernest Hemingway and Raymond Carver, rely heavily on dialogue, others use it sparingly. However, before using a dialogue, it is important that you know how to rate it. By learning some basic English punctuation rules, your writing style will look and understand more professional and meaningful.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Learn the Basic Rules
Step 1. Score a dialogue that ends with a paragraph
When you write a dialogue, the first thing to remember is to put what is said in quotation marks and place a comma at the end of the sentence, inside the quotation marks if you are going to add a subsection or attribute it to the speaker. The most common way to punctuate a dialogue is to put a comma, followed by the closing quotation marks, and then write a verb plus the name or pronoun of the person who said it. Or you can reverse the order; first the noun and then the verb. Here are some examples:
- "I want to spend all day reading in bed," Mary said. In Spanish it would be: "I want to spend the whole day in bed," said Mary.
- "I wish I could do that, but I have to go to work," Tom said. In Spanish it would be: "I wish I could do it, but I have to go to work," said Tom.
- "You can get some rest over the weekend," said Mary. In Spanish it would be: "You can rest for the weekend," said Mary.
Step 2. Score a dialogue that begins with a subsection
The same rules apply to the text when you write the paragraph at the beginning. The sentence will begin with a verb and a noun, followed by a comma, opening quotation marks, dialogue, a period or other punctuation mark, and closing quotation marks. Here are some examples:
- Mary said, "I think I'll have cupcakes for breakfast." In Spanish it would be: Mary said, "I think I'll have cupcakes for breakfast."
- Tom said, "Do you think that's the healthiest option?" In Spanish it would be: Tom said: "Do you think it's the healthiest thing to do?"
- She said, “Absolutely not. Which is exactly what makes it appealing. " In Spanish it would be: She said: «Of course not. And that's exactly why I want to do it.
Step 3. Rate a dialogue that has the item in the middle
Another way to punctuate a dialogue is to write the middle item. That way a pause is created before continuing with the prayer. To do this, place the subsection after the first part of the sentence, as you normally would, but instead of placing a period, use a comma to enter the second part. The important thing is to remember that you should not start with a capital letter again, since it is the continuation of the same sentence or thought. Here are some examples:
- "I'd like to go running," Mary said, "but I'd rather just sit in this rocking chair." In Spanish it would be: "I'd like to go for a run," Mary said, "but I'd rather stay here in this rocking chair."
- "There are few things more appealing than sitting in that rocking chair," Tom said, "but sometimes running may be just the thing you need." In Spanish it would be: “There are some things more attractive than sitting in that rocking chair,” Tom said, “but sometimes running is just what you need.
- "I need running about as much as I need …" Mary said, "a stone in my shoe." In Spanish it would be: “I need to run as much as I need…” said Mary, “a stone in my shoe.
Step 4. Rate a dialogue that has the subsection between two sentences
An additional way to score is to do it in the usual way (as in step 1): placing a period at the end and starting a new sentence without attributing it to anyone. By context, it should be clear that it is the same person who is speaking. Here are some examples:
- "The new girl in school seems nice," Mary said. "I'd like to get to know her better." In Spanish it would be: "The new girl at school seems like a good person," Mary said. I would like to know her better.
- "I thought she was a little bit stuck up," said Tom. "That’s pretty generous of you." In Spanish, it would be: "She seemed a bit smug to me," said Tom. You are very kind for doing that.
- "I don't know about that," Mary said. “I just like to give people a chance. You should try it. " In Spanish it would be: "I don't know if it is," said Mary. It's just that I like to give people a chance. You should try it.
Step 5. Punctuate a dialogue without adding a subsection
When there is a lot of dialogue, there is no need to indicate who is saying what. This should be evident from the context. You can also add the names of the people to whom the word is addressed at the end of the dialogue, so that it is clear who is speaking. You don't want readers to have to try too hard or reread the text to discover who is speaking in a conversation where there are no subsections. At the same time, it is also not good to repeat the verb "say" for each intervention. Here are some examples:
- "I just don't think this is working anymore." Mary fiddled with her pen. In Spanish it would be: ―I don't think this is working. Mary fiddled with her pen.
- Tom looked down at the floor. "How can you say that?" In Spanish it would be: Tom looked at the ground. -How can you say that?
- “I can say it because I feel it. This isn't working, Tom. How can you not see it? " In Spanish it would be: ―I can say it because I feel that way. This is not working, Tom. How come you don't see it?
- "I guess I must have been blind." In Spanish it would be: ―I guess I've been blind.
Part 2 of 3: Use other punctuation marks
Step 1. Punctuate a dialogue with a question mark
To do this, simply place the sign before the closing quotation mark, where a period would normally go. The tricky thing is the following: you must start the subsection with a lower case, since technically, this part still counts as part of the same sentence. Another option is to place the subsection at the beginning or simply not to put it. Here are some examples:
- "Why didn't you come to my birthday party?" Mary asked. In Spanish it would be: ―Why didn't you come to my birthday party? Mary asked.
- Tom said, “I thought we were broken up. Aren’t we? " In Spanish it would be: Tom said, 'I thought we were done. We not finished?".
- "Since when is that a good excuse to ditch someone’s party?" In Spanish it would be: ―How long is that a good excuse not to go to someone's party?
- "What better excuse can there be?" said Tom. In Spanish it would be: ―What better excuse can there be?
Step 2. Punctuate a dialogue with an exclamation point
To do this, follow the same protocol as with a period or a question mark. Most writers say that these signs should be used sparingly and that the dialogue and the story itself should convey that emotion. However, it is not a bad idea to use them occasionally. Here are some examples:
- "I can't wait for summer to be over so I can go back to school!" said Mary. In Spanish it would be: ―I want the summer to end so I can go back to school! Mary said.
- "Me too!" said Tom. "I've been so bored at home." In Spanish it would be: ―Igual yo! Tom said. I've been so bored at home.
- Mary said, “You’re telling me! I've started three ant collections in this month alone. " In Spanish it would be: Mary said: «Tell me! This month I have started collecting three types of ants.
Step 3. Score a dialogue that includes a quote
This can be a bit tricky and is not used very often, but it might help to know how to do it. Just use a single quote at the beginning and end of the sentence, which could be the title of an artwork or a quote attributed to someone else. Here are some examples:
- "My favorite Hemingway story is 'Hills Like White Elephants,'" Mary said. In Spanish it would be: "My favorite Hemingway story is" Hills Like White Elephants, "" said Mary.
- "Didn't our English teacher say it was‘the world’s most boring story’?" asked Tom. In Spanish it would be: ―Didn't our English teacher say it was the “most boring story in the world”? Tom asked.
Step 4. Score an interrupted dialogue
If you are writing a dialogue between two characters and you want it to be believable, remember that they may not always take turns speaking. Sometimes one of them can interrupt the other in the middle of the sentence, just like in real life. To show this type of interruption, you can use a dash at the end of the sentence. Add the sentence that interrupts the first speaker and consider putting a dash at the beginning if the opening sentence is picked up. Here are some examples:
- Tom said, “I thought about calling, but I got too busy and -” In Spanish it would be: Tom said: «I thought about calling, but then I was very busy and…».
- "I'm tired of your excuses," said Mary. "Every time you don't call -" In Spanish it would be: "I'm sick of your excuses," said Mary, "Every time you don't call …
- "This is different," Tom said. "Lo prometo." In Spanish it would be: "This time it's different," said Tom. Trust me.
Part 3 of 3: Master the subtleties
Step 1. Punctuate a dialogue in the form of indirect speech
Not all dialogs need to be explicit or marked with quotation marks. Sometimes it is not so important to point out what a character said exactly, but to give a general idea of what was expressed. This technique offers a break to readers who are already bored of reading only dialogue. It also offers a way to explain something that is better understood indirectly. Here are some examples:
- He told her he didn’t feel like going to the park. In Spanish it would be: He told her that he didn't feel like going to the park.
- She said she didn’t care whether or not he came with her. In Spanish it would be: She said she didn't care if he accompanied her or not.
- He said she needed to stop being so sensitive all the time. In Spanish it would be: He said she had to stop being so sensitive all the time.
Step 2. Use a subsection to indicate a pause
Another thing you can do is separate a sentence using an indent to show a pause and indicate that the character is thinking or has difficulty expressing himself. That way you can add tension to the conversation and make it more realistic. Not everyone can choose the right words under pressure. Here are some examples:
- "Well," Sarah said. "I guess there's nothing left to say." In Spanish it would be: "Well," Sarah said, "I guess there's nothing more to say.
- "I knew that," said Jerry. "But I wanted you to figure it out for yourself." In Spanish it would be: ―I knew that, Jerry said, ―but I wanted you to realize it yourself.
Step 3. Punctuate a dialogue made up of several sentences
You don't need to add subsections to each sentence in a dialogue or force each character to say a single phrase before someone else intervenes. Sometimes a character speaks a lot more, and you can simply show it with quotation marks that surround everything that is said. Then you can put a punctuation mark in the last sentence or attribute the dialogue to one of the characters using an indent. This would look like this:
- “I’ve had such a long day. Who wants to go see an improv troupe with me? " said Mary. In Spanish it would be: ―It has been a very long day. Who wants to accompany me to see an improv? Mary said.
- Jake said, “I’d rather hang out with my dog than go to work any day. He's so helpless without me. " In Spanish it would be: Jake said, “I'd rather stay with my dog a thousand times than go to work. He needs me too much.
Step 4. Score a dialogue that spans more than one paragraph
Sometimes a character can speak for several paragraphs without stopping. To show this using the correct punctuation you must open the dialogue with quotation marks, write what the character says and end the paragraph with a period, a question mark or an exclamation point. Then start the next paragraph with quotation marks and continue typing until the dialogue ends. When finished, close the speech with quotation marks and the usual punctuation. Guide yourself with these examples:
- (Paragraph 1:) “I’ve really wanted to tell you about my friend Bill… he’s such a crazy guy. Paragraph 1 would be, “I really wanted to tell you about my friend Bill… He's so outrageous.
- (Paragraph 2:) “Bill owned a cactus farm but sold it to live on a sailboat. Then he sold the boat to start building a castle, but he got tired of that and decided to swim across the Atlantic ocean instead. " Paragraph 2 would read: »Bill had a cactus farm but sold it to live on a sailboat. Then he sold the boat to start building a castle, but got bored and decided to swim across the Atlantic.
Step 5. Punctuate a dialogue using dashes instead of quotation marks
Quotation marks are not used worldwide to indicate dialogue. Instead, in countries like Russia, France and Spain the dash is used to indicate that someone is speaking. In this method it is not necessary to add a subsection; you must trust that the reader will know who is speaking. If you use it, you must be consistent throughout the writing. This may take some practice but it will create an interesting effect if you push yourself. Here's an example:
- -I guess I'll have to get going. In Spanish it would be: ―I think I should go now.
- -That’s fine by me. In Spanish it would be: ―For me it's fine.
- -So long, then. In Spanish it would be: ―Then see you later.
Step 6. Consider using other verbs in place of “say” in sections
Although some authors, such as Hemingway and Carver, rarely use a verb other than "say", you can vary the vocabulary a bit, if it seems appropriate. There is no need to exhaust your reader with overly elaborate or fancy verbs like "inquire" or "question"; you can use other verbs occasionally for a change. Here are some examples:
- “I have such a crush on my yoga teacher,” Lacy told her. In Spanish it would be, "I'm so taken with my yoga instructor," Lacy told him.
- Mary asked, "Isn't he a little too old for you?" In Spanish it would be: Mary asked him: "Isn't he a little older for you?"
- "Age is just a number," Lacy replied. In Spanish it would be: "Age is just a number," Lacy answered.
Warnings
- Don't write a story entirely made up of dialogue, unless it's a play.
- Remember that some of the punctuation rules for Spanish are different from those for English.