Dialogue and Quotation Marks — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
She said that "she was hungry."
Corrected: She said that she was hungry.
Quotation marks are only used for direct speech, not for paraphrased or reported speech.
2. Fix the sentence:
"where is my book" he asked.
Corrected: "Where is my book?" he asked.
Quoted questions need a capital first letter and a question mark inside the closing quote.
3. Fix the sentence:
"Let's go," Said Anna.
Corrected: "Let's go," said Anna.
Dialogue tags like said are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. "Please sit down ," the teacher said.
Commas inside quotation marks link the speech to the dialogue tag in American style.
2. Ben whispered, "I have a secret."
Periods in American writing always go inside the closing quotation mark.
3. "Can you help me?" she asked.
Dialogue tags need a subject identifying who is asking the question.
4. "Stop!" the officer shouted loudly.
Strong dialogue verbs match the punctuation and tone of the spoken words.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. Is this direct or indirect speech: Mom said she was happy. Explain briefly.
Sample answer: Indirect speech, because it reports what Mom said without using her exact words or quotation marks.
Indirect speech paraphrases the speaker, while direct speech uses exact words inside quotation marks.
2. Rewrite as direct speech: Jake said he liked apples.
Sample answer: Jake said, "I like apples."
Direct speech uses the speaker's first-person words enclosed in quotation marks.