Dialogue and Quotation Marks — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. "I forgot my lunch," Mia said sadly.
Commas separate quoted speech from a following dialogue tag in American style.
2. Dad replied, "We can share mine."
Periods belong inside the closing quotation mark when the quote ends a sentence.
3. "Are you sure?" Mia asked hopefully.
Question marks go inside the closing quote when the quoted sentence is a question.
4. "Of course," he answered with a smile.
Dialogue tag verbs like answered or replied identify who responds and how.
5. When a new speaker talks, start a new paragraph.
Starting a new paragraph for each speaker helps readers track who is talking.
6. "Hurry up!" Coach called from the field.
Dialogue verbs like called or shouted convey volume and distance to the reader.
7. "I can't believe it," Sam whispered.
Even quiet dialogue uses a comma before the tag, placed inside the closing quote.
8. Lily said, "I'm hungry now."
The first word of quoted speech is capitalized as it begins a new sentence.
9. "Look out!" she warned urgently.
Dialogue verbs like warned or cautioned describe the purpose of the speaker's words.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Comma in dialogue
→ Goes inside the closing quote
Goes inside the closing quote
Dialogue tag
→ He said, she asked
He said, she asked
New speaker
→ Begins a new paragraph
Begins a new paragraph
Direct speech
→ Exact words in quotation marks
Exact words in quotation marks
Knowing these terms helps students punctuate and format conversations accurately in writing.