- use commas before the last quotation mark when you're using dialogue tags (she said, he said).
"We use commas instead of periods when we write dialogue," she said, a grin on her face.
Exceptions to this are exclamations(!) and questions(?).
"What about questions, miss?" he asked, remembering to keep the word after the dialogue in small letters.
"Yes! I need help with those!" another girl said, paying close attention.
- use periods instead of commas when you want to follow the dialogue with an action rather than a dialogue tag.
"Well, if you had been paying attention, you would've known by now." The boy shifted in his seat, his snide remark earning a glare.
- using a comma is appropriate if there's an action in the middle of a sentence
"Don't forget," she stopped pacing the room, "that we have to be polite when discussing the ins and outs of grammar."
- you can also add a period between two separate lines
"That's true." A man glanced at the others. "We must be civil in teaching; education isn't a competition."
YOU ARE READING
writing tips
RandomSo, you've decided that you want to write. Or, maybe you didn't and someone's holding you hostage and this is your ticket to freedom (in which case call the police). Either way, if you're reading this book, it means you probably have no clue where...
