Speaker Tags 101
Which speaker tag is used too often by many authors?
said
What is dialogue?
What is used to show dialogue?
quotation marks
Where is the easiest spot to place a speaker tag?
beginning of the sentence
Which speaker tag is the hardest to correctly use?
speaker tag interrupting the sentence
Do quotation marks go around the speaker tag?
No.
How does the author show a new character is speaking?
Begin a new paragraph.
What must you do to the first word a character speaks?
Capitalize it.
What is wrong? How do you fix it?
"I am short." she said.
No period is allowed there when the speaker tag is at the end of the sentence. Replace it with a comma.
What is wrong? How do you fix it?
"I am sure." "I just checked," she responded.
The same person is still talking. Only use one set of quotes at the very beginning and at the end of the dialogue.
What does a speaker tag do?
It tells the reader who is talking.
How do you indicate a new paragraph?
Go to a new line and indent.
Where does punctuation belong in relation to the ending quotation marks?
inside/before them
What is wrong? How do you fix it?
"You are super short"! she replied.
the location of the exclamation point
Move it before the quotation mark.
What is wrong? How do you fix it?
"She can," I said. "she will be here soon."
Each piece of the dialogue is it's own separate sentence. She should be capitalized.
What are the 3 possible locations of a speaker tag?
1. before the quote
2. after the quote
3. interrupting the quote
If your tab button isn't functional (like on MCAS), how many spaces do you indent a new paragraph?
five
What must always be used to separate the speaker tag from the dialogue?
some form of punctuation
What is wrong? How do you fix it?
She asked "Will I get taller?"
You must separate the speaker tag from the dialogue. Put a comma after asked.
What is wrong? How do you fix it?
"Can you," she asked "come to my house?"
There is nothing separating the end of the speaker tag from the dialogue. Add a comma after asked.
What 2 pieces make up a speaker tag? (2 answers required)
name & verb
OR
pronoun & verb
What are the two reasons why dialogue is included in a story?
1. It makes it more interesting.
2. It teaches the reader about the characters.
What should you do if one characters speaks several sentences without interruption?
Use only 1 set of quotation marks.
What is the special rule you MUST remember when the speaker tag comes at the end of your sentence?
You can never used a period in the dialogue; you should use a comma if is a statement. The period goes after the speaker tag.
What is wrong? How do you fix it?
"Can you," she asked, "Come to my house?"
Both pieces of the dialogue are needed to make one complete sentence. Don't capitalize come.