This document discusses dialogue tags, which are phrases used to attribute dialogue to a speaker. Dialogue tags can be placed before, after, or within the dialogue text. The placement of punctuation and capitalization depends on where the tag is located. Tags before dialogue use a comma and capitalize the first letter if starting a sentence. Tags after dialogue do not capitalize unless starting a proper noun. Tags within dialogue use commas inside and outside the quotation marks. The document provides examples of formatting for each tag placement.

1. UNIT 6.4
Memoirs: Exploring Personal Challenges

2. Dialogue Tags

3. What is a dialogue tag?
Also often referred to as an attribution, a dialogue tag is a
small phrase either before, after, or in between the actual
dialogue itself.
For example: “Did you get my letter?” asked Katie. The
phrase “asked Katie” is the dialogue tag in the sentence.

4. How To Use Dialogue Tags
Dialogue tags are found in three different
places: before, after, or in the middle of
dialogue. Depending on where the dialogue
tags are, you use different punctuation and
capitalization.

5. How To Use Dialogue Tags
Tag Before the Dialogue
How it works:
Use a comma after the dialogue tag.
If the dialogue is the beginning of a sentence, capitalize the first letter.
End the dialogue with the appropriate punctuation (period, exclamation
point, or question mark), but keep it INSIDE the quotation marks.

6. How To Use Dialogue Tags
Tag Before the Dialogue
When dialogue tags are before the dialogue it looks like
this:
Meghan asked, “Are you coming to my party?”

7. How To Use Dialogue Tags
Tag After the Dialogue
When dialogue tags are used after the dialogue it looks
like this:
“Are you coming to my party?” Meghan asked.
Or “Are you coming to my party?” asked Meghan.

8. How To Use Dialogue Tags
Tag After the Dialogue
How it works:
Punctuation still goes INSIDE quotation marks.
Unless the dialogue tag begins with a proper noun, it
is not capitalized.
End the dialogue tag with appropriate punctuation.

9. How To Use Dialogue Tags
Tag in the Middle of the Dialogue
When dialogue tags are used in the middle of dialogue
it looks like this:
“The car lights,” she explained, “aren’t bright enough to
drive at night.”

10. How To Use Dialogue Tags
Tag in the Middle of the Dialogue
How it works:
A comma is used before the dialogue tag and goes
INSIDE quotation marks.
Unless the dialogue tag begins with a proper noun, it
is not capitalized.

11. How To Use Dialogue Tags
Tag in the Middle of the Dialogue
How it works:
A comma is used after the dialogue tag, OUTSIDE of
quotation marks, to reintroduce the dialogue.
End the dialogue with the appropriate punctuation
(period, exclamation point, or question mark), but
keep it INSIDE the quotation marks.

12. Synonyms for
‘’Said’’