Which sentences properly format dialogue

Which sentences properly format dialogue? Check all that apply. “I told her not to believe you” she screamed. Mom said, “When you’re finished with the dishes, I have more work for you.” “Marcus got down on one knee and proposed right then and there,” she squealed. The intercom squawked, “Send her in. Now!” He called from across the street, “Don’t forget about the game tonight!

The Correct Answer and Explanation is:

The correctly formatted dialogue sentences are:

✅ Mom said, “When you’re finished with the dishes, I have more work for you.”
✅ “Marcus got down on one knee and proposed right then and there,” she squealed.
✅ The intercom squawked, “Send her in. Now!”
✅ He called from across the street, “Don’t forget about the game tonight!”

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The incorrect sentence is:
❌ “I told her not to believe you” she screamed.

✅ Explanation

Proper dialogue formatting in English follows specific punctuation and capitalization rules to ensure clarity and readability. Here are the key principles demonstrated in the correct examples:

1. Quotation Marks: Dialogue must be enclosed in quotation marks. All the correct sentences use quotation marks appropriately.
2. Punctuation Placement:
   • If the dialogue ends with a statement and is followed by a dialogue tag (e.g., she said, he asked), place a comma inside the quotation marks and do not capitalize the tag unless it starts a new sentence.
     Example: “Marcus got down on one knee and proposed right then and there,” she squealed.
   • If the dialogue ends with a question mark or exclamation point, retain it inside the quotes, and do not add a comma.
     Example: He called from across the street, “Don’t forget about the game tonight!”
3. Capitalization:
   • The first word of the spoken sentence inside quotation marks is always capitalized.
   • The dialogue tag (she said, he yelled, etc.) is not capitalized unless it starts a new sentence.

❌ What’s wrong with the incorrect sentence?

“I told her not to believe you” she screamed.

This sentence is missing a comma before the dialogue tag and lacks proper punctuation at the end of the spoken sentence. The corrected version is:

✅ “I told her not to believe you,” she screamed.

Following these rules ensures dialogue is easy to follow and professional in writing.