Step-by-Step Guide to Dialogue Writing - Formats

1. Add a new line for every new speaker: The rules of writing dialogue format
forbid multiple speakers in one paragraph, so if one person asks a question
and another person responds, the question and the answer must be on two
different lines also remember to indent each new paragraph so that it's clear
it's a new paragraph. Without a separate line for each speaker's dialogue, the
dialogue can all appear to run into one big speech by one character.
2. Put quotation marks around speech
3. Place all punctuation inside the quotation marks: All periods, question
marks, exclamation points and so on need to be placed between the last word
of the dialogue and the closing quotation marks. For example, if Bob tells his
mom that he does not want to clean his room, you write it like this: "Mom, I do
not want to clean my room."
4. Use commas before dialogue tags: If you need to indicate who said the line
of dialogue, you need a dialogue tag. Usually, you can simply add "she said" or
"he said" as your dialogue tag. It looks like this: "I do not want to clean my
room," Bob said.
5. Avoid double dialogue tags: When someone speaks for extended periods, it
might be tempting to note who is speaking more than once; however, the
rules of dialogue formatting restrict dialogue tags to only one use per passage.
An example of how not to use double dialogue tags follows. "I do not want to
clean my room," Bob said. "I need to study," Bob said.
6. Capitalize only the first word of a spoken sentence: Even if your dialogue is
interrupted by a dialogue tag or description, you do not need to capitalize the
second part of the spoken sentence. For instance, you could write your
dialogue this way: "I do not want to clean my room," Bob said while
concealing his video game, "because I'm trying to study."
7. Use single quotation marks when speakers quote someone else: If someone
quotes another person's speech, you indicate this by using single quotation
marks inside the double quotation marks. An example looks like this: "Mom,
you once told me, 'you should clean your room or else it will smell bad,' and
you were right."
Dialogue is a joy to write once you are familiar with the rules of formatting. Stick
to it and ask your teachers if you need any help. Mastery of dialogue tends to
come easily with time; it simply takes a little bit of practice.
#1: Watch Your Dialogue Tags
A dialogue tag is the bit you put before or after the dialogue, like:
he said
she asked
I replied
#2: Ground Your Dialogue in a Scene
Every conversation that takes place needs to besomewhere.
Where are your characters? In a busy coffee shop, driving in a car, on a train, at
home?
Whos nearby? Nosy onlookers, young children, the boss
You dont have to have action or description after every single line of dialogue, but you do
need a sense that your characters are physically located in a particular setting.
It can be tough to manage dialogue on the phone, where characters cant see one another; you
can use tone of voice or background noise to help add to the scene.
#3: Use Dialect and Accents with Caution
If you have a Scottish character, they dont need to sound like a Burns poem. Use the
occasional dialect word like wee and the reader will get the idea.
#4: Dont Let One Person Speak for Too Long
In real life, we dont normally give long speeches during regular conversations..
If your characters have long blocks of speech, break those up. Other characters could butt
in or simply ask for clarification. You could also have non-verbal responses from the listeners
(nodding, sighing, frowning, etc).
#5: Realistic Doesnt Mean Real
Dialogue is supposed to give an impression of real speech; its not supposed to be a
transcript of how we really talk.
#6: Give Your Characters Distinct Speech Patterns
Do all your characters sound exactly the same? .
Think about:
Age: a 13-year-old will speak differently from a 70-year-old
Gender: women and men may use different vocabulary
Social background: does your character use down-to-earth words or posh ones?
Education level: does your character have a wide or limited vocabulary?
Geographical area: where do they live?
Particular catch phrases: dont go overboard here, but consider whether your
character has any common phrases (things like for sure! or good good or
awesome)
Verbosity: some people tend to babble, others will be taciturn
#7: Dont Put Exposition in the Dialogue
Avoid having characters tell one another things that they logically should already
know. This sort of dialogue is a particular problem for sci-fi writers: But captain, if the
unobtanium runs out, the whole ship is gonna blow
#8: Use Silence as Well as Words
Sometimes, whats not said is more powerful than what is said.
If one character says I love you and the other person doesnt say anything at all, thats often
stronger than a response like Oh, okay or Yeah, right.
When a character refuses to respond to a particular question, or refuses to speak to a certain
person, we immediately know that theres something going on without the author having to
say James didnt want to talk about his marriage or Mary hadnt been on speaking terms
with her mother-in-law for years.
#9: Get in Late, Leave Early
You dont have to begin the conversation at the first word and end at the last.
If someones talking on the phone, cut out all the Hi, how are you? Fine thanks, and you?
bits at the start. Yes, theyre realistic but the reader isnt interested.
Often, its powerful to end a scene on a line of a dialogue. We dont need to see how the
other character responds. We definitely dont need the conversation to tail off into Bye and
See you next time.
#10: Punctuate Your Dialogue Correctly
This is crucial if youre going to be submitting your work to publishers, or if youre entering
writing competitions. Its also vital if youre self-publishing you want your story or novel
to be as professional as possible.
Dialogue should:
Begin on a new line for each new speaker
Have double or single quotation marks around the words (be consistent with which
you choose as a rule of thumb, the US standard is double and UK is single)
Have punctuation inside the quotation marks
End the dialogue line with a comma if youre adding a dialogue tag, but with a full
stop if youre adding an action.
Heres an example:
Joe, please come here, Sarah said. We need to talk.
What about?
You know what. She folded her arms.
If youre struggling with dialogue, try writing a new scene that involves an important
conversation. And if youve already written lots of dialogue thats not quite working, go back
through with these ten tips in mind see how you can strengthen it.

Report writing
Introduction
A report is a formal text that gives you information about a subject that you are
interested in and would like to know more about. It is different from a recount or an
explanation text because it isn't written in the order that things happen.
Title and First Sentence
Paragraphs
Facts
Diagrams and Pictures
Writing a Report
Title and First Sentence
Reports have titles that tell the reader what they will be reading about.
The title will usually be a simple sentence to help the reader choose whether the
report will give them the information they need. For example, if you were you
looking for information about stars and planets, you wouldn't read a report called
'Big Cats that Live in the Jungle'!
The first sentence after the title will introduce the topic with a statement. This is
usually a summary of what the report will be about.
For example, a report called 'Big Cats that Live in the Jungle', might start with the
sentence;
'There are many different big cats living in jungles around the world.'
Paragraphs
Paragraphs help to organise your writing into key points. New paragraphs will
usually start with a subheading that tells you what information you can expect to
find there.
The first sentence will usually be a summary of the paragraph. The rest of the
paragraph will then go on to give you facts and information about the subject.
For example - Tigers
Tigers are some of the biggest jungle cats you will find but they are also some of the
rarest.
There are several types of tiger such as the Siberian Tiger and the Bengal Tiger. A
tiger's stripes help it to hide amongst the leaves in the jungle so it can creep up and
catch its prey with its enormous teeth and claws.
Diet: Carnivores, (meat eaters) - antelope, deer, buffalo etc.
Habitat: Forests, jungles and swamps
Where Found: India, Asia and China
Facts
Non-chronological reports rely on facts to make them interesting to readers. When
you are writing a non-chronological report, you need to make sure that your facts are
relevant and useful.
A good example of this is;
'Tigers are endangered because they have been hunted almost to extinction over the
last 100 years.'
It would also include facts about why this is the case and what has been done about it.
When you are writing a non-chronological report, try not to include opinions. Your
reader wants to know facts about the subject, not want you think about it.
Diagrams and Pictures
Reports usually use diagrams and pictures to help back up the information they give.
Pictures always use a caption, (a short sentence that explains what is happening in the
picture) to back up facts.
Diagrams such as bar charts give us a lot of information in an easy to understand. For
example;
Endangered Species

The numbers of tigers left in the wild are getting dangerously low. In 2010 there were
only 5000 tigers left living wild in the entire world, compared to over 100,000 in
1900.
Writing a Report
Title: Use a simple title that clearly tells the reader what your report is about.
First sentence: Your first sentence needs to introduce your topic and summarise what
the report is going to be about.
Paragraphs and subheadings: Break your report into paragraphs. Introduce the
subject of each paragraph with a subheading and a simple first sentence. This will help
the reader to scan the report to find the information they need quickly.
Write clearly: Make sure that your writing is clear and doesn't confuse the reader
with unnecessary information or opinions.
Style: Make your writing formal and back up your explanations with facts. Add
comments and questions to interest your reader.
Check it through: Re-read your report once you have finished to be sure it is
interesting, informative and not too long.
Another simple example of report writing for kids - Bicycles
Bicycles are a mode of transport. They bring people from place to place.
They have two wheels attached to a frame, with a seat and handle bars for steering.
They also have brakes.
Bicycles are made in factories and then sold in shops.
People use bicycles to get to work and for pleasure.
Cycling is good exercise.







Puppets
Here are some puppets. Puppets are a type of toy. A puppet can look like a person, an
animal or an object.
There are many different types of puppets from very small finger puppets to big life
size marionettes.
Finger puppets fit over your fingers and glove puppets fit over your hands. They can
be made from various materials such as wood, cloth, milk cartons or cardboard.
The person who controls the puppet is called the puppeteer. Sometimes the puppeteer
uses puppets which have strings or rods that are moved from above or behind. The
puppeteer is hidden so that the audience in a puppet theatre sees only the puppets
performing. They are brought to life with clever hand movements.
Puppet shows have been performed by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Today the
most popular puppet show is the Muppets.
Antarctica
Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, highest and driest continent in the world. It is
situated at and around the South Pole.
Most of Antarctica is covered in very thick ice and snow. In fact, the ice covering
Antarctica makes up nearly 70% of the worlds fresh water.
The average rainfall on Antarctica is lower than in many desert areas in the world. By
that standard, it could be said that Antarctica is the largest desert in the world.
For obvious reasons, Antarctica is mostly uninhabited, apart from staff working at
research stations. No land vertebrates live on Antarctica, but a handful of insects and
worms have been found. Penguins, seabirds, seals, whales and dolphins inhabit the
waters and shores.
Antartica is like no other continent in the world. Its extremes make it one of the most
spectacular and beautiful places on Earth.
Penguins
Penguins are birds that are very easy to recognise. They are unusual birds that stand
upright.
There are eighteen kinds of penguins. The largest, the emperor penguin, is more
than one metre high and the smallest is only about thirty centimetres high. Their short,
thick, waterproof feathers are white on the front and black on the back. Under their
skin they have a thick layer of fat called blubber. This keeps them warm in the cold
snow and icy waters in which they swim.
Penguins live in the southern part of the world, the Antarctic, New Zealand,
Australia and South Africa. They spend much of their lives in water but lay their eggs
and raise their young on land.
Although penguins are birds, they cannot fly. Instead, they move over land by
walking, bouncing and sliding. They can also jump the height of their own bodies.
Penguins are excellent swimmers. Their long, flat flippers help them to swim and
dive, and their large, round eyes help them to see when they go deep in the dark water.
Penguins eat fish mostly. They catch fish while swimming and swallow it whole.
They swim hundreds of kilometres in search of food.
Penguins are among the most fascinating birds in the world.
Mars: the red planet
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun. You can see Mars from earth as a reddish-
orange colour. This is because it has red soil.
Mars would not be a pleasant place to visit. The air is mostly carbon dioxide, there are
lots of giant dust storms and the average temperature is 60 degrees C.
But Mars has a few things in common with Earth. It has clouds, canyons, valleys,
plains, mountains, polar ice-caps and even volcanoes. Scientists have also found
frozen water under the surface of the planet.