so you can use commas in dialogue cause im a tiny bit confused

Yes. You CAN use commas in dialogue. Now, go back and listen again, and when you finish, you'll be less confused.

chicken is delicious, right?

You can also say "Chickens are Delicious, right?" As that sentence doesn't make the MOST sense!

How do the readers know if the sentence is a question or an exclamation if you end the sentence with a comma?

Commas aren't the only punctuation used in dialogue. They're replacements for periods in dialogue, not question marks or exclamation marks. For example, look at these: "It's Superman!" someone shouted. "Who's Superman?" someone else replied.

why do we need commas and dialouge

If we were all prisoners in solitary confinement, we would need neither commas nor dialogue. BUT, because we are involved in social life, we need dialogue, which is "words between each other". Speech needs no commas. If we only spoke, we would not need commas. BUT, because we also write, we need commas to separate things, and to induce us to pause from time to time. I hope that helps.

Hey David at 1:56 instead of it being Roxane said what if it was said Roxane would it be the same thing?

I was wondering the same thing. I would think so, and it rolls off the tongue smoother.

I asked this before but If there is a script is David a actor?

If he's working from a script, then rather than an actor, he might be a preacher. That's how I did it.

so when you're ending a sentence with a dialogue: john exclaimed, "I don't know what happened." will you put it like this: john exclaimed, "I don't know what happened.". or like this: john exclaimed, "I don't know what happened,". or like this: john exclaimed, "I don't know what happened."

You use the pattern exemplified in your final statement.

Main content

Course: Grammar > Unit 6

Lesson 3: More ways to use commas

Commas in dialogue

Name: Commas in dialogue
Uploaded: 2016-06-06T23:42:48Z
Description: “Today we’re going to talk about using commas in dialogue,” said David and Paige, KA’s resident grammarians.

Google Classroom

“Today we’re going to talk about using commas in dialogue,” said David and Paige, KA’s resident grammarians.

Want to join the conversation?

Sort by:

Betty Carter
Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to Betty Carter's post “so you can use commas in ...”
so you can use commas in dialogue cause im a tiny bit confused
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Betty Carter's post “so you can use commas in ...”
(14 votes)
Answer
- David Alexander
  Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “Yes. You CAN use commas i...”
  Yes. You CAN use commas in dialogue. Now, go back and listen again, and when you finish, you'll be less confused.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (6 votes)
Colin
Posted 7 months ago. Direct link to Colin's post “chicken is delicious, rig...”
chicken is delicious, right?
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Colin's post “chicken is delicious, rig...”
(9 votes)
Answer
- Toasty
  Posted a month ago. Direct link to Toasty's post “You can also say "Chicken...”
  You can also say "Chickens are Delicious, right?"
  
  As that sentence doesn't make the MOST sense!
  Comment on Toasty's post “You can also say "Chicken...”
  (2 votes)
Sanjana
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Sanjana's post “How do the readers know i...”
How do the readers know if the sentence is a question or an exclamation if you end the sentence with a comma?
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(6 votes)
Answer
- Courteney
  Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Courteney's post “Commas aren't the only pu...”
  Commas aren't the only punctuation used in dialogue. They're replacements for periods in dialogue, not question marks or exclamation marks. For example, look at these:
  
  "It's Superman!" someone shouted.
  "Who's Superman?" someone else replied.
  Comment on Courteney's post “Commas aren't the only pu...”
  (8 votes)
Avery 611869
Posted 6 months ago. Direct link to Avery 611869's post “I asked this before but I...”
I asked this before but If there is a script is David a actor?
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(3 votes)
Answer
- David Alexander
  Posted 6 months ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “If he's working from a sc...”
  If he's working from a script, then rather than an actor, he might be a preacher. That's how I did it.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (8 votes)
Trin
Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to Trin's post “im still a little confuse...”
im still a little confused with the commas but ill try my best
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(6 votes)
Answer
Olivia459
Posted 5 years ago. Direct link to Olivia459's post “why do we need commas and...”
why do we need commas and dialouge
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(4 votes)
Answer
- David Alexander
  Posted 5 years ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “If we were all prisoners ...”
  If we were all prisoners in solitary confinement, we would need neither commas nor dialogue. BUT, because we are involved in social life, we need dialogue, which is "words between each other". Speech needs no commas. If we only spoke, we would not need commas. BUT, because we also write, we need commas to separate things, and to induce us to pause from time to time. I hope that helps.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (4 votes)
Marietjie
Posted 3 months ago. Direct link to Marietjie's post “Do we put a comma like "...”
Do we put a comma like
"They are probably pirates," said Roxane.
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Marietjie's post “Do we put a comma like "...”
(3 votes)
Answer
- David Alexander
  Posted 3 months ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “Yes. That is correct usag...”
  Yes. That is correct usage.
  Comment on David Alexander's post “Yes. That is correct usag...”
  (5 votes)
TBS7A
Posted 6 months ago. Direct link to TBS7A's post “so when you're ending a s...”
so when you're ending a sentence with a dialogue:
john exclaimed, "I don't know what happened."
will you put it like this:
john exclaimed, "I don't know what happened.".
or like this:
john exclaimed, "I don't know what happened,".
or like this:
john exclaimed, "I don't know what happened."
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(3 votes)
Answer
- David Alexander
  Posted 6 months ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “You use the pattern exemp...”
  You use the pattern exemplified in your final statement.
  Comment on David Alexander's post “You use the pattern exemp...”
  (5 votes)
Isaac kohrumel
Posted 4 months ago. Direct link to Isaac kohrumel's post “Hey David at 1:56 instead...”
Hey David at
1:56
instead of it being Roxane said what if it was said Roxane would it be the same thing?
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(4 votes)
Answer
- Imri Brady
  Posted 4 months ago. Direct link to Imri Brady's post “I was wondering the same ...”
  I was wondering the same thing. I would think so, and it rolls off the tongue smoother.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (3 votes)
leslie.kaup
Posted 4 months ago. Direct link to leslie.kaup's post “I love it when David is b...”
I love it when David is being funny
Button navigates to signup pageComment on leslie.kaup's post “I love it when David is b...”
(4 votes)
Answer

Video transcript

- [Voiceover] Hello, Grammarians, and hello, Paige. - [Voiceover] Hi, David. - [Voiceover] So, we're gonna talk about using commas in dialogue. So I've got these two sentences here that I have removed all the punctuation from because I recognize that figuring out where to put commas when you are reporting someone else's speech, you know, for a newspaper article or a piece of fiction or whatever it is, can be quite confusing. And so here's basically what you need to know is that commas in dialogue essentially function as runways. It can ramp you up to get going for an utterance and take you down and land. Paige, would you read me this sentence? - [Voiceover] "Guillermo said, I have no idea "where I put that moonstone." - [Voiceover] So, we're starting into this sentence, and we're gonna use this comma as a ramp to divide between the utterance and what's called the dialogue tag. "So Guillermo said," comma, "I have no idea where I put that moonstone." This is the end of his utterance. We're gonna put a period here. However, sentence number two-- - [Voiceover] "They're probably pirates, "Roxane said." - [Voiceover] So here, since we're putting the dialogue tag after the reported speech, this were otherwise going to be a period. We're gonna put a comma here. "They're probably pirates," comma, "Roxane said," period. And why is this? It's because we're trying to separate between the reported speech and the dialogue tag itself. So, in the event that this were a question, however, you would use a question mark or if it were an exclamation, you would use an exclamation point, but if it were going to just be a period, you wouldn't do this. You wouldn't say, "They're probably pirates," period, "Roxane said." You would say, "They're probably pirates," comma, "Roxane said." - [Voiceover] Yeah. - [Voiceover] I know that's kinda confusing. But that is the style that we abide by in English. - [Voiceover] Right, so as you said, comma with dialogue is pretty much acting as a runway. - [Voiceover] Okay. - [Voiceover] So with the first sentence, "Guillermo said," comma, and then-- - [Voiceover] So just kinda like, take off-- - [Voiceover] Right, you're getting like, ramped up into the dialogue, and then with the second one, it's like the plane is landing, and, "They're probably pirates," and then the dialogue ends. - [Voiceover] Cool. - [Voiceover] But there has to be a comma in there to end it. - [Voiceover] So if the statement were going to end with a period, we'd use a comma in reported dialogue when the tag follows the reported speech. - [Voiceover] That's right. - [Voiceover] Otherwise, we'd use all the other relevant punctuation marks. - [Voiceover] Yeah. - [Voiceover] Okay, cool. So this is like the only time ever when you can end a sentence with a comma. - [Voiceover] Yeah, pretty much. - [Voiceover] Woah, that's awesome. - [Voiceover] Yeah. - [Voiceover] So that's how you use commas in dialogue. You can learn anything. David out. - [Voiceover] Paige out.