ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the grammatical concept of using commas and quotation marks when writing dialogue. It begins by describing high-frequency sentence structures that authors use when writing dialogue and considering how commas and quotation marks are used in each of these sentence types. The chapter then discusses the importance of this concept to effective writing, using examples of commas and quotation marks from the dialogue in published texts to convey its significance. Next, the chapter presents a classroom snapshot section, which features a third-grade teacher’s work helping her students understand this concept. The chapter then provides key recommendations for teaching students about the use of commas and quotation marks when writing dialogue. It concludes with final thoughts on this topic and a series of steps teachers can use to support students who need extra assistance understanding how to use commas and quotation marks when writing dialogue.