Every day, you talk to your family, friends, and teachers. When you talk to someone and they talk back, it is called a conversation. When we write down a conversation between two or more people, it is called a dialogue.
Dialogue writing is an important skill. It is used in stories, plays, and everyday writing. Let us learn how to write dialogues properly!
A dialogue is a written conversation between two or more people. Each person speaks in turns. We write exactly what each person says.
Think about it: When you ask your mother, "What is for dinner?" and she replies, "We are having rajma-chawal" -- that is a dialogue!
Rule 1: Always use quotation marks (" ") around the exact words spoken by a person.
Rule 2: Start a new line each time a different person speaks.
Rule 3: Use reporting words like said, asked, replied, exclaimed, shouted, whispered, answered to show who is speaking and how.
Rule 4: Begin the spoken words with a capital letter.
Rule 5: Place a comma, question mark, or exclamation mark before the closing quotation mark.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dialogue | A written conversation between two or more people |
| Quotation marks | The marks (" ") placed around the exact words spoken |
| Reporting words | Words like said, asked, replied that tell us who is speaking |
| Conversation | A talk between two or more people |
| Speaker | The person who is talking |
Customer: "Namaste, bhaiya. What fruits do you have today?" asked the customer.
Shopkeeper: "Namaste! I have fresh mangoes, bananas, guavas, and pomegranates," replied the shopkeeper.
Customer: "How much are the mangoes?" asked the customer.
Shopkeeper: "Mangoes are eighty rupees per kilogram," said the shopkeeper.
Customer: "Please give me two kilograms of mangoes and one kilogram of guavas," said the customer.
Shopkeeper: "That will be two hundred and twenty rupees in total," replied the shopkeeper.
Customer: "Here you are. Thank you!" said the customer.
Shopkeeper: "Thank you! Please come again," said the shopkeeper with a smile.
Anita: "Priya, shall we go for a picnic this Sunday?" asked Anita.
Priya: "That sounds wonderful! Where should we go?" replied Priya.
Anita: "How about the Lodhi Garden? It has a big lawn and shady trees," suggested Anita.
Priya: "Great idea! What should we carry?" asked Priya.
Anita: "We can take sandwiches, lemonade, and some fruits," said Anita.
Priya: "I will also bring a mat to sit on and a cricket bat," replied Priya.
Anita: "Perfect! Let us meet at the bus stop at nine in the morning," said Anita.
Priya: "I will be there on time. I cannot wait!" exclaimed Priya.
1. Use short sentences -- people do not speak in very long sentences.
2. Use different reporting words -- do not write "said" every time. Try asked, replied, exclaimed, whispered, shouted, answered.
3. Add small actions to make the dialogue lively: "said the shopkeeper with a smile" or "asked Ravi, looking excited."
4. Make sure the dialogue sounds real -- read it aloud to check if it sounds like a real conversation.
5. Use polite words like please, thank you, namaste, and excuse me.
A. Fill in the Blanks
B. Multiple Choice Questions
C. Write a Dialogue (5-6 lines)
Prompt 1: Write a dialogue between a doctor and a patient. The patient has a cold and fever. The doctor asks questions and gives advice.
Prompt 2: Write a dialogue between a teacher and a student. The student wants to know about a school trip. The teacher gives details about the trip.
Dialogue with a Partner: Sit with a classmate. One of you is a librarian and the other is a student who wants to borrow a book. Have a conversation and then write it down as a proper dialogue using all the rules you have learned. Use at least three different reporting words.