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WorksheetYear 8Level 2 · Standard

Free Year 8 Punctuating Dialogue: Quotation Marks, Commas and New Speakers Worksheet

Students learn the conventions for setting out dialogue in a story: quotation marks around the spoken words, a comma or other mark inside the closing quotation mark before the speaker tag, capital letters for new sentences of speech, interrupted speech and a new line for each new speaker. They choose correctly punctuated dialogue, fix errors, set out an unbroken conversation correctly and write a dialogue of their own.

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Year
Year 8
Subject
English
Topic
Punctuation
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
25 minutes
Curriculum
Australian Curriculum
Questions
13
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4), print or complete online

Students will practise

  • placing quotation marks around spoken words
  • punctuating speaker tags before and after speech
  • punctuating interrupted speech
  • starting a new line for each new speaker
  • setting out a conversation correctly

Curriculum: Australian Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Punctuating Dialogue: Quotation Marks, Commas and New Speakers

  1. 1Active and Passive Voice
  2. 2Relative Clauses: Essential and Non-Essential Information
  3. 3Parallel Structure: Keeping Lists and Comparisons Balanced

How to use this worksheet

  1. Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
  2. Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
  3. Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
  4. Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.

Common questions

Who is this worksheet for?

Year 8 students (typically ages 13–14) working on punctuation. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.

How long does it take?

About 25 minutes for 13 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try Active and Passive Voice.

Preview

Success TutoringWorksheetsYear 8 · English · Punctuation

Punctuating Dialogue: Quotation Marks, Commas and New Speakers

Name

Date

Score /

Quotation marks hold the spoken words; the punctuation that belongs to the speech stays inside them.

Part A: Choose the correct version

1.Which is correctly punctuated?
  1. A"We should leave now" said Kim.
  2. B"We should leave now," said Kim.
  3. C"We should leave now." said Kim.
  4. D"We should leave now", said Kim.
2.Which is correctly punctuated?
  1. AKim said, "we should leave now."
  2. BKim said "We should leave now".
  3. CKim said, "We should leave now."
  4. DKim said. "We should leave now."
3.Which is correctly punctuated?
  1. A"Are you ready?" asked Tom.
  2. B"Are you ready?," asked Tom.
  3. C"Are you ready", asked Tom?
  4. D"Are you ready?" Asked Tom.
4.Which correctly punctuates speech that is interrupted by the speaker tag?
  1. A"If we hurry," said Ana, "We might catch the bus."
  2. B"If we hurry," said Ana, "we might catch the bus."
  3. C"If we hurry" said Ana "we might catch the bus."
  4. D"If we hurry," said Ana. "we might catch the bus."
5.Which correctly shows two separate sentences of speech around a tag?
  1. A"I'm tired," said Ana, "let's go home."
  2. B"I'm tired," said Ana. "Let's go home."
  3. C"I'm tired." said Ana. "Let's go home."
  4. D"I'm tired," said Ana "Let's go home."

Part B: Fix it

6.Fix the punctuation: "Watch out" yelled the lifeguard. (answer space)
7.Fix the punctuation: my coach said "keep your eyes on the ball". (answer space)
8.Fix the punctuation: "I think" whispered Sam "that someone is following us". (answer space)
9.Each time a different character speaks, the dialogue should start on a new line. ☐ True   ☐ False
10.The speaker tag after a question should start with a capital letter, as in "Where are you going?" She asked. ☐ True   ☐ False

Part C: Set out the conversation

11.This conversation has no quotation marks and is written as one paragraph. Rewrite it correctly, starting a new line for each speaker. Where is the map asked Jess. I left it in the car said Omar. You what said Jess. Don't panic said Omar I took a photo of it. (answer space)
12.Writers do not need a speaker tag on every line. When can tags be left out? (answer space)
Free worksheets at worksheets.successtutoring.com · © Success Tutoring · Free for personal and classroom use

Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

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About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.