As I discussed in Spoonful #16, dialogue tags help readers to know who's talking in books and essays. But while my last spoonful covered comma usage when dialogue tags come first, this spoonful introduces Comma Rule #8: WHEN DIALOGUE TAGS COME LAST.  

The most common dialogue tags are he said and she said for good reason: they possess the powers of invisibility. Use memorable tags like growled, shrieked, or mumbled more sparingly, as they hog center stage. 

Remember these points when the dialogue tag comes last.
1) If the quoted sentence ends with a PERIOD, change it to a COMMA. The period should be placed at the end of the sentence, after the dialogue tag. 

2) If the quoted sentence within ends with a QUESTION MARK, DON'T change it. But in this case, your spell checker may tell you to capitalize the h in he said or the s in she said. That is incorrect!
The h or s should be lower case and a period will still follow the tag. Names will always start with letters, so if your tag is John said or Mary says, keep the J and M capitalized. 

3) If the quoted sentence ends with an EXCLAMATION MARK, DON'T change it either. ​The rules with question marks and exclamation marks are the same. 

Now for some useful examples. 

"I'm taking AP History next year," he said with glee. 

"What time are we meeting?" he asked, biting his nails. 

"Get off my grass!" Mr. Mills screamed.

"I really mean it!" screamed Mr. Mills.

 “Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly,” John F. Kennedy said. 

In my next spoonful, I'll explain what to do when the dialogue tag comes both BEFORE and AFTER the dialogue tag. 

Sincerely,
Laura Fineberg Cooper

In books and essays, dialogue often requires tags to let the reader know who's talking. The most common tags by far are he said and she said, hence this spoonful's title.

But tags can also include names and use more descriptive words like screamed, yelled, called, and whispered.

Because comma usage with dialogue tags is a wee bit complicated, this topic will be spread over the next few spoonfuls. First up: COMMA RULE #7: WHEN DIALOGUE TAGS COME FIRST

Here are the points to remember when the dialogue tag comes first.
1) The comma is placed after the tag and before the beginning quotation mark. 

2) The period, exclamation mark, or question mark will go inside the closing quotation mark, at the end of the sentence. 

3) Make sure the sentences start with capital letters. 

Now for some useful examples. 

He said, "I'm taking AP History next year."

John asked, "What time are we meeting?"

Mr. Mills screamed, "Get off my grass!"

Charles Dickens wrote, "This is a world of action, and not for     moping and droning in."

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Why are he said and she said so popular? Because they're so simple, you barely notice them when you read. If a writer chooses a more dramatic or descriptive tag, it will definitely be noticed. You can avoid tags completely if you identify an action for the character who will speak. In general, it's nice to mix it up.

And that's a wrap! Next time, I'll cover what to do when the dialogue tag comes AFTER the dialogue. 

Sincerely,
Laura Fineberg Cooper

Trust me when I tell you that COMMAS CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH...AND ALSO PREVENT EMBARASSMENT! You don't really want to eat your beloved grandma, do you? That's why we need COMMA RULE #6: COMMAS WITH DIRECT ADDRESSES.

What is a DIRECT ADDRESS? A name or anything at all that one person uses to address another person, anything from nice and polite to informal and snarky.

​This comma rule comes into play when you're writing dialogue. If you start an address or greeting with a person's name, follow it with a comma. If the greeting or comment comes first, precede the name with a comma. After looking at these examples, I hope all will become crystal clear.

"What's up, Sally?"
"Hey, don't walk away from me!"
"Derek, is it your turn to bring in snacks?"
"Hi there, Adam."
"Sir, may I have your assistance?"
"The answer is still no, Sam."
"Good morning, class."
"Let's go outside, Tiger."
"Howdy, Ma'am."
"Yes, Mary, you're definitely invited to my party."
"Sweetie, dinner is ready."

Don't confuse DIRECT ADDRESSES with SALUTATIONS in letters, which start with DEAR, like Dear Grandma or Dear Editor. 

That's it for today's spoonful. I hope you found it delightfully short and easy to understand. 

Sincerely,
​Laura Fineberg Cooper

Are you wondering what in the world this spoonful is about? It's a mouthful and a half, so get ready: Comma Rule #5 covers APPOSITIVE PHRASES!! Clear as mud, right?!? No worries! Read on and all will be explained. 

I refer to these as interrupters - words added to provide extra detail. These interrupters are bookended by commas or dashes: if lifted out of a sentence, the sentence will remain complete.

Here's an example:
The waiters, all wearing blue aprons, handed out refreshments to the crowd. 

If you lift out the section between the commas, you're left with this:
The waiters handed out refreshments to the crowd. 

Is that still a complete sentence (AKA INDEPENDENT CLAUSE)? YES!

Let's look at one more example, this time using dashes.
(SPECIAL NOTE: These are supposed to be the longer EM dashes, not the typical shorter variety.) 
The dog - panting with excitement - watched the boys play soccer.

Here's the complete sentence without the interrupter:
The dog watched the boys play soccer. 

Does it matter whether you use commas or dashes? No, but commas are most common by far. The ACT, however, seems to favor dashes. The most important point to remember, whether you personally favor commas or dashes, is that the sentence must remain complete when the interrupter is removed. 

If you see one dash on a standardized test - ACT or SAT - they could be testing if you recognize the need for a second dash. If that doesn't work, the dash could be functioning like a colon instead. I'll leave you with an example of a single (em) dash used as a colon. 
Jason was the league's highest scorer - a shoo-in for a football scholarship.
(Notice how that information is expected, rather than a surprise or information list, as is the case with a colon? That's splitting hairs, perhaps, but you can be the judge.)

That's a wrap! There are still a few more comma rules to cover, so stay tuned for the next spoonful. 

Sincerely,
Laura Fineberg Cooper