Dialog with a tag
Tag following quoted dialog:
"That's fine. Whatever you decide," he said.
"That's fine. What does she think?" he said.
Tag preceding quoted dialog:
He said, "That's fine. Whatever you decide."
He said, "That's fine. What does she think?"
Tag between two separate dialog sentences:
"That's fine," he said. "Whatever you decide."
"That's fine," he said. "What does she think?"
- or -
"That's fine." He said, "Whatever you decide."
"That's fine." He said, "What does she think?"
Tag interrupting a dialog sentence:
"That," he said, "is fine. Whatever you decide."
"That, "he said, "is fine. What does she think?"
Dialog without a tag, but with an associated narrative sentence
Narrative sentence following quoted dialog:
"That's fine. Whatever you decide." He shrugged.
"That's fine. What does she think?" He shrugged.
Narrative sentence preceding quoted dialog:
He shrugged. "That's fine. Whatever you decide."
He shrugged. "That's fine. What does she think?"
Narrative sentence between two separate dialog sentences:
"That's fine." He shrugged. "Whatever you decide."
"That's fine." He shrugged. "What does she think?"
Narrative sentence interrupting a dialog sentence:
"That." He shrugged. "Is fine. Whatever you decide."
"That." He shrugged. "Is fine. What does she think?"
Dialog ending with an exclamation point, ellipsis, or emdash follows the same pattern as the question mark.
Tag following quoted dialog:
"That's fine. Whatever you decide," he said.
"That's fine. What does she think?" he said.
Tag preceding quoted dialog:
He said, "That's fine. Whatever you decide."
He said, "That's fine. What does she think?"
Tag between two separate dialog sentences:
"That's fine," he said. "Whatever you decide."
"That's fine," he said. "What does she think?"
- or -
"That's fine." He said, "Whatever you decide."
"That's fine." He said, "What does she think?"
Tag interrupting a dialog sentence:
"That," he said, "is fine. Whatever you decide."
"That, "he said, "is fine. What does she think?"
Dialog without a tag, but with an associated narrative sentence
Narrative sentence following quoted dialog:
"That's fine. Whatever you decide." He shrugged.
"That's fine. What does she think?" He shrugged.
Narrative sentence preceding quoted dialog:
He shrugged. "That's fine. Whatever you decide."
He shrugged. "That's fine. What does she think?"
Narrative sentence between two separate dialog sentences:
"That's fine." He shrugged. "Whatever you decide."
"That's fine." He shrugged. "What does she think?"
Narrative sentence interrupting a dialog sentence:
"That." He shrugged. "Is fine. Whatever you decide."
"That." He shrugged. "Is fine. What does she think?"
Dialog ending with an exclamation point, ellipsis, or emdash follows the same pattern as the question mark.