GRADE 8 indigenous languages – Writing to give information – Dialogue Quiz
1. When writing a dialogue in an indigenous language, what should you do each time a different person speaks?
A new paragraph for each speaker makes who is talking clear to the reader and is a basic grammatical and formatting rule for dialogues.
2. In direct speech, where is the comma placed when the speaker tag follows the quotation? Example: "I will go to the market," Amina said.
When a speech tag follows direct speech, a comma is placed inside the closing quotation marks to separate the quoted sentence from the tag.
3. If a character asks a question in direct speech, where does the question mark go? Example: "Are you coming?" asked Otieno.
The question mark belongs inside the quotation marks because it is part of the quoted question; the speaker tag follows after.
4. When a speech tag interrupts a sentence of direct speech, which punctuation should follow the first part before the closing quote? Example: "I will," she said, "help you."
When a speech tag splits a sentence, use a comma at the break inside the quotation marks so the sentence reads as one continuous utterance.
5. In reported (indirect) speech, the word "today" usually changes to which form? Example: Direct: "I saw him today." Reported: She said that she saw him ___.
In backshifting to reported speech, time words often change: 'today' becomes 'that day' to reflect the shift in point of view.
6. When you change direct speech in the past tense into reported speech, which verb change is usually correct? Direct: "I am tired," she said. Reported: She said that she ___.
Present-tense verbs in direct speech usually shift to the past in reported speech (backshifting): 'am' becomes 'was'.
7. When a speaker addresses someone by name inside direct speech, which punctuation is used after the name? Example: "Wanjiru, come here," said the teacher.
Use a comma after a vocative (the name of the person being addressed) to mark direct address within speech.
8. Which punctuation is best to show that a speaker's words are suddenly cut off by someone or something in dialogue?
An em dash indicates a sudden break or interruption in speech; an ellipsis is used more for trailing off or hesitation.
9. Which punctuation indicates that a speaker's voice trails off and does not finish the sentence?
Ellipsis dots show that speech trails off or the speaker leaves a thought unfinished.
10. Which reporting verb is most appropriate when showing that someone asked a question in dialogue?
'Asked' is the standard reporting verb to introduce a question in dialogue because it specifically indicates a question was posed.
11. If a character speaks more than one sentence, how should the quotation marks be placed?
When a speaker's dialogue contains several sentences, the opening and closing quotation marks should enclose the whole passage of speech.
12. When a sentence of direct speech begins, how should the first word be written inside the quotation marks?
Direct speech is treated as a full sentence, so its first word is capitalized.
13. If the speech tag comes before the quotation, which punctuation often follows the tag? Example: He said, "I am hungry."
A comma typically separates a preceding speech tag from the quoted sentence that follows it.
14. When changing direct speech to reported speech, the pronoun 'you' (spoken to the reporter) usually becomes which pronoun? Direct: "I will help you," he said to me. Reported: He said that he would help ___.
In reported speech, pronouns are changed to fit the new perspective: 'you' (addressed to the reporter) becomes 'me'.
15. When quoting a character's words that themselves contain a short quote, which punctuation is commonly used for the inner quotation?
Standard practice is to use single quotes inside double quotes to show a quote within quoted speech.
16. Which verb form is used in dialogue for direct commands or instructions? Example: "Close the door," Mama said.
Commands in speech use the imperative form of the verb to give orders or instructions directly.
17. When converting a sentence with 'will' in direct speech to reported speech, how does 'will' usually change? Direct: "I will come," he said. Reported: He said that he ___.
In reported speech, future 'will' is usually backshifted to 'would' to match the past viewpoint of the reporting verb.
18. How should short spoken phrases or single words used in a sentence (not as full lines of dialogue) be shown?
Short quoted words or phrases within narrative are shown with quotation marks to indicate they are spoken or quoted.
19. When a speaker answers a question directly in dialogue, which reporting verb is grammatically most suitable to introduce the reply?
'Answered' is the appropriate reporting verb to introduce a reply to a question because it clearly signals a response.
20. If the direct speech contains two separate sentences by the same speaker, do you put closing quotation marks after the first sentence?
For multiple sentences by one speaker, opening quotation marks at the start and closing marks at the end keep the speech as one quoted unit.
21. Which change usually happens to the time word 'now' when direct speech is turned into reported speech?
'Now' typically changes to 'then' in reported speech to shift the temporal reference from the original moment to the reporting viewpoint.
22. When writing dialogue that includes a quoted question inside another character's speech, which punctuation sequence is correct? Example: He asked, "Did she say 'sawa'?"
Use double quotes for the main speech, single quotes for a quote within it, and place the question mark that belongs to the outer sentence inside the outer quotation marks.
23. What is the main reason Kenyan learners should put each speaker on a new line and use clear speech tags when writing dialogues in indigenous languages?
Starting a new line for each speaker and using speech tags clarifies the flow of conversation and enforces correct dialogue grammar and readability.
24. When converting: Direct: "I have already eaten," she said. Reported: She said that she ___. Which is correct?
Present perfect in direct speech usually shifts to past perfect in reported speech: 'have eaten' becomes 'had eaten' (backshift).
25. Which of these shows correct punctuation for a short line of dialogue in an indigenous language greeting? Example: "Habari, teacher," said Amina.
Short spoken greetings are treated as direct speech: enclose them in quotation marks and use a comma before the following speaker tag.