the editors

Dialogue sans quotations

the editors
Advice for the Lit-Lorn

Dear Geist,

Is it okay to write dialogue without using quotation marks?

Dear Wondering,

Yes. Some writers use a dash to indicate a person starting to talk, some start a new paragraph, some run dialogue right into the text. It just has to be crystal clear who is speaking. In more formal writing, though, such as reports and school essays, go with quotation marks.