Breaks in Speech Answer Key

This worksheet teaches students how to punctuate dialogue that contains interruptions or pauses. Learners rewrite several sentences using em dashes to show when one speaker cuts another off and ellipses to indicate hesitation or trailing speech. This helps students understand how punctuation can reflect natural speech patterns and enhance realism in dialogue writing. The worksheet also includes space for students to create their own interrupted line and paused line, reinforcing hands-on application of the skill. Students gain a deeper understanding of how punctuation shapes tone, rhythm, and character expression.

Curriculum Matched Skills

English Language Arts – Dialogue Punctuation (Em Dashes and Ellipses)

Writing – Representing Natural Speech Patterns

Narrative Techniques – Showing Interruptions and Hesitation

Editing and Revising – Applying Correct Dialogue Mechanics

This worksheet is part of our Dialogue Writing Worksheets collection.