Dialogue — Drama, 7–10 years
Dialogue is the spoken exchange between characters. It does more than fill silence: it reveals what people want, know or try to hide.
What is dialogue?
Dialogue is what characters say to one another in a play. Each line can answer, question, persuade, warn or change the situation. Good dialogue sounds like a real exchange, but it is carefully chosen so the story moves.
Why use dialogue?
A play cannot show every thought or explain every event with a narrator. Characters therefore reveal the story while trying to get something from one another. A conversation becomes dramatic when what one person wants does not match what the other will give.
A conversation that changes
Mia wants the last biscuit, and Leo wants to save it. Mia asks politely: “May I have it?” Leo says no. She then offers half, but he still refuses. Finally, she tells him she missed lunch, and Leo breaks it in two. Each line changes the choice.
The common trap
A common mistake is making characters say exactly what they feel: “I am angry because you took my book.” It is reasonable because clear sentences are easy to write and understand. Often, a pause, an excuse or a subject change can reveal the feeling more naturally.
Where it is used
Dialogue is used in plays, films, television, audio stories, comics and games with spoken characters. Outside school, practising it can help you write a short scene or notice that people sometimes avoid saying what matters most.
Keep exploring
Other languages
Loading MyLeoNes™…