Grade 5 · Reading · Lesson 27

Use expression for character dialogue

Dialogue on the page is just black ink. A confident reader brings it alive by giving each character their own VOICE. The same line — "We are really going to the lake" — sounds excited from Maya, nervous from Sam, and sarcastic from Jordan. Expression is what tells the listener WHO is speaking and HOW they feel, even before they hear the character\u2019s name.

What this lesson teaches

1Match a character to the tone their dialogue should carry
2Use stage directions to guide the voice of a line
3Rewrite a flat dialogue line with vivid expression cues
4Read a dialogue aloud so each character sounds different

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