Effective dialogue is natural and not forced. According to Gregg Garrett,
"Dialogue is one of the most
important tools a writer has because it's so useful in so many ways: Speech
gives vital information about a character's background, social status, and
education; it reveals to us what a character is thinking (or at least, what he
says that he is thinking); it can advance the plot; it can provide exposition in
a dramatic fashion."