The paper presents a mechanistic account of dialogue, the interactive alignment model, which posits that dialogue involves the automatic alignment of linguistic representations at multiple levels. This alignment simplifies language processing by enabling interactive inference, the development of dialogue routines, and self-monitoring. The model contrasts with traditional mechanistic accounts of monologue, which focus on isolated words or sentences. The interactive alignment model is supported by evidence from dialogue studies, showing that alignment occurs through priming mechanisms and that alignment at one level influences alignment at others. The model also addresses the need for a grammatical framework tailored to dialogue, not monologue. The paper discusses implications for linguistic theory, the distinction between dialogue and monologue, and broader applications in social interaction and language acquisition. It argues that dialogue is a coordinated activity where interlocutors align their representations, leading to efficient communication. The model emphasizes the importance of alignment across levels of representation, including situation models, lexical, and syntactic levels, and highlights the role of repair mechanisms in maintaining alignment. The paper concludes that dialogue involves a dynamic, interactive process that is fundamentally different from monologue.The paper presents a mechanistic account of dialogue, the interactive alignment model, which posits that dialogue involves the automatic alignment of linguistic representations at multiple levels. This alignment simplifies language processing by enabling interactive inference, the development of dialogue routines, and self-monitoring. The model contrasts with traditional mechanistic accounts of monologue, which focus on isolated words or sentences. The interactive alignment model is supported by evidence from dialogue studies, showing that alignment occurs through priming mechanisms and that alignment at one level influences alignment at others. The model also addresses the need for a grammatical framework tailored to dialogue, not monologue. The paper discusses implications for linguistic theory, the distinction between dialogue and monologue, and broader applications in social interaction and language acquisition. It argues that dialogue is a coordinated activity where interlocutors align their representations, leading to efficient communication. The model emphasizes the importance of alignment across levels of representation, including situation models, lexical, and syntactic levels, and highlights the role of repair mechanisms in maintaining alignment. The paper concludes that dialogue involves a dynamic, interactive process that is fundamentally different from monologue.