Pages will not type my dictation.
I try to dictate in Pages and I get a prompt but nothing happens, no Microphone symbol.
No microphone symbol has nothing to do with Pages, as you would ordinarily see the pulsing microphone avatar on the Desktop waiting for input — before you launched any application. In High Sierra, check System Preferences : Keyboard panel : Dictation, and click on the down-arrow for your microphone icon there. Select automatic. If you are using an older version of OS X or macOS, there may be a separate Dictation panel in System Preferences.
Also, check System Preferences : Sound panel : Input tab for available microphones. Switch to appropriate microphone if more than one.
You must click in the body text of Pages before a properly configured dictation will function. If not, dictation will ignore you.
