New
New
Year 3

Direct speech: inverted commas

I can identify inverted commas in a speech sentence.

New
New
Year 3

Direct speech: inverted commas

I can identify inverted commas in a speech sentence.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Writers can use speech sentences to show a character speaking in a text.
  2. If a character speaks, the writer must signal this with specific punctuation.
  3. Inverted commas are the punctuation marks that signal direct speech to the reader.
  4. Direct speech is the term used for a character speaking out loud in a text.
  5. Direct speech helps us learn more about characters in a text.

Common misconception

Pupils may use the informal term 'speech marks'.

'speech marks' is a term that signals the same thing as 'inverted commas' i.e. the dialogue in a sentence, but it is better to use the grammatical term 'inverted commas'.

Keywords

  • Direct speech - the term used for a character speaking out loud in a text

  • Inverted commas - a pair of punctuation marks that signal direct speech to the reader

  • Signal - show or direct attention to

Ensure that you use the same graphics for speech punctuation (as shown in the slides) consistently in all grammar and writing lessons to support retention.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a character?
Correct answer: a person or animal in a story
what happens in a story
where a story happens
Q2.
What is a plot?
a person or animal in a story
Correct answer: what happens in a story
where a story happens
Q3.
Which group is an example of three different punctuation marks?
Correct answer: comma, full stop, question mark
letter, sound, grapheme
noisy, gentle, kind
Q4.
What does a full stop do?
tells you when a sentence starts
tells you when someone is asking a question
Correct answer: tells you when a sentence ends
Q5.
Which of these could be the title of a story?
How To Make Pancakes: A Step-By-Step Guide
Looking After Dogs: Instructions For Kind Carers
Correct answer: A Terrifying Nightmare
Q6.
Which of these are synonyms (words that mean the same) for the word 'said'?
Correct answer: muttered
Correct answer: replied
angrily
bravely
with a smile

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the term for a character speaking out loud in a text?
spoken speech
Correct answer: direct speech
reported speech
Q2.
Which bit of this sentence is the direct speech? What's the matter she asked kindly.
she asked
she asked kindly
What's the
Correct answer: What's the matter
Q3.
What is the first word of this direct speech? "Please don't hurt me" Jerry begged urgently.
Correct answer: please
don't
hurt
me
begged
Q4.
Which of these punctuation marks are inverted commas?
'
Correct answer: " "
?
!
.
Q5.
What does 'signal' mean?
Correct answer: to show or draw attention to
to complete
to distract
Q6.
What can we learn about a character in a story from what they say?
how they see, taste, touch and hear
how they dress, do their hair, walk and dance
how they eat, drink, exercise and sleep
Correct answer: how they feel, behave, speak and react