New
New
Year 4

Practising writing direct speech for 'Whale Rider'

I can write sentences using accurate speech punctuation.

New
New
Year 4

Practising writing direct speech for 'Whale Rider'

I can write sentences using accurate speech punctuation.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Direct speech is the term used for a person speaking out loud in a text.
  2. Speech first is punctuated with inverted commas and a comma, question mark or exclamation mark.
  3. Speech second is punctuated with inverted commas and a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.
  4. Inverted commas are used to demarcate the direct speech from the reporting clause.
  5. A range of synonyms for ‘said’ and use of adverbs can offer detail about how a character spoke and felt.

Keywords

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

  • Inverted commas - punctuation marks used to indicate the beginning and end of direct speech

  • Reporting clause - tells the reader who said the speech and how

Common misconception

Pupils may think that punctuation rules in direct speech are optional or may apply them inconsistently.

Explain that the reader must know where the direct speech begins and ends to understand what is being said. Display examples of speech with and without punctuation to emphasise this.

Some pupils will benefit from using a scaffold (visual) for writing speech first and speech second.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2002 film version of ‘Whale Rider’ produced by South Pacific Pictures for this lesson.

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).

Lesson video

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
Order the sections of a narrative chronologically.
1 - opening
2 - build-up
3 - climax
4 - resolution
Q2.
Who are the main characters in 'Whale Rider'?
Correct answer: Koro
New Zealand
the whale
Correct answer: Paikea
Q3.
Which of the following nouns should begin with a capital letter?
Correct answer: nanny flowers
whale
Correct answer: paikea
ancestors
chief
Q4.
Match the punctuation mark to its name.
Correct Answer:comma,,

,

Correct Answer:inverted commas,'' ''

'' ''

Correct Answer:question mark,?

?

Correct Answer:eclamation mark,!

!

Correct Answer:full stop,.

.

Q5.
Which of the following sentences is correctly punctuated?
paikea was determined to prove she could be a leader.
Paikea was determined to prove she could be a leader
Correct answer: Paikea was determined to prove she could be a leader.
Paikea was Determined to prove she could be a leader.
Q6.
What is the definition of a clause?
a word that joins two clauses together
a sentence starter
Correct answer: a group of words that contains a verb
a word that tells the reader where the action takes place

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the name of the punctuation mark that indicates where the words the character said begin and end?
comma
Correct answer: inverted commas
question mark
exclamation mark
full stop
Q2.
Which is the reporting clause in this speech sentence? ''I want to be the leader,'' declared Paikea calmly.
declared
''I want to be the leader,''
Correct answer: declared Paikea calmly
Paikea
Q3.
True or false? This speech sentence is punctuated correctly: ''the leader will be a boy,'' exclaimed Koro.
Correct Answer: false, False
Q4.
Which speech first sentence is correctly punctuated?
“Will it ever happen!” Paikea asked curiously.
Correct answer: “Will it ever happen?” Paikea asked curiously.
Will it ever happen?” Paikea asked curiously.
“Will it ever happen?” paikea asked curiously.
Q5.
Match the adverb to the most appropriate verb.
Correct Answer:bellowed,loudly

loudly

Correct Answer:whispered,quietly

quietly

Correct Answer:declared,confidently

confidently

Q6.
Which speech second sentence is correctly punctuated?
her grandfather stated, “Our leader must be strong and wise.”
Her grandfather stated “Our leader must be strong and wise.”
Her grandfather stated, “our leader must be strong and wise.”
Correct answer: Her grandfather stated, “Our leader must be strong and wise.”