lesson
Show the exact spoken words
1 · Learn
Direct speech gives someone's exact words. Put inverted commas around those words. In 'Mina said, "I found the path."', only I found the path is spoken.
Start the spoken sentence with a capital. Its final punctuation goes before the closing inverted commas. Read your sentence aloud to separate the narrator's words from the character's words.
2 · Worked example
Omar said, "Please wait." The comma follows said. Please starts with a capital and the full stop is inside the speech marks.
3 · Your turn
Add punctuation and capitals: leila said i can help
Check your answer
Leila said, "I can help." The name and spoken sentence begin with capitals, and the exact speech is enclosed.
4 · Apply your learning
Write a two-line conversation between invented characters. With an adult, check which words are actually spoken before adding inverted commas.
Adult guidance and safety
Read aloud together where needed. Discuss more than one reasonable answer to open questions. These short original texts support, but do not replace, whole books, oral discussion, a school-matched phonics programme where needed, or regular handwriting and spelling practice.
Open your writing and drawing pad
Write, draw or show your working. Use a mouse, pen or finger. This pad is not a submitted answer.
Not saved to your account. Download your drawing as PNG and your typed notes as TXT before leaving or refreshing. They are separate files. Do not enter private information.
Open a picture saved on this device to draw on it again. Opening replaces the drawing, but Undo can restore it. PNG only, up to 4 MB and 4096 × 4096 pixels. The picture stays in this browser; it is not uploaded. Paper lines in a saved picture become part of that picture.
Clear the drawing? Your typed notes will stay. You can undo this action.
Your pad is empty.
Open a UTF-8 TXT file from this device, up to 40 KB and 10,000 characters. It stays in this browser. Opening can be undone until you type again. Downloads keep a new copy; they do not change the file you opened.
Replace the notes on this page with the opened file? Download the current notes first if you want to keep them.
Typed notes are not submitted answers.
Practice this lesson
Lesson resources
Browse the available practice activities and worksheets for this lesson.
Your progress