Direct speech punctuation

Direct Speech Punctuation

quotation marks/speech marks/inverted commas

Indirect vs direct speech

Indirect speech

• When we want to report what someone said without speech marks and without necessarily using exactly the same words.

• Example:

• He said he lived in the city centre.

• He said he was going out.

Direct speech

• When we want to describe what someone said, we simply repeat what someone says, putting the phrase between speech marks.

• Example

• He said, "I live in the city centre."

• He said, "I'm going out."

Speech Marks' gang

• speech marks

• capital letter

• comma

• full stop/question mark/quotation mark

Questions? Questions!

Fill in the Blanks

For direct speech, you should put the phrase

speech marks.

Multiple Select

Who are the members of Speech Marks' Gang/

• full stop

• quotation marks

• apostrophe

• comma

• capital letter

at the end

Miss Mare looked up and answered in a horse voice, "There was a time when I was free to roam the forest."

• comma outside

• full stop inside

• comma, quotation marks, capital letter, full stop, quotation mark

A fox saw them fleeing and called out, "Where are you going?"

• comma outside

• question mark inside

• comma, quotation marks, capital letter, question mark, quotation mark

The girl cried, "Please don't leave me!"

• comma outside

• exclamation mark inside

• comma, exclamation marks, capital letter, question mark, quotation mark

Choose the correct answer.

Multiple Choice

Finally it came down to the fox's testimony, and he said the rabbits told me

• Finally it came down to the fox's testimony, and he said, "the rabbits told me."

• Finally it came down to the fox's testimony, and he said, "The rabbits told me,"

• Finally it came down to the fox's testimony, and he said, "The rabbits told me."

Multiple Choice

Little John asked what's in your pack Pedlar?

• Little John asked, "What's in your pack Pedlar?".

• Little John asked, "What's in your pack Pedlar?"

• Little John asked "What's in your pack Pedlar?"

at the beginning

"Yes, yes! A wooden cage," cried Rahul anxiously.

• comma inside

• no full stop, question mark or exclamation mark

"Now, look, all of you!" he said.

• no comma

• exclamation mark inside

• 
  

"Excuse me, what did you say?" asked the girl.

• no comma

• question mark inside

• 
  

Choose the correct answer.

Multiple Choice

Cage? What cage? I don't see any cage said the girl, looking all around.

• "Cage? What cage? I don't see any cage", said the girl, looking all around.

• "Cage? What cage? I don't see any cage," said the girl, looking all around.

Multiple Choice

Plop is coming! replied the fox.

• "Plop is coming!" replied the fox.

• "Plop is coming!", replied the fox.

Multiple Choice

Why make such a fuss then? the long-maned lion went on.

• "Why make such a fuss then?", the long-maned lion went on.

• "why make such a fuss then?" the long-maned lion went on.

• "Why make such a fuss then?" the long-maned lion went on.

Multiple Choice

What happened to it? he asked. Where's it got to now?

• "What happened to it? he asked. Where's it got to now?"

• "What happened to it?" he asked. "Where's it got to now?"

• "What happened to it?", he asked. Where's it got to now?"

Multiple Choice

But stripes cried Rahul, you promised you wouldn't. It is not fair for you to eat me when I set you free.

• "But stripes," cried Rahul, "you promised, you wouldn't. It is not fair for you to eat me when I set you free."

• "But stripes", cried Rahul, "you promised, you wouldn't. It is not fair for you to eat me when I set you free."

• "But stripes" cried Rahul, "you promised, you wouldn't. It is not fair for you to eat me when I set you free."