Year 5 English: Speech punctuation: inverted commas, the comma and the end mark
Part of the Year 5 English brackets, dashes, commas and hyphens chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Speech punctuation: inverted commas, the comma and the end mark
Key pattern
Direct speech: the words spoken are inside inverted commas: "Let's go!"
A reporting clause tells who speaks: said Ruby. It is set off with a comma.
End punctuation goes inside the closing inverted commas: "Where are we going?" asked Ali.
Start a new line each time a new speaker talks.
Key ideas
- Put the spoken words inside inverted commas.
- A comma goes after the reporting clause: Sam said, "...".
- When the reporting clause comes second, put a comma inside the closing inverted commas.
- The question mark or exclamation mark replaces the comma when it is needed.
Method. Put the spoken words inside inverted commas, and add the comma.
- Find the spoken words. Come here is what Mum says.come here
- Add the punctuation. Inverted commas go round the words; a comma goes before the closing inverted commas."Come here," said Mum.
- Write the answer. "Come here," said Mum.
Check. "Come here," said Mum. ✓
Method. A question keeps its question mark inside the inverted commas.
- Find the spoken words. Where are we going is a question.question
- Add the punctuation. The question mark goes inside the closing inverted commas; no comma is needed."Where are we going?" asked Ali.
- Write the answer. "Where are we going?" asked Ali.
Check. "Where are we going?" asked Ali. ✓
Method. An exclamation keeps its mark inside the inverted commas.
- Find the spoken words. What a great goal is an exclamation.exclamation
- Add the punctuation. The exclamation mark goes inside the closing inverted commas."What a great goal!" shouted Sam.
- Write the answer. "What a great goal!" shouted Sam.
Check. "What a great goal!" shouted Sam. ✓
Exercise 7D Practice: direct speech
Method. Put the spoken word in inverted commas.
- Find the words. Hello is spoken.Hello
- Add the punctuation. Inverted commas, and a comma before the closing marks."Hello," said Ali.
- Write the answer. "Hello," said Ali.
Check. "Hello," said Ali. ✓
Method. Use an exclamation mark for a shout.
- Find the words. We won is a shout.shout
- Add the punctuation. An exclamation mark goes inside the closing inverted commas."We won!" shouted Mia.
- Write the answer. "We won!" shouted Mia.
Check. "We won!" shouted Mia. ✓
Method. A question has a question mark.
- Find the words. Is it time for lunch is a question.question
- Add the punctuation. The question mark goes inside the closing inverted commas."Is it time for lunch?" asked Ben.
- Write the answer. "Is it time for lunch?" asked Ben.
Check. "Is it time for lunch?" asked Ben. ✓
Method. Find the reporting clause.
- Find the reporting clause. Mum said is the reporting clause.Mum said
- Place the comma. The comma follows the reporting clause, before the inverted commas.Mum said, "Dinner is ready."
- Write the answer. after said, before the opening inverted commas
Check. After said, before the opening inverted commas. ✓
Method. The words spoken go in inverted commas.
- Find the words. I am tired is spoken.I am tired
- Add the punctuation. Inverted commas and a comma."I am tired," said Leo.
- Write the answer. "I am tired," said Leo.
Check. "I am tired," said Leo. ✓
Method. Check where the comma and the full stop go.
- Check the first. The comma is inside the closing inverted commas.comma inside
- Check the second. A full stop after the closing inverted commas is wrong here; it must be a comma.comma needed
- Write the answer. "Come here," said Mum.
Check. "Come here," said Mum. ✓
Method. Use an exclamation mark for a warning shout.
- Find the words. Look out is a warning.warning
- Add the punctuation. Exclamation mark inside the closing inverted commas."Look out!" shouted Dad.
- Write the answer. "Look out!" shouted Dad.
Check. "Look out!" shouted Dad. ✓
Method. A question inside the inverted commas keeps its question mark.
- Find the words. Shall we start is a question.question
- Add the punctuation. Question mark inside the closing inverted commas; no comma after it."Shall we start?" asked Ali.
- Write the answer. "Shall we start?" asked Ali.
Check. "Shall we start?" asked Ali. ✓
Method. Start a new line for a new speaker.
- Find the speakers. Ben speaks first, then Ali.two speakers
- Write the lines. Each speaker starts a new line."Hi," said Ben. / "Hi," said Ali.
- Write the answer. "Hi," said Ben. / "Hi," said Ali.
Check. Each speaker has a new line. ✓
Method. Check the punctuation at the end of the speech.
- Look at the speech. Let's go is spoken.Let's go
- Find the missing mark. A comma goes inside the closing inverted commas.comma
- Write the answer. a comma inside the closing inverted commas, after go
Check. A comma is needed. ✓
Method. Put the spoken words in inverted commas, then the reporting clause.
- Choose the speech. We are late is spoken.We are late
- Write the sentence. An exclamation mark is inside the closing inverted commas."We are late!" shouted Maya.
- Write the answer. "We are late!" shouted Maya.
Check. The punctuation is right. ✓