Year 3 · SPaG · Direct speech
Year 3 punctuating direct speech worksheet and PowerPoint
To punctuate direct speech: inverted commas, a capital letter, and a comma, question mark or exclamation mark inside the closing marks.
Direct speech
Direct speech is the exact words someone says. Put them inside inverted commas (speech marks). A reporting clause such as *said Mum* tells you who is speaking. Start a new line each time a new person speaks.
| spoken words | “We are going to the zoo,” said Dad. |
|---|---|
| punctuation | a comma, question mark or exclamation mark goes inside the closing marks |
| a question | “Where are you?” asked Tom. |
| new speaker | a new line for each person |
Examples
- “Come here,” called Mia.
- “Look out!” shouted Ben.
Key words
- direct speech
- the exact words someone says
- inverted commas
- marks “ ” that go round the spoken words
- reporting clause
- tells you who spoke: said Mum
- new speaker
- a new line for a new person
What is on the worksheet
Every sheet for this lesson has a short teaching box and 12 questions that get gradually harder: 8 fluency questions, then 4 reasoning questions that ask pupils to explain or choose. A writing challenge follows. The questions use the same styles as the key stage 2 grammar and punctuation test (circle, underline, tick, fill the gap, add punctuation, rewrite, explain). They are written for this website, not copied from past papers.
All the answers are on the last page of the same editable Word file. New questions are made every time, so you can print a different sheet for every group or for homework. The same sheet code always gives the same sheet.
Writing challenge: Write a conversation of four lines between two friends. Punctuate every line.
Pupil target: I can punctuate direct speech.
The PowerPoint
A 20-slide lesson deck for the same lesson: a starter that revisits earlier learning, key words, an I do and a You do question on each slide with a countdown timer, answers that appear one click at a time, and a challenge. Download the punctuating direct speech PowerPoint.
Where this lesson fits
This is lesson 2 of 53 in the Year 3 SPaG scheme, in the block “Direct speech”.
Other lessons in this block
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