Year 6 · SPaG · Spring: Apostrophes and speech
Year 6 punctuating direct speech worksheet and PowerPoint
To punctuate direct speech with inverted commas and the right punctuation before the closing inverted commas.
Direct speech
Direct speech uses the speaker’s exact words. Put them inside inverted commas. The punctuation that belongs to the spoken words goes inside the closing inverted commas.
| reporting clause after | “I am tired,” said Mia. (comma inside the speech) |
|---|---|
| reporting clause before | Mia said, “I am tired.” (comma, then speech, full stop inside) |
| question or exclamation | “Where are you going?” asked Mia. (the mark stays inside) |
| new speaker | start a new line each time someone different speaks |
Examples
- “If you hurry,” said Mia, “we can catch the bus.”
- Zara shouted, “Look out!”
Key words
- direct speech
- the exact words someone says
- inverted commas
- marks “ ” around spoken words
- reporting clause
- tells us who spoke: said Mia
- speaker
- the person who says the words
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 between a shopkeeper and a customer of at least eight lines. Remember a new line for each speaker, and vary your reporting verbs.
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 40 of 72 in the Year 6 SPaG scheme, in the Spring term, block “Apostrophes and speech”. It is taught before the SATs grammar test in May.
Other lessons in this block
- Apostrophes for missing letters
- Apostrophes for possession
- Apostrophes: putting it all together
- Direct and reported speech
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