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Year 3 - English

Direct speech: inverted commas

Speech first punctuation and apostrophes

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils punctuate direct speech for the first time in a sentence where the direct speech comes first and the reporting clause comes second. They review learning around using apostrophes for contraction and singular possession; they also learn to use an apostrophe for plural possession.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to identify inverted commas in a speech sentence.

Key Notes

  • Writers can use speech sentences to show a character speaking in a text.
  • If a character speaks, the writer must signal this with specific punctuation.
  • Inverted commas are the punctuation marks that signal direct speech to the reader.
  • Direct speech is the term used for a character speaking out loud in a text.
  • Direct speech helps us learn more about characters in a text.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • direct speech: the term used for a character speaking out loud in a text
  • inverted commas: a pair of punctuation marks that signal direct speech to the reader
  • signal: show or direct attention to

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may use the informal term 'speech marks'.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

Writers can use speech sentences to show a character speaking in a text. If a character speaks, the writer must signal this with specific punctuation.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'direct speech'

the term used for a character speaking out loud in a text.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may use the informal term 'speech marks'. Correction: 'speech marks' is a term that signals the same thing as 'inverted commas' i.e. the dialogue in a sentence, but it is better to use the grammatical term 'inverted commas'.

More Lessons In This Unit

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