Mastering Direct Speech Punctuation with the Red Gold Dragon
Punctuating Direct Speech
The Red Gold Dragon
What do you
guys want?
We would like you
to tell us a story.
Punctuating Speech
Speech bubbles can show us what a character is saying.
Bubbles take up too much room when we are writing, so we use
speech marks
.
Speech marks
work in pairs to hug the
direct speech
.
Okay, I’ll tell
you a story.
The words
said
are called
direct speech
.
“
O
k
a
y
,
I
’
l
l
t
e
l
l
y
o
u
a
s
t
o
r
y
,
”
Speech marks
are
also called
inverted
commas
.
said the Red Gold Dragon
.
We report who is speaking using a
reporting clause
.
Punctuating Speech
Write this conversation as punctuated speech.
Remember to hug the
direct speech
with
speech marks
and add
reporting clauses
.
You didn’t tell us
a story!
Red Gold
Dragon
M
i
c
e
EXAMPLE
I can tell brilliant
stories.
“
I can tell brilliant stories,
”
boasted the dragon
.
“
You didn’t tell us a story!
”
squeaked the mice
.
Punctuating Speech
You can also add
actions and descriptions
.
“
Don’t be mean to the Dragon,
”
said the Cat,
peering at them over the top of his glasses
.
“
Okay! Okay!,
”
squeaked the Mice, who were
slightly ashamed of their outburst
.
EXAMPLE
Punctuating Speech
–
capital letters
open
direct speech
Direct speech
begins with a
capital letter
, even if it is in the middle of a sentence.
T
h
e
R
e
d
G
o
l
d
D
r
a
g
o
n
e
x
p
l
a
i
n
e
d
,
“
I
t
i
s
n
o
r
m
a
l
l
y
f
i
n
e
–
i
t
w
a
s
j
u
s
t
t
h
i
s
o
n
c
e
.
”
The Cat responded,
“
Yes and that’s why you came to me.
”
It is the beginning of the speaker’s sentence so a
capital letter
is used.
Punctuating Speech –
commas separate clauses
Direct speech
and
reporting clauses
are usually separated by a comma.
“
I
a
m
v
e
r
y
h
a
p
p
y
t
h
a
t
i
t
a
l
l
w
o
r
k
e
d
o
u
t
,
”
s
i
g
h
e
d
t
h
e
c
a
t
.
T
h
e
d
r
a
g
o
n
s
m
i
l
e
d
,
“
S
o
a
m
I
!
”
The comma is placed at the end of the first clause.
The speech marks follow the comma.
Punctuating Speech
– exclamations and questions
If the speech ends in a
!
or
?
we do not need a comma after the speech.
“
W
h
a
t
s
t
o
r
y
s
h
a
l
l
w
e
a
s
k
t
h
e
d
r
a
g
o
n
f
o
r
?
”
a
s
k
e
d
t
h
e
C
r
o
c
o
d
i
l
e
s
“
T
h
e
L
i
t
t
l
e
S
t
o
r
y
,
o
f
c
o
u
r
s
e
!
”
s
h
r
i
e
k
e
d
t
h
e
M
i
c
e
.
The punctuation is placed inside the speech marks.
The punctuation belongs to the spoken words – they tell you how to say them.
Punctuating Speech
– a new line shows a change of speaker
We show each
change of speaker
by
starting a new line.
I keep my stories in
my golden heart.
Well, now we want
a story!
“
I keep my stories in my golden heart,” said Dragon.
“”
That’s a good place to keep them,”
commented the Mice.
This makes it clear
when the speaker
changes.
“
It’s always been fine,” sighed the Dragon.
The Mice squeaked, “Well, now we want a story!”
That’s a good place
to keep them.
It’s always been
fine.
Punctuating Speech
– Your Turn
“
The little Mice started it,” said the Red Gold
Dragon, sighing deeply.
The Cat listened with great patience, and then
remarked, “I think you have already told the story.”
“
I have been told!” shrieked the Little Story, happily,
bouncing up and down.
“And you were brilliant!”
said the Red Gold Dragon.
Write some new dialogue for the
Dragon and the Cat.
•
Hug the words spoken with speech
marks
•
Start the speakers’ words with a
capital letter
•
Separate the speech and reporting
clause with a comma
•
Include some action or description
•
Start a new line to show the speaker
has changed
Explore more Hamilton Trust Learning Materials
at
https://wrht.org.uk/hamilton
/
.
Discover the art of punctuating direct speech as you embark on a storytelling journey with the Red Gold Dragon. Learn how to use speech marks, reporting clauses, and capitalize sentences correctly. Dive into dialogues between characters and add actions to enhance your narratives. Explore the nuances of commas, exclamations, and questions in speech punctuation. Immerse yourself in a world where words come alive through proper punctuation.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Punctuating Direct Speech The Red Gold Dragon What do you guys want? We would like you to tell us a story.
Punctuating Speech Speech bubbles can show us what a character is saying. Okay, I ll tell you a story. The words said are called direct speech. Okay, I ll tell you a story, said the Red Gold Dragon. Bubbles take up too much room when we are writing, so we use speech marks. Speech marks work in pairs to hug the direct speech. We report who is speaking using a reporting clause. Speech marks are also called inverted commas.
Punctuating Speech Red Gold Dragon I can tell brilliant stories. I can tell brilliant stories, boasted the dragon. You didn t tell us a story! squeaked the mice. You didn t tell us a story! EXAMPLE Mice Mice Write this conversation as punctuated speech. Remember to hug the direct speech with speech marks and add reporting clauses.
Punctuating Speech Don t be mean to the Dragon, said the Cat, peering at them over the top of his glasses. Okay! Okay!, squeaked the Mice, who were slightly ashamed of their outburst. EXAMPLE You can also add actions and descriptions.
Punctuating Speech capital letters open direct speech Direct speech begins with a capital letter, even if it is in the middle of a sentence. The Red Gold Dragon explained, It is normally fine it was just this once. The Cat responded, Yes and that s why you came to me. It is the beginning of the speaker s sentence so a capital letter is used.
Punctuating Speech commas separate clauses Direct speech and reporting clauses are usually separated by a comma. I am very happy that it all worked out, , sighed the cat. The dragon smiled, , So am I! The comma is placed at the end of the first clause. The speech marks follow the comma.
Punctuating Speech exclamations and questions If the speech ends in a ! or ? we do not need a comma after the speech. What story shall we ask the dragon for? asked the Crocodiles The Little Story, of course! shrieked the Mice. The punctuation is placed inside the speech marks. The punctuation belongs to the spoken words they tell you how to say them.
Punctuating Speech a new line shows a change of speaker I keep my stories in my golden heart. I keep my stories in my golden heart, said Dragon. That s a good place to keep them, commented the Mice. That s a good place to keep them. It s always been fine, sighed the Dragon. It s always been fine. The Mice squeaked, Well, now we want a story! Well, now we want a story! This makes it clear when the speaker changes. We show each change of speaker by starting a new line.
Punctuating Speech Your Turn Write some new dialogue for the Dragon and the Cat. The little Mice started it, said the Red Gold Dragon, sighing deeply. Hug the words spoken with speech marks Start the speakers words with a The Cat listened with great patience, and then remarked, I think you have already told the story. capital letter Separate the speech and reporting I have been told! shrieked the Little Story, happily, bouncing up and down. clause with a comma Include some action or description And you were brilliant! said the Red Gold Dragon. Start a new line to show the speaker has changed
Explore more Hamilton Trust Learning Materials at https://wrht.org.uk/hamilton/ .
