writing direct speech bbc bitesize

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Direct Speech

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Get ready for a KS2 English quiz all about direct speech! Direct speech is like bringing characters to life through their words. Punctuating direct speech is super important for writing cool dialogues in stories. Imagine a speech bubble over your character – the words inside go between the pair of speech marks. And don't forget the punctuation inside the speech marks too!

Punctuation can be tricky, but keep playing this quiz until you're a punctuation pro. Test yourself and aim for full marks in this direct speech quiz!

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Achieving QTS

Student resources, year 3 – teaching direct speech.

The following lesson illustrates one way in which you can teach children about direct speech within the context of a Literacy lesson. The rules for writing direct speech remain the same however it is taught, but remember to make the lesson purposeful and relevant to your class in order to provide a contextualised approach to teaching grammar. This Year 3 class have been reading the book The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry as part of their rainforest theme. They have already explored a number of non-fiction texts to gather facts and information to contribute to their own leaflets and persuasive posters. They have discussed the moral and ethical dilemmas associated with rainforests and researched the Amazon rainforest as part of their ongoing topic. The class have visited the local botanical gardens and a speaker from a local ecology group has provided further information. To ensure that pupils have something to say in their narratives and understand how a character feels and acts, several drama strategies may be used to provide pupils with a convenient vehicle through which to convey speech; this can be recorded in their own narratives using the written conventions of speech. Because speech can be incorporated into most narratives, you can adapt this lesson to reflect the topic that underpins your teaching for that year group. For example, you may be finding out about a particular period in history or exploring the life of a famous person. When children are writing a story about this, they will more than likely need to include some form of conversation in order to distinguish it from a biography or other form of literary non-fiction.

Learning objectives for the lesson

• To be able to use punctuation in direct speech correctly.
• To be able to choose appropriate verbs and adverbials to describe how the character is speaking.
• To use dialogue effectively to convey meaning. 

Lesson opener

Conscience alley

Ask the children to sit facing each other in two lines, each with a strip of sugar paper and a felt pen. Briefly recap on the story of The Great Kapok Tree and ask children in one of the lines to act as the woodcutter’s employers and the children in the other line to take on the role of one of the rainforest animals. They must decide what they would say to the woodcutter so as to persuade him whether or not to cut down the trees. Explain to the children that they are to take part in a ‘Conscience Alley’. As the woodcutter, you will walk through the middle of both lines whilst one by one the children give their reasons for and against cutting down the trees. When you reach the end of the lines, you can make your decision.

For example:

You won’t get paid if you do not finish the job. (Employer)

Where will we live if you cut down the trees? (Snake)

Then ask the children to write what they have said on the piece of coloured paper, using speech punctuation.

Main lesson

Having established groups for the main teaching session, explain that they are going to continue to write the next part of the rainforest story. To ensure children have a purpose for their writing you may want to tell them that you have misplaced your copy of The Great Kapok Tree or that the last few pages are damaged and you were due to read this story to the children in Reception or Year 1. Tell the children that they are going to write the end of the story so that you don’t have to disappoint the younger children.

Model writing the opening sentences of the next part of the story on the interactive whiteboard so as to ensure that all children are familiar with the use of direct speech and how to punctuate this correctly. Children can use mini-whiteboards or classroom tablets to write suggestions for dialogue that would be appropriate for the story. Use this time to assess whether the children are using punctuation correctly and address any misconceptions.

Practical application

Children can write the ending to the story using effective dialogue to add meaning to the text. Remind them of the learning objectives and ensure that you have provided scaffolds such as writing frames, microphones, prompts and examples of speech to ensure that all children can achieve. During the starter activity and the shared writing you will have identified those children requiring further support when using direct speech and these may form a guided group. What about those children for whom direct speech poses no difficulties? An effective way in which to continue to develop their use of direct speech is to place envelopes on their tables with a further challenge included. For example, ask them to include a conversation between three characters or try splitting the direct speech into parts.

Explain to the children that you have written the ending of the story but have forgotten how to write direct speech. Hand out some pre-prepared sentences relating to the story with all punctuation missing. Make sure that you differentiate accordingly. Ask the children to work in pairs to ‘correct’ the sentences using a marker pen and collect these to include on your working wall.

Assessment (measuring achievement)

Assessment for learning

Do not assume that all children will begin this lesson with the same degree of understanding about the use of direct speech.

Ask key questions to determine how much children know:

Why have you put the speech marks there?

Can you think of an alternative to ‘said’?

How do we know when the character is speaking?

Where do I include the exclamation mark?

What does this tell us about the character?

Ask children to identify speech during shared or guided reading sessions. Encourage them to change their voice when characters are speaking. Are they aware that speech marks indicate that someone is speaking? Do they change their voice according to the adverb or verb used to describe how the character is speaking? Use a wide variety of books that include speech, for example, Good Little Wolf by Nadia Shireen, Billy’s Bucket by Kes Gray and Garry Parsons, The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler and just about anything by Roald Dahl.

Use drama sessions to ask children to verbalise their thoughts whilst in character and then write them down on sticky notes using the conventions of direct speech.

Assessment at the point of learning

You will need to assess learning throughout the lesson so that you are able to provide the correct amount of challenge for all learners.

Take full advantage of mini-whiteboards to allow children to demonstrate what they know. They may be able to use inverted commas correctly, but have they remembered to include the full stop or question mark within the speech marks?

Encourage other adults working within the classroom to make a note of children who are having difficulties and address this immediately with the child, exploring misconceptions and modelling correct use of speech punctuation.

Ask children to explain why they have used specific verbs or adverbs to describe how a character is speaking. Do they understand why they need to include speech marks? Are they beginning a new line for a different speaker? How can you make this explicit in your teaching?

Assessment of learning

Have the children achieved the objective of the lesson and how do you know?

During the plenary, are children still making the same mistakes or have they moved on during the course of the lesson?

Are they enclosing the speaker’s exact words within speech marks?

Do they start each piece of speech with a capital letter?

Have they used a comma in the correct place when direct speech comes after the name of the speaker?

Have they started a new line for each speaker?

Furthermore, does the inclusion of dialogue in the text contribute to the overall effect of the writing? If children are simply including speech in order to fulfil a ‘checklist’ of criteria, they may not understand how it can fundamentally change a piece of writing and add to the tone, atmosphere and mood. When marking work, make comments explicit and refer directly to the learning objectives so that learners are aware of their success and how they can continue to move forward.

Some children may have a limited understanding of punctuation and so this will need consolidating prior to teaching speech marks. Use punctuation fans and bingo games to provide opportunities for children to become familiar with different types of punctuation.

Some children may benefit from a more visual approach and so try large speech bubble templates to write speech before adding it to text. Children who prefer an auditory approach may benefit from watching short film clips and identifying the speech within this context.

The use of drama to reinforce conventions of written speech will often support pupils for whom English is as an additional language as it provides opportunities for pupils to be more aware of their language use and orally rehearse their thoughts before committing them to paper.

For more lesson inspiration and for the theory behind how to develop good lessons, see the   Lessons in Teaching Series.

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Direct speech

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Direct Speech Worksheets (KS2)

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

22 February 2018

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A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

A bundle of resources linked to speech. Also included is a grammar and punctuation resource.

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janempowell

Inaccurate. You need a comma before speech starts: The fans shouted, “Come on City!”

Empty reply does not make any sense for the end user

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w.c. 27.4.20 - Direct Speech

Bbc bitesize wind in the willows video.

• Wind in the Willows Part 2 - The Open Road - 27.4.20

Wind in the Willows book

• Wind in the Willows - 27.4.20

You can also read The Wind in the Willows book. Click on the link above and it will take you to the globalgreybooks page. Scroll down and click on the blue PDF link. This will take you to the book.

English work for w.c. 27.4.20

The children are to watch the video on BBC Bitesize 'The Open Road' (the link is available above).

They then need to write a conversation that would fit one of the following scenarios:

A conversation between Mole and Rat on their way to Toad's house.

A conversation between Mole, Rat and Toad at Toad's house.

A conversation between Mole, Rat and Toad when they see the motor car fall into the ditch.

Punctuating Speech

• T2-E-1581-Punctuating-Speech-PowerPoint_ver_5.ppt

Punctuating Direct Speech

• T2-E-254-Inverted-Commas-Poster-Mat_ver_2.pdf

Try and use different words for 'said' to make your speech more interesting!

Direct speech example - This is from The Wind in the Willows book. There is a link to this above. - 27.4.20

“I don’t know that I think so very much of that little song, Rat,” observed the Mole cautiously. He was no poet himself and didn’t care who knew it; and he had a candid nature.

“Nor don’t the ducks neither,” replied the Rat cheerfully. “They say, ’Why can’t fellows be allowed to do what they like when they like and as they like, instead of other fellows sitting on banks and watching them all the time and making remarks and poetry and things about them? What nonsense it all is!’ That’s what the ducks say.”

“So it is, so it is,” said the Mole, with great heartiness.

“No, it isn’t!” cried the Rat indignantly.

“Well then, it isn’t, it isn’t,” replied the Mole soothingly. “But what I wanted to ask you was, won’t you take me to call on Mr. Toad? I’ve heard so much about him, and I do so want to make his acquaintance.”

“Why, certainly,” said the good-natured Rat, jumping to his feet and dismissing poetry from his mind for the day. “Get the boat out, and we’ll paddle up there at once. It’s never the wrong time to call on Toad. Early or late, he’s always the same fellow. Always good-tempered, always glad to see you, always sorry when you go!”

“He must be a very nice animal,” observed the Mole, as he got into the boat and took the sculls, while the Rat settled himself comfortably in the stern.

Features of direct speech in an example - 27.4.20

1 -  Beginning and end  - Keep your inverted commas at the beginning and the end of the words being spoken.

e.g.  " Stop! "  I said.

2 -  New line, New speaker  - Start a new line whenever someone new speaks.

"How are you doing today?" asked Henry.

"I'm great!" replied Adam.

3 -  Capital letter  - Begin what is spoken with a capital letter.

" W hat an amazing day!" he announced.

4 -  Commas  - Remember to add commas

Ashton whispered ,  "Be quiet!"

"Goodbye , " said Jules.

5 -  Punctuation  - Make sure your speech is correctly punctuated.

"There are times, I feel, that you are a little cold , " I said .

“ S o it is, so it is , ”   said the Mole, with great heartiness.

“ N o, it isn’t ! ”   cried the Rat indignantly.

Inverted commas

Reporting clause

Capital letter

Punctuation

Unfortunately not the ones with chocolate chips.

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How To Write Direct Speech - Speech Rules KS2 Classroom Display

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This classroom display pack features a set of seven posters demonstrating the rules that must be remembered when writing direct speech in KS2. These eye-catching resources are perfect for Year 3 or Year 4 classroom displays when teaching the use of inverted commas or to revisit this area of grammar across Key Stage 2.

What is included in this speech rules KS2 classroom display pack?

• 7 x A4 writing direct speech posters, with example sentences
• 1 giant version of the last A4 poster to create a larger classroom display
• Teacher notes

Visit our Classroom Display Collection for more inspiring resources to support teaching and learning in your classroom.

What is direct speech?

Direct speech is when the exact words that someone says are written.

• “We are going on an adventure,” said Travis.

How do we punctuate direct speech?

Inverted commas , or speech marks, are used when writing direct speech. The inverted commas go around what is said within a sentence. Other speech punctuation is also needed. Punctuation is needed at the end of the direct speech before the inverted comma, and a comma is used after the reporting clause if this comes before the direct speech.

• Travis said, “We are going on an adventure.”

What is the reporting clause?

The reporting clause is the short clause that can come before or after the direct speech that states who was talking. It can also show how the speech was said.

• “We are going on an adventure,” announced Travis.

National Curriculum English programme of study links

• Pupils should compose and rehearse sentences orally, progressively building a varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures.
• Pupils should be taught to use and punctuate direct speech.
• Pupils should be taught to use and understand the grammatical terminology in English appendix 2 accurately and appropriately when discussing their writing.

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BBC to invest in AI to help transform its education services

Hopes investment to make Bitesize more personalised and interactive will attract future licence-fee payers

The BBC plans to use a multimillion investment to transform its educational offering and attract the licence-fee payers of the future, with the help of artificial intelligence.

After being heavily relied upon by desperate parents during the pandemic lockdowns, the BBC is to announce a new £6m investment in BBC Bitesize to make learning more personalised and interactive for students from primary school onwards. The money is part of an effort to lock in young users’ relationship with the public service broadcaster.

Helen Foulkes, the BBC’s head of education, said: “It’s a significant investment in BBC Bitesize to turn it from a really brilliant, trusted digital textbook, to a much more personalised learning platform. We’re taking our education service and making it fit for the digital age, so the learning adapts to the user.”

Marking 100 years since the broadcast of its first educational programme – an experimental schools radio programme heard only by Garnetbank school in Glasgow in February 1924 – there will be a special Live Lesson on CBBC and BBC iPlayer on Monday, giving young viewers tips on how to produce their own report for the channel’s Hacker T Dog radio show. Foulkes said the move would build on the BBC’s trusted educational brand. “When you use the BBC you know it’s safe, you know it’s trusted, you know it’s right and that does help as a parent,” she said.

But in an acknowledgement that the BBC is in danger of being left behind by more fleet-footed digital content providers, the home of Newsround and the magic pencil is taking a leaf out of the book of AI-powered learning tools such as Duolingo to better use its vast database of educational content.

New tools, which are under development, are likely to provide personalised testing and identify holes in learning, while, like a “spinach version” of YouTube, users are also likely to find suggestions for follow-on content to deepen understanding of a subject.

The BBC is also testing out a new service for A-level students, providing content to help them widen their knowledge around a subject. Piloted around English literature, students studying Jane Austen could find they are offered a BBC adaption of Pride and Prejudice. “We’ll test it with students and teachers to see if that is a useful supplementary offer,” Foulkes said.

In the context of £700m annual savings the BBC’s director general, Tim Davie, has said need to be found to ensure the broadcaster’s survival, £6m is something of a drop in the ocean.

But the move appeared to be a nod to a promise he explored in a landmark speech at the Royal Television Society last month : that while the broadcaster ruled out the use of AI in its journalism, it was developing “unique ethical algorithms” to increase personalisation for users. Davie said the BBC would proactively deploy AI on “our terms” to create tools that helped it build relevance”.

It also spoke directly to the broadcaster’s founding Reithian purpose to “inform, educate, entertain”, said Foulkes. “Education is the jammy bit in the middle – it’s really important,” she said.

Foulkes pointed to the role the BBC played during the pandemic, when Bitesize had 3.8 million weekly users during the first term. “Only the BBC could have provided that pandemic response, because it’s got 100 years of education behind it,” she said. “It was great that the general public really understood that’s what the BBC can do as a public service … It’s something the team is really proud of.”

But there may also be a little benign self-interest involved. Last year, the BBC annual report revealed the broadcaster was struggling to attract younger audiences. Its reach among 16- to 34-year-olds had slipped from 81% using any BBC service in a normal week to 76% over the course of a year. The figure was worse for the under-16s, with 72% using BBC services in an average week, well behind YouTube.

“I think what the BBC wants is for people to value the BBC and use the BBC, whatever their age,” said Foulkes. “And any touch points that you’ve got with that younger audience, it’s really important to make sure we’re both supporting them both on the children’s entertainment side and ... on that educational side, and then introducing them to the rest of the BBC.”

Key dates in BBC education

February 1924 The first experimental schools radio programme, heard only by Garnetbank school, Glasgow, in broadcast.

October 1930 Broadcast of Here and There, the first regular news programme for children, presented by the playwright and naval commander Stephen King-Hall.

June 1940 Broadcast of Kitchen Front, a BBC national programme to help children with cooking skills while improving morale during wartime

September 1957 BBC Television for Schools broadcasts its first programme, Living in the Commonwealth, looking at life beyond the classroom.

April 1964 Play School brings play and structured learning for three- to five-year-olds on air, and will run for 20 years.

April 1972 John Craven presents the first Newsround, with short news reports for a younger audience.

September 1982 Adult education series Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cookery, brings the prospect of homemade English curries into UK homes.

May 1997 Adrian Chiles and Carol Vorderman promise to demystify words such as CD-rom, ram, megabytes and floppy disks in the six-part series Computers Don’t Bite.

April 2009 Horrible Histories is broadcast for the first time on BBC Two.

February 2016 Launch of school video resources BBC Teach and Live Lessons, whereby pupils and teachers take part in real time.

April 2020 First broadcast of Bitesize Daily, a virtual school experience providing lessons during the pandemic.

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