How to use speech marks

What are speech marks?

Speech marks are used to show direct speech. They are also known as inverted commas.

They are placed before and after the exact words a character says.

“Shall we go to Grandpa’s house?” asked Sally.

Punctuation, such as commas, full stops, question marks or exclamation marks, always go inside the inverted commas.

“Yes, let’s!” replied Omi.

If the speaker is named before the direct speech, a comma is added after the speaker’s name and immediately before the first inverted comma.

Sally said, “I can’t wait to hear all his stories.”

Discover how to punctuate speech in this story about two friends trying to find out if the Loch Ness Monster really exists.

What are the rules for punctuating speech?

When writing speech, it is important to punctuate it correctly so the reader knows who is saying what.

An illustration of two children with speech bubbles.

Direct speech is when the speaker's exact words are written inside speech marks. They are sometimes called inverted commas.

The speech always starts with a capital letter and ends with a piece of punctuation inside the speech marks.

“We should ask Grandpa what he saw,” said Sally.

When a new person speaks, their speech goes on a new line. This helps the reader follow the conversation clearly.

If the speaker is named before the direct speech, use a comma before the first speech mark.

Grandpa replied quietly, “Something moving in the distance.”

If the speaker is named after the direct speech, use a comma before the final speech mark, because the sentence is not yet complete.

“I need to know more,” said Sally.

Question marks and exclamation marks also stay inside the speech marks if they are part of what the character says.

“What did you see?” asked Sally.

Example 1

Add the correct punctuation to these lines of direct speech below.

a) The creature looked gentle, like it wanted to be my friend said Grandpa

b) Did you feel afraid asked Sally

Example 2

Sometimes the speaker is named before the speech.

Add the correct punctuation to these sentences:

a) Sally said “Let’s go to see Grandpa.”

b) Omi asked “Could you see clearly?”

Task

Local legend

The story of the famous Loch Ness Monster has been passed down through generations in conversations.

Think about where you live and whether there are any local stories or legends.

For example, there's the story of the legendary giant Finn McCool.

Imagine having a conversation with an expert about the local legend. Think about the questions you would ask and how they might respond, then write it down.

Remember to write your conversation using speech marks.

What are speech marks?