Key Ideas
What Are Speech Marks?
Speech marks (also called quotation marks) look like " ". They go around the exact words that a character says out loud. They tell the reader: these are the speaker's real words.
Opening and Closing
Speech marks come in pairs. The opening speech mark " goes before the first spoken word. The closing speech mark " goes after the last spoken word (usually after the punctuation).
Who Said It?
After the speech marks, writers often add a reporting clause to tell us who spoke: said Mum, shouted Jake, whispered Lily. A comma usually comes before the closing speech mark if the reporting clause follows.
New Speaker, New Line
When a different character starts speaking, we start a new line. This makes it easy to follow who is saying what, especially in a conversation between two or more people.
Examples in a Story
"Look at that rainbow!" said Mia.
Opening speech mark → spoken words → closing speech mark → who said it
Tom replied, "It is the most beautiful one I have ever seen."
Who said it → comma → opening speech mark → spoken words → closing speech mark
Conversation example (new line for each speaker):
"Can I have a turn?" asked Ben.
"Of course you can," said Priya.
"Thank you!" Ben smiled.
Key Vocabulary
Punctuation marks (" ") placed around the exact words a character says aloud.
The conversation between characters in a story, shown using speech marks.
The part of a sentence that tells us who spoke — for example: said Jack or asked Mia.
The person or character who is saying the words inside the speech marks.
Knowledge Check
1. What do speech marks show in a story?
2. Which sentence uses speech marks correctly?
3. Read this passage: "Let's go to the beach!" said Mum. "Can we build a sandcastle?" asked Nina.
How many different speakers are there?
4. In the sentence "Run faster!" shouted Coach. — what is the reporting clause?
Lesson Summary
- • Speech marks (" ") go around the exact words a character says out loud.
- • They come in pairs: an opening mark before the first spoken word, and a closing mark after the last.
- • The reporting clause (e.g. said Mum, shouted Jake) tells us who is speaking.
- • Start a new line whenever a different character begins to speak.