Grade 7 English FAL - Grammar

Direct speech writing rules in English

In the above picture, Mark is talking to Jane. The words inside the blue box are the exact words that he speaks.

This is direct speech. Direct speech is when we report the exact words the person is saying.

In this English lesson, you will learn:

• The rules for writing direct speech.
• The correct punctuation.

 Reporting clause before the direct speech:

The reporting clause of direct speech is the short clause that indicates who is talking. It is the clause that is outside of the inverted commas. It is therefore not the words being spoken.

We can write the reporting clause either before or after the direct speech. If the reporting clause is before the direct speech, we write it as follows:

Grammar rules – If the reporting clause is before the direct speech:

We write a comma (,) before the direct speech.
We write the exact words inside the inverted commas.
The first letter is a capital letter.
We write a full stop (.) before the closing inverted commas.

Reporting clause before a question or exclamation:

If the reporting clause is before a question or exclamation:

We write a comma (,) before the direct speech.
We write the exact words inside the inverted commas.
The first letter is a capital letter.
We write a question mark (?) before the closing inverted commas.
or
We write an exclamation mark (!) before the closing inverted commas.

Reporting clause after the direct speech:

If the reporting clause is after the direct speech:

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas.
The first letter is a capital letter.
We write a comma (,) before the closing inverted commas.
We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause.

Reporting clause after a question or exclamation:

If the reporting clause is after a question or exclamation:

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas.
The first letter is a capital letter.

We write a question mark (?) before the closing inverted commas.

or

We write an exclamation mark (!) before the closing inverted commas.

We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause.

 

Advanced rules for direct speech:

Sometimes we break up the direct speech into 2 parts:

The second part of the direct speech starts with a small letter if it is the same sentence as the first part of the direct speech.

The second part of the direct speech starts with a capital letter if it is a new sentence.

---

AKTIWITEITE

Grade 7 English FAL Direct Speech Activity

 Rewrite the sentences and fill in the correct punctuation and capital letters for the following sentences in direct speech:

a) the principal said there will be an assembly tomorrow (3)

b) the teacher asked will we be singing the school song at assembly (3)

c) the principal said yes we will sing it after the announcements (3)

d) the teacher replied the choir will practise the school song this afternoon (3)

 

Write these sentences in direct speech.

a) the teacher told the choir members that they would be singing at assembly the following day (3)

b) the teacher told Karabo that he would be singing a solo (2)

c) Karabo said that he had not sung a solo since the previous year (3)

Total marks [20]

 

Answers:

Fill in the correct punctuation and capital letters for the following sentences in direct speech:

a) The principal said, “There will be an assembly tomorrow.” (3)

b) The teacher asked, “Will we be singing the school song at assembly?” (3)

c) The principal said, “Yes, we will sing it after the announcements.” (3)

d) The teacher replied, “The choir will practise the school song this afternoon.” (3)

Direct speech

a) The teacher told the choir members, “You will be singing at assembly tomorrow.” (3)

b) The teacher said, “Karabo, you will be singing a solo.” (2)

c) Karabo said, “I have not sung a solo since last year.” (3)

Total marks [20]

---

---