Using speech marks around spoken words, placing punctuation inside them, and starting a new line for each new speaker.
Where your child meets this in real life: Every story with dialogue uses speech punctuation - and SEAG proofreading passages love hiding a comma outside the speech marks
SEAGReady breaks punctuating speech into 3 steps, taught in order so each skill builds on the last.
Place speech marks around exactly the words spoken aloud, keeping the reporting words (said Orla) outside.
Punctuate speech correctly: a capital letter to start the spoken words, and a comma, question mark or exclamation mark INSIDE the closing speech mark.
Set out dialogue so that each change of speaker starts on a new line, keeping conversations clear for the reader.
Three free sample questions from our punctuating speech course. Every question comes with a full explanation, and hints that guide without giving the answer away.
Choose the section that contains a punctuation mistake, or 'No mistake'. [A] Mum called up the stairs, [B] Dinner is on the table, [C] so come down [D] now."
Answer: B. Dinner is on the table,
Walk through the sentence section by section: A reports who is speaking and is punctuated correctly. B should open the speech marks before 'Dinner' but they are missing. C and D are fine, closing the speech correctly. Correct: Mum called up the stairs, "Dinner is on the table, so come down now."
Stuck? Start here: Check each section in turn for the small marks that fence in speech.
Choose the section that contains a punctuation mistake, or 'No mistake'. [A] "I'm freezing", [B] said Jamie, [C] shivering by [D] the water.
Answer: A. "I'm freezing",
Jamie's spoken words are "I'm freezing" and the sentence continues afterwards, so a comma is needed to end the speech. That comma belongs to the speech, so it must sit INSIDE the closing speech mark: freezing," In section A it has been placed outside instead. Correct: "I'm freezing," said Jamie, shivering by the water.
Stuck? Start here: Look closely at the comma next to the closing speech mark in section A - which side is it on?
Choose the section that contains a punctuation mistake, or 'No mistake'. [A] "Pass the ball!" [B] shouted Charlie, then [C] I'm trying!" [D] yelled Amy in reply.
Answer: C. I'm trying!"
Charlie and Amy are two different speakers, so each needs a completely separate pair of speech marks around their own words. Section A correctly fences Charlie's words. Section C should open a new pair before 'I'm trying!' for Amy's words, but the opening mark is missing. Correct: "Pass the ball!" shouted Charlie, then "I'm trying!" yelled Amy in reply.
Stuck? Start here: Count the speakers in this sentence - does each one get their own pair of speech marks?
This is the exact interactive worked example your child sees in SEAGReady. Step through it and watch the method build up.
Orla is rushing her little brother to the harbour at Ballycastle. The sentence reads: Orla said hurry up or we will miss the ferry.
Which words should go inside the speech marks?
Step 1 of 4
Orla is rushing her little brother to the harbour at Ballycastle. The sentence reads: Orla said hurry up or we will miss the ferry.
Which words should go inside the speech marks?
The sentence is written: Orla said, "Hurry up or we will miss the ferry."
The key insight: Speech marks are a fence around ONLY the words the speaker actually said - the reporting words always stay outside the fence.
Watch out: "Orla said hurry up or we will miss the ferry.". 'Orla said' is not part of what Orla spoke, so it must sit outside the speech marks.
These are the misconceptions we see most often in punctuating speech, including the ones our practice questions are specifically designed to catch.
Struggling with punctuating speech? The real gap is often in one of these earlier topics.
SEAGReady finds the exact step where your child gets stuck, teaches it with worked examples like the one above, and brings it back for review so it sticks.
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