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Direct Speech
"Bull's eye!" he cried.

Direct Speech

Practise 11 Plus direct speech. Use inverted commas, commas, and capital letters to punctuate dialogue clearly and accurately.

Explore the Topic →
(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Split speech keeps the flow: "I think," said Tom, "we should go." The second part stays lower case unless it starts a new sentence.

In 11 Plus English, direct speech shows a speaker’s exact words. You’ll practise placing punctuation inside inverted commas, positioning the reporting clause, and starting new lines for new speakers.

Key Terms

  • Direct speech: The exact words someone says, shown inside inverted commas.
  • Reporting clause: Words that tell who spoke and how, e.g., Tom said.
  • Inverted commas: Quotation marks that enclose the spoken words.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How do I punctuate direct speech in 11 Plus English?

Put spoken words inside inverted commas, start with a capital letter, and keep commas or full stops inside the closing quotation mark.

Where does the comma go with a reporting clause?

If the clause follows speech, end the speech with a comma inside the quotes: “Let’s go,” said Sam. If it comes first: Sam said, “Let’s go.”

Do I start a new line for each new speaker?

Yes. Begin a new line every time the speaker changes. This makes conversations easy to follow in stories and plays.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .
Which one of the five rules given in the introduction has been broken?
Peter said "I have been to Wales twice this year."
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It should be: Peter said, "I have been to Wales twice this year."
2 .
Which one of the five rules given in the introduction has been broken?
"What's the capital of Greece"? he asked.
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It should be: "What's the capital of Greece?" he asked.
3 .
Which one of the five rules given in the introduction has been broken?
"Have you ever been to China?" he asked. "No, I haven't," I replied.
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It should be:

"Have you ever been to China?" he asked.

"No, I haven't," I replied.
4 .
Which one of the five rules given in the introduction has been broken?
I can't come tomorrow, said Jack.
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It should be: "I can't come tomorrow," said Jack.
5 .
Which one of the five rules given in the introduction has been broken?
"If I had known that" she said "I would have helped him."
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It should be: "If I had known that," she said, "I would have helped him."
6 .
Which one of the five rules given in the introduction has been broken?
"Yes!" he cried "I've solved it at last."
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It should be: "Yes!" he cried. "I've solved it at last."
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Which one of the five rules given in the introduction has been broken?
Have you ever seen Paris Hilton? he asked.
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It should be: "Have you ever seen Paris Hilton?" he asked.
8 .
Which one of the five rules given in the introduction has been broken?
Dave said "I love motorcycle racing."
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It should be: Dave said, "I love motorcycle racing."
9 .
Which one of the five rules given in the introduction has been broken?
"You’re always complaining" he said "You really are ungrateful, Harry."
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It should be: "You’re always complaining," he said. "You really are ungrateful, Harry."
10 .
Which one of the five rules given in the introduction has been broken?
"Bull's eye"! he cried.
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It should be: "Bull's eye!" he cried.
Author:  Frank Evans (Specialist 11 Plus Teacher and Tutor)
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