Answer:
What is Direct Speech?
If you're looking for a straightforward definition for direct speech, then you're in the right place. Put simply, direct speech is a sentence where the exact words that are spoken are written in speech marks, quotation marks, or inverted commas.
Direct Speech can be used in multiple written texts. It is widely used in fiction, where its use can help readers to understand characters better.
On the other hand, indirect speech is where points of what someone has said are reported, but the speech is not fully written. You can find more about teaching indirect speech by heading to our handy Wiki page, What is Indirect Speech?
Direct Speech Examples
If you're struggling to picture how direct speech might work, then here are some direct speech examples to help you get the hang of it.
"What are your plans for tonight?" Said Lisa.
"I don't really have any!" Said, Janine
"Do you fancy going out for a meal?" Said Alex.
Direct Speech Warm-Up PowerPoint
The Rules of Direct Speech
Children will typically begin to learn about direct speech when they are seven to eight years old. At this time, kids will learn what direct speech is, why it is used, and what general rules they should follow when using it. Here are some of the main reasons why writers use direct speech.
It can be really useful for expanding on the development of characters in a story. This is because, by showing the things that people say and the ways that they say them, readers will learn more about their personalities.
It can also be really useful for driving the plot in stories.
There are a number of key rules that must be followed when writing direct speech. It is important that kids master these rules in order to effectively and correctly use direct speech. Here is a list of the rules along with some direct speech examples to help you get the hang of it.
Speech Marks
In direct speech, punctuation is used to separate the spoken words, or dialogue, from the rest of the text. The words that are directly spoken by a character, i.e., the direct speech, should be placed inside speech marks.
For example:
“Can I ask you a question?”, Emily enquired.
“I’m far too tired to play football today”, yawned Sam.
There is some nuance with this direct speech rule in that some writers use double speech marks and some use single speech marks. Don’t be thrown off by this, however, as both are perfectly fine!
The only rule is that you must decide which type of speech marks you want to use and make sure that it is consistent throughout your work. Therefore, you shouldn’t start off your work using single speech marks and end it using double ones.
A New Speaker = A New Line
Another rule that must be followed when using direct speech is that each time a new person is speaking, you must take a new line. Direct speech is designed to help the reader follow the dialogue in a text. This is why it is so important to structure it clearly. To help the reader follow who exactly is speaking, you must take a new line for each new speaker.
For example:
“I didn’t see you at school today,” said Hannah, looking concerned.
“I wasn’t feeling very well, so I took the day off sick,” explained Tom.
“You poor thing! I hope you’re feeling better tomorrow,” Hannah remarked, giving her friend a hug.
“Me too,” Tom pouted.
It’s also important to note that each new line of direct speech should also start with a capital letter.
Step-by-step explanation: