A three-page Year 4 speech marks sheet. Pupils read the example, Sam said that he was tired becoming "I'm tired," said Sam, then turn eight sentences of reported speech into direct speech, from Mia asked if she could have a drink to Ella cheered that her team had won the match. Page 2 asks what changes between the two forms and for a pair of sentences of their own. Page 3 has sample answers. It follows England National Curriculum Year 4 punctuation.
Writing - vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
“Use of inverted commas and other punctuation to indicate direct speech [for example, a comma after the reporting clause; end punctuation within inverted commas: The conductor shouted, "Sit down!"]”
All eight answers need speech marks and a capital letter, and items 1, 4, 5 and 8 need a question mark or exclamation mark inside them.
Writing - vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
“Learning the grammar for years 3 and 4 in English Appendix 2”
Pupils change pronouns and verb forms when they move to direct speech, such as she could to can I in item 1.
A worked example, then eight reported sentences with a writing line under each. Some report a question or a command, such as Mia asked if she could have a drink and The teacher told us to line up.
Question 1 asks what changes when reported speech becomes direct speech. Question 2 has pupils write a reported sentence and then its direct form, on separate lines.
Model sentences for all eight items, a second accepted version where the wording can change, and a model answer for each question on page 2.
Model first
Do items 1 and 3 together on the board. Item 1 changes she to I, and item 3 changes was to is.
Talk before writing
Use question 1 on page 2 as a pair talk task. Ask what happens to the pronoun and the verb when Leo shouted that he had found the key becomes direct speech.
Commands
Item 2 has no pronoun to change. Use it to show that a command can become a short direct sentence, as in Line up, said the teacher.
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