Mastering Inverted Commas

Overview

This lesson introduces Year 3 students to the correct use of inverted commas (speech marks) in writing, in line with the National Curriculum for England's English Programme of Study for Year 3.

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National Curriculum Links

English: Writing - Years 3

• Use of inverted commas to punctuate direct speech
• Organisation of ideas into paragraphs
• Understanding how language varies in speech and writing

English: Reading - Years 2 and 3

• Discussing and understanding how meaning is enhanced through punctuation

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the 15-minute lesson, pupils will:

• Understand the purpose of inverted commas in writing.
• Identify and correctly place inverted commas to punctuate direct speech.
• Recognise when a new speaker begins and format the dialogue accordingly.

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Success Criteria

I will be successful if I can:

• Explain what inverted commas are used for.
• Correctly add inverted commas to a sentence containing direct speech.
• Start a new line for a new speaker when writing dialogue.

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Resources

• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed speech bubble templates
• Pre-prepared sentences with and without inverted commas
• Mini whiteboards and pens for students
• Sticky notes

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Lesson Structure (15 minutes)

1. Starter - What are inverted commas? (3 minutes)

• Begin with a quick question: "Can anyone tell me what these symbols are? ''"
• Show examples on the whiteboard of sentences with and without inverted commas:
  • Without: The girl said Hello.
  • With: The girl said, "Hello."
• Explain: Inverted commas show the exact words someone has spoken. They work like little speech containers.

Engagement: Use a fun voice acting style to read the speech sentences with exaggerated quotation marks in the air as gestures.

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2. Main Activity - Marking the Speech (8 minutes)

• Display 3-4 simple sentences on the board without inverted commas. e.g.,
  • Paul said I am hungry.
  • She whispered Be quiet!
• As a class, model adding inverted commas, emphasising punctuation placement:
  • Paul said, "I am hungry."
  • She whispered, "Be quiet!"
• Explain the placement of the commas and where the punctuation goes inside the inverted commas.
• Introduce starting a new line when changing speaker: e.g.,
  • Mum said, "Time for tea."
  • Dad replied, "Just a minute."
• Hand out speech bubble templates to pairs of students. Each pair writes a short dialogue using inverted commas based on a familiar scenario (e.g., at the park, in the classroom).

Differentiation:

• Provide sentence starters or partially completed speech bubbles for EAL (English as an Additional Language) and SEND pupils.
• Challenge advanced learners to include question marks or exclamation marks inside the inverted commas and start new lines for multiple speakers.

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3. Plenary - Check and Share (4 minutes)

• Invite volunteers to read their dialogues aloud using correct intonation and clear pauses for speech marks.
• Use mini whiteboards for a quick quiz: Display a sentence and ask students to write where inverted commas should go.
• Reinforce the success criteria.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Visual learners: Use colourful speech bubbles and gestures to highlight inverted commas.
• EAL learners: Provide vocabulary support and sentence starters.
• SEND learners: Work in small groups with guided practice and one-to-one support.
• Advanced learners: Encourage embedding different punctuation within direct speech and writing a short conversation using multiple speakers.

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Extension Activities

• Write a short story or comic strip including dialogue with correct inverted commas and punctuation.
• Create a "speech detective" worksheet where pupils find and correct missing or misplaced inverted commas in a short passage.
• Use drama: role-play dialogues first orally, then write them down with correct punctuation.

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Assessment

• Ongoing teacher observation during paired writing and reading aloud activities.
• Check mini whiteboard responses for correct punctuation placement.
• Collect speech bubble templates to assess understanding of inverted commas and line breaks for speech.

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Reflection and Next Steps

• Reinforce inverted commas in upcoming writing lessons through creative story writing.
• Focus on other punctuation marks within direct speech (questions, exclamations) in future units.