Inverted commas
You learn which words go inside inverted commas: exactly what the person says.
How to do the test
- Find the person who is speaking.
- Find the words they actually say.
- Those words go inside inverted commas.
A worked example
Put inverted commas around the spoken words. Where is my bag? asked Tom.
- Ask who is speaking: Tom.
- Inverted commas go around exactly what the person says.
- The spoken words are “Where is my bag”.
More examples
Put inverted commas around the spoken words. Dad shouted, Dinner is ready!
- Ask who is speaking: Dad.
- Inverted commas go around exactly what the person says.
- The spoken words are “Dinner is ready”.
Put inverted commas around the spoken words. Look at that rainbow! cried Sam.
- Ask who is speaking: Sam.
- Inverted commas go around exactly what the person says.
- The spoken words are “Look at that rainbow”.
Try it yourself
The teacher said, Please sit down.
The coach called, Run faster!
Watch out
You include the reporting clause, like asked Tom.
Put the inverted commas only around what the person says. Asked Tom tells you who spoke, but it is not spoken.
Tips
- Ask who is speaking, then find the words they say out loud.
Why it works
Inverted commas, also called speech marks, go around the words that a person says out loud. The rest of the sentence, like said Tom, stays outside.