• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Commas in dialogue: Mum said, "…" and "…," said Mum). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Which sentence is punctuated correctly? (The vet said, "Your cat is very healthy." / The vet said "Your cat is very healthy." / The vet said, "Your cat is very healthy". / The vet said, Your cat is very healthy.) → The vet said, "Your cat is very healthy."Prompt: A comma separates the spoken words from the words that say who is speaking.
2. What is missing from this sentence? "I made soup for lunch" said Gran. (nothing: it is already correct / a comma after "said" / a comma after "lunch", inside the speech marks / a full stop after "lunch", outside the speech marks) → a comma after "lunch", inside the speech marksPrompt: Find where the spoken words meet the words about who is speaking.
3. What is missing from this sentence? "Books are due back on Friday" said the librarian. (a comma after "Friday", inside the speech marks / a full stop after "Friday", outside the speech marks / nothing: it is already correct / a comma after "said") → a comma after "Friday", inside the speech marksPrompt: Find where the spoken words meet the words about who is speaking.

• Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
• Share the objective: Punctuating direct speech: ? and ! inside, split speech, new speakers. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
• Step 1: The spoken words end with ! inside the speech marks; then "yelled Nadia" continues in lower case.
• Step 2: So the answer is: "Goal!" yelled Nadia.
• Answer: "Goal!" yelled Nadia.
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Which sentence is punctuated correctly? ("I won!" Cried Mia. / "I won," cried Mia. / "I won!", cried Mia. / "I won!" cried Mia.) → "I won!" cried Mia.Prompt: A question or an exclamation keeps its ? or ! INSIDE the speech marks.
2. The speaker is interrupted in the middle of a sentence. Which is punctuated correctly? ("When the bell rings," said Mr Ali. "line up quietly." / "When the bell rings", said Mr Ali, "line up quietly". / "When the bell rings," said Mr Ali, "line up quietly." / "When the bell rings" said Mr Ali "line up quietly.") → "When the bell rings," said Mr Ali, "line up quietly."Prompt: The spoken sentence is still one sentence, so the second part does not start with a capital.

• Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
• Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Read the question. When should you start a new line in a story with dialogue? (whenever someone says "said" / after every comma / only at the end of a chapter / when a different person starts speaking) → when a different person starts speakingPrompt: Think about what you have learned about speech marks.
2. The speaker is interrupted in the middle of a sentence. Which is punctuated correctly? ("When the bell rings," said Mr Ali, "line up quietly." / "When the bell rings" said Mr Ali "line up quietly." / "When the bell rings", said Mr Ali, "line up quietly". / "When the bell rings," said Mr Ali, "Line up quietly.") → "When the bell rings," said Mr Ali, "line up quietly."Prompt: The spoken sentence is still one sentence, so the second part does not start with a capital.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-4.