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WorksheetYear 9Level 2 · Standard

Free Year 9 Punctuating Direct Speech and Dialogue Worksheet

Students master the punctuation of direct speech: quotation marks around the spoken words, a comma or end mark inside the closing quotation marks, capital letters, split speech, question and exclamation marks, and a new paragraph for each new speaker. They also convert direct speech into indirect (reported) speech and write a short punctuated exchange of their own.

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Year
Year 9
Subject
English
Topic
Punctuation
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
30 minutes
Curriculum
Australian Curriculum
Questions
16
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4), print or complete online

Students will practise

  • punctuating direct speech with quotation marks
  • placing commas, question marks and exclamation marks with speech tags
  • punctuating split speech
  • starting a new paragraph for each new speaker
  • converting direct speech to indirect speech

Curriculum: Australian Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Punctuating Direct Speech and Dialogue

  1. 1Sentence Variety and Cohesion
  2. 2Active and Passive Voice for Effect
  3. 3Parallel Structure and Balanced Sentences

How to use this worksheet

  1. Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
  2. Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
  3. Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
  4. Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.

Common questions

Who is this worksheet for?

Year 9 students (typically ages 14–15) working on punctuation. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.

How long does it take?

About 30 minutes for 16 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try Sentence Variety and Cohesion.

Preview

Success TutoringWorksheetsYear 9 · English · Punctuation

Punctuating Direct Speech and Dialogue

Name

Date

Score /

Speech punctuation belongs inside the quotation marks, and each new speaker gets a new paragraph.

Part A: The rules

Spoken words go inside quotation marks. The punctuation that belongs to the speech goes inside the closing quotation marks. Circle the correctly punctuated sentence.

1.Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
  1. A"Close the door" said Priya.
  2. B"Close the door," said Priya.
  3. C"Close the door." said Priya.
  4. D"Close the door", said Priya.
2.Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
  1. A"Are you coming?" asked Tom.
  2. B"Are you coming"? asked Tom.
  3. C"Are you coming?," asked Tom.
  4. D"Are you coming," asked Tom?
3.Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
  1. A"I think," said Ella. "That we should leave now."
  2. B"I think" said Ella, "that we should leave now."
  3. C"I think," said Ella, "That we should leave now."
  4. D"I think," said Ella, "that we should leave now."
4.When a different person begins speaking, you should:
  1. Astart a new paragraph
  2. Bkeep writing on the same line
  3. Cleave out the quotation marks
  4. Duse a semicolon before the speech
5.Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
  1. AMarcus said "we need more time".
  2. BMarcus said, "we need more time."
  3. CMarcus said, "We need more time."
  4. DMarcus said. "We need more time."
6.Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
  1. A"Watch out!" She shouted.
  2. B"Watch out!" she shouted.
  3. C"Watch out," she shouted!
  4. D"Watch out"! she shouted.

Part B: Punctuate the speech

Rewrite each sentence with capital letters, quotation marks and the correct punctuation.

7.where is the nearest station asked the tourist (answer space)
8.the coach said we have one more game to go (answer space)
9.if we hurry said Sam we might still catch the bus (answer space)
10.I can't believe it she gasped the window is wide open (answer space)
11.this is the best day ever shouted Kai (answer space)

Part C: Direct and indirect speech

Direct speech gives the exact words in quotation marks. Indirect speech reports the words without quotation marks.

12.Which sentence uses indirect (reported) speech?
  1. AShe said, "I am tired."
  2. BShe said that she was tired.
  3. C"I am tired," she said.
  4. D"Tired," she said, "is how I feel."
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Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

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About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.