Direct speech

Direct speech presents a character's exact words, enclosed in speech marks, as in "Wait for me," she called. It brings a scene to life by letting characters speak for themselves. Their own words and the way they say them reveal personality, mood and relationships.

Direct speech follows clear punctuation rules. The spoken words sit inside speech marks, a punctuation mark separates them from the reporting clause, and a new speaker usually starts a new line. Used well, direct speech adds realism, pace and drama to narrative writing.

In narrative writing tasks, accurate, well-punctuated direct speech shows technical control and brings characters to life, both of which examiners reward. Punctuating speech correctly, with new lines for new speakers, is a common area where marks are won or lost. In the reading paper, analyse what a character's actual words and manner of speaking reveal.

This supports points about characterisation and relationships between people in a text.

"You promised you would come," he said quietly, staring at the floor, shows the character's hurt through his words, his tone and the small detail of his gaze.

Enclose the exact words in speech marks and punctuate the join with the reporting clause correctly. Start a new line for each new speaker. Use speech to reveal character and to vary the pace of narrative.

In analysis, examine what a character's words and way of speaking reveal, rather than just quoting them. The dialogue does real work in your answer.

You may also find writing formats and annotated model responses useful. Next, visit our skills guides for IGCSE English to see terms like this used in real answers. Our IGCSE English tuition page explains how lessons run. When you are ready, the paid one-hour trial is the first step.