Direct speech: walrus
The Grammar Bit!
Read the three sentences opposite. They all use direct speech to tell the reader exactly what was said by the speaker. Remember that inverted commas (or speech marks)are used to indicate this. (“…..”)
Notice how in each sentence we are given information about what the speaker was doing as he was speaking (bold). Including actions is a great way to bring characters to life. Furthermore, it will stop you from writing speech ‘ping pong.’ (This is where conversation goes back and forth without any narration in between.)
For each sentence, with your talk partner, have a go at replacing the actions (bold) with your own ideas.
Scintillating Sentences
1) “Be careful, we can’t afford to damage it,” cautioned David as the three crew members lowered the Megadome into the icy water.
2) “With young pups to protect, we will need to be wary of the mother,” explained David as he polished the wide-angled lens of the Megadome.
3) As David headed back to the boat with his thumbs pointing upwards, the producer said excitedly, “It looks like he’s got some great close-up footage of the walruses!”
Did you know…?
The tusks of a walrus, which are, in fact, large canine teeth, will continue to grow throughout the animal’s entire life.