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Punctuation in direct speech

We use inverted commas (also called quotation marks, quotes or speech marks) to indicate direct speech. Double quotes (") are preferred in American English, while single quotes (') are more common in British English:

" I'm coming home late tonight, " she said. (American English) ' I'm coming home late tonight, ' she said. (British English)

If we quote within direct speech, we use the other style for the embedded quotation:

"She said, ' I'm coming home late tonight ', " recalled Jim. (American English) 'She said, " I'm coming home late tonight ", ' recalled Jim. (British English)

As can be seen in the examples above, a comma ( , ) is used at the end of the quotation, before the closing speech mark.

A comma is also used before the quotation if we start the sentence with the reporting clause. In this case the terminal full stop (.) comes before the closing speech mark:

She added , "Don't expect me before 11 . "

If the quotation is a question or exclamation, the terminal marks ( ? and ! ) also come before the closing speech marks:

"Hurry up ! " he shouted. She asked, "Am I late ? "

The quotation normally begins with a capital letter, except if it is interrupted by a reporting clause, in which case the first letter of the continuation is not capitalised:

" I 'm coming home late tonight," she said and added, " d on't expect me before 11."

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Direct Speech

What is direct speech.

Direct speech is a sentence where the exact words spoken by somebody are recorded in inverted commas (also known as speech marks). Inverted commas are used to show which written words are spoken by the character and other punctuation is used to help the reader understand when each character starts and stops speaking. Usually, the spoken words are accompanied by a reporting clause which contains a speech verb and reveals the identity of the speaker.

How to punctuate direct speech

To punctuate direct speech, follow these simple rules:

Start a new line for each new speaker. This helps the reader to keep track of who is speaking.

Add a pair of inverted commas around the words spoken by the character. The first pair of inverted commas should go before the first spoken word and the second pair should go after the punctuation which follows the last spoken word.

Begin the spoken words with a capital letter.

Add closing punctuation to follow the last spoken word. This could be a comma, full stop, exclamation mark, question mark or even an ellipsis if the character's thoughts trail off.

Use a comma to separate the direct speech and reporting clause.

Our KS2 English Journey scheme based on the beautifully illustrated book by Aaron Becker, is a fantastic way to introduce children to direct speech punctuation.

Children tend to find rules three and four the most difficult so make sure you explicitly teach the following:

a. If the reporting clause comes before the spoken words , add a comma to separate the clause from the direct speech and a full stop within the inverted commas to indicate the end of the sentence. For example, Isa suggested, "Let's get a closer look."

b. If the reporting clause comes after the direct speech, add a comma (or other appropriate punctuation) within the inverted commas to indicate that the sentence continues and a full stop after the reporting clause to indicate the end of the sentence. For example, "Let's get a closer look," Isa suggested.

c. If the reporting clause comes in the middle of the direct speech, add a comma within the inverted commas for the first piece of speech, a comma after the reporting clause before the second piece of speech and a full stop following the reporting clause to indicate the end of the sentence. For example, "Let's get a closer look," Isa suggested, "I want to know where the tunnel leads."

When do we use direct speech?

Direct speech is used in narratives to reveal more about the thoughts, motivations and personalities of the characters, and to let new characters introduce themselves.

Using dialogue between characters is also a quick and engaging way to move on the plot of a story. For example, an instruction from a character is a useful plot device as it can prompt another character to act or move to another time or location (e.g. "Lock the door.","Go to the tower.", "Recover the diamond.").

Questions can let characters explain where they have been or what they have been doing offstage ("Why are you late?', "Where have you been?, "Why are you doing this?).

Statements can tell you more about a character's surroundings ("It's a beautiful day.", " That door wasn't there before.") or where they stand on a particular issue ("I don't agree.", "This is a risky plan.").

Inspire your children to write effective dialogue for an adventure story with our KS2 One Thousand and One Arabian Nights scheme.

Misconceptions when punctuating direct speech

Understanding and applying the rules for direct speech is no mean feat. Here are the top five misconceptions that children may have as they learn how to punctuate direct speech.

Children do not know to include punctuation inside the inverted commas.

Children do not know when to use a comma instead of a full stop inside the inverted commas.

Children incorrectly position inverted commas around the beginning and end of a full sentence rather than around the spoken words.

Children do not apply the new speaker, new line convention.

Children capitalise the first word in a reporting clause that comes in the middle or at the end of the speech sentence. This often accompanies a misuse of a full stop as closing punctuation inside the inverted commas.

Addressing these misconceptions needs careful and explicit teaching. Here are five top tips for teaching children how to punctuate direct speech in KS2.

Make sure to provide children with variety of examples which use different sentences structures.

Encourage children to find different speech sentences in their reading books and explore the similarities and differences between them.

Provide examples of incorrectly punctuated speech sentences and ask children to spot and correct the errors (identifying errors in given texts is so much less daunting than jumping straight into applying the rules within your own writing).

Give children focused editing time either as a discrete activity where children to add punctuation to unpunctuated text or where they spot and correct direct speech punctuation during independent writing.

Offer children the opportunity to read and perform their dialogue (as this can really help child get to grips with why punctuation is so important for the reader).

Teaching progression in direct speech - Year 3

Direct speech is introduced in the Year 3 English Curriculum. Here, children should be taught the correct terminology for 'inverted commas' and given opportunities to practise forming these correctly (during your regular handwriting sessions can work well). When children can identify and create inverted commas, they are ready to apply these to speech - adding opening and closing inverted commas around spoken words.

An engaging, hands-on activity to help children understand where to position the inverted commas in a speech sentence is to ask children to write speech sentences on whiteboards and add macaroni around the spoken words to represent the opening and closing inverted commas. This activity can be extended to include speech and a reporting clause to consolidate understanding and to address the misconception that inverted commmas are used at the beginning and end of the sentence, rather than at the beginning and end of the spoken words.

Introduce your children to direct speech with our magical Year 3 The Snowman scheme which provides children with the foundations for punctuating direct speech.

Teaching progression in direct speech - Year 4

In Year 4, the focus should be mastering all of the punctuation required to indicate direct speech. This includes the use of a comma to separate the reporting clause from the piece of speech as well as using punctuation within inverted commas: The conductor shouted, “Sit down!”. Children will need plenty of modelled examples as to when to use the different punctuation marks inside inverted commas to get to grips with when to use a comma, full stop and other punctuation.

By the end of Year 4, children should be able to choose more precise speech verbs for their reporting clause, using verbs such as growled, snarled, whispered, mumbled to let the reader know more about the speaker's personality or mood.

One way to help chidren understand the rules of punctuating direct speech is to use a text message template to show an exchange of dialogue between characters. This helps children understand that the speech for each character starts on a new line. It is also helpful for reinforcing the learning point from Year 3, that only the spoken words should be included within the opening and closing inverted commas. Children can use the speech given in the model as the basis for writing their own dialogue between the two characters, constructing their own reporting clauses using appropriate speech verbs and adverbs.

Why not use the our KS2 English Journey scheme or our Text to Speech FreeBee to give children an opportunity to practise using direct speech in their writing?

Teaching progression in direct speech - Year 5

In Year 5, children should be able to vary the structure of their speech sentences, positioning the reporting clause at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of the spoken words. Here, children should consider the impact of these choices on pace and intensity. Children should be taught that the reporting clause can reveal a lot about how the words are spoken and the character of the speaker and start to experiment with adding additional clauses to add further contextual detail.

As children become more proficient with the direct speech punctuation and sentence structure, the focus of teaching should shift to encouraging children to write coherent and effective dialogue which conveys character and/or advances the action of the story.

Teaching progression in direct speech - Year 6

By Year 6, children should be able to vary the structure of their speech sentences and extend these to provide the reader with extra details about the speaker or their environment. Children should continue to write dialogue which conveys character and/or advances the action of the story,. The focus of teaching should shift to ensure that the children can integrate dialogue well into their narratives and that they know how to strike a balance between dialogue and description to produce an enjoyable or gripping experience for the reader.

In additon, children should also be taught how and when to use the structures associated with formal and informal speech to help set the tone of their piece or to contextualise their writing within a certain time period. To do this, use texts which allow you to explore a variety of speech conventions used by different characters such as those by Arthur Conan Doyale (e.g. Sherlock Holmes) or Charles Dickens (e.g. Scrooge, the Artful Dodger).  

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English lessons and resources

Direct speech writing rules in English

7th January 2019 by Andrew 14 Comments

In the above picture, Mark is talking to Jane. The words inside the blue box are the exact words that he speaks.

Here is how we express this:

This is direct speech. Direct speech is when we report the exact words that somebody says.

In this English lesson, you will learn:

• The rules for writing direct speech.
• The correct punctuation.
• Vocabulary to report direct speech.

Reporting clause before the direct speech

The reporting clause of direct speech is the short clause that indicates who is talking. It is the clause that is outside of the inverted commas. It is therefore not the words being spoken.

We can write the reporting clause either before or after the direct speech. If the reporting clause is before the direct speech, we write it as follows:

Grammar rules – If the reporting clause is before the direct speech:

We write a comma (,) before the direct speech. We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a full stop (.) before the closing inverted commas.

Reporting clause before a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is before a question or exclamation:

We write a comma (,) before the direct speech. We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a question mark (?) before the closing inverted commas. or We write an exclamation mark (!) before the closing inverted commas.

Reporting clause after the direct speech

If the reporting clause is after the direct speech:

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a comma (,) before the closing inverted commas. We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause.

Reporting clause after a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is after a question or exclamation:

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a question mark (?) before the closing inverted commas. or We write an exclamation mark (!) before the closing inverted commas. We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause.

Advanced rules for direct speech

Sometimes we break up the direct speech into 2 parts:

The second part of the direct speech starts with a small letter if it is the same sentence as the first part of the direct speech.

The second part of the direct speech starts with a capital letter if it is a new sentence.

Vocabulary of direct speech

We have several names for the above punctuation marks:

Inverted commas Speech marks Quotation marks Quotes

Other reporting verbs

Here are some other useful reporting verbs:

reply (replied) ask (asked) shout (shouted) agree (agreed) comment (commented) admit (admitted)

They are often used for writing direct speech in books, newspapers and reports. It is more common to use them in reporting clauses after the direct speech.

“I really don’t like her dress,” she commented . “I don’t love you anymore,” he admitted .

Other English lessons

Private online English lessons How to pass the IELTS with a band 8 Adverbs of frequency Indefinite article “a” and “an” The prepositions FOR and SINCE All of our lessons

Direct speech video lesson

Reader Interactions

Matěj Formánek says

3rd November 2019 at 5:54 pm

How about this sentence: I know the satnav is wrong!” exclaimed Zena. – Why the subject and predicate are swapped? It’s sentence from textbook so I’m confused.

17th June 2020 at 4:07 pm

Can we write multiple sentences in direct speech that comes before reporting clause? In case if this is allowed, what punctuation mark should be used after the last sentence?

Example: “I entered the class room. As I did not find anybody there, I left the class room and went to buy a coffee.” explained the student to the teacher for his delay to come to the class.

Should the punctuation mark after the word coffee be comma instead of full stop?

Joaquim Barretto says

14th September 2020 at 1:25 pm

No full stop, but comma after the word coffee.

19th January 2021 at 2:34 pm

HI IM DAISY

courtney says

27th January 2021 at 12:07 pm

Clare Hatcher says

12th March 2021 at 9:55 am

Hello I like the layout of this – very clear. Just wondering if it is correct to use a comma in between two separate sentences in direct speech. I think that now in published material you find this instead. ‘I’m tired,’ she said. ‘Let’s stay at home.’ Would appreciate your thoughts Thanks

27th March 2021 at 8:54 am

If I wrote something with a comma at the end to continue speech like this:

“Hello,” he waved to the new student, “what’s you’re name?”

Do I have to use a capital letter even if I’m continuing with a comma or is it lowercase?

Sylvia Edouard says

30th September 2023 at 9:17 am

Yes, you need to use a capital letter as speech from someone has to start with a capital letter. Always.

15th April 2022 at 12:12 pm

which of the following is correct?

1. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document?”

2. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document,”? (comma inside)

3. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document.”? (full stop inside)

Jan Švanda says

7th September 2023 at 1:31 pm

I presume the quotation is there to specify the exact phrase (for the metadata entry). I also encounter this from time to time, when writing technical documentation. I believe in that case you should write the phrase as it is, proper grammar be damned; beautifully looking documentation is useless if it leads to incorrect results.

In this case, I don’t even think this is “direct speech”, the metadata entry isn’t walking around and saying things, the quotation mark is there to indicate precise phrase – similar to marking strings in programming languages. Because of this, I don’t think direct speech rules apply, or at least, they should take back seat. If the expected status includes full stop at the end, the sentence would be:

4. Should the status go missing when the metadata states “Sign & return document.”? (no comma before, since it is not a direct speech; full stop inside, as it is part of the quoted status)

From grammatical perspective the end looks a bit ugly, but again, if this should be technical documentation, that is less important than precision.

A person says

15th August 2022 at 7:16 pm

One extra thing: YOU MUST NOT USE THE WORD SAID IN A REPORTING CLAUSE. EVER. IT’S UNIMAGINATIVE.

no joke, it’s actually discouraged and even close to banned at my school

7th September 2023 at 1:49 pm

This is stupid. You shouldn’t use it in _every_ sentence, there should be variety, but outright banning it doesn’t make sense.

Case in point:

Book: ‘Pride and Prejudice’. Phrase to search: ‘,” said’ (comma, followed by quotation mark, followed by space, followed by word ‘said’). Number of occurrences: 211. Total number of ‘,”‘ (comma, followed by quotation mark) strings is 436, so “said” is used in almost 50% cases of direct speech of this type.

I don’t think it would be right for your school to ban Jane Austin, do you?

blaire says

30th March 2024 at 5:36 pm

How do you use names in direct speech?

Is it: “I really don’t like her dress,” Ashley said. or “I really don’t like her dress,” said Ashley.

I’ve seen both and I’m so confused which one is correct, please help me.

Andrew says

3rd April 2024 at 11:31 am

Hello and thanks for your comment and question.

After the direct speech, both are correct.

Before the direct speech, only the first one is correct:

Ashley said, “I really don’t like her dress.” (correct) Said Ashley, “I really don’t like her dress.” (wrong)

I hope that helps you. Andrew https://www.youtube.com/@CrownAcademyEnglish/

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Direct Speech Worksheets (KS2)

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

22 February 2018

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janempowell

Inaccurate. You need a comma before speech starts: The fans shouted, “Come on City!”

Empty reply does not make any sense for the end user

Thanks for sharing.

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Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples

Are you having trouble understanding the difference between direct and indirect speech? Direct speech is when you quote someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. This can be a tricky concept to grasp, but with a little practice, you’ll be able to use both forms of speech with ease.

Direct and Indirect Speech

When someone speaks, we can report what they said in two ways: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech is when we quote the exact words that were spoken, while indirect speech is when we report what was said without using the speaker’s exact words. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I love pizza,” said John. Indirect speech: John said that he loved pizza.

Using direct speech can make your writing more engaging and can help to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion. However, indirect speech can be useful when you want to summarize what someone said or when you don’t have the exact words that were spoken.

To change direct speech to indirect speech, you need to follow some rules. Firstly, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb. Secondly, you need to change the pronouns and adverbs in the reported speech to match the new speaker. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I will go to the park,” said Sarah. Indirect speech: Sarah said that she would go to the park.

It’s important to note that when you use indirect speech, you need to use reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked” to indicate who is speaking. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “What time is it?” asked Tom. Indirect speech: Tom asked what time it was.

In summary, understanding direct and indirect speech is crucial for effective communication and writing. Direct speech can be used to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion, while indirect speech can be useful when summarizing what someone said. By following the rules for changing direct speech to indirect speech, you can accurately report what was said while maintaining clarity and readability in your writing.

Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech

When it comes to reporting speech, there are two ways to go about it: direct and indirect speech. Direct speech is when you report someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. Here are some of the key differences between direct and indirect speech:

Change of Pronouns

In direct speech, the pronouns used are those of the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the pronouns have to be changed to reflect the perspective of the reporter. For example:

• Direct speech: “I am going to the store,” said John.
• Indirect speech: John said he was going to the store.

In the above example, the pronoun “I” changes to “he” in indirect speech.

Change of Tenses

Another major difference between direct and indirect speech is the change of tenses. In direct speech, the verb tense used is the same as that used by the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the verb tense may change depending on the context. For example:

• Direct speech: “I am studying for my exams,” said Sarah.
• Indirect speech: Sarah said she was studying for her exams.

In the above example, the present continuous tense “am studying” changes to the past continuous tense “was studying” in indirect speech.

Change of Time and Place References

When reporting indirect speech, the time and place references may also change. For example:

• Direct speech: “I will meet you at the park tomorrow,” said Tom.
• Indirect speech: Tom said he would meet you at the park the next day.

In the above example, “tomorrow” changes to “the next day” in indirect speech.

Overall, it is important to understand the differences between direct and indirect speech to report speech accurately and effectively. By following the rules of direct and indirect speech, you can convey the intended message of the original speaker.

Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

When you need to report what someone said in your own words, you can use indirect speech. To convert direct speech into indirect speech, you need to follow a few rules.

Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks

The first step is to remove the quotation marks that enclose the relayed text. This is because indirect speech does not use the exact words of the speaker.

Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker

To indicate that you are reporting what someone said, you need to use a reporting verb such as “said,” “asked,” “told,” or “exclaimed.” You also need to use a linker such as “that” or “whether” to connect the reporting verb to the reported speech.

For example:

• Direct speech: “I love ice cream,” said Mary.
• Indirect speech: Mary said that she loved ice cream.

Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb

When you use indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb.

• Indirect speech: John said that he was going to the store.

Step 4: Change the Pronouns

You also need to change the pronouns in the reported speech to match the subject of the reporting verb.

• Direct speech: “Are you busy now?” Tina asked me.
• Indirect speech: Tina asked whether I was busy then.

By following these rules, you can convert direct speech into indirect speech and report what someone said in your own words.

Converting Indirect Speech Into Direct Speech

Converting indirect speech into direct speech involves changing the reported speech to its original form as spoken by the speaker. Here are the steps to follow when converting indirect speech into direct speech:

• Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb used in the indirect speech. This will help you determine the tense of the direct speech.
• Change the pronouns: The next step is to change the pronouns in the indirect speech to match the person speaking in the direct speech. For example, if the indirect speech is “She said that she was going to the store,” the direct speech would be “I am going to the store,” if you are the person speaking.
• Change the tense: Change the tense of the verbs in the indirect speech to match the tense of the direct speech. For example, if the indirect speech is “He said that he would visit tomorrow,” the direct speech would be “He says he will visit tomorrow.”
• Remove the reporting verb and conjunction: In direct speech, there is no need for a reporting verb or conjunction. Simply remove them from the indirect speech to get the direct speech.

Here is an example to illustrate the process:

Indirect Speech: John said that he was tired and wanted to go home.

Direct Speech: “I am tired and want to go home,” John said.

By following these steps, you can easily convert indirect speech into direct speech.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and indirect speech are two ways to report what someone has said. Direct speech reports the exact words spoken by a person, while indirect speech reports the meaning of what was said. Here are some examples of both types of speech:

Direct Speech Examples

Direct speech is used when you want to report the exact words spoken by someone. It is usually enclosed in quotation marks and is often used in dialogue.

• “I am going to the store,” said Sarah.
• “It’s a beautiful day,” exclaimed John.
• “Please turn off the lights,” Mom told me.
• “I will meet you at the library,” said Tom.
• “We are going to the beach tomorrow,” announced Mary.

Indirect Speech Examples

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is used to report what someone said without using their exact words. It is often used in news reports, academic writing, and in situations where you want to paraphrase what someone said.

Here are some examples of indirect speech:

• Sarah said that she was going to the store.
• John exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
• Mom told me to turn off the lights.
• Tom said that he would meet me at the library.
• Mary announced that they were going to the beach tomorrow.

In indirect speech, the verb tense may change to reflect the time of the reported speech. For example, “I am going to the store” becomes “Sarah said that she was going to the store.” Additionally, the pronouns and possessive adjectives may also change to reflect the speaker and the person being spoken about.

Overall, both direct and indirect speech are important tools for reporting what someone has said. By using these techniques, you can accurately convey the meaning of what was said while also adding your own interpretation and analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is direct and indirect speech?

Direct and indirect speech refer to the ways in which we communicate what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, using quotation marks to indicate that you are quoting someone. Indirect speech, on the other hand, involves reporting what someone has said without using their exact words.

How do you convert direct speech to indirect speech?

To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb, such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.” For example, “I love ice cream,” said Mary (direct speech) can be converted to “Mary said that she loved ice cream” (indirect speech).

What is the difference between direct speech and indirect speech?

The main difference between direct speech and indirect speech is that direct speech uses the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. Direct speech is usually enclosed in quotation marks, while indirect speech is not.

What are some examples of direct and indirect speech?

Some examples of direct speech include “I am going to the store,” said John and “I love pizza,” exclaimed Sarah. Some examples of indirect speech include John said that he was going to the store and Sarah exclaimed that she loved pizza .

What are the rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech?

The rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech include changing the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb and use appropriate reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.”

What is a summary of direct and indirect speech?

Direct and indirect speech are two ways of reporting what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions and introduce a reporting verb.

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Student resources, year 3 – teaching direct speech.

The following lesson illustrates one way in which you can teach children about direct speech within the context of a Literacy lesson. The rules for writing direct speech remain the same however it is taught, but remember to make the lesson purposeful and relevant to your class in order to provide a contextualised approach to teaching grammar. This Year 3 class have been reading the book The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry as part of their rainforest theme. They have already explored a number of non-fiction texts to gather facts and information to contribute to their own leaflets and persuasive posters. They have discussed the moral and ethical dilemmas associated with rainforests and researched the Amazon rainforest as part of their ongoing topic. The class have visited the local botanical gardens and a speaker from a local ecology group has provided further information. To ensure that pupils have something to say in their narratives and understand how a character feels and acts, several drama strategies may be used to provide pupils with a convenient vehicle through which to convey speech; this can be recorded in their own narratives using the written conventions of speech. Because speech can be incorporated into most narratives, you can adapt this lesson to reflect the topic that underpins your teaching for that year group. For example, you may be finding out about a particular period in history or exploring the life of a famous person. When children are writing a story about this, they will more than likely need to include some form of conversation in order to distinguish it from a biography or other form of literary non-fiction.

Learning objectives for the lesson

• To be able to use punctuation in direct speech correctly.
• To be able to choose appropriate verbs and adverbials to describe how the character is speaking.
• To use dialogue effectively to convey meaning. 

Lesson opener

Conscience alley

Ask the children to sit facing each other in two lines, each with a strip of sugar paper and a felt pen. Briefly recap on the story of The Great Kapok Tree and ask children in one of the lines to act as the woodcutter’s employers and the children in the other line to take on the role of one of the rainforest animals. They must decide what they would say to the woodcutter so as to persuade him whether or not to cut down the trees. Explain to the children that they are to take part in a ‘Conscience Alley’. As the woodcutter, you will walk through the middle of both lines whilst one by one the children give their reasons for and against cutting down the trees. When you reach the end of the lines, you can make your decision.

For example:

You won’t get paid if you do not finish the job. (Employer)

Where will we live if you cut down the trees? (Snake)

Then ask the children to write what they have said on the piece of coloured paper, using speech punctuation.

Main lesson

Having established groups for the main teaching session, explain that they are going to continue to write the next part of the rainforest story. To ensure children have a purpose for their writing you may want to tell them that you have misplaced your copy of The Great Kapok Tree or that the last few pages are damaged and you were due to read this story to the children in Reception or Year 1. Tell the children that they are going to write the end of the story so that you don’t have to disappoint the younger children.

Model writing the opening sentences of the next part of the story on the interactive whiteboard so as to ensure that all children are familiar with the use of direct speech and how to punctuate this correctly. Children can use mini-whiteboards or classroom tablets to write suggestions for dialogue that would be appropriate for the story. Use this time to assess whether the children are using punctuation correctly and address any misconceptions.

Practical application

Children can write the ending to the story using effective dialogue to add meaning to the text. Remind them of the learning objectives and ensure that you have provided scaffolds such as writing frames, microphones, prompts and examples of speech to ensure that all children can achieve. During the starter activity and the shared writing you will have identified those children requiring further support when using direct speech and these may form a guided group. What about those children for whom direct speech poses no difficulties? An effective way in which to continue to develop their use of direct speech is to place envelopes on their tables with a further challenge included. For example, ask them to include a conversation between three characters or try splitting the direct speech into parts.

Explain to the children that you have written the ending of the story but have forgotten how to write direct speech. Hand out some pre-prepared sentences relating to the story with all punctuation missing. Make sure that you differentiate accordingly. Ask the children to work in pairs to ‘correct’ the sentences using a marker pen and collect these to include on your working wall.

Assessment (measuring achievement)

Assessment for learning

Do not assume that all children will begin this lesson with the same degree of understanding about the use of direct speech.

Ask key questions to determine how much children know:

Why have you put the speech marks there?

Can you think of an alternative to ‘said’?

How do we know when the character is speaking?

Where do I include the exclamation mark?

What does this tell us about the character?

Ask children to identify speech during shared or guided reading sessions. Encourage them to change their voice when characters are speaking. Are they aware that speech marks indicate that someone is speaking? Do they change their voice according to the adverb or verb used to describe how the character is speaking? Use a wide variety of books that include speech, for example, Good Little Wolf by Nadia Shireen, Billy’s Bucket by Kes Gray and Garry Parsons, The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler and just about anything by Roald Dahl.

Use drama sessions to ask children to verbalise their thoughts whilst in character and then write them down on sticky notes using the conventions of direct speech.

Assessment at the point of learning

You will need to assess learning throughout the lesson so that you are able to provide the correct amount of challenge for all learners.

Take full advantage of mini-whiteboards to allow children to demonstrate what they know. They may be able to use inverted commas correctly, but have they remembered to include the full stop or question mark within the speech marks?

Encourage other adults working within the classroom to make a note of children who are having difficulties and address this immediately with the child, exploring misconceptions and modelling correct use of speech punctuation.

Ask children to explain why they have used specific verbs or adverbs to describe how a character is speaking. Do they understand why they need to include speech marks? Are they beginning a new line for a different speaker? How can you make this explicit in your teaching?

Assessment of learning

Have the children achieved the objective of the lesson and how do you know?

During the plenary, are children still making the same mistakes or have they moved on during the course of the lesson?

Are they enclosing the speaker’s exact words within speech marks?

Do they start each piece of speech with a capital letter?

Have they used a comma in the correct place when direct speech comes after the name of the speaker?

Have they started a new line for each speaker?

Furthermore, does the inclusion of dialogue in the text contribute to the overall effect of the writing? If children are simply including speech in order to fulfil a ‘checklist’ of criteria, they may not understand how it can fundamentally change a piece of writing and add to the tone, atmosphere and mood. When marking work, make comments explicit and refer directly to the learning objectives so that learners are aware of their success and how they can continue to move forward.

Some children may have a limited understanding of punctuation and so this will need consolidating prior to teaching speech marks. Use punctuation fans and bingo games to provide opportunities for children to become familiar with different types of punctuation.

Some children may benefit from a more visual approach and so try large speech bubble templates to write speech before adding it to text. Children who prefer an auditory approach may benefit from watching short film clips and identifying the speech within this context.

The use of drama to reinforce conventions of written speech will often support pupils for whom English is as an additional language as it provides opportunities for pupils to be more aware of their language use and orally rehearse their thoughts before committing them to paper.

For more lesson inspiration and for the theory behind how to develop good lessons, see the   Lessons in Teaching Series.

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How To Write Direct Speech - Speech Rules KS2 Classroom Display

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This classroom display pack features a set of seven posters demonstrating the rules that must be remembered when writing direct speech in KS2. These eye-catching resources are perfect for Year 3 or Year 4 classroom displays when teaching the use of inverted commas or to revisit this area of grammar across Key Stage 2.

What is included in this speech rules KS2 classroom display pack?

• 7 x A4 writing direct speech posters, with example sentences
• 1 giant version of the last A4 poster to create a larger classroom display
• Teacher notes

Visit our Classroom Display Collection for more inspiring resources to support teaching and learning in your classroom.

What is direct speech?

Direct speech is when the exact words that someone says are written.

• “We are going on an adventure,” said Travis.

How do we punctuate direct speech?

Inverted commas , or speech marks, are used when writing direct speech. The inverted commas go around what is said within a sentence. Other speech punctuation is also needed. Punctuation is needed at the end of the direct speech before the inverted comma, and a comma is used after the reporting clause if this comes before the direct speech.

• Travis said, “We are going on an adventure.”

What is the reporting clause?

The reporting clause is the short clause that can come before or after the direct speech that states who was talking. It can also show how the speech was said.

• “We are going on an adventure,” announced Travis.

National Curriculum English programme of study links

• Pupils should compose and rehearse sentences orally, progressively building a varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures.
• Pupils should be taught to use and punctuate direct speech.
• Pupils should be taught to use and understand the grammatical terminology in English appendix 2 accurately and appropriately when discussing their writing.

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Elon Musk's X can be liable for hate speech published on platform in landmark QCAT ruling

Social media company X, formerly Twitter, has lost a key fight over whether it's legally responsible for its activities in Australia.

The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) has made a landmark ruling that the company can be held liable for hate speech published on its platform.

The decision is a win for the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN), which lodged a complaint in July 2022 accusing X of being responsible for publishing denigrating and hateful comments from a far-right conspiracy group, about Muslims being "an existential threat" to the world.

Social media companies such as X have often relied on the legal argument that they're not responsible for what happens on foreign soil because they don't do business there.

But that principle has now been challenged.

AMAN's legal advisor Rita Jabri Markwell said, when she was first preparing the case, there was no other precedent — so this was the first of its kind.

"The significance of this decision is that we now know that local hate speech laws do apply to social media companies," she said.

"Usually people will bring vilification complaints against other individuals.

"But now they can take direct action against the companies that are profiting from that hate."

Community needs protection from online 'hate mongering'

The posts in question were published in the aftermath of the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, in which 51 people were killed.

Islamophobic incidents surged in Australia in the aftermath of that atrocity.

But despite requests from AMAN, X refused to remove or geoblock posts that allegedly vilified Australian Muslims, under Queensland's Anti-Discrimination Act.

Billionaire Elon Musk, who owns the company — which is based in Delaware in the US — argued that the company should be exempt.

But this week's ruling rejects that.

"They were claiming that it would be preposterous for a Queensland tribunal to exert some sort of power over a global social media company," Ms Markwell said.

"We contested that, on many levels and at the end of the day, it was enough to show that they are profiting from local markets and communities here, through collecting data and advertising.

"This could become a precedent that will carry weight in other jurisdictions, whether it's at the federal level, or whether it's under other vilification laws.

"Previously it's been very uncertain whether those laws apply to social media companies, it's been assumed by many that they do, but the tribunal's initial finding is significant because it pierces a favourite legal shield of social media giants.

"Now, we are on much firmer terrain because we have a very detailed set of reasons using a range of very established authorities to show that vilification laws do apply to social media companies.

"There's also been a lot of research showing how dangerous this kind of dehumanising disinformation is, in that it has driven people to acts of terrorism."

With Australia being the home of the Christchurch attacker — he was born in Grafton, NSW — Ms Markwell said "Muslims here are very sensitive to the fact that we need to protect our communities from that kind of hate mongering online".

Ruling follows bishop stabbing

The QCAT decision comes after a stoush between Australia's online safety regulator and X over its refusal to take down video footage of the stabbing of bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in April, which was live streamed.

Tension rose after X hid 65 tweets containing video of the attack, rather than agreeing  to the take down order  — the eSafety commissioner Julie Inman won an interim order in the Federal Court , but failed to make the ban permanent.

University of Queensland free speech expert Kath Gelber said it was an important win.

"Every time that there's a public decision like this — that draws the line in the sand and says that you can't vilify an entire group of people based on their identity — then that is a win and I'm pleased to see the result of this case," she said.

"It is an important precedent that anti-vilification law applies to material that can be viewed and seen in the jurisdiction in which that law operates.

"It is interesting and important because recently we've seen pushback by some global internet companies, trying to say that because the home base of their jurisdiction is outside of Australia, and because they have global remit, that Australian law shouldn't necessarily be applicable to them.

"So it's a win for the target communities, because they can continue to say 'look the law is designed to educate people about how to exercise their free speech rights responsibly, in ways that don't harm others'."

However Professor Gelber said the ruling wouldn't allow an immediate order to make X take down the "hate speech" comments, as it would first require mediation between the two parties.

"I think it would be a pretty good bet to suggest that that mediation wouldn't work," she said.

"After that process has been attempted at least, then it is within the rights of any complainant to refer them either to a tribunal or court, depending on the jurisdiction.

"In that event, there could be an order to take down material at the end of the day."

The company can appeal the tribunal's decision via the Queensland Supreme Court.

The Muslim Advocacy Network is still awaiting a separate decision as to whether X breached the law by failing to remove or hide the alleged hate speech.

AMAN also has a legal complaint against Meta and Facebook Australia, currently before the Human Rights Commission.

Meta, which owns Facebook, has also been fighting a case against the national privacy commissioner over the Cambridge Analytica scandal on jurisdictional grounds, arguing that it's not subject to Australian law.

The ABC has contacted X for comment.

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Johnson Says Supreme Court Should Step In to Overturn Trump’s Conviction

Speaking to Fox News, Speaker Mike Johnson, a steadfast supporter of former President Donald J. Trump, also boasted about the National Republican Campaign Committee’s fund-raising numbers.

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• May 31, 2024

Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday urged the Supreme Court to intervene in former President Donald J. Trump’s appeal of his felony conviction, by overturning the decision and granting him immunity from prosecution.

“I do believe the Supreme Court should step in,” Mr. Johnson told Fox News during an interview the morning after Mr. Trump became the first former president to be convicted of any crime. “Obviously, this is totally unprecedented.”

Mr. Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records after a Manhattan jury considered allegations that he participated in a scheme to pay hush money to a porn star to cover up an affair before the 2016 presidential election.

Speaking on Fox, Mr. Johnson said he knew some of the justices on the Supreme Court personally and believed that they shared his view that Mr. Trump was a victim of unfair and politically motivated prosecutions. He also suggested that the legal system was biased against Mr. Trump and other conservatives.

“So I think they’ll set this straight,” Mr. Johnson said, “but it’s going to take a while.”

He added later: “I think this court will do the right thing, because they see the abuse of the system right now.”

Mr. Johnson has long been a steadfast supporter of Mr. Trump. After Mr. Trump lost the 2020 election, Mr. Johnson played a leading role in recruiting House Republicans to sign a legal brief supporting a lawsuit seeking to overturn the results.

The Supreme Court ultimately rejected the suit , but not before Mr. Johnson persuaded more than 60 percent of House Republicans to sign onto the effort. He did so by telling them that the initiative had been personally blessed by Mr. Trump, and that the former president was “anxiously awaiting” to see who in Congress would defend him.

Since becoming speaker, Mr. Johnson has traveled to Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s private club and residence in Florida, to hold a joint news conference with him. Mr. Johnson also visited him in New York during his criminal trial to show loyalty and support and condemn the proceedings.

In the interview on Fox, Mr. Johnson also boasted about the National Republican Campaign Committee’s fund-raising numbers, which he said were the highest since he won the gavel last fall.

“There’s good reason to be motivated,” Mr. Johnson said of Republican base voters. “This entire thing is absurd.

Looking to capitalize on base outrage about the conviction, Mr. Johnson said House Republicans set up a new website — supportDJT.com — where G.O.P. donors could send them money to help defend Mr. Trump.

“We broke records on our fund-raising platforms last night,” Mr. Johnson said. “We’ll continue to do that.”

Luke Broadwater covers Congress with a focus on congressional investigations. More about Luke Broadwater

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Trial

Guilty Verdict : Donald Trump was convicted on all 34 counts  of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened his bid for the White House in 2016, making him the first American president to be declared a felon .

What Happens Next: Trump’s sentencing hearing on July 11 will trigger a long and winding appeals process , though he has few ways to overturn the decision .

Reactions: Trump’s conviction reverberated quickly across the country  and around the world . Here’s what voters , New Yorkers , Republicans , Trump supporters  and President Biden  had to say.

The Presidential Race : The political fallout of Trump’s conviction is far from certain , but the verdict will test America’s traditions, legal institutions and ability to hold an election under historic partisan tension .

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General election latest: Minister hangs up on Sky's Sam Coates after being told poll has predicted he'll lose his seat

A YouGov poll has predicted an enormous majority for Labour - and several big names Tories to lose their seats. One of them, Grant Shapps, hung up on our deputy political editor Sam Coates after being told live on the phone.

Monday 3 June 2024 23:00, UK

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By Jennifer Scott , political reporter

The Liberal Democrats will pledge free personal care to "all those who need it" as they make their social care offering on the campaign trail.

Making the announcement on Tuesday, the party will say it would help "end the hospital crisis" by enabling thousands of people ready to be discharged but stuck in hospital beds to get care, as well as help the elderly to "stay in their own homes longer".

The Lib Dems pointed to a report by Age UK that found an estimated 1.6 million people aged 65 and over had unmet care needs, and in April alone, an average of 12,772 hospital beds were being used by people who were ready to be discharged.

Leader Sir Ed Davey said: "As a carer for my disabled son, and after caring for my ill mother when I was young, care is deeply personal for me. That is why I am putting fixing the care crisis at the heart of the Liberal Democrat offer to the country at this election.

"Far too often, family carers are being left to pick up the pieces because the care system simply isn't there for them. Millions of people are going without the care they need, while thousands are stuck in hospital beds instead of being cared for in their own home or a care home.

"We cannot fix the crisis facing the NHS without fixing the crisis facing social care. The Liberal Democrats would bring in free personal care to help people live independently and with dignity, in their own homes wherever possible."

Read the full story below: 

 The front pages for tomorrow unsurprisingly focus on two things: The return of Nigel Farage as a Westminster candidate, and the polling which suggests a record defeat for the Tories.

Neither of these stories will be welcomed among Rishi Sunak's team.

Sir Keir Starmer could be heading to Downing Street with a majority of 194 seats, bigger than what Tony Blair achieved in 1997, according to the first polling projection by YouGov of the campaign.

The projection shows a historic Labour landslide, with the party getting the highest number of seats of any party at an election in history.

At the same time, the Tories are trying to boost ratings by talking about culture wars while Labour is talking about real wars in terms of what they would do for defence. And Nigel Farage has announced he's standing for Reform UK.

On the Sky News Daily, Niall Patterson talks to Sky's chief political correspondent Jon Craig about the poll and today's developments, and to Scarlett Maguire, director of the polling organisation JL Partners.

We're winding up here for the day - the clock has gone ten and we'll be off to bed soon.

Today felt like a day that could be an inflection point in the election for a number of reasons.

We had big announcements from numerous parties, and a megapoll predicting a historic result.

If you want a fuller rundown, here is today's main news:

• A YouGov poll predicted Labour will win a supermajority of 194 seats - with the Conservatives routed to just 140 MPs;
• Tory ministers are among those who could lose their seat - including the defence secretary, Grant Shapps, who hung up on our deputy political editor Sam Coates when he was told live on air ;
• As chief political correspondent Jon Craig writes, panic will be spread through Tory ranks ;
• Meanwhile, Sky election analyst Professor Michael Thrasher said Rishi Sunak has 31 days to save the Conservative Party ;
• Twelve big Conservative beasts face losing their seats - and  political correspondent  Tamara Cohen  has a despatch from one such constituency .
• Just before this poll was published, Nigel Farage announced he was standing to be an MP for Reform UK - U-turning on his previous stance of not contesting;
• As political correspondent Rob Powell says, Mr Farage doesn't just have his eye on this election but the years ahead ;
• And  political correspondent Gurpreet Narwan  says the news will send shivers down Tory spines;
• This morning, Labour  was pitching itself as the "party of defence"   as it pledged to build new nuclear submarines;
• And the Conservatives were campaigning on reforming the Equalities Act, including wanting to protect single sex toilets;
• Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch also said trans athletes may have to compete with their biological sex ;
• In slightly lighter news, the prime minister revealed his preferred Nando's order - with a surprise inclusion in the sides .
• Elsewhere, the SNP said there was no need for the UK to have a nuclear deterrent , in response to the Labour announcement;
• The Liberal Democrats sabotaged Rishi Sunak as he held a campaign event;
• Meanwhile, political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh outlined the difficulties facing Sir Keir Starmer over Jeremy Corbyn. 

Here are a couple of other stories that may interest you:

Our essential political podcast,  Politics At Jack And Sam's , is going out every week day through the election campaign to bring a short burst of everything you need to know about the day ahead as this election unfolds - here is today's edition .

Tap here to follow Politics At Jack At Sam's wherever you get your podcasts .

Today's poll suggests that in the Conservative heartlands, voters are about to turn on the governing party like never before, Tarama Cohen writes from Godalming, Surrey .

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is running in Godalming and Ash, one of the country's most affluent areas.

Conservative since its creation, Mr Hunt's majority - on different boundaries - was down to 8,817 at tzhe 2019 election, ahead of the Liberal Democrats. YouGov's seat by seat poll predicts it could be overturned altogether. 

It could be a significant moment of election night - compared with cabinet minister Michael Portillo losing his seat in 1997.

Mortgage rates are a key issue for many voters in this commuter town, and switchers were not hard to find. 

Sam and Fi Hayward, who have three children under five, previously voted Conservative but will now back the Lib Dems.

Finance worker Sam - who's natural home is with Conservatives - will be changing who he backs, saying "different issues on our radar now we have a young family".

He is also unimpressed with the government's performance, putting it down to "general incompetence, Brexit hasn't gone their way, COVID hasn't helped". 

Fi is also switching, saying "I think it would be better for our family".

At the Godalming Delights sweet shop, new mum Felicity is also switching away from the Tories. 

"We're living on savings to pay a massive mortgage", she said, and they've taken their older child out of nursery due to the costs.

Retired teacher Jean said the impact of COVID is still on her mind - including a friend who died "while [politicians] were partying".

She's also concerned about children's mental health, a subject the Lib Dems are campaigning on.

But there was still support for the Conservatives here - and lack of enthusiasm for the alternative. 

Retired railway worker Robert Jones said: "I like Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak. I like his apprenticeship scheme, my children's children need a job and all our heavy industries are going."

He was not impressed with the National Service idea - and does worry about Labour.

"Diane Abbott was in, and now she's out. The left always worry me, and the unions - although I was a union man for years - having their sway," he says.

Some voters felt Mr Hunt personally had worked hard as an MP. "He's moderate, and I'm a moderate", said Tory party member David Cooper.

But he was worried about a severe defeat. 

This corner of southwest Surrey, a constituency held by former cabinet minister Virginia Bottomley and now the chancellor, has never deserted the Tories, even at the height of New Labour. 

If the tide turns here on election night, it will be a sign the once unshakeable Blue Wall is really tumbling down.

The candidates for Godalming and Ash are:

• Graham Drage, Reform UK;
• Paul Follows, Liberal Democrats;
• Jeremy Hunt, Conservatives;
• James Walsh, Labour;
• Steve Williams, Greens.

By Jon Craig , chief political correspondent

The findings of the SkyNews/YouGov MRP poll are a disaster for the Conservatives, a worry for Labour and good news for the Lib Dems and Reform UK.

The forecast of a Tory near wipeout  will spread panic among Conservative candidates and potentially spark a fresh bout of mutiny against Rishi Sunak from the right of his party.

For Labour, the suggestion that Sir Keir Starmer is heading for a landslide even bigger than Tony Blair won in 1997 will alarm those in the party already fearing complacency.

But for the Lib Dems, the projection that Sir Ed Davey's party is heading for a result to match the heady days of Paddy Ashdown and Charles Kennedy will be a massive confidence boost.

However, the party that will be really delighted is Reform UK - already newly energised with  Nigel Farage replacing Richard Tice as leader  - who will claim that with Labour on course to win, Tory supporters can vote for them.

There will also be consternation in the Tory high command at the forecast that so many of the party's big beasts - led by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt - are at risk of losing their seat.

Mr Hunt is fighting the new constituency of Godalming and Ash - in his favour it's in a part of the affluent Surrey stockbroker belt represented by Conservative MPs since 1910.

But the cabinet minsters who are vulnerable are in seats held by Labour in the Blair and Brown years or the Liberal Democrats in the Ashdown, Kennedy or Nick Clegg years.

Read Jon's full analysis below:

By Gurpreet Narwan , political correspondent

We've just witnessed what is probably the most dramatic moment of the general election campaign so far - Nigel Farage, a figure of fear for the Tories, is entering the fray ( read more here ).

All eyes will now turn to the polls, where Reform UK is performing at around 12%.

It hasn't made any major breakthroughs so far - and this vote share will not translate into a seat.

However, speaking to Sky News after the announcement, Mr Farage was adamant the party would now ascend and win more than the 3.9 million votes UKIP took in 2015.

It was at that election that Douglas Carswell - after defecting from the Tories - won a seat for UKIP. It is in this seat that Farage is now bidding to be an MP after seven failed attempts to enter the Commons.

Clacton will be viewed as a soft target for Reform. This was a strong Leave voting area and the Conservative candidate, Giles Watling, is a Remainer.

Reform UK is polling above the national average in this seaside town - YouGov and Sky News' MRP poll puts its share here at 19.5%. But the "Farage factor" cannot be underestimated. He could really win here.

All of this will send shivers down the spines of those in Tory HQ, but Sir Keir Starmer may be rubbing his hands with glee.

Polling already suggests that Reform could cost the Tories 100 seats by splitting the right wing vote across the Red Wall and Essex. It explains why the Tories were pushing the message hard that "a vote for Reform is a vote for Labour".

Farage has turned that on its head. The election is a foregone conclusion and the Tories are too divided to be serious in opposition, he says.

Instead, given the Tories have already lost, Farage argues that a vote for the Tories is the real wasted vote.

That's his pitch to voters who he is now inviting to join his "political takeover".

It was a week ago that the government was announcing its plans to reintroduce national service - after a fashion - if they won the election.

The idea is for all 18-year-olds to volunteer at least once a month, and some to join the military for the year.

Since then, pollsters at JL Partners have asked the country for their opinions on the policy.

As part of its survey, it asked 2,013 people to check boxes against answers for which statements they agreed with.

People could tick as many boxes as they want.

Some 32% of people - a total of 651 of the 2,013 - ticked the box saying it made them feel more negative about the Tories.

Meanwhile, 23% - 467 people of the 2,013 - said it made them feel better about the Conservatives.

To break that down, that's 184 more responses that thought badly of the Conservatives after the national service announcement than thought better of it - a nine point gap.

And then 24% of people - 479 - ticked the box saying it made no difference to their views.

Some 12% - 236 - said it made them feel better about Labour, while 3% - 51 - said it made them feel worse about Sir Keir Starmer's party.

And 12% - 243 - said they did not know.

Read more about the national service announcement below.

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