16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsHardComma before a speech verb after a quotation

Standard English Conventions practice question

____ the guide announced as the bus pulled into the car park.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. A. 'The tour ends here,'Correct
  2. B. 'The tour ends here'
  3. C. 'The tour ends here.'
  4. D. 'The tour ends here;'

Answer: A. 'The tour ends here,'

When a quotation is followed by a speech verb such as 'announced', a comma inside the closing quotation mark links them.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. 'The tour ends here'
With no punctuation, the quotation runs straight into 'the guide announced'.
C. 'The tour ends here.'
A period inside the quotation ends the sentence there, leaving 'the guide announced...' cut off from what was said.
D. 'The tour ends here;'
A semicolon can't link a quotation to its speech verb.

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