16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsHardQuestion mark inside a quotation, no comma

Standard English Conventions practice question

'Which way is the station ____ the tourist asked, holding out a creased map.

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

  1. A. ?'Correct
  2. B. .'
  3. C. ,'
  4. D. ?',

Answer: A. ?'

The quotation is a question, so it ends with a question mark inside the closing quotation mark. The question mark also does the job a comma would do, so no comma is added.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. .'
A period turns the question into a statement.
C. ,'
A comma alone leaves the question without its question mark.
D. ?',
A question mark and a comma together double the punctuation.

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