Standard English ConventionsEasy–MediumQuestion mark for a direct question
Standard English Conventions practice question
The guide paused at the cave mouth and asked whether anyone was afraid of the ____ no one admitted to it.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A. dark. NoCorrect
- B. dark? No
- C. dark, no
- D. dark no
Answer: A. dark. No
'Asked whether anyone was afraid of the dark' is a reported question, not a direct one, so it ends with a period; the next sentence begins 'No one'.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. dark? No
- A question mark suits a direct question, not a reported one.
- C. dark, no
- A comma splices two independent clauses.
- D. dark no
- No punctuation runs the sentences together.
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