16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardQuestion mark for a quoted question inside a statement

Standard English Conventions practice question

The only thing the inspector wrote in the margin was "Who checked ____

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

  1. A. this?"Correct
  2. B. this?".
  3. C. this"?
  4. D. this."

Answer: A. this?"

The question mark belongs to the quoted question and goes inside the closing quotation mark, with no further stop.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. this?".
No full stop is added after the closing quotation mark.
C. this"?
The question belongs to the quotation, so the mark goes inside.
D. this."
The quotation is a question.

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