Question

Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
A. "Is it really true" asks Peter Smith "that whales are more intelligent than people believe?"
B. "Is it really true" asks Peter Smith "that whales are more intelligent than people believe"?
C. "Is it really true asks Peter Smith that whales are more intelligent than people believe?"
D. "Is it really true," asks Peter Smith. "That whales are more intelligent than people believe?"
E. "Is it really true," asks Peter Smith, "that whales are more intelligent than people believe?"

Answer 1

@jazy

Answer 2

@ilikephysics2

Answer 3

I think E. But ask for someone else's opinion just in case! (:

Answer 4

Thanks

Answer 5

'asks Peter Smith' is a phrase inserted into the quote. I needs to be offset by commas.

Answer 6

Is E corrct @CliffSedge ?

Answer 7

I'm stuck between D ane E, but I do think it is E

Answer 8

Thanks

Answer 9

Yeah, it can't be D because that contains a sentence fragment.

Answer 10

@ilikephysics2 - you provided your opinion on the likely answer, but didn't provide an explanation that would teach @Cosmoogirl how to answer these sorts of questions on her own.

Answer 11

E. Hope this helps, love!!!!!:)

Answer 12

Thanks @biostudent

Answer 13

Would you please explain @CliffSedge

Answer 14

Sure. As I said in my first reply: 'asks Peter Smith' is a dependent phrase inserted in the middle of the sentence, "Is it really true that whales are more intelligent than people believe?" so it needs to be bracketed by commas to make that fact clear.

Answer 15

A) is incorrect because there are no commas.
B) is incorrect because no commas, and the question mark is outside the quotation mark.
C) leaves out the quotation marks before and after the dependent phrase.
D) puts a period where it doesn't belong, creating sentence fragments.