Tag: punctuation

Questions Related to punctuation

Choose the option which correctly punctuates the sentence:

"Lets go for a walk," said Jim to his wife.

inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. Let's go for a walk, said Jim to his wife.

  3. "Let's go for a walk, said Jim to his wife."

  4. "Let's go for a walk" said Jim to his wife.

Show answer
Correct Option: A
Explanation:
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word.  According to general rule, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation. Thus, the correct answer should be Option A.
Option B is incorrect because the speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Option C is incorrect because quotation marks end when the direct speech ends and starts when the direct speech begins.
Option D does not contain all the punctuations required in a quoted text.

Choose the option which correctly punctuates the sentence:

Rebecca told me, "Jim said I am coming."

inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. Rebecca told me, "Jim said, 'I am coming.' "

  3. Rebecca told me, "Jim said, I am coming."

  4. Rebecca told me, Jim said, "I am coming."

Show answer
Correct Option: B
Explanation:
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word. Quotes within quotation marks are marked using single quotes. Thus, the correct answer should be Option B.
Option A, B and D are incorrect as, the correct part of speech is not enclosed within quotation marks and the quote within the quote is not punctuated correctly.

Choose the option which correctly punctuates the sentence:

"The sky is blue," she said, and the grass is green.

inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. "The sky is blue", she said, "and the grass is green."

  3. The sky is blue, she said, "and the grass is green."

  4. "The sky is blue," she said, "and the grass is green."

Show answer
Correct Option: D
Explanation:
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word.  According to general rule, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation. Thus, the correct answer should be Option D.
Option A and C are incorrect as, all of the direct speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Option B is incorrect because the punctuations are not included within the quoted text.

Correct the punctuation of the given sentence, if necessary:
"If you will go with me, she said, I will visit my aunt."

inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. If you will go with me, she said, I will visit my aunt.

  3. "If you will go with me," she said, "I will visit my aunt."

  4. "If you will go with me" she said, "I will visit my aunt."

Show answer
Correct Option: C
Explanation:
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word.  According to general rule, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation. Thus, the correct answer should be Option C.
Option A is incorrect because quotation marks in a sentence begin when the direct speech begins and end when the direct speech ends.
Option B is incorrect as, the speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Option D is incorrect because the punctuations are not included within the quoted text.

Which one of the following is used to enclose certain contents which the writer sets out apart so that the flow of the sentence is not interrupted?

inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

  1. Brackets

  2. Quotation marks

  3. Comma

  4. Colon

Show answer
Correct Option: B
Explanation:
According to general rule, quotation marks are used in pairs to set off direct speech, a quotation so that the flow of the sentence is not interrupted. Thus, the correct answer will be Option B. The other remaining options are incorrect.
Option A - Brackets are used in pairs in a sentence to set apart additional or non essential information.
Option C - A comma is used to indicate a pause in a sentence.
Option D - A colon is used to introduce a list of items in a sentence.

"You may as well ask me," said I, "why God does not kill you or I."

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined words.

inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

  1. You may as well ask me, said I, why God does not kill you or I.

  2. "You may as well ask me, said I, why God does not kill you or I."

  3. "You may as well ask me" said I "why God does not kill you or I."

  4. NO CHANGE

Show answer
Correct Option: D
Explanation:
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word.  According to general rule, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation. Thus, the correct answer should be Option D, no change.
Option A is incorrect because the speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Option B is incorrect because quotation marks end when the direct speech ends and restart when the direct speech begins.
Option C does not contain all the punctuations required in a quoted text.

"Take the food away, he commanded."

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined words.

inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. "Take the food away," he commanded.

  3. "Take the food away" he commanded.

  4. Take the food away, he commanded.

Show answer
Correct Option: B
Explanation:
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word. Quotation marks must begin and end with the direct speech. 
According to these rules, Option A can be termed wrong, as it encloses the whole sentence within quotes. The correct answer is Option B.
Option C is incorrect as, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation.
Option D is incorrect, the direct speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.

"I read Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and loved it," I said.

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined words.

inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. I read Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" and loved it, I said.

  3. "I read Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" and loved it," I said.

  4. "I read Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Women' and loved it," I said.

Show answer
Correct Option: D
Explanation:
Quotation marks are used to cite direct quotes in a sentence. However, when a run-in quotation contains quotation marks within the quoted material itself, single quotation marks should be used in their place. Thus, in the given sentence, the title of the book, Little Women should be put within single quotes.
Thus, the correct answer is Option D.
Options B and D are incorrect. When the material being quoted contains a quotation within a quotation, double quotation marks are used.

"What shall I do?" he cried out.

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined words.

inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

  1. "What shall I do" he cried out.

  2. "What shall I do? he cried out."

  3. What shall I do? he cried out.

  4. NO CHANGE

Show answer
Correct Option: D
Explanation:
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word. Quotation marks must begin and end with the direct speech. 
According to these rules, Option B can be termed wrong, as it encloses the whole sentence within quotes. 
Option A does not include a question mark after the direct speech which is in an interrogative form
Option C is incorrect, the direct speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Thus, the correct answer will be Option D.

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined part of the sentence:
My grandfather always taught me, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

  1. My grandfather always taught me, do unto others as you would have them do unto you!

  2. My grandfather always taught me, do unto others as you would have them do unto you?

  3. My grandfather always taught me, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

  4. NO CHANGE

Show answer
Correct Option: C
Explanation:
The given sentence cites direct words of a speaker, this speech should be enclosed within quotation marks. However, the quoted text is a declaratory sentence, that ends with a period. Thus, according to the rule, the correct form of writing the sentence will be, as given in Option C.
Option A is incorrect, as the direct speech is not enclosed within quotation marks and an exclamation mark is used to indicate strong feelings or high volume.
Option B is incorrect, as question marks are used to indicate an interrogative clause. The direct speech is also not enclose with quotation marks here.