Which sentence demonstrates correct use of quotation marks for dialogue within a paragraph?

Which sentence demonstrates correct use of quotation marks for dialogue within a paragraph?

• A. He asked, "Are you coming?" and she replied, "Yes."
• B. He asked, "Are you coming?" and she replied, Yes.
• C. He asked Are you coming? and she replied, "Yes."
• D. He asked, "Are you coming?" and she replied Yes.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is using quotation marks correctly for dialogue inside a paragraph. The spoken words should be enclosed in quotation marks, and punctuation that belongs to the spoken part stays inside those marks. When the sentence continues after a piece of dialogue, you connect the parts with proper commas around the dialogue tags, and each spoken line ends with its own appropriate punctuation inside the quotes. In the best example, the first spoken line is a question and appears inside quotation marks, with the question mark placed inside them. The reporting clause before it ends with a comma, signaling the dialogue is about to begin. After that first line, the sentence continues with and she replied, and the second spoken line appears inside quotation marks as a separate sentence, ending with a period inside the quotes. This keeps the flow of the paragraph smooth and keeps all dialogue clearly indicated. The other options break these rules in small ways: the second speaker’s words aren’t in quotation marks, the first line isn’t properly introduced, or the punctuation isn’t placed inside the quotation marks where it belongs.

The main idea here is using quotation marks correctly for dialogue inside a paragraph. The spoken words should be enclosed in quotation marks, and punctuation that belongs to the spoken part stays inside those marks. When the sentence continues after a piece of dialogue, you connect the parts with proper commas around the dialogue tags, and each spoken line ends with its own appropriate punctuation inside the quotes.

In the best example, the first spoken line is a question and appears inside quotation marks, with the question mark placed inside them. The reporting clause before it ends with a comma, signaling the dialogue is about to begin. After that first line, the sentence continues with and she replied, and the second spoken line appears inside quotation marks as a separate sentence, ending with a period inside the quotes. This keeps the flow of the paragraph smooth and keeps all dialogue clearly indicated.

The other options break these rules in small ways: the second speaker’s words aren’t in quotation marks, the first line isn’t properly introduced, or the punctuation isn’t placed inside the quotation marks where it belongs.