8. Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
A. The mechanic asked "have you had the oil changed in your car this year?"
B. The mechanic asked me "Have you had the oil changed in your car this year"?
C. The mechanic asked me, "have you had the oil changed in your car this year"?
D. The mechanic asked, "Have you had the oil changed in your car this year?"
My answer is D.
D is correct.
Your answer is correct! Sentence D is punctuated correctly.
To determine which sentence is punctuated correctly, we need to look at the rules for punctuating direct quotations. In this case, the mechanic's question is being directly quoted. Here's how you can identify the correct punctuation:
1. Look for the opening quotation mark ("). In this case, all options have an opening quotation mark, so we move on to the next step.
2. Look for the placement of the question mark (?). The question mark should be placed inside the closing quotation mark. In options A and B, the question mark is placed outside the closing quotation mark, which is incorrect. In option C, the question mark is placed inside the closing quotation mark, making it correct. In option D, the question mark is also placed inside the closing quotation mark, making it correct as well.
3. Finally, check for the placement of punctuation marks such as commas (,) and periods (.) that are not part of the quotation. Option C correctly includes a comma after "me." Option D correctly includes a comma after "asked."
Therefore, both options C and D are punctuated correctly, but your choice, option D, is the correct answer. Well done!