Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

[Tan Elaine]

1. "Here, why don't you carry the kitten," Kathy said, handling her pet to Lisa.
2. "Here, why don't you carry the kitten?" Kathy said, handling her pet to Lisa.

Which of the above sentences is correctly punctuated with regard to the word 'kitten'?

Thanks.

 

[Barb_D]

She's not actually asking a question (she's making a suggestion), so the question mark is not really appropriate.

 

[emsr2d2]

1. "Here, why don't you carry the kitten," Kathy said, handling her pet to Lisa.
2. "Here, why don't you carry the kitten?" Kathy said, handling her pet to Lisa.

Which of the above sentences is correctly punctuated with regard to the word 'kitten'?

Thanks.

As far as I'm concerned, only #2 is correct. The question mark is required after the word "kitten". However, in BrE, a comma is also required but it goes outside the quotation marks and I would also say that "said Kathy" is more common here than "Kathy said" at that point of the sentence. Note that it's "handing", not "handling".

"Here, why don't you carry the kitten?", said Kathy, handing her pet to Lisa.

 

[Barb_D]

Thus showing how even native speakers can disagree! ;-)

 

[emsr2d2]

I hadn't seen your response while I was typing mine. As you say, native speakers don't always agree. In this case, even with a suggestion, I would use the question mark.

 

[5jj]

I'd go for no comma before 'Kathy'.
"Here, why don't you carry the kitten?" Kathy said, handing her pet to Lisa.

 

[Rover_KE]

I'd go for no comma before 'Kathy'.
"Here, why don't you carry the kitten?" Kathy said, handing her pet to Lisa.

I was going to write exactly the same.

Rover

 

[5jj]

I should perhaps point out, Tan Elaine, that there are no absolute rules about the finer points of punctuation. In normal correspondence, we are not too worried about this. If you write for publication, you will find that publishers have their own rules about this. However you punctuate your manuscript, it will be edited to conform to the house style.

 

[kiwi man]

I should perhaps point out, Tan Elaine, that there are no absolute rules about the finer points of punctuation. In normal correspondence, we are not too worried about this. If you write for publication, you will find that publishers have their own rules about this. However you punctuate your manuscript, it will be edited to conform to the house style.

It's funny that you said this because I thought that English grammar has an universal rule that everybody should be adhere to.

(I don't know if the word "adhere" even makes sense in this sentence)

 

[emsr2d2]

It's funny that you said this because I thought that English grammar has an universal rule that everybody should be adhere to.

(I don't know if the word "adhere" even makes sense in this sentence)

If English grammar had universal rules which could always be followed, this forum probably wouldn't exist. There would be one grammar book which all learners would own and they would always be able to find the answer they want in that book.

Punctuation, grammar, spelling etc are all subject to the differences of British English, American English, Canadian English, Australian English, Indian English etc, and even within those countries there are regional differences.

 

[5jj]

It's funny that you said this because I thought that English grammar has a[STRIKE]n [/STRIKE]universal rule

If that were the case, this forum, and many oher, would not exist.