Quick Stupid English Grammar Question

L Ron Howard

This is really stupid, but between a friend and myself, we're trying to figure out the best way to state this incorrect sentence:
"why's that, I asked"
The best way would be to make it: "Why's that? I asked."
But, if, for whatever reason, the person wanted to leave it as a single sentence, would it be "why's that, I asked?" or "why's that, I asked."?

Deebaser

"Why's that?", I asked.

Enc

"Why's that?" I asked.

Depending on your context the comma is unnecessary.

CowShark

Don't put a comma after closing the quotation marks.

Ruckus

Enc wrote: »

"Why's that?" I asked.

Depending on your context the comma is unnecessary.

Third'd. The quote is a question, and gets the mark; while the fact you asked is a statement, which gets a period.

Thanatos

Deebaser wrote: »

"Why's that?", I asked.

Assuming you're American, this really couldn't be any wronger.

American English you never, ever put a period or comma after the quote. Ever. Always goes inside.

Otherwise, it can cause problems with your 100-year-old printing press.

Enc is correct, it should be:

"Why's that?" I asked.

Xobyte

I read about a year ago that the rules for commas/periods inside or outside of quotes is currently in flux.

Waldo

Xobyte wrote: »

I read about a year ago that the rules for commas/periods inside or outside of quotes is currently in flux.

Isn't it all just which prescriptive grammar rules (e.g. Strunk & White) you choose to adhere to for minor stuff like this?

Enc

Xobyte wrote: »

I read about a year ago that the rules for commas/periods inside or outside of quotes is currently in flux.

If by "in flux" you mean "in a perpetual gridlock" you would be correct. Folk have spoken about reforming American grammar since such a thing came to be. The rules are only getting more solid as technology and literacy levels skyrocket.

metaghost

Xobyte wrote: »

I read about a year ago that the rules for commas/periods inside or outside of quotes is currently in flux.

This is what the Chicago Manual of Style (15th edition) has to say:

Chicago Manual of Style, 6.8 wrote:

"Periods and commas precede closing quotation marks, whether double or single. This is a traditional style.... In the kind of textual studies where retaining the original placement of a comma in relation to closing quotation marks is essential... the alternative system described in 6.10 could be used, or rephrasing might avoid the problem."

The alternative system is described as:

Chicago Manual of Style, 6.10 wrote:

"According to what is sometimes called the British style, a style also followed in other English-speaking countries, only those punctuation points that appeared in the original material should be included within the quotation marks; all others follow the quotation marks. This system, which requires extreme authorial precision and occasion decisions by the editor or typesetter, works best with single quotation marks."

wonderpug

While the inside/outside aspect has changed over time, isn't it still the rule that there should be just one punctuation mark? The question mark would be used in place of a comma, and the debate is just whether the question mark should appear before or after the closing quotation mark?

Lilnoobs

Enc wrote: »

Xobyte wrote: »

I read about a year ago that the rules for commas/periods inside or outside of quotes is currently in flux.

If by "in flux" you mean "in a perpetual gridlock" you would be correct. Folk have spoken about reforming American grammar since such a thing came to be. The rules are only getting more solid as technology and literacy levels skyrocket.

Sarcasm?

Because this is not what I've experienced at all. If anything people are moving away from the punctuation inside the quotation mark, British Style because (like the metric system) it just makes more sense.

Enc

People using it "incorrectly" isn't changing the fact that educators are more fervent than ever about clinging to archaic structures, and the increase in general literacy and availability is making it harder for change to occur in the language because so much information/technology is constantly reinforcing the standard norms willfully or otherwise. Spellcheck and grammar check, for instance. Almost all devices and programs will autocorrect to the American standard, reinforcing the existing paradigms.

I'm not saying it's right or correct, but I am saying it is nearly impossible for language to evolve how it traditionally has done when so much of the technology we rely upon to convey it is constantly checking and correcting deviations.

L Ron Howard

Christ I hate this language many times.
Thanks all for the answers.

Bagginses

"'Why's that,' I asked."

bowen

Yeah I'd have to say the most correct is probably: "Why's that," I asked. I personally prefer: "Why's that?" I asked.

badpoet

"Why's that?" I asked.

The comma is unnecessary in this context because there is already a pause with the question mark.

Or you could go with: I asked, "why's that?"

wonderpug

I asked, "Why's that?"