English question from JKP Constable exam, 2024 by JKSSB
Identify the sentence with correct punctuation marks.
Last updated Jun 24, 2026
Correct Answer:
Option A —
“I can’t wait for the concert!” she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. It starts at 7 PM, so we should leave by 6:30. pm
Punctuation Breakdown
Dialogue and Quotation Marks:
Direct speech must be enclosed in quotation marks (“...”).
If the spoken sentence ends in an exclamation point (!) or a question mark, it stays inside the quotation marks. Option A correctly places the exclamation point inside.
The Speech Tag:
After the closing quotation mark, the "tag" (she said) should follow. If the quote ends in an exclamation point or question mark, you do not need a comma, but you also do not capitalize "she" unless it’s a proper noun.
Option A correctly uses a comma after "she said" to introduce the descriptive phrase "her eyes sparkling..."
Compound Sentences:
"It starts at 7 PM, so we should leave by 6:30 PM."
This is a compound sentence joined by the coordinating conjunction "so." A comma should be placed before "so." Option A is the only one that consistently applies this.
Why the other options are incorrect:
Option B: Fails to put the exclamation point or comma inside the quotation marks and misses the comma before the conjunction "so."
Option C: Missing the quotation marks entirely, which is required for direct speech.
Option D: Missing the comma after "she said," which makes the descriptive phrase "her eyes sparkling..." run into the speech tag awkwardly.
Answer verified by Quintessence Classes faculty — Karan Nagar, Srinagar.
