Question

With so many other options in contemporary society why do people continue to read poetry Smythe asks his audience

Which of the following reflects the proper punctuation of the above sentence?

“With so many other options in contemporary society, why do people continue to read poetry?” Smythe asks his audience.
With so many other options in contemporary society: “why do people continue to read poetry?” Smythe asks his audience.
“With so many other options in contemporary society . . . why do people continue to read poetry Smythe asks his audience?”
“With so many other options in contemporary society, why do people continue to read poetry,” Smythe asks his audience?

Answer 1

A.“With so many other options in contemporary society, why do people continue to read poetry?” Smythe asks his audience.

Answer 2

The correct sentence that reflects the proper punctuation of the sentence above is: "With so many other options in contemporary society, why do people continue to read poetry?" Smythe asks his audience. The statement made by Smythe is an interrogative statement. Therefore, the statement that should be enclosed in the quotation marks should end with a question mark.