Punctuation rules for direct speech followed by a reporting clause.

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Question 6:
When direct speech is followed by a reporting clause (like "exclaimed Peter"), the punctuation mark (exclamation point, question mark, or comma) should be placed inside the closing quotation mark. The reporting clause then begins with a lowercase letter unless it's a proper noun.

• A. "There's a snake on the roof!" exclaimed Peter. - The exclamation mark is inside the quotation marks, and "exclaimed" starts with a lowercase letter. This is correctly punctuated.
• B. "There's a snake on the roof, exclaimed Peter." - Incorrect punctuation for an exclamation and placement of the closing quotation mark.
• C. `"There's a snake