Why end sentences with commas instead of periods when the sentence is in a quote?
I've seen styles where writers end sentences with commas if it is inside double quotes and styles where writers end sentences with periods.
For example:
"She's late again." mumbled Jason.
versus:
"She's late again," mumbled Jason.
Why is it considered common practice to end a sentence with a comma instead of a period?
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The reason for using a comma instead of a period depends on what purpose the dialogue is serving in the sentence.
"She's late again," mumbled Jackson.
In this case the dialogue, "she's late again," modifies the main verb, "mumbled."
"She's late again." mumbled Jackson.
This case, however, is improper grammar. "Mumbled Jackson" is a dependent clause, and needs the preceding "She's late again," to be a complete sentence. "She's late again" can be considered the object of the action; it is what Jackson is mumbling. The period needs to be replaced with a common, merely because the dialogue serves as a modifier.
Whether or not the dialogue needs a period generally depends on whether or not the narration can be a complete sentence without the dialogue a part of the sentence.
Jackson mumbled, "She's late again."
Jackson mumbled. "She's late again."
Both sentences, in this case, would be grammatically correct, though the meaning is slightly different.
Normally comma's are used to follow a speaker tag when introducing a quotation. The comma indicates that the quotations that follow are what the speaker is saying, mumbling, whispering, etc. The comma serves the same purpose when the dialogue precedes the speaker tag.
The latter example is grammatically correct, although replacing the comma with a period implies that Jackson is mumbling, perhaps because "she" is late, but doesn't imply that the quotations are what Jackson is mumbling.
Simply put, the commas clarify who is speaking and what that person is saying.
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A great explanation: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/how-to-use-quotation-marks
Notice that American form can be different than UK.
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Because you are attaching your speaker tag to the dialogue being spoken. If you were using an action tag, or separating the speaker tag from the dialogue, then the quoted material stands alone and uses a period. Other punctuation varies.
Examples:
"She's late again," mumbled Jason. [comma]
"She's late again." Jason looked down the street, hoping vainly to see her. [action tag; period. speaker is implied to be Jason]
"She's late again." Jason made an irritated noise, then said to Maria, "Can you look out the window and tell me if you spot her?" [speaker tag for a different sentence; period]
Jason sighed. "She's late again." Maria nodded. Jason asked, "Can you look out the window and tell me if you spot her?" [speaker tag for two different sentences; speaker is implied to be Jason for the first; periods throughout]
"Can you see her?" asked Jason. [Because this is a question, even though it's a complete sentence, it ends in a question mark before the quote, and not a comma.]
"I see her!" Maria shouted. [Same idea, with an exclamation point.]
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