rather than asking it. (Yes, another Fluxion grammar thread...)
Suppose you want tell someone that a wise owl once asked how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop. What kind of punctuation would you use to tell someone that he asked the question? It's still a question, so does it need a question mark? But then again, YOU aren't asking the question, so why would it need a question mark? Does it require BOTH a question mark in the quotations and a concluding punctuation after the question is quoted?
Which of these (if any) is correct?
(1) The wise owl once asked, "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?" But of course, he was misled. It only takes a single bite.
(2) The wise owl once asked, "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop." But of course, he was misled. It only takes a single bite.
(3) The wise owl once asked, "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?". But of course, he was misled. It only takes a single bite.