Question

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.

Men take too literally women's ritual "troubles talk", just as women mistake
men's ritual challenges for real attack.
Men take too literally women's ritual "troubles talk," just as women mistake
men's ritual challenges for real attack.
Men take too literally women's ritual "troubles talk," just as women mistake,
men's ritual challenges for real attack.
Men take too literally women's ritual "troubles talk" just as women mistake men's
ritual challenges for real attack.

Answer 1

The correctly punctuated sentence is 'Men take too literally women's ritual "troubles talk," just as women mistake men's ritual challenges for real attack,' with the comma inside the quotation marks as per American English rules.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correctly punctuated sentence among the options given is: Men take too literally women's ritual "troubles talk," just as women mistake men's ritual challenges for real attack. In American English, the period and comma always go within the quotation marks.

The other sentences either place the comma incorrectly outside the quotation marks or lack proper punctuation after the word 'talk.' Understanding the nuances of language and the influence of gender on communication patterns is essential when examining the ways in which men and women may misconstrue each other's speech, as highlighted by linguistic researchers like Robin Lakoff and Deborah Tannen.