comma after speech tag: "Oh," she said, with an eyebrow...

[kaitco]

Which is the more appropriate use of commas in regards to dialogue?

Should a sentence read like:

"Oh," she said, with an eyebrow raised.

or like this:

"Oh," she said with an eyebrow raised.

I would lean toward the former because the raising of the eyebrow comes in conjunction with the quotation, but I am really not sure...

 

[elroy]

Both are completely fine and acceptable. Use a comma if you want the sentence to be read with a slight pause after "said."

 

[booboo678]

Both are acceptable. I would be more likely to say:

"Oh," she said, with an eyebrow raised.

and

"Oh," she said with an eyebrow raised.

 

[The Slippery Slide]

Which version makes it easier for the reader to digest and understand your exact meaning? That's the question that should guide comma use. Most commas are not applied according to rules, but by what you feel makes communication clearer.