Questions tagged [question-mark]

Questions about the question mark (?) that appears at the end of questions.

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Punctuating a quoted question within a quoted statement

I'm working on a story, and I find myself faced with something of a quandary. Specifically, I need to know the proper style for the following: “I have thousands of them,” the commissioner answered,...
John H Harris's user avatar
-2 votes
1 answer
207 views

Should a question mark follow "I (do) believe"? [closed]

Should a question mark be used after "I believe" or "I do believe" My brain hurts from not being 100% correct. My O.C.D won't let it go.
terry claw's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
20k views

Question mark followed by a comma or semi colon in a list

Is it ever okay to follow a question mark with a comma or semi-colon? For example, would any of the following be valid? 1 The main questions addressed in the literature are: who said it?, what does ...
Ubiquitous's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
3k views

'Could you please share [or xyz task]'—with or without question mark?

Often, the type of sentence I have in mind, though interrogative in form, comes with a sense of being an order, not a refusable request, and people have stopped using a question mark at the end of ...
paul's user avatar
  • 700
1 vote
1 answer
58k views

Does the phrase "if that's fine with you" require a question mark? [duplicate]

Say I have the sentence: I suggest we do an interview at 12 pm, if that's fine with you. Is this sentence a direct question which requires a question mark, or should I keep it the way it is?
Ben Hollier's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
6k views

Can I use a colon and a question mark at the same time? [duplicate]

What punctuation should I use with a monologue that starts out with a rhetorical question and continues with an example? Have you ever wondered how much time we spend in situations like this one: [...
Leyre's user avatar
  • 11
0 votes
1 answer
1k views

"server, please!" -- is there a comma in there?

Related to youtube/5ycx9hFGHog, I'd like to know whether it is correct or incorrect to put a comma between "server" and "please", when writing about an act of calling one's server, whether the "please"...
cnst's user avatar
  • 139
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

Using a full stop, question mark, apostrophe and a comma all at the same time in a sentence (in UK English)

Would .?', in the following sentence be correct? A man asked 'how many are red, how many are green, etc.?', so I tried to find out.
Joe's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
1 answer
190 views

Should I answer this question without question mark? [closed]

I recently received by email this sentence: Please tell me if the problem is now solved. I usually answer any email I receive that have questions. This sentence is not a question because it does ...
nowox's user avatar
  • 121
1 vote
1 answer
460 views

Nested question in a sentence

I was taught that any terminal punctuation marks end the sentence, however I have a particular sentence that I have been wrangling with: In order to answer the research question “Are bi-lingual ...
Alex's user avatar
  • 137
7 votes
3 answers
28k views

Do I need a comma after this question mark?

I want to write the folowing sentence in some work: You went there on Thursday? for instance, is not an interrogative clause but a declarative one, even if the utterance may be a question. In the ...
Araucaria - Him's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
758 views

Punctuation of a sentence that starts with a question and ends with a declaration

I'll provide the sentence and some context. There is still so much that I do not know about college. How do I pay bills, which classes should I take, what do TA's do, how to write a college ...
Charlie Jones's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
648 views

Question mark or period at the end of "What is your favorite song, and explain why"

Which would be correct? What is your favorite song, and explain why? (I'm thinking this is right.) What is your favorite song, and explain why. This could be written as, "What is your ...
Hobs Crk's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
3k views

Should a suggestion have a question mark?

Should Why not read our story? have a question mark? It is a suggestion, not really a question, so I assume it shouldn't have the question mark.
͢bts's user avatar
  • 103
0 votes
1 answer
735 views

Use of ... to show deletion of text in a quote when the text before the ellipsis ends with a question mark

I would usually use ... to show that I have deleted text from a quote, however, I recently discovered an issue with this when the text ends with a question mark before the ellipsis. So if the quote is ...
Jonathan Egan's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
412 views

Questions without a question mark (New Yorker) [duplicate]

How to listen to music How a City in France got out the World's first Short-Story vending machines How we learn fairness What makes great detective fiction according to T.S. Elliot What went wrong at ...
Mike's user avatar
  • 21
0 votes
1 answer
4k views

Do you always Capitalize after a question mark? [duplicate]

I'm about to send out some questions to someone. How was it starting your own business? tougher,easier than you had expected? Does "tougher" need to become "Tougher"?
user1864592's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
1k views

Proper punctuation for compound sentence with quote that is a question

How should this be properly punctuated? What is the purpose of human existence, or is it meaningless is the question asked by Juan Valdez in "What do coffee pickers with burros think about all day (...
Scott K's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
107k views

Has the request “May I request you to …” to end with a question mark?

May I request you to kindly collect the brief? or May I request you to kindly collect the brief. Which of the above two sentences is correctly punctuated? Added afterwards: This request is to ...
Dinesh Kumar Garg's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

How should a question which quotes a question be punctuated?

Suppose there is a sentence in question form, like the one appearing below: Where do you belong to? Now, if a speaker refers to that question, he will frame another sentence and will place the ...
Dinesh Kumar Garg's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
466 views

Using question mark in a question

I reproduce below a question: "Which of the following is correct: 1. If you so desire, you may download the content. 2. You may download the content, if you so desire." The question should take a ...
Dinesh Kumar Garg's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
196 views

Questionable statements [duplicate]

I have often wondered if there's any common view on using a question mark on a statement meant as a question, such as "I assume you've watered the plants?". Is it right/wrong/merely a written ...
Cris Hale's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
378 views

Sentences referring to questions – do they need question-marks?

Like this: She hated the charity, but Tom would just shrug it off and tell her if people didn’t help each other out now and then, what good was living?
Andrew Lowe's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
3k views

When a question is nested within a question: two question marks?

If you have two questions, one embedded in the other, should there be a single, final question mark covering both the main question and the nested one, or one for each? Here is an example: A) ...
Jonathan Jewell's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
202 views

Should there be a question mark in a quoted question? [closed]

This is the tweet I want to tweet: All people repeat after me - I pledge I will not ask every co-worker I run into on Monday, 'how was your weekend'. Should there be a question mark after "...
septerr's user avatar
  • 169
6 votes
2 answers
24k views

How should a question ending in a statement be punctuated, as ending it in a question mark seems a little off?

In the example in the headline to this question, the statement qualifying the question makes the punctuation seem ill-fitting... Here's another example: Will you be able to make a decision on ...
user135562's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
13k views

Can I have multiple question marks in one sentence? [duplicate]

When I ask multiple questions at once should I break it up into multiple sentences and capitalize the first letter at the beginning of each question(?), or should I use one question mark at the very ...
John Samps's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
38 views

Using a colon following a question [duplicate]

Can you use a colon following a question mark? I am not sure about the colon and/or capitalization when adding the list of characteristics. Which of the following characteristics do you ...
Kailey's user avatar
  • 1
1 vote
1 answer
3k views

Do you use a question mark or period in this sentence?

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking." If you split this sentence into two different sentences—"What happened?" and "If you don't mind me asking."—you can tell where the question mark and the ...
user avatar
1 vote
4 answers
859 views

Is there a term for a question that is only a question because of a question mark? [duplicate]

I sent a friend a question in the form: Just trying to remember how we know each other? That is a "statement" without the question mark at the end. Is there a term for this? Since it does not ...
K2xL's user avatar
  • 247
1 vote
3 answers
548 views

Comma, quote needed before "quoted" material?

Which punctuation, if any, is correct: A. Did you ever ask Barb, "Hey, what's the matter with you?" B. Did you ever ask Barb, hey, what's the matter with you? C. Did you ever ask Barb, Hey, what's ...
CSR's user avatar
  • 11
2 votes
2 answers
12k views

Punctuating a question followed by a further comment in a sentence: position of question mark [duplicate]

I am always confused regarding the accepted placement of the question mark when there is a comment or the like following the actual question in a sentence. Consider the following options: Shall I ...
Ravi OpenSource's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

How to put question mark after a quotation mark (in Chicago or MLA style)? [closed]

For example, if I want to ask a question that says: Where is, "You know nothing, Jon Snow" should I punctuate it as Where is, "You know nothing, Jon Snow?" or Where is, "You know nothing, ...
Aero Windwalker's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
2k views

Comma usage when a question appears at the end of a quotation, at the end of a subordinate clause

What would be the correct way to punctuate the following sentence? Rather than thinking, "am I being a jerk?", Johann cut to the front of the line, as he did every Tuesday.
Alexander Gruber's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
291 views

Punctuation for referring to a question

Is either of these an incorrect or nonstandard way to refer to a question mid sentence? Or are both of them okay? Our experiment set out to answer the question; is running fruit under water an ...
ShaneBird's user avatar
  • 111
1 vote
2 answers
277 views

Is this a parenthetical phrase or an apposition?

Consider the following What are you laughing at, my silly hat? and What are you laughing at? My silly hat? Which of these is correctly punctuated, and if the first example is correct, what is ...
xelaroup's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
4k views

"...and who knew?" or "...,and, who knew..." or "..., and who knew..."?

Maybe by joining that religion I'd be able to understand myself, and who knew? Maybe I'd find the meaning of life. Maybe by joining that religion I'd be able to understand myself, and, who ...
wyc's user avatar
  • 13.2k
3 votes
3 answers
7k views

"Scare quotes" and placement of question mark--inside or outside?

Consider the following sentence: Did you know you can donate "stuff"? "Stuff" in this case means "anything besides cash." It's the lead-in to an article informing users on a charity's website that ...
Josh's user avatar
  • 141
0 votes
2 answers
94 views

is 'do we actually know where we are going any more' a question?

I'm confused as to if do we actually know where we are going any more is a question or not, because of the 'do' I think yes but when read it seems like a sentence.
IBTrey's user avatar
  • 11
2 votes
2 answers
656 views

Placement of question mark for a question quoting a question [duplicate]

Suppose I am writing to a friend, asking if he remembers a certain question I asked him. Do any of the following sentences correctly use the question mark? Do you remember when I asked you "do ...
Doubt's user avatar
  • 419
-2 votes
1 answer
7k views

Is it appropriate to use question marks in email? [closed]

I am a student and write to professors frequently. And often, I have to use sentences like this - Could you give me an appointment to meet you regarding this matter. I am usually confused whether ...
nnori's user avatar
  • 11
0 votes
1 answer
246 views

Ordering of question mark, closing quotation mark, and citation [closed]

Let's say I am quoting the verse "Do you like cheese?" from the Book Of Cheese. Is it: As it is written, "Do you like cheese?" (Book Of Cheese, 43:21) or As it is written, "Do you like cheese" (...
Y     e     z's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
3k views

Do I use a period or a question mark at the end of a statement that presents a question? [duplicate]

Let's say I have a statement like this: I just saw you come online, and I wanted to see how your day was going. Now, am I right to use the . at the end of that sentence? I've written it like this in ...
Mike Perrenoud's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
2k views

Must the word after a question mark be capitalised where the question mark does not terminate the sentence?

Here is a sentence: Before we can examine the implications of neuroscience for criminal law, we must address two more fundamental questions: Why do we punish criminals at all? and How severely ...
user74150's user avatar
-2 votes
2 answers
10k views

Can one use a question mark after "Please"?

I'm imagining someone importuning another person. For example, if someone asked another person if he or she could come join them on an outing, and when the other person doesn't seem too keen on the ...
Sai's user avatar
  • 353
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

If a sentence ends with a place name that ends with an exclamation mark, what punctuation should follow?

There are a few place names in the world that end with exclamation marks; for example, Westward Ho! and Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!. I suppose there are multiple cases here: If an ordinary statement ends ...
Senex's user avatar
  • 811
1 vote
2 answers
12k views

Question beginning a sentence [duplicate]

If I were to write a sentence beginning with a question, where would the question mark go? It does not seem right at the end of the sentence. For example: Was there something changed recently ...
Spedwards's user avatar
  • 122
0 votes
1 answer
970 views

Usage of "?" mid-sentence [duplicate]

I know, this problem is quite ordinary, and given enough time, I might be able to figure this one out myself, but I am also a little bit pressed for time. I'd like to include the following sentence in ...
user71790's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
3k views

Punctuating a sentence which is a question followed by statement [duplicate]

Which is best? Do we need to walk to the supermarket, as we have a car? OR Do we need to walk to the supermarket, as we have a car.
Daniel Eaton's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

Should the question mark be in the middle of a sentence?

The goal is to answer questions of the form "is vertex v connected to w?" in constant time. Should the question mark be there? A related question is how this sentence might be made better?
qazwsx's user avatar
  • 2,445