Questions tagged [question-mark]
Questions about the question mark (?) that appears at the end of questions.
156 questions
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Does this direct speech need a question mark? [duplicate]
I have this direct speech:
"What's in the bag?"
"Let me go!", said John.
"What's in the bag, I said!"
Does the last line need a question mark and if so, should it be ...
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3
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120
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Should you use a conjuncton in a question? [closed]
Example:
What do you think of this as I was going to buy it?
Alternative I suspect is correct:
What do you think of this?
I was going to buy it.
I wanted to see if I can word it as a single ...
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48
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What is it called when an author uses a question mark without a question attached? [duplicate]
My specific example is from a passage in Fahrenheit 451 (although I've seen it used colloquially as well):
Click? Pic? Look, Eye, Now, Flick, Here, There, Swift, Pace, Up, Down, In, Out, Why, How, ...
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Is it possible to make a declarative sentence starting with 'Can'?
everyone
As the title shows, is it possible to make a declarative sentence starting with "Can"?
For example, 'Please, can we request that you do not accept any proposals from him.'
The ...
2
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1
answer
505
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Confused in the usage of "where" in a non-interrogative sentence
I was writing an essay, but I came across a weird sentence:
Where peace prevails, justice prevails.
In the above sentence, I am confused if the usage of "where" at the beginning of the ...
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1
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261
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How do you properly write a question that contains follow-up questions? [closed]
For example if you were to write a question like: "Is this something that you would be interested in, and if so: when are you be available?"
How do you structure the sentence with regards to ...
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Can I use a question mark for a list after a colon?
For example,
After the incident, I was no longer sure who to blame: Ethan, Michael,
or Jake?
Or is there a better way to phrase this sentence?
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Can a clause beginning "I assume" be made into a question by intonation?
I recently answered a question on ELL. It included a sentence similar to this:
If it's neither A nor B, I assume that it's C?
I answered the question, and noted that I think that a clause beginning &...
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1
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Where to put question mark in sentences with two statements
I'm not sure where to put the question mark here. Can anyone help please?
But why would anyone want to be famous? Especially since fame brings a bunch of problems. (This punctuation reflects the ...
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1
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118
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Where would the question marks fall within this poem?
Can someone help me punctuate this line? It is poetry, which may not always follow the common rules of punctuation...
I asked myself is there such a place in the deepest part of the soul
where noone ...
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1
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Question mark after a comma and a second sentence? [duplicate]
A non-English native friend has just said that an English speaker told him the question mark should NOT be used after a pair of sentences separated by a comma. Something like this:
"Could someone ...
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Punctuating questions containing questions [duplicate]
For example,
‘Did you just ask, “Why me?”?’, Rita Queried
I know using two question marks is not right, but is this sentence right? Because both are questions.
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2
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Question or statement?
This is a passage from a poem:
What is love, but the passion I feel in my heart?
What is passion, but the energy of my soul?
What is my soul, but a fountain of emotions erupting?
My question is, ...
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1
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Proper and polite usage of "can you"
In email communication, people often use "can you do X" instead of "please do X". Is this a more polite form, or is this just an idiom which means exactly the same?
If I use "...
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Punctuation of Isn't it
How would you punctuate the phrase
It's a beautiful day, isn't it?
Would you use a question mark or period at the end?
My intent is to make it rhetorical. The full example is:
She woke up alone, ...
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0
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Question Tag moved forward in sentence
If a question tag were moved forward in a sentence, how would it be punctuated? And if the question tag were a parenthetical, would the sentence still be a question?
There’s no point, is there, in ...
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What is the correct punctuation in the sentence "Shall I open the window or you will do it"
I have a sentence:
Shall I open the window or you will do it.
I wonder whether the second half of the sentence is grammatically correct (is it an indirect question?) and whether or not we need a ...
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1
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847
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"He added" vs. "Did he add" (inversion after negative adverb) [duplicate]
I'm reading a book, and I found a sentence where I don't understand the grammar. It seems as the writer wants to write a statement, but uses the structure of a question. The sentence is highlighted in ...
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0
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66
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Question mark before or after parentheses for incidental text? [duplicate]
I have this sentence:
Can you share those documents with me?
And I want to add an incidental text like "(no problem if they are in progress)".
Shall I add that text before or after the quastion ...
2
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2
answers
299
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Punctuating mid-sentence question/uncertainty? [closed]
How do you indicate a question (as in an uncertain statement) mid-sentence? My first thought was:
"That's Fred and his—cousin?—by the punch bowl."
But if you take out the parenthetical, ...
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1
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How do I use a question as an embedded quotation when it also deserves a comma?
So I asked "Shall I do the thing?" and he responded with "Yes."
In that sentence, should the ? exist? It kind of feels like it should be a comma, given its place in the sentence. ...
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1
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216
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Can a gerund be used to start a question title? [duplicate]
For the sake of using less characters in a title I often change a question like:
How do I learn to ride a bike?
to:
Learning to ride a bike?
I know these two constructs are not identical in ...
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1
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63
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Question marks (again!)
I'm sorry, I've looked at other places here, and can't find the exact answer - maybe the searching strategy I'm using isn't good. There are some related ones, though none solving this that I can see.
...
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should there be space between a sentence and question mark or not? [duplicate]
while asking questions in the sentence do we need to give space between question mark (?) and the sentence.
what is your name?
what is your name ?
which one is correct?
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1
answer
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Does a question mark (?) come to the end of a sentence which starts with "How to ..." ? if no/yes why? [duplicate]
Do these sentences need question mark?
How To Repair and Restore Windows 10 (?)
Or
How to fix java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: Failed resolution of: Ljava/beans/Introspector error (?)
(this ...
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1
answer
43
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How should I punctuate/capitalize the following question? [closed]
Is the following question punctuated/capitalized correctly?
“What’s that, a dishrag?”
Or should it be two questions?
“What’s that? A dishrag?”
Or would a third option be best? Thanks!
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2
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51
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Is a question mark needed? [closed]
Is a question mark needed after "kitchen"? I feel there might be as I imagine Bob has omitted "didn't you?" from the end of the sentence. If it was there a question mark seems like it would be needed: ...
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1
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Is it okay to use a question mark after a name if another character wishes to draw that person's attention? [closed]
Is it okay to use a question mark if a character wishes to draw someone's attention?
Anne: Bob?
Bob: Yes?
Anne: I think you should know something.
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Question Mark or Not With Continuation of Question? [closed]
Should there be a question mark after "in the story"?
I know it's not a direct question, but it is a continuation of the original question & requires an answer
Tim: So what happened next?
Mum:...
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1
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63
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Question mark or not? [duplicate]
SHOULD THERE BE A QUESTION MARK OR NOT? IT'S AN INDIRECT QUESTION BUT AN ANSWER WOULD BE EXPECTED.
There's a party later if you're interested.
There's a party later if you're interested?
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Do this sentence need a question mark [closed]
Please could you release orders for March to June 2019.
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3
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What does a question mark inside parentheses (?) mean?
If a sentence/word has (?) at the end, does it mean the sentence is not a fact and the author is not sure about it?
As in the example:
I am the tallest(?) in our class.
Which means I am not sure ...
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1
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How should I correctly write this question?
"Can you provide documentation stating the noise levels, so that we are able to show compliance if we get audited?"
Even though this is a question, I feel like the question mark at the end doesn't ...
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1
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I'm using three questions in a list inside quotation marks, would I separate with a comma, semicolon, or nothing? Are the question marks even needed? [duplicate]
A sentence with a list of questions inside quotation marks, how do I separate them? I can't find a solid answer anywhere.
Option 1:
In simple terms, Naikan is based on three questions: “What have I ...
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Punctuating a vertical list that is introduced by a question
I have searched online but can't find anything definitive on which of the following is preferable:
Incorrect. What could you infer from these quotes:
'most of the dogs jump on the meat'
'...
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0
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Linking statements ending in question or exclamation marks in quotes [duplicate]
Consider this:
He began asking her rhetorical questions like "How dare you?", "How
could you?", and "How can you think such a thing?", but she did not
reply.
How can I write the above sentence ...
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2
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"Why not?" vs. "Why not." [duplicate]
My question is: is there flexibility in how one can punctuate the phrase "Why not?"
The answer may seem obvious at first...it is a question after all. However, it's also a common idiom, and I am ...
2
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2
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Phrase "you might ask"
I often wonder if I should use question marks in different situations. This occurs with me when a sentence starts out as a question, but after a comma turns into just a "normal sentence". The ...
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Does this sentence require a question mark at the end? [duplicate]
"Children are continuously forced to hear stereotypes about themselves because of their gender, but what if a child wanted to challenge their fate?"
I know it doesn't begin with a question word, but ...
3
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1
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em dashes and question marks
Would it be correct to use the question mark as it is written in the following sentence? "If your cousin invites you to visit—and why would he not?—I will expect your return after only nine days."
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3
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Where do I put the question mark if a question has a parenthetical statement at the end?
What would you have me do (given some factor is a and another factor
is b and some other statement-y thing follows as well -- I'm not even sure what to make of the whole thing, not to mention that ...
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3
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Can you use semicolons in place of question marks?
For example:
"You've heard of warfare, right; it's when multiple countries fight for some cause."
Is this correct? Or would you instead use something like:
"You've heard of warfare, right? It's ...
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Affirmations with question marks
Today I was reviewing some code on GitHub, and end up with the following sentence/question:
So, are you using a context to update a record? That makes no sense.
I know that verbs and subjects are "...
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1
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Is it acceptable to use "Just wondering" as a question? [duplicate]
I often find myself writing sentences such as:
"I am wondering if the landlord replied to you yet?"
And I always end up removing the question mark and rephrasing the sentence. In speech it is easy to ...
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2
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453
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Quoted Titles & Possessives -- Journalistic Style
The Associated Press (they never use italics) punctuates the possessive of titles in quotes like this:
"Jeopardy!'s" subtleties of language ... . (actual excerpt from The AP)
If a question mark ...
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1
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Punctuating a two part question
I'm trying to figure out how to best punctuate this. I'm torn between ; or ?
Have we looked at this paper? Do we intend to?
Have we looked at this paper; do we intend to?
I want to say the first is ...
2
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2
answers
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Question mark after “I don’t know what you want from me.”?
I’m getting mixed messages on which of the following punctuations is correct:
I don’t know what you want from me.
I don’t know what you want from me?
It seems to be both an indirect question, ...
2
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1
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Help settle an argument, question mark placement
So, I posted a picture in a group chat and one of the members of the chat questioned the placement of the question mark (attached for reference).
Where's your plane, peasants? (original)
or..
Where'...
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1
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punctuation when a quoted question is followed by a reference [closed]
In my Closing Argument (for an administrative-type hearing), I invented a concise way of referring to page numbers in the Parent exhibit book, for example:
There was no follow-up to R’s June 22 ...
3
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2
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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,...