What Is a Question Mark (?)
The main purpose of a question mark is to indicate that a sentence is a question. Direct questions often (but not always) begin with a wh- word (who, what, when, where, why).
Examples:
- Why did the chicken cross the road?
- Who wants to know?
- Where is Spain on the map?
In addition, a question sentence can be constructed by beginning the sentence with auxiliary or modal verb.
Examples:
- Is it raining outside?
- Are they happy with their achievements?
- Should you offer coupon on buying above £50/-?
Sometimes we have an enquiring tone while saying declarative sentence. In writing, question mark at the end of declarative sentence sets the same tone of question in the statement. This is the way to express surprise, doubt and disbelief.
Examples:
- You came all this way to ask me about a chicken?
- Cross the road? Never!
Question Marks /Quotation Marks/parenthesis/brackets
When a sentence is a question, the question mark goes at the very end and serves as the terminal punctuation mark. However, when it is used with other punctuation marks such as quotation marks, parenthesis or brackets it is used where it applies. This means, if the information enclosed in these punctuation marks is additional information and not a question itself then it will be placed at the end of sentence not inside them. However, if the information enclosed within the parenthesis or brackets itself is a question then question mark will be placed in them.
Examples:
- Do they (Anna and George) believe in such myths?
- Mother feels scared about her children (What if they are not safe with their new friend?) so she did not allow them to go out with the new friend.
- Haven’t you ever heard the expression “It’s a free country”?
- The chicken asked, “Why is everyone so concerned about where I’m walking?”
When you have a question mark that applies to both the quoted phrase and the rest of the sentence, just use one question mark.
Examples:
- Who said, “Why did the chicken cross the road?”
Indirect Questions
Indirect questions never take question mark and period is used at the end of the sentence. Indirect questions are asked as declarative sentences.
Examples:
- Alice asked if anyone wanted to go for shopping with her. We all wondered why she was so obsessed with the shopping all the time.
Question Mark (?) with Exclamation mark(!)
Sometimes question has an element of surprise, shock or excitement and in writing to convey this tone in question, exclamation mark can be used.
Examples:
- Are you saying the chicken is a millionaire?!
- What?! Really! she got world distinction.