Question Marks

Almost every sentence ends with one of three punctuation marks. The period, the exclamation mark, and the question mark are called final, or terminal, punctuation marks.

We place a question mark at the end of an interrogative sentence (one that asks a question).

  • What is the collie's name?
  • Can you give me a ride to the skating rink?
  • Do you know which planet ranks seventh in order of distance from the sun?
  • Is this the planet discovered in 1781 by Sir William Herschel?
  • Are you familiar with George Wythe?
  • Did he draft a petition to the British Crown against the Stamp Act?

Remember that a sentence can contain a questioning phrase without being an interrogative sentence.

I wonder what the collie's name is.

With Quotation Marks

When using quotation marks, we must decide whether to place the final punctuation mark inside or outside the quotation marks. We do this by determining if the final punctuation mark punctuates the whole sentence or just the part in quotation marks.

In the sentence below, only the words in quotation marks ask a question. The question mark punctuates only the direct quotation, so it goes inside the quotation marks.

  • Someone asked, "Where have you been?"
  • "Can you answer the question?" asked the astronomer.
  • "Will you be here tomorrow?" asked the teacher.

In the next sentence, the question mark punctuates the whole sentence, so it goes outside the quotation marks:

  • Have they sung "America"?
  • Do you remember your recitation of "Little Orphan Annie"?
  • Did you know that the Virginia state seal, Sic Semper Tyrannis, means "thus ever to tyrants"?

Examples

Rewrite sentences 1-7, inserting punctuation marks as needed.

  1. How did the Grand Canyon form
  2. Can you sing the high notes of "The Star Spangled Banner"
  3. Is it true that weather patterns created by moist air and hot temperatures at the equator contribute to the formation of hot deserts
  4. She looked around and asked, "Where's the elevator"
  5. Isn't Uranus also the name of a Greek god
  6. Who first called for the political independence of the colonies
  7. Did Wythe convince his fellow legislators with his argument

Solutions

1. How did the Grand Canyon form?

2. The terminal mark goes outside the quotation marks because it punctuates the entire sentence.

Can you sing the high notes of "The Star Spangled Banner"?

3. Is it true that weather patterns created by moist air and hot temperatures at the equator contribute to the formation of hot deserts?

4. The terminal mark goes inside the quotation marks because it punctuates only the direct quotation.

She looked around and asked, "Where's the elevator?"

5. Isn't Uranus also the name of a Greek god?

6. Who first called for the political independence of the colonies?

7. Did Wythe convince his fellow legislators with his argument?