A question mark is a punctuation mark that is placed at the end of a direct question; that is, a sentence that asks a question, but not an indirect question which ends in a full-stop.
Direct questions require a question mark at the end.
Examples:
- Is that your uncle wearing a cowboy hat?
- Could you not call my song "fatso", please?
- Did you see the movie titled "The three-legged man"?
Indirect questions do not require a question mark at the end.
When a question is being reported and not directly asked, a full-stop, not a question mark, is used.
Examples:
- She asked, "Why are you staring at me?"
(Direct question with question mark) - She asked why I was staring at her.
(Indirect question with no question mark)
A question mark is not followed by a full stop or comma.
Examples:
- No: "Why are you not looking at me when I'm talking to you?", Jennifer asked me.
- Yes: "Why are you not looking at me when I'm talking to you?" Jennifer asked me. .
A question mark is used after the full-stop that ends an abbreviation at the end of a sentence.
Examples:
- No: You said you saw the UFO at about 7 p.m?
- Yes: You said you saw the UFO at about 7 p.m.?
Question mark and quotation marks.
Examples:
The question mark must be placed inside of closing quotation marks if it is part of he quotation..
- No: The children keep asking me, "When are you going to tell us a ghost story?
- Yes: The children keep asking me, "When are you going to tell us a ghost story?"
The question mark must be placed outside of closing quotation marks if it is not part of the quotation.
- No: Was it you who said, "His three sons are as cheeky as a monkey?"
- Yes: Was it you who said, "His three sons are as cheeky as a monkey"?