When not to put a question mark after the "wh"s?!

[Ducklet Cat]

Hello

Imagine this is a title of a magazine story:
Why did doctors tell us not to eat fast food?

Then we ideally put a question mark because this is clearly a question.

But what about this:

Why Doctors told not to eat fast food


Do we put a question mark after that or not?
It starts with "why", but the meaning is not a question, it is rather affirmative. It's like saying:
This is why doctors told us not to eat fast food.

So, do we put a question mark or not?

Thanks

 

[5jj]

Hello

Why Doctors told us not to eat fast food


Do we put a question mark after that or not?
It starts with "why", but the meaning is not a question, it is rather affirmative. It's like saying:
This is why doctors told us not to eat fast food.

So, do we put a question mark or not?

No, for the reason you have given.

Similarly, the example below reports a question, but is not itself a question:

He asked why doctors told us not to eat fast food.

 

[Ducklet Cat]

Great, Thanks

 

[5jj]

If you are clear on that, I'll add one that I refrained from mentioning in my last post:

Did he ask why doctors told us not to eat fast food?

The words in italics are, as before, not a direct question.
However the words in bold are a direct question, and require the question mark at the end.

 

[Ducklet Cat]

If you are clear on that, I'll add one that I refrained from mentioning in my last post:

Did he ask why doctors told us not to eat fast food?

The words in italics are, as before, not a direct question.
However the words in bold are a direct question, and require the question mark at the end.

That's very instructive. Thanks. :up: