[General] Correct punctuation.

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Venus.jam

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Hi

I was wondering if I should put a period after the following embedded yes/no questions or a question mark.
Sometimes I see that it has been used with a dot but in some other cases question mark has been used.
After do you know guestion mark is used but what about I wonder if/whether.

2) I was wondering if / whether
a) used to politely ask someone to help you:

  • I was wondering if I could borrow your car?
b) used to ask someone politely if they would like to do something:

  • I was wondering if you’d like to come to dinner.
 

Rover_KE

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As you have been asked before, please tell us the title and author of any book you are quoting from.
 

Venus.jam

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From Internet. I think it was taken from Longman Dictionary
 

emsr2d2

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There should be no question mark after "I was wondering if I could borrow your car". It is not a question. It is a statement.
 

GoesStation

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Here's a question: I wonder, would you like to go out with me?
Here's a statement: I wonder if you would like to go out with me.

You will very frequently see question marks at the end of statements that begin I wonder, but they don't belong there.
 

Venus.jam

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Here's a question: I wonder, would you like to go out with me?
Here's a statement: I wonder if you would like to go out with me.

You will very frequently see question marks at the end of statements that begin I wonder, but they don't belong there.

I'd appreciate if you answer the following questions:

1. So where do they belong?
2. Moreover, is it correct and natural to produce sentences like "I wonder, would you like to go out with me?". I mean using both "I wonder" and a question?
3. Is there any difference in punctuation between "do you know" and "I wonder"?
For example:
Do you know that he is afraid of dogs? (Do we always use a question mark in do you know examples?)
I wonder if he is afraid of dogs. (do we always use a period after I wonder examples?)
I wonder, is he afraid if dogs? (Is this form also used?)

4. Would you please let me know what are the reasons to use embedded yes/no questions?
I only know that they are used because of politeness.

5. What are the following sentences called? I mean they are like embedded yes/no questions I think they are called wh clauses. Correct?

For example: I wonder what time it is? or I wonder how old he is.

6. In which contexts can we use "what time is it?" and "I wonder what time it is?"


Thanks in advance.
 

GoesStation

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We use a question mark after a question. Questions are formed by inverting the subject and the verb. There are some unusual cases where it's a little more complicated, but you can disregard them to begin with.

So where do they belong? This is a question because the verb do and the subject they are inverted. In a statement, you'd write They do belong there.

The sentence I wonder, would you like to go out with me? combines a statement and a question. The question inverts subject and verb, so it ends with a question mark.

Any sentence that begins Do you is a question because the subject and verb are inverted.

I don't know if there's a name for sentences like I wonder what time it is. You could say that it's speculative, but I don't think that's a grammatical term.

You can use the I wonder form of speculating about something when you want to share your uncertainty with someone else. For example, I wonder what time it is. If it's almost 3:30, we could go to the movie. Use the question form when you want an answer:​ What time is it? The movie starts at 3:30, so we have to leave before 3:00.
 
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