Punctuation

[kfredson]

Do you write too?

I'll show you mine if you show me yours!

Oops. That didn't sound right!

What do I write? Mostly comments on student papers, along with a mountain of student evaluations. No fiction, alas -- at least, not intentionally! My own writing is primarily on my subject area and I'm afraid it's still in bits and pieces.

But seriously, you should not hide your fiction from us. (I'm not so sure that sounds right, either!)

 

[Barb_D]

Maybe we should start an on-line writers group. All topics welcome!

 

[bhaisahab]

Maybe we should start an on-line writers group. All topics welcome!

That sounds like a good idea!

 

[IHIVG]

Oops. That didn't sound right!

I'm not so sure that sounds right, either!

I'm afraid I don't get your writers' jokes here -- maybe because I don't write at all :lol:. What didn't sound right?

That sounds like a good idea!

I second that!

 

[mmasny]

I second that!

<AOL>Me too.</AOL>

 

[MASM]

So, the correct punctuation would be: Is she the person who asked, "Why?" as Barb_D said. Am I right?
I'm just asking for confirmation because I got a bit confused with all the posts :-D.

It's a very interesting question and your idea of the writers group is great.

 

[IHIVG]

I'm just asking for confirmation because I got a bit confused with all the posts :-D.

I'm afraid you won't get it :lol:. We might as well settle for 'it's just a style thing' as Barb suggested.

On a more personal note: I've come to the conclusion that the more I think about something and start overanalyzing it, the more I'm in trouble of it :shock:.

 

[MASM]

I'm afraid you won't get it :lol:. We might as well settle for 'it's just a style thing' as Barb suggested.

On a more personal note: I've come to the conclusion that the more I think about something and start overanalyzing it, the more I'm in trouble of it :shock:.

Yes, you're right :-D

 

[TheParser]

So, the correct punctuation would be: Is she the person who asked, "Why?" as Barb_D said. Am I right?
I'm just asking for confirmation because I got a bit confused with all the posts :-D.

It's a very interesting question and your idea of the writers group is great.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Good morning.

(1) I'm confused, too.

(2) I think that we have a choice: ...?" or ...."?

(3) I guess we have to make an arbitrary decision.

(4) I have no proof, but I suspect that most American publications probably would opt for ...?"

(5) Since I don't do any writing, this matter is strictly an academic matter. But I were a writer, my gut feeling would be ...."?

(a) I believe that most people accept the following as "correct":

Who said, "I love English"? (NO period after "English" needed)

(b) Thus, using the same pattern:

Who asked, "How old are you"? (NO question mark after "you" needed.)

*****

(a) I don't have the guts to write ?"? which might actually be the "correct" answer. Or at least the logical answer. After all, there ARE two questions. But languages are very democratic. Writers have made it clear that they simply refuse to accept ?"?

 

[MASM]

I'd accept: Who asked, "How old are you"? (to follow one of your examples) because the question mark would be valid for both questions.
However, as other poster suggested, I don't think we can get a concrete answer:-D

 

[Tan Elaine]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Who asked, "How old are you"? (NO question mark after "you" needed.)

(a) I don't have the guts to write ?"? which might actually be the "correct" answer. Or at least the logical answer. After all, there ARE two questions. But languages are very democratic. Writers have made it clear that they simply refuse to accept ?"?

I believe what Parser does. In fact, logically, there should be two question marks because "How old are you?" is one question.

Who asked ... is another question. Therefore it appears to me that the following is correct.

Who asked, "How old are you?"?

 

[IHIVG]

I believe what Parser does. In fact, logically, there should be two question marks because "How old are you?" is one question.

Who asked ... is another question. Therefore it appears to me that the following is correct.

Who asked, "How old are you?"?

Logically, yes, I'd be inclined to think so, but I've never ever seen this kind of punctuation; it looks utterly redundant as well.

 

[emsr2d2]

Logically, yes, I'd be inclined to think so, but I've never ever seen this kind of punctuation; it looks utterly redundant as well.

I agree that logic would dictate 2 question marks, but I have also never seen it used. I would vote for: Are you the person who asked "Why"?

To confuse the issue, the answer to that question would be: Yes, I am the person who asked "Why?"

To me, the question mark in the first sentence must be the absolutely last thing written, to indicate that it is a question. The second sentence is a statement of fact.

 

[IHIVG]

To confuse the issue, the answer to that question would be: Yes, I am the person who asked "Why?"

This is not confusing. Confusion arose due to the question-within-a-question type of the sentence.

To me, the question mark in the first sentence must be the absolutely last thing written, to indicate that it is a question.

I agree. To me there always should be some punctuation mark at the end of a sentence (whether it's a period or a question mark) to make it look a complete sentence.

 

[MASM]

I agree that logic would dictate 2 question marks, but I have also never seen it used. I would vote for: Are you the person who asked "Why"?

To confuse the issue, the answer to that question would be: Yes, I am the person who asked "Why?"

To me, the question mark in the first sentence must be the absolutely last thing written, to indicate that it is a question. The second sentence is a statement of fact.

That reinforces my point. In the first sentence, the question mark at the end indicates a question within a question, so another question mark would be redundant.
In ,Yes, I am the person who asked "Why?" the question mark is included in the inverted commas because it's a direct quotation from a question but what comes before is a statement.

 

[corum]

[STRIKE]Who asked, "How old are you?"?[/STRIKE]

When both the whole sentence and the unit enclosed in quotation marks are questions or exclamations, the question or exclamation mark goes inside the closing quotation mark.
What does Joseph Campbell believe happens when you "Follow your bliss?"
Did Daniel specifically ask, "Did you cheat on me?"

The use of a question mark with a quotation:

when a question is in a direct quotation e.g. Did Henry II say “Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?" the question mark is INSIDE the quotation marks. Note that you never use two question marks together.

.

 

[Tan Elaine]

Thanks for all the responses to my post. I told one of my friends who referred me to a grammar book which says that it is not wrong to have two question marks in a sentence.

I quote: Did she say, 'Do you love me?'?

Some authorities would omit the second question mark here, regarding it as impermissible.

 

[kfredson]

Thanks for all the responses to my post. I told one of my friends who referred me to a grammar book which says that it is not wrong to have two question marks in a sentence.

I quote: Did she say, 'Do you love me?'?

Some authorities would omit the second question mark here, regarding it as impermissible.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. So it seems that grammar books can disagree. That somehow pleases me. And it is very good to know that there is no Board of Grammar somewhere with ultimate authority. Although, if there were, I would hope it would include some of the illustrious senior members here.

 

[kfredson]

Thanks for all the responses to my post. I told one of my friends who referred me to a grammar book which says that it is not wrong to have two question marks in a sentence.

I quote: Did she say, 'Do you love me?'?

Some authorities would omit the second question mark here, regarding it as impermissible.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. So it seems that grammar books can disagree. That somehow pleases me. And it is very good to know that there is no Board of Grammar somewhere with ultimate authority. Although, if there were, I would hope it would include some of the illustrious senior members here.

 

[corum]

Thanks for all the responses to my post. I told one of my friends who referred me to a grammar book which says that it is not wrong to have two question marks in a sentence.

Could you name that "authority"?