Question marks

Guidelines
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Orthography and grammar
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Punctuation
  • Direct questions

    Place a question mark at the end of any sentence that is a direct question.

    Exemple adequatWho wrote that report?


    If the question is a direct quotation repeating the speaker’s exact words, a question mark is still used.

    Exemple adequat“Who wrote that report?” she asked.


  • Other types of questions

    • Indirect questions

      Do not use a question mark in an indirect question, in which the speaker’s exact words are not repeated. Use only a full stop, since the whole sentence is now a statement.

      Exemple adequatShe asked who had written that report.


    • Courtesy questions

      If a request or instruction is put as a question for reasons of courtesy, do not use a question mark.

      Exemple adequatWould you please fill in and sign the attached application and submit it before the end of the month.
Universitat de Barcelona. Serveis Lingüístics
Darrera actualització: 23-4-2024
Recommended citation:
«Question marks» [en línia]. A: Llibre d’estil de la Universitat de Barcelona. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona. Serveis Lingüístics. <https://www.ub.edu/llibre-estil/criteri.php?id=2309> [consulta: 21 novembre 2024].