Do question marks go inside quotation marks examples? This is a common question among English speakers and writers. The confusion arises because there are different rules and styles to consider when using quotation marks. In this article, we will explore some examples to help clarify when question marks should be placed inside or outside quotation marks.
When a direct question is enclosed in quotation marks, the question mark is placed inside the quotation marks. For instance, if you are quoting someone asking a direct question, you would write it as follows:
“Do you think it will rain tomorrow?” asked Sarah.
In this example, the question mark is inside the quotation marks because the question is a direct quote from Sarah.
However, when the sentence itself is a statement or a command, and you are asking a question about it, the question mark is placed outside the quotation marks. Here’s an example:
“She’s going to the store,” he said. “Do you want anything?”
In this case, the question mark is outside the quotation marks because the sentence itself is a statement about her going to the store, and the question is being asked about the statement.
Another scenario where the question mark goes outside the quotation marks is when you are paraphrasing a question. In this case, you should use quotation marks to indicate that you are repeating the words, but the question mark will be outside the marks:
She asked if he had finished his homework. “Do you have your homework done?”
When dealing with indirect questions, the same rule applies. If you are paraphrasing a question, the question mark goes outside the quotation marks:
She inquired if he had finished his homework. “Did you finish your homework?”
Lastly, when a question mark is used at the end of a quoted sentence that is a statement, the question mark goes inside the quotation marks:
“I think you should go,” she said. “Don’t you?”
In conclusion, the placement of question marks inside or outside quotation marks depends on the context and the type of question being asked. By understanding these rules and examining the provided examples, you should be able to determine the correct placement of question marks in your writing.
