Question Marks with Quotation Marks
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Question Marks with Quotation Marks
Last week, we examined the strict rule governing periods and commas with quotation marks. This week, let’s look at the more logical rules governing the use of question marks with quotation marks.
Rule – The placement of question marks with quotations follows logic. If a question is in quotation marks, the question mark should be placed inside the quotation marks.
Examples:
She asked, “Will you still be my friend?”
Do you agree with the saying, “All’s fair in love and war”?
Here the question is outside the quote.
NOTE: Although some writers and editors disagree in special cases, only one ending punctuation mark is necessary with quotation marks. Also, the stronger punctuation mark wins. Therefore, no period after war is used.
Rule – When you have a question outside quoted material AND inside quoted material, use only one question mark and place it inside the quotation mark.
Example:
Did she say, “May I go?”
Pop Quiz
Choose the correct sentence.
1A. The song asks, “Would you like to swing on a star?”
1B. The song asks, “Would you like to swing on a star”?
2A. “Is it almost over?” he asked?
2B. “Is it almost over?” he asked.
2C. “Is it almost over?,” he asked.
2D. “Is it almost over,” he asked?
3A. Do you believe the saying, “It is better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don’t want and get it”?
3B. Do you believe the saying, “It is better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don’t want and get it?”
Pop Quiz Answers
1A. The song asks, “Would you like to swing on a star?”
2B. “Is it almost over?” he asked.
3A. Do you believe the saying, “It is better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don’t want and get it”?
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
I’ve been unable to find a definitive answer about the proper punctuation of sentences consisting of two independent clauses joined by a conjunction in which the first independent clause ends with a quoted question. See the example. I assume that the second comma in the example should be omitted. I realize that one could start a new sentence at “but,” but do the rules of grammar force that one start a new sentence at “but”? If I prefer one sentence, should I place a semicolon where the second comma is? My guess is that the example would be OK as one sentence if the second comma is omitted?
Example:
The teacher asked slyly, “Is there a hidden assumption?”, but she immediately answered her own question.
Thanks in advance!
Your sentence is correct if the second comma is omitted and no semicolon is added.
The teacher asked slyly, “Is there a hidden assumption?” but she immediately answered her own question.
Another approach could be to recast:
“Is there a hidden assumption?” the teacher asked slyly, but she immediately answered her own question.
I don’t understand the difference between saying, Do you agree with the saying, and did she ask as two different things. Aren’t they both questions? So wouldn’t the examples with the do you agree with the saying have the quotations marks on the inside, since technically the person is asking do you agree? Please explain this, i’m really confused.
It is helpful if you look at the words that are inside the quotation marks. The first example is She asked, “Will you still be my friend?” “Will you still be my friend?” is a question, therefore, the question mark belongs inside the quotation marks. The second example is Do you agree with the saying, “All’s fair in love and war”? “All’s fair in love and war” is not a question. Therefore, the question mark should not be inside the quotation marks.
When quoting a book does the question mark go outside or inside the quotation marks? For example: “how could kingship please me more than influence, power/without a qualm?” (Oedipus Rex 664-665). Or would it be “how could kingship please me more than influence, power/without a qualm” (Oedipus Rex 664-665)?
Since it is part of the quote, the question mark goes inside the quotation marks. It is usually a good idea to begin a quotation with a capital letter.
“How could kingship please me more than influence, power without a qualm?” (Oedipus Rex 664-665)
I am unable to find an answer to my needs. For a direct quotation that is a question, do you put both a question mark and a comma before closing the quotation?
Example: “How are you doing?” Mom said.
Question: Do you need a comma after the question mark before the quotation marks?
There are times when some editors would follow a question mark with a comma, but it isn’t necessary in this case. We have added Rule 13d to our Commas section online and Rule 5b to our Question Marks section to address this situation.
On another topic, do you think “Mom asked” would be an improvement over “Mom said” in your sentence?
Please explain the rules regarding lists of questions in quotations. Please correct all the errors in the following example:
Which should elicit the questions, “why are we here,” “where is here,” and “what difference does it make anyways?”
You could write the following:
…which should elicit the following questions: Why are we here? Where is here? What difference does it make anyway?
I understand the quotation-mark punctuation in the following sentence:
“How do you do things?,” “Why do you do things?,” and “Where do you do things?” he asked.
But what about the ?, combination in the following sentence?
He asked me, “Why do I do what I do?,” to which I responded, “I don’t know.”
Also, which of the following two sentences is punctuated correctly?
The question was “Why do I do what I do?”
-or-
The question was, “Why do I do what I do?”
Thanks.
Our Rule 5b of Question Marks says, “If a quoted question ends in midsentence, the question mark replaces a comma.” Therefore, the following are correct:
“How do you do things?” “Why do you do things?” and “Where do you do things?” he asked.
He asked me, “Why do I do what I do?” to which I responded, “I don’t know.”
Our Rule 3c of Quotation Marks says, “If a quotation functions as a subject or object in a sentence, it might not need a comma.” Therefore, we recommend writing the following:
The question was “Why do I do what I do?”
Is this grammatically correct:
I remember her saying something like, “if I don’t understand the relevance of the assignment, then why am I teaching it?”.
Our Rule 2a of Quotation Marks says, “Always capitalize the first word in a complete quotation, even midsentence.” As the post states, only one ending punctuation mark is necessary with quotation marks. Therefore, the following is grammatically correct:
I remember her saying something like, “If I don’t understand the relevance of the assignment, then why am I teaching it?”
I have written a book and am currently in the process of editing the manuscript. One of the questions that I had was in regard to question mark placement after a colon. For instance, does the question mark go inside or outside the quotation marks in the following sentence?
But at some point, we must stop and ask ourselves: “What is it that we are chasing?”
Your punctuation is correct.
Can you help me with the following punctuation? I am a court reporter and cannot rearrange any of the words spoken, so it presents some difficulties…
Is that a “Yes” or “No”?
She can only write down “Yeses” or “Nos.”
“Yes” or “No,” what is your answer?
We prefer to use a colon rather than a comma in the last sentence. In addition, we see no reason to capitalize yes, no, yeses, or nos.
Is that a “yes” or “no”?
She can only write down “yeses” or “nos.”
“Yes” or “no”: what is your answer?
Thank you so much! I had a particular question and couldn’t find the answer when I searched but found it here! God bless you!
I’ve been trying to find something similar to what I need an answer for but so far have been unable to find one. In regards to quotations that end with a question, do you put the quotation mark at the end of both or just one and if so where? After the question or after the person asking the question? For example:
“What is a goal of yours?” Susan asks the student during class.
Does it go after “yours” or after “class”? Or both?
You would include the question mark only at the end of the quoted question and within the concluding quotation mark: “What is a goal of yours?” Susan asks the student during class.
I am using quotes to ask comprehension questions in class. Do I add a period at the end of the quote or no? For example: What does Scythe Curie mean when she says, “I am disturbed by those who revere us far more than those who disdain us.”? or What does Scythe Curie mean when she says, “I am disturbed by those who revere us far more than those who disdain us”?
As the post states, only one ending punctuation mark is necessary with quotation marks. Therefore, your second example sentence is correct.
Ok, this is a tricky one! So, we know that if there’s a period vs the question mark issue, the question mark would win, as in — Do you agree with the saying, “All’s fair in love and war”?
But what if it’s a matter of a question mark vs. an exclamation mark? They are both “stronger marks.” So with an idea like this:
She exclaimed, “Don’t I matter”….do we put either A or B, as shown below?
In other words, which mark, the question mark or the exclamation mark, gets the “stronger mark?”
Choice A: She exclaimed, “Don’t I matter”!
Choice B: She exclaimed, “Don’t I matter?”
Since the quote is an interrogative sentence, the question mark is necessary. The word “exclaimed” provides emphasis.
What if you are asking a question containing a quote that ends with an exclamation mark?
For example:
In which book was it said, “I have found him! I have found the one person worthy of being Emperor!”?
Your example is correct as written.
I would like some guidance for including a question in quotes as part of a list, where the other items on the list are not in quotes. Is this correct where I am trying to list three things:
Example: I like asking “What if?” making things, and solving puzzles.
The sentence is confusing as written. We recommend rewriting as follows:
I like making things, solving puzzles, and asking “What if?”
What if the quotation marks do not involve a question? Is the placement correct in the following sentence?
What organizations are included in “Housing Issues”?
Since the question is outside the quote, your sentence is punctuated correctly.
Your fiancé? she thought. When did that happen?
or
Your fiancé she thought? When did that happen?
I’m unsure where the first question mark should go. Thank you.
The question mark is correct in your first sentence; however, you are missing either quotation marks or italics to indicate inner thought.
“Your fiancé?” she thought. “When did that happen?” OR
Your fiancé? she thought. When did that happen?
See our post Internal Dialogue: Italics or Quotes? for more information.