question mark

Use a question mark at the end of a direct question, an interpolated question, at the end of a full sentence in a list of questions, and at the end of the question in a Q&A.

Examples:

• Did you hear me?
• I said – did you hear me? – start at the beginning.
• Who asked that?
• What is the bill about?
• Who benefits?
• How much will it cost?
• Q: How long have you been interested in painting?
  A: Since I was a child.

Do not use a question mark with an indirect question.

Examples:

• He asked, did you hear me.
• I asked, will you start at the beginning.
• They want to know what the cause of the pandemic is.

When quoting a question, the quotation mark supersedes the comma for attribution. If starting out with attribution, the question mark is still within the quotation mark, but a comma sets off the quote.

Examples:

• The senator asked, Will we ever pass the budget?
• Will we ever pass the budget? the senator asked.

Most screen readers change the inflection of the end of the sentence to a higher pitch to sound like a question when it encounters a question mark. However, if it encounters a stand-alone question mark, it may read it as question, question mark, or nothing at all.

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