Author Topic: Question marks at the end of statements (Read 1908 times)

Mr. Anderson · « **on:** February 06, 2008, 04:33:30 PM »

How grammatically correct is the question mark at the end of the following sentences?

Guess what?
Dallas, though, is strangely 11-9 against the East this year?
I wonder what the Heat announcers will have to talk about?

Jonathon · « **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2008, 05:04:27 PM »

The Chicago Manual of Style would say those are all incorrect, I think. The last one is an indirect question, but syntactically it's just a regular declarative sentence. I'm not sure why the second one would ever need a question mark. And the first one shouldn't have one, as far as I can tell, but for some reason it really feels like it should. I personally like "Guess what?" with a question mark, but I can't really figure out why.

goofy · « **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2008, 05:28:46 PM »

might have something to do with uptalk/high rising terminal. I've seen HRT described as "putting a question mark at the end of your sentences."

Jonathon · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2008, 05:36:44 PM »

That'd be my guess, too. It's not the same intonation pattern as a question, but there's something question-like about it. Same with the "I wonder" type of sentece.

dkw · « **Reply #4 on:** February 07, 2008, 08:31:28 AM »

"Guess what" seems like a question because it is asking for an answer.

Porter · « **Reply #5 on:** February 07, 2008, 08:42:35 AM »

No, it's asking for a question.

Neutros the Radioactive Dragon · « **Reply #6 on:** February 07, 2008, 09:44:01 AM »

The other day I got "guess what" from an agent.

My reply was, "I'd rather not."

Not surprisingly, the agent didn't get it.

Mr. Anderson · « **Reply #7 on:** February 15, 2008, 03:33:08 PM »

Quote

No, it's asking for a question.

No, it's commanding a question.