How to Punctuate a Question

Introduction

How to Punctuate a Direct Question

How to Punctuate a Direct Question

How to Punctuate a Quoted Question

How to Punctuate a Quoted (Direct) Speech Question

How to Punctuate a Question in Reported Speech

How to Punctuate a Question in Reported Speech

Test Your Skills

Considering the readers' point of view

Exercise 2  Study the word order and the punctuation of each sentence below. Write direct, quoted or indirect next to each sentence, according to which sentence type each one is.

1.   quoted

2.   indirect

3.  direct

4.   quoted

5.   indirect

6.   quoted

7.  indirect

Exercise 3

The punctuation has been omitted from the following sentences, which are either direct questions or quoted questions.  From the word order, determine which sentence is which type. Then add the appropriate punctuation and capitalization.

1.  What is the secret to staying young?

2.  Then I asked him, "What is the secret to staying young?

3. Which do you prefer?

4.  Then I asked him, Which did he prefer?

Next lesson...

Click here for Punctuating a Relative Clause: Power Edit #3.

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