Using Question Marks in your Essays

The following describes four main uses for the question mark.

In direct questions

The question mark (?) shows the end of a sentence which is a direct question i.e. one you are asking the reader. You start the next sentence with a capital letter. If you describe a question rather than asking it directly, it does not need a question mark. ExampleThis is a direct question. What are the implications of this for teaching? This is not a direct question, so it has a full stop at the end, not a question mark. Academic staff often ask what are the implications for their teaching.

With quotation marks or brackets

If a direct question is in quotation marks (" ") or in brackets ( ), the question mark goes inside the quotation marks or brackets (because it belongs to the words inside them). You then put a full stop after the quotation marks or bracket (to show the end of the whole sentence). ExampleStudents ask "How will the assessment criteria affect our grades?". Students are concerned about assessment criteria (how will they affect their grades?). Who claims that "academic staff are concerned about this"? The phrase inside the quotation marks is not a question, but a statement. The question mark belongs to Who claims that, so it comes at the end of the sentence.

More advice on using question marks

When talking, people may ask questions which are not phrased as such, but you know they are questions by the way their voice rises or by their facial expression. A question mark can show such non-verbal signals. In writing, you can turn a statement into a question by putting a question mark at the end instead of a full stop. ExampleThe person who tries hardest doesn't always win. This is fair. The person who tries hardest doesn't always win. This is fair? Note. Exclamation marks can also show non-verbal signals, such as surprise (see Exclamation mark in this topic menu). Using either a question mark or an exclamation mark changes the meaning. ExampleWhat are they doing? What are they doing!

In direct questions

Using direct questions which end in a question mark (?) can involve the reader and create an impact. However, if you do this too often it reduces the impact and may irritate the reader.