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Category_MWW Blog>The Comma
"My Question Is..."
This construction always causes consternation and no end of disagreement. This is my understanding of the way English grammar works.
It is never correct to use a single separating comma between th...
Category_MWW Blog>The Comma
A Period or a Question Mark?
When the witness repeats the question or part of the question and then answers it, use a question mark after the question and let the rest of the answer stand on its own.
...Q Was it after 10:00...
Category_MWW Blog>The Question Mark
"Where are you going? is my question."
When there are two parts to a sentence, one a statement and one a question, it is the part at the end that determines the terminal punctuation.
...My question is where are you going?
...Where are ...
Category_MWW Blog>The Question Mark
Put the Question Mark Where the Question Is First Asked
It seems as if I just addressed this, but I looked back and don't see it.
The only way to consistently punctuate questions is to follow this rule: Put the question mark where the question is first...
Category_MWW Blog>The Dash
Sentence Within a Sentence
If a question is dropped inside a statement or question, put a pair of dashes around it and a question mark after it.
...He was standing near -- were you aware of him at the time? -- the desk of t...
Category_MWW Blog>The Dash
The Dash You Hate
...The key that was hidden on the premises -- is it the one you used to get in that night?
"The key that was hidden on the premises" is the start of a sentence that never gets finished. Then the ...
Category_MWW Blog>The Question Mark
Put the Interrog Where the Question Is First Asked
First, when the situation is that the attorney has asked a question, using question word order and then does not just keep quiet and get his answer but goes on to clarify, restate, et cetera, we ha...
Category_MWW Blog>The Question Mark
When "What" Is at the End
...You were a what? A supervisor?
...It was a what? A Toyota?
My contention is that these questions are just turned around from what they should be. Instead of "What were you?" and "What was it?" ...
Category_MWW Blog>The Question Mark
The Indirect Question
The indirect question always occurs in a dependent clause and never has question word order, i.e., never reverses the subject and verb. The indirect question takes a period.
...I want to know wher...