Definition · Plain-language
Question mark
A question mark ( ? ) is a punctuation mark placed at the end of a direct question to show that an answer is expected.
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Direct versus indirect questions
The central rule of the question mark is that it ends a direct question but not an indirect one. A direct question asks something outright and expects an answer: "What time is it?" — so it takes a question mark. An indirect question reports a question inside a statement: "He asked what time it was." This is a declarative sentence describing that a question was asked, so it ends with a full stop, not a question mark. Mixing the two is a common error, producing incorrect sentences like "I wonder where she is?" — which should end with a full stop because "I wonder" makes it a statement.
Placement and tag questions
A question mark goes at the very end of the question it closes, taking the place of the full stop. In a tag question — a statement turned into a question by a short add-on — the mark follows the tag: "You are coming, aren’t you?" With quotation marks, the question mark goes inside the closing quotes when the quoted material is itself the question (She asked, "Are you ready?") but outside when the whole sentence is the question and the quotation is not (Did she really say "maybe"?). British and American styles largely agree on this logical placement for the question mark, unlike their differing rules for commas and full stops.
Special cases and overuse
A few situations deserve care. A polite request phrased as a question for courtesy may still end with a full stop in formal writing — "Would you please send the file." — though a question mark is also acceptable. Multiple question marks ("Really??") are informal and out of place in formal or academic prose, where a single mark is correct. A question mark in brackets, (?), is occasionally used to flag doubt about a fact or date, but it reads as informal. As a rule, one question mark per direct question is enough; the mark’s job is simply to signal that the sentence is a query expecting a response.
Key facts
At a glance
- Definition: a mark ( ? ) ending a direct question
- Use: after a direct question that expects an answer
- Do not use: after an indirect (reported) question — that takes a full stop
- Replaces: the full stop at the end of the sentence
- Tag questions: the mark follows the tag (…, isn’t it?)
- Formal writing: one mark only — avoid
Common misconceptions
What people often get wrong
Often heard: Any sentence containing the word "ask" or "wonder" needs a question mark.
Actually: Indirect questions are statements and take a full stop. "She asked where I lived." and "I wonder why." report questions rather than ask them, so no question mark is used.
Often heard: Adding extra question marks ("What???") shows a stronger question.
Actually: A single question mark is correct in standard writing. Multiple marks are informal and inappropriate in formal or academic contexts, where one mark fully does the job.
Often heard: A question mark always goes inside the quotation marks.
Actually: Placement depends on what is being questioned. It goes inside when the quoted words are the question, but outside when the whole sentence is the question and the quotation is not.
Going deeper
