Punctuation on Rhetorical Questions

TrickyFiction · Feb 22, 2007

So, it seems odd to write, for example, What if she really wants you to say, "I would never go with you?"

Is that right? Should there be a question mark at the end even though the quotation is a statement? It looks very strange to me, and it makes me want to read the statement as a question too.

scarletpeaches · Feb 22, 2007

What if she really wants you to say, "I would never go with you"?

In this instance I would put the question mark outside the quotes.

maestrowork · Feb 22, 2007

Scarlet is right. The question mark goes outside of the quote.

TrainofThought · Feb 22, 2007

maestrowork said:
Scarlet is right. The question mark goes outside of the quote.

Why? Rhetorical or not, what is the rule or reason for the punctuation to be outside the quotes.

BrainAdamage · Feb 22, 2007

TrainofThought said:
Why? Rhetorical or not, what is the rule or reason for the punctuation to be outside the quotes.

Because, Train, the rhetorical question -- in question -- isn't actually the question.

Now, say "toy-boat" three times fast.

TrainofThought · Feb 22, 2007

BrainAdamage said:
Because, Train, the rhetorical question -- in question -- isn't actually the question.

Now, say "toy-boat" three times fast.

Ah... I wasn't looking at them separately. Thank you for the clarification.

I can say "toy-boat" three times fast. HA!

Sage · Feb 22, 2007

That's not really a rhetorical question.

The question mark goes outside the quotes because what's in the quotes isn't the question. "I would never go out with you" is a statement.

TrainofThought · Feb 22, 2007

Sage said:
That's not really a rhetorical question.

The question mark goes outside the quotes because what's in the quotes isn't the question. "I would never go out with you" is a statement.

Now I definitely got it. Thanks for the info.

TrickyFiction · Feb 23, 2007

Ah, thanks so much, everyone! It was kinda driving me nuts.

So, a question mark goes on the outside of the quotation marks if what is inside the quotation marks is not a question. Got it.

TrickyFiction · Mar 30, 2007

So, just to expand on this... What if the phrase inside the quote is an exclamation, but the whole sentence is a question? For example:

Why did he scream, "You hate me!"?

That also looks weird. Is it correct? Does anyone know how this sentence should be written?

TsukiRyoko · Mar 30, 2007

If the question is in the dialogue, then it goes inside of the quotes. If you're asking question and referencing something previously said, then it goes outside of the quotes.

"You hate me?" she asked, with tears in her eyes.

-As opposed to-

Did she say, "You hate me"?

maestrowork · Mar 30, 2007

TrickyFiction said:
So, just to expand on this... What if the phrase inside the quote is an exclamation, but the whole sentence is a question? For example:

Why did he scream, "You hate me!"?

That also looks weird. Is it correct? Does anyone know how this sentence should be written?

Avoid the exclamation point -- it doesn't even make sense. How can you quote an exclamation? The "scream" in the sentence is already clear about the context.

The correct form is:

Why did he scream, "You hate me"?

Punctuation on Rhetorical Questions

TrickyFiction

Who?

scarletpeaches

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

TrainofThought

A flowering bud of bitchiness

BrainAdamage

TrainofThought

A flowering bud of bitchiness

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

TrainofThought

A flowering bud of bitchiness

TrickyFiction

Who?

TrickyFiction

Who?

TsukiRyoko

Forced into cell phone life

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray