use of the word "will" in a sentence

Ken · Apr 12, 2008

When inserting the word "will" into a sentence does that change the sentence into a question that gets punctuated as such:
Quit snoring already.
changed to,
Will you quit snoring already?
Even though the sentence is technically a question the question mark at the end seems somehow out of place, as the sentence is really still a declaration, and comes across that way (I think?) when spoken, aloud.
So should it read:
Will you quit snoring already.
Or maybe as a sort of compromise,
Will you quit snoring already?!
to give it a sense of being a combined question and statement?

mommyjo2 · Apr 12, 2008

You're missing a comma, methinks. And "will" does change it to the interrogatory, unless you note a characterization of voice.

So:

Will you quit snoring, already?

or

Will you quit snoring, already.

It wasn't a request, but rather the resigned mumble of a tired wife who had spent the last few years not sleeping enough.

maestrowork · Apr 12, 2008

Grammatically it should be "would" instead of "will." "Will" is used for future tense: "Will you come home tomorrow?" If it's a request, it should be "would": "Would you come home?"

But people use "will" in their speech anyway, much like they use "can" instead of "may" in questions. I think this is more rhetorical/complaint than a simple question, and is colloquialism:

"Will you just quit it?"

Ken · Apr 12, 2008

Thanks for your help, both.
Learned a new word "interrogatory," and solidified my understanding of "rhetorical."
Things do get difficult, occasionally, due to the discrepancies between speech and grammatically correct prose. But as you were saying in the other post, Maestro, one should know the rules before they break them. So back to the books I go.

Sandi LeFaucheur · Apr 16, 2008

Or maybe as a sort of compromise,
Will you quit snoring already?!
to give it a sense of being a combined question and statement?

Never use two punctuation marks.

kct webber · Apr 24, 2008

Sandi LeFaucheur said:
Never use two punctuation marks.

Agreed! Fervently!

StephanieFox · Apr 29, 2008

I love the two punctuation marks, but only in very informal writing. I've heard some talk about a whizbang, a single puncutation mark made up of a question mark and an explaination point superimposed over each other. I'm for that.

use of the word "will" in a sentence

Ken

mommyjo2

Bad grammar make me [sic]

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Ken

Sandi LeFaucheur

kct webber

Squirrel, Sekrit type, 1 ea.

StephanieFox

Maybull the Bulldog