The Penguin Dictionary of American English Usage and Style_8

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The Penguin Dictionary of American English Usage and Style_8344 punctuation ?????? Should - Should Not . . . . . . “Do you choose to run?” they asked. Invest in a Computer ?????? A few others approve of this form:All twelve question marks could not turnthat phrase into a proper question, such “Do you choose to run?,” they asked.as “Should I, or should I not, invest in acomputer?” (Nor could the spacious hy- Some sentences may be followed ei-phen or the sextet of dots contribute ther by question marks or by exclama-anything, neither being bona fide punc- tion points, depending on the meaningtuation.) to be conveyed. If an answer is sought: “How common is that mistake?” If the sentence is exclamatory or rhetorical:C. Two opposing views “How common is that mistake!” Does a request or statement in the The writer of a music textbook madeform of a question call for a question a choice between the two marks, in de-mark? Grammarians differ. scribing Beethoven’s attitude toward H. W. Fowler argued the affirmative. Napoleon:Among his examples: “Will you pleasestand back?” and “Will it be believed A conqueror himself—did he not oncethat . . . ?”—presenting an incredible fact declare, “I too am a king!”—he un-of sizable length. Because each is in the derstood the Corsican.grammatical form of a direct question,each should end with a question mark, The author chose the exclamation point.even though it is equivalent in sense to a He attributed it to Beethoven, for it liesrequest or statement. within the quotation marks. Thus the Theodore M. Bernstein took essen- author’s question is left without punctu-tially the opposite view, that no question ation. It would have been preferable tomark should be used when an answer is omit the exclamation point and add anot expected or when the writer is question mark:merely making a request. He gave as re-spective examples: “May we have the . . . Did he not once declare, “I too ampleasure of hearing from you soon” and a king”? . . .“Would you please send us a duplicatecopy of your invoice.” If the author knew that the exclamation Fowler would stick question marks at point was part of the quotation andthe end of those two. So would I. They deemed it important, both marks couldlook incomplete, and a writer of each have appeared:would want a response, though not a yesor no answer. The Chicago Manual of . . . Did he not once declare, “I too amStyle wants no question mark at the end a king!”? . . .of any “request courteously disguised asa question.” But why give up the dis- Note that the question mark follows theguise—and the courtesy—prematurely? closing quotation mark when the ques- tion is that of the writer.D. With other punctuation When a question mark does not end a 10. Quotation markssentence, may a comma follow? Most Quotation marks are primarily usedauthorities think not. They approve of to quote what people say or write.this form: “Well, I’m not a crook.” / “Hail to thee, punctuation 345blithe Spirit!” The words enclosed in A reader’s first impression is that “me”the marks are expected to reproduce the refers to Mr. Dole. That interpretationoriginal words exactly; otherwise the would not fit the context, however. Inte-marks should be omitted. Anything left rior quotation marks should have beeno ...