Grammar Question Marks with Quotation Marks |
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

Question Marks with Quotation Marks

Last week, we examined the strict rule governing periods and commas with quotation marks. This week, let’s look at the more logical rules governing the use of question marks with quotation marks.

Rule – The placement of question marks with quotations follows logic. If a question is in quotation marks, the question mark should be placed inside the quotation marks.

Examples:
She asked, “Will you still be my friend?”

Do you agree with the saying, “All’s fair in love and war”?
Here the question is outside the quote.

NOTE: Although some writers and editors disagree in special cases, only one ending punctuation mark is necessary with quotation marks. Also, the stronger punctuation mark wins. Therefore, no period after war is used.

 

Rule – When you have a question outside quoted material AND inside quoted material, use only one question mark and place it inside the quotation mark.

Example:
Did she say, “May I go?”

 

Pop Quiz

Choose the correct sentence.

1A. The song asks, “Would you like to swing on a star?”

1B. The song asks, “Would you like to swing on a star”?

 

2A. “Is it almost over?” he asked?

2B. “Is it almost over?” he asked.

2C. “Is it almost over?,” he asked.

2D. “Is it almost over,” he asked?

 

3A. Do you believe the saying, “It is better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don’t want and get it”?

3B. Do you believe the saying, “It is better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don’t want and get it?”

 

Pop Quiz Answers

1A. The song asks, “Would you like to swing on a star?”

2B. “Is it almost over?” he asked.

3A. Do you believe the saying, “It is better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don’t want and get it”?

 

If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.

33 responses to “Question Marks with Quotation Marks”

  1. Michael says:

    I’ve been unable to find a definitive answer about the proper punctuation of sentences consisting of two independent clauses joined by a conjunction in which the first independent clause ends with a quoted question. See the example. I assume that the second comma in the example should be omitted. I realize that one could start a new sentence at “but,” but do the rules of grammar force that one start a new sentence at “but”? If I prefer one sentence, should I place a semicolon where the second comma is? My guess is that the example would be OK as one sentence if the second comma is omitted?
    Example:
    The teacher asked slyly, “Is there a hidden assumption?”, but she immediately answered her own question.
    Thanks in advance!

    • Grammarbook.com says:

      Your sentence is correct if the second comma is omitted and no semicolon is added.
      The teacher asked slyly, “Is there a hidden assumption?” but she immediately answered her own question.

      Another approach could be to recast:
      “Is there a hidden assumption?” the teacher asked slyly, but she immediately answered her own question.

  2. Cindy says:

    I don’t understand the difference between saying, Do you agree with the saying, and did she ask as two different things. Aren’t they both questions? So wouldn’t the examples with the do you agree with the saying have the quotations marks on the inside, since technically the person is asking do you agree? Please explain this, i’m really confused.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      It is helpful if you look at the words that are inside the quotation marks. The first example is She asked, “Will you still be my friend?” “Will you still be my friend?” is a question, therefore, the question mark belongs inside the quotation marks. The second example is Do you agree with the saying, “All’s fair in love and war”? “All’s fair in love and war” is not a question. Therefore, the question mark should not be inside the quotation marks.

  3. Vanessa says:

    When quoting a book does the question mark go outside or inside the quotation marks? For example: “how could kingship please me more than influence, power/without a qualm?” (Oedipus Rex 664-665). Or would it be “how could kingship please me more than influence, power/without a qualm” (Oedipus Rex 664-665)?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Since it is part of the quote, the question mark goes inside the quotation marks. It is usually a good idea to begin a quotation with a capital letter.

      “How could kingship please me more than influence, power without a qualm?” (Oedipus Rex 664-665)

  4. Wordforeword says:

    I am unable to find an answer to my needs. For a direct quotation that is a question, do you put both a question mark and a comma before closing the quotation?

    Example: “How are you doing?” Mom said.
    Question: Do you need a comma after the question mark before the quotation marks?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      There are times when some editors would follow a question mark with a comma, but it isn’t necessary in this case. We have added Rule 13d to our Commas section online and Rule 5b to our Question Marks section to address this situation.

      On another topic, do you think “Mom asked” would be an improvement over “Mom said” in your sentence?

  5. Michael says:

    Please explain the rules regarding lists of questions in quotations. Please correct all the errors in the following example:

    Which should elicit the questions, “why are we here,” “where is here,” and “what difference does it make anyways?”

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      You could write the following:
      …which should elicit the following questions: Why are we here? Where is here? What difference does it make anyway?

  6. Roger Dunnick says:

    I understand the quotation-mark punctuation in the following sentence:

    “How do you do things?,” “Why do you do things?,” and “Where do you do things?” he asked.

    But what about the ?, combination in the following sentence?

    He asked me, “Why do I do what I do?,” to which I responded, “I don’t know.”

    Also, which of the following two sentences is punctuated correctly?

    The question was “Why do I do what I do?”
    -or-
    The question was, “Why do I do what I do?”

    Thanks.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Our Rule 5b of Question Marks says, “If a quoted question ends in midsentence, the question mark replaces a comma.” Therefore, the following are correct:
      “How do you do things?” “Why do you do things?” and “Where do you do things?” he asked.
      He asked me, “Why do I do what I do?” to which I responded, “I don’t know.”
      Our Rule 3c of Quotation Marks says, “If a quotation functions as a subject or object in a sentence, it might not need a comma.” Therefore, we recommend writing the following:
      The question was “Why do I do what I do?”

  7. Katherine Rose Carrick says:

    Is this grammatically correct:

    I remember her saying something like, “if I don’t understand the relevance of the assignment, then why am I teaching it?”.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Our Rule 2a of Quotation Marks says, “Always capitalize the first word in a complete quotation, even midsentence.” As the post states, only one ending punctuation mark is necessary with quotation marks. Therefore, the following is grammatically correct:

      I remember her saying something like, “If I don’t understand the relevance of the assignment, then why am I teaching it?”

  8. Christian Villers says:

    I have written a book and am currently in the process of editing the manuscript. One of the questions that I had was in regard to question mark placement after a colon. For instance, does the question mark go inside or outside the quotation marks in the following sentence?

    But at some point, we must stop and ask ourselves: “What is it that we are chasing?”

  9. ears2hear says:

    Can you help me with the following punctuation? I am a court reporter and cannot rearrange any of the words spoken, so it presents some difficulties…

    Is that a “Yes” or “No”?

    She can only write down “Yeses” or “Nos.”

    “Yes” or “No,” what is your answer?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      We prefer to use a colon rather than a comma in the last sentence. In addition, we see no reason to capitalize yes, no, yeses, or nos.
      Is that a “yes” or “no”?
      She can only write down “yeses” or “nos.”
      “Yes” or “no”: what is your answer?

  10. Jade-Zante Stephenson says:

    Thank you so much! I had a particular question and couldn’t find the answer when I searched but found it here! God bless you!

  11. Debbie says:

    I’ve been trying to find something similar to what I need an answer for but so far have been unable to find one. In regards to quotations that end with a question, do you put the quotation mark at the end of both or just one and if so where? After the question or after the person asking the question? For example:
    “What is a goal of yours?” Susan asks the student during class.
    Does it go after “yours” or after “class”? Or both?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      You would include the question mark only at the end of the quoted question and within the concluding quotation mark: “What is a goal of yours?” Susan asks the student during class.

  12. Christy says:

    I am using quotes to ask comprehension questions in class. Do I add a period at the end of the quote or no? For example: What does Scythe Curie mean when she says, “I am disturbed by those who revere us far more than those who disdain us.”? or What does Scythe Curie mean when she says, “I am disturbed by those who revere us far more than those who disdain us”?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      As the post states, only one ending punctuation mark is necessary with quotation marks. Therefore, your second example sentence is correct.

  13. Kevin Suscavage says:

    Ok, this is a tricky one! So, we know that if there’s a period vs the question mark issue, the question mark would win, as in — Do you agree with the saying, “All’s fair in love and war”?
    But what if it’s a matter of a question mark vs. an exclamation mark? They are both “stronger marks.” So with an idea like this:
    She exclaimed, “Don’t I matter”….do we put either A or B, as shown below?
    In other words, which mark, the question mark or the exclamation mark, gets the “stronger mark?”
    Choice A: She exclaimed, “Don’t I matter”!
    Choice B: She exclaimed, “Don’t I matter?”

  14. Hepua says:

    What if you are asking a question containing a quote that ends with an exclamation mark?
    For example:
    In which book was it said, “I have found him! I have found the one person worthy of being Emperor!”?

  15. Carmen says:

    I would like some guidance for including a question in quotes as part of a list, where the other items on the list are not in quotes. Is this correct where I am trying to list three things:
    Example: I like asking “What if?” making things, and solving puzzles.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      The sentence is confusing as written. We recommend rewriting as follows:
      I like making things, solving puzzles, and asking “What if?”

  16. Judith says:

    What if the quotation marks do not involve a question? Is the placement correct in the following sentence?

    What organizations are included in “Housing Issues”?

  17. Janet Boyd says:

    Your fiancé? she thought. When did that happen?
    or
    Your fiancé she thought? When did that happen?

    I’m unsure where the first question mark should go. Thank you.

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