問號(?)
問號表示問句的結束。問號的主要使用規則很簡單,即如果句子是以問句形式出現,就應該在句尾使用問號。
直接疑問句
直接疑問句表示在提出一個問題後,希望獲得答案。在很多情況下,直接疑問句以“誰”、“什麼”、“何時”、“何地”和“為什麼”開始。
- 例句
- What is your name?
- 例句
- Does anyone have a pencil I can use?
問號應當用在直接疑問句的末尾。
- 錯誤
- You did eat, didn't you.
- 正確
- You did eat, didn't you?
- 錯誤
- Will you go there with me.
- 正確
- Will you go there with me?
間接疑問句
間接疑問句是隱藏在一個陳述句或另一個疑問句中的疑問句。
- 例句
- She is asking if you are available tomorrow.
- 例句
- I was wondering if you could help me.
在間接疑問句的末尾應該加句號,而不是問號。
- 錯誤
- I wonder if I should call him?
- 正確
- I wonder if I should call him.
- 錯誤
- He asked me if I can borrow the book?
- 正確
- He asked me if I can borrow the book.
問號和引號
問號是應該放在引號裡面還是放在引號外面,有時令人困惑。一般的規則是,如果疑問句是被引用的,問號應該放在引號裡面。
- 例句
- He asked, "Can I come?"
- 例句
- "Are you done with your homework?" she asked.
但是,如果整個句子是一個問句形式,而且引用的短語不是一個疑問句的形式,那麼問號應該放在引號的外面。
- 例句
- Did she really say, "You are fat"?
- 例句
- Are you sure she said "go out and spend all your money"?
問號和括號
問號和括號聯用時的規則與問號和引號聯用時的規則相同。如果括號內的內容是一個疑問句,問號應該放在括號裡面。
- 例句
- I saw the fourth edition of the book (or was it the fifth?).
如果問號適用於整個句子,而不僅僅適用於括號內的內容,那麼問號應該放在括號外面。
- 例句
- Will he come home tomorrow (May 4th)?
- 例句
- Can you believe he walked all the way over here (from his house)?
其他關於問號的用法
在有些情況下,問號有一些特殊用法,例如反問句和句子中間帶有引用內容時。
反問句
反問句是指不期待或不需要回答的疑問句。反問句可以用來強調某一點。雖然不指望得到回答,根據文意,反問句末尾是可以使用問號的。實際上,由於反問句多以疑問句的形式出現,反問句的末尾確實是通常使用問號的。
- 例句
- I mean, who would want to go with her?
- 例句
- What is the meaning of life?
句中帶有引用內容時的問號
當句中嵌有引號時,通常用逗號將引用部分與其他部分隔開(例如,“she said,” “he asked,” ,等等)。但是,當句中使用問號來引用時,引號後面不要使用逗號。
- 錯誤
- "Are you sure you want to eat this?", she asked.
- 正確
- "Are you sure you want to eat this?" she asked.
- 錯誤
- "Can you tell me your name?", the woman asked him.
- 正確
- "Can you tell me your name?" the woman asked him.