Use of question mark for dialogue that doesn't sound like a question?

[TheLobster]

A character who says this is literally punctuating every word with a full stop, so that is precisely the correct punctuation for this bit of dialogue.

 

[AwkwardMD]

I've used question marks to denote a person who speaks insecurely, to denote a little bit of an uptick at the end of each sentence? Like they aren't sure?

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

A character who says this is literally punctuating every word with a full stop, so that is precisely the correct punctuation for this bit of dialogue.

I agree, but when the rules of grammar and standard punctuation are applied, it fails miserably.
As to the OPs question, I'll refer back to my previous post where I use '?', '!', '.', and '...' to end the sentence. I claim that depending on the tone and mood the author intends, all are 'correct' punctuation for the same reasons the full stops are correct in "You. Don't. Understand."

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

If it sounds like a question, I throw the question mark in there so the inflection is clear.

 

[TheLobster]

I claim that depending on the tone and mood the author intends, all are 'correct' punctuation for the same reasons the full stops are correct in "You. Don't. Understand."

My reluctance to agree with this stems partially from the fact that if we really wanted to render every minute detail of tone and tempo of speech as punctuation, then the constant pauses and hesitations present in real conversation would mean you essentially wouldn't be able to use anything other than ellipsis to punctuate it.

You have to editorialize dialogues at least to some degree, just to make them fit the written medium; not every glottal tremor is worth putting in writing. And since there are already well-understood rules for how to punctuate utterances based on what they are (e.g. questions), I'd try and conform to them -- unless, like with every rule, you have strong reasons AND confidence AND necessary skill and experience to break them.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

My reluctance to agree with this stems partially from the fact that if we really wanted to render every minute detail of tone and tempo of speech as punctuation, then the constant pauses and hesitations present in real conversation would mean you essentially wouldn't be able to use anything other than ellipsis to punctuate it.

You have to editorialize dialogues at least to some degree, just to make them fit the written medium; not every glottal tremor is worth putting in writing. And since there are already well-understood rules for how to punctuate utterances based on what they are (e.g. questions), I'd try and conform to them -- unless, like with every rule, you have strong reasons AND confidence AND necessary skill and experience to break them.

Like a chef seasoning a dish, the true art is knowing when to and when to stop.

 

[AlinaX]

I've used question marks to denote a person who speaks insecurely, to denote a little bit of an uptick at the end of each sentence? Like they aren't sure?

Is... this a character you want the reader to hate?

 

[AwkwardMD]

Is... this a character you want the reader to hate?

Every journey starts somewhere.

 

[mirafrida]

"Hah! I did say that, didn't I," she replied.

If it's not really in the tone of voice of a question, then I would happily use this.

"Hah! I did say that, didn't I?" she replied.

My problem is that if it IS in the tone of a voice of a question, then this is the right construction - but for some odd reason, I really hate how it reads.

Most of the time I would probably try to rework it so that the question mark is the proper end of the sentence. But that can sometimes mess up the flow or something else I'm trying to do.

 

[mirafrida]

The last one, with the ellipsis, doesn't set off alarm bells in my head when I read it. It may be technically wrong (ellipses weren't really covered much when I studied English), but it looks right to me, at least.

Someone talking then just trailing off...

Love ellipses!

Another of their many other uses is standing-in for an em-dash once I've used up my normal quota of 1 dash per paragraph.

 

[FidelityBoss]

Grammar alert! Do you personally forgo a question mark for dialogue that doesn't sound like a question is being asked? Or do you use a "?" no matter what?

"You said you'd love me forever!" he said.

"Hah! I did say that, didn't I," she replied.
"Hah! I did say that, didn't I?" she replied.


I get context of the scene and the remainder of the dialogue can/should relay intent. But am curious if there's a prevailing convention being practiced among writers.

The rule is pretty straightforward: if it’s technically a question, use a question mark, even if it doesn’t sound like a question. So, "Hah! I did say that, didn’t I?" is correct because "didn’t I" makes it interrogative. Tone and context can be conveyed through the rest of the dialogue, but grammar rules still apply. Most writers stick to this convention to keep things clear and consistent. So, question mark it is.

 

[FidelityBoss]

As it's written in query format, it must have a question mark. Context determines if a question is rhetorical, but regardless, it's still a question and requires the question mark.

"The tone of this post makes me come off as quite the bitch, doesn't it?" is rhetorical. I'm still asking a question, just not expecting a response.

The question mark designates an up-turn in tone—mirroring our speech patterns—designating questioning. Your cited phrase, "Didn't I?" is simply asking, "Did I not?" To be correctly punctuated, this would call for the question mark, as it alludes to asking if person being spoken to remembers—an outlier being the speaker attempting to recall. Otherwise, it would be a statement: "I did."

If you sound out the same sentence with different punctuation tags, you can readily tell the difference. "You think I cheated." versus "You think I cheated?"

The interrobang, as Bamagan highlighted, is typically used to convey heightened emotions, such as excitement, within a question. "You did what!?"

You nailed it, question marks are all about the grammatical structure, not just the tone or intent. Even rhetorical questions need that little curve at the end because they’re still, technically, questions. And yeah, sounding it out is the best way to hear the difference. As for interrobangs, they’re like the drama queens of punctuation, perfect for those “Wait, what?!” moments.

 

[jehoram]

New York Magazine had a contest for "celebrity businesses." I remember one entry was "The John Wayne School A Elocution."

 

[XerXesXu]

My reluctance to agree with this stems partially from the fact that if we really wanted to render every minute detail of tone and tempo of speech as punctuation, then the constant pauses and hesitations present in real conversation would mean you essentially wouldn't be able to use anything other than ellipsis to punctuate it.

Which is why I use ellipsis and variations thereon to punctuate dialogue.

In dialogue, I also omit question marks where they're redundant, such as when the sentence is, or contains, a grammatically well-formed question.

Punctuation is also part of the creative experience of writing.

 

[jehoram]

The rule is pretty straightforward: if it’s technically a question, use a question mark, even if it doesn’t sound like a question. So, "Hah! I did say that, didn’t I?" is correct because "didn’t I" makes it interrogative. Tone and context can be conveyed through the rest of the dialogue, but grammar rules still apply. Most writers stick to this convention to keep things clear and consistent. So, question mark it is.

As I pointed out before, two well-respected copy editors have said the contrary. So like most "rules" of grammar, it can be violated if you that breaking it makes the voice of the sentence more authentic to the reader.

 

[mrs_mackenzie]

I've just had the reverse issue: a sentence within the dialogue that the speaker wants to be a question but is actually a statement. I can't find it right now, and I need to get to the bus. I added the question mark to force the issue.

I seem to recall that most people here say dialogue is a safe haven from perfect grammar anyway.

I use question marks on the end of statements to imply rising intonation.

"I don't think that's right."

"I don't think that's right?"

I think it helps speech feel more natural.

 

[TheRedChamber]

You can skirt the issue by using "innit" instead of "didn't I?"

No...innit is short for 'isn't it' and thus still needs a question mark.

 

[M_K_Babalon]

I'm sure, quite recently, I chose to omit the question mark.
I vote for bringing back the percontation point.
"Hah! I did say that, didn't I⸮" she replied.

ETA: Huh, I really like that.

A what?

 

[M_K_Babalon]

Love ellipses!

Another of their many other uses is standing-in for an em-dash once I've used up my normal quota of 1 dash per paragraph.

I feel like those are two different things, that don't work the same.

 

[AwkwardMD]

I feel like those are two different things, that don't work the same.

They are not the same, and they do different things.

 

[Britva415]

I use question marks on the end of statements to imply rising intonation.

Imagine a story? About Californians? Who uptalk everything? Even though they're statements? And not questions?

 

[ronde]

Grammar alert! Do you personally forgo a question mark for dialogue that doesn't sound like a question is being asked? Or do you use a "?" no matter what?

"You said you'd love me forever!" he said.

"Hah! I did say that, didn't I," she replied.
"Hah! I did say that, didn't I?" she replied.


I get context of the scene and the remainder of the dialogue can/should relay intent. But am curious if there's a prevailing convention being practiced among writers.

Punctuation in dialogue is one way to convey the mood or actions or lack of actions of the speaker to the reader. As such, the standard rules of grammar do not apply to dialogue. You also do not need to tag the speaker if it's clear to the reader who is speaking. If tags are used, the tag should agree with the punctuation.

"You said you'd love me forever!" he said. - The punctuation and the tag are in conflict in this one. The exclamation point indicates at least a higher volume from the speaker, not just "he said". "He yelled" would be appropriate, though not really needed since the exclamation point says it all.

The question mark is used to designate the speaker's statement as a question no matter how the words read out of context.

The em dash is used to tell the reader that the speaker's dialogue abruptly stopped for some reason like he was interrupted by another speaker or something else that cuts the speech short. That reason should follow in the next line of text.

"But you said you -"

Mark interrupted her. "What I said was I just liked you."

The elipsis is used to indicate speech that trails off. The speaker is speaking but doesn't finish the sentence because he's having second thoughts or something else has just popped into his head. The elipsis might also indicate the speaker's voice has decreased in volume. No reason need be given for the trailing speech. Let the reader interpret it as they will.

"I don't know. Some times I think it's hate and sometimes I think..."

 

[M_K_Babalon]

They are not the same, and they do different things.

Yep.

 

[FidelityBoss]

Punctuation in dialogue is one way to convey the mood or actions or lack of actions of the speaker to the reader. As such, the standard rules of grammar do not apply to dialogue. You also do not need to tag the speaker if it's clear to the reader who is speaking. If tags are used, the tag should agree with the punctuation.

"You said you'd love me forever!" he said. - The punctuation and the tag are in conflict in this one. The exclamation point indicates at least a higher volume from the speaker, not just "he said". "He yelled" would be appropriate, though not really needed since the exclamation point says it all.

The question mark is used to designate the speaker's statement as a question no matter how the words read out of context.

The em dash is used to tell the reader that the speaker's dialogue abruptly stopped for some reason like he was interrupted by another speaker or something else that cuts the speech short. That reason should follow in the next line of text.

"But you said you -"

Mark interrupted her. "What I said was I just liked you."

The elipsis is used to indicate speech that trails off. The speaker is speaking but doesn't finish the sentence because he's having second thoughts or something else has just popped into his head. The elipsis might also indicate the speaker's voice has decreased in volume. No reason need be given for the trailing speech. Let the reader interpret it as they will.

"I don't know. Some times I think it's hate and sometimes I think..."

This is such a clear and helpful breakdown of dialogue punctuation! You’ve nailed how subtle changes in punctuation can completely shift the tone and meaning of a conversation. The examples make it easy to see how exclamation points, dashes, and ellipses can add depth and realism to dialogue.