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.