Rhetorical Question
- Started
- Last post
- 27 Responses
- Jaline
How do you punctuate them?
For example:
"Who can forget such novels as blah blah, and blah blah, both of which have been turned into successful films"
Is there a question mark at the end? I can't figure it out...
I did find some info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhe…
http://forum.wordreference.com/a…But there is no consensus. I wish that supposed upside-down question mark that symbolized a rhetorical question was still around. It would be so simple.
- Jaline0
I'm going to go with the question mark for now, but I think this is an interesting question.
¿
Bring it back!
- _eh_0
I just checked my gramatical structure of english book, and while I got a confusing answer it would appear that you add the question mark.
An intersting read,
English Grammar - Kesti Borjars, and Kate Burridge.
- M0NEYCIDE0
what about the sarcastic rhetorical question..."do i look like I'm on crack?" "Is the Pope Jewish?" etc
- mrdobolina0
sorry hon, you're going to have to fail. can you get uncle mike another beer?
- PonyBoy0
can't help w/the grammar... but I sure as hell can add to MONEYCIDE's thread-jacking:
"Do bears love tapioca pudding?"
"Does a cow go "yo dude!"?
hmmm...
... sorry... I'm not very good at it...
... it's Friday night and I'm stuck on a stoooopid flash problem... and instead of working on it I'm indeed lurking... perusing... wasting time...
"Do ducks clap?"
- Jaline0
Don't worry about it.
Keep having fun while I write this essay :P
It's Friday after all :)
- PonyBoy0
"If a trees falls in the woods and no one's around to hear it... would the Metz still have blown the end of their season?"
"If a man leaves the southern most point of Wyoming traveling at 75 MPH w/a 20 MPH headwind, light rain and a slightly unbalanced right-front tire... what color is the car?"
"If Jaline has 10 apples and Dobs has 21 apples... why are the redsox whooping on the indians so harshly"?
... i have baseball on the mind... :)
i like balls.
OH SHIT!!! 10-2 boSoxx!!!
fuck... i'm done.!.. sorry!!
- Jaline0
Run along now...
- PonyBoy0
ZING!!! I solved my Flashy prob...
... how's it going with the grammar, Juh-lean-eeeeee?
- Antonelli0
How can you not love anal?
- harlequino0
If it feels like a statement, despite its query-like structure, you can punctuate with a period. Consistency is always king. If you have multiple rhetorical questions, simply remain consistent. I've seen it both ways.
- PonyBoy0
*runs along...
... *trips...
- Jaline0
Thanks, harle. I'm only using it once, so I think I will add the question mark. It seems awkward without it, and I don't know how this professor marks yet (it's my first assignment for her so I'll play it safe for now).
- Jaline0
thanks, ponyface ;)
- SteveJobs0
Rhetorical Question
How do you punctuate them?
Jaline
(Oct 12 07, 17:31)now wait, was that a rhetorical question?
how do i punctuate them, indeed!
- Atkinson0
? - it's a question, it begins with who.
I think who, what which where etc are all followed by ?
- inhaler0
yes, but not all statements that begin with who are questions.
- blaw0
A common practice in writing well is to use punctuation as a tool to help convey a thought to the reader quickly and easily.
For example, you would say Chris's, not Chris', to indicate possession.
Following that example, ending with a period is more inline with the message being conveyed.
- Jaline0
Atkinson, all those grammar rules you learn in school usually have exceptions.
For example, remember how teachers always said, "never start a sentence with the word, 'because'"? Lies! You can totally start one with that word, depending on the context.