Phrases, Clauses, and Sentences
Periods, Question Marks, Exclamation Points
Obviously, the role of the question mark is to end a question. The question mark immediately follows the question, even when one question interrupts or comes after a statement.
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Who knows?
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I spoke to her— don't you remember?—and she still refused to come.
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No doubt Mildred thought she was doing the right thing, but can't we agree she was wrong?
An exception to this rule occurs when the question is followed by a phrase or clause that modifies it. Then, put the question mark at the end of the statement.
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How could the mother be so certain of the driver's identity, considering the shock she must have felt at seeing her own daughter lying in the road?
Commas and periods with question marks
After a question mark, don't use a period or comma, even if your sentence would normally call for one. Too much punctuation can confuse the reader as in the following examples.
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Later Kevin understood what Gretchen meant when she asked, “ Why me?”
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not Later Kevin understood what Gretchen meant when she asked, “ Why me?”.
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“Do you want to go?” Patty asked.
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not “Do you want to go?”, Patty asked.
Questions that end with abbreviations are an exception.
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Was it at precisely 4 a.m.?
Question marks with quotation marks
If the material being quoted is a question, put the question mark within the quotation marks.
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“Do you think I'll get the job?” Susannah asked.
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David looked around and said, “Who can speak for the old man?”
If the quotation is not a question, put the question mark outside the quotation marks. If the quoted material would normally end with a period, drop the period.
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Who was it that said, “All that glitters is not gold” ?
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not Who was it that said, “All that glitters is not gold.”?
