Does this sentence need a question mark?: “What was the secret, John was asked.”
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I want to know if this sentence needs a question mark to be grammatically correct:
"What was the secret, John was asked."
grammar questions
asked Nov 22 at 21:59
Vicky
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I want to know if this sentence needs a question mark to be grammatically correct:
"What was the secret, John was asked."
grammar questions
asked Nov 22 at 21:59
Vicky
161
New contributor
Vicky is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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2
I the point of the sentence is to ask what the secret was that John was asked, you would remove the comma and replace the period with a question mark: What was the secret [that] John was asked? If the point of the sentence is relay a bit of a conversation in which someone asked John what the secret was—and if the writer wanted to use a passive construction for some reason, you could add change the comma to a question mark and add quotation marks around the question: "What was the secret?" John was asked. ...
– Sven Yargs
Nov 22 at 22:27
1
... If the point is merely to paraphrase the actual question asked of John, you could rephrase the sentence as a question-mark-less statement: John was asked what the secret was.
– Sven Yargs
Nov 22 at 22:27
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
I want to know if this sentence needs a question mark to be grammatically correct:
"What was the secret, John was asked."
grammar questions
asked Nov 22 at 21:59
Vicky
161
New contributor
Vicky is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I want to know if this sentence needs a question mark to be grammatically correct:
"What was the secret, John was asked."
grammar questions
grammar questions
asked Nov 22 at 21:59
Vicky
161
New contributor
Vicky is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Nov 22 at 21:59
Vicky
161
New contributor
Vicky is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Nov 22 at 21:59
Vicky
161
New contributor
Vicky is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Nov 22 at 21:59
Vicky
161
asked Nov 22 at 21:59
Vicky
161
161
New contributor
Vicky is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Vicky is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Vicky is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
2
I the point of the sentence is to ask what the secret was that John was asked, you would remove the comma and replace the period with a question mark: What was the secret [that] John was asked? If the point of the sentence is relay a bit of a conversation in which someone asked John what the secret was—and if the writer wanted to use a passive construction for some reason, you could add change the comma to a question mark and add quotation marks around the question: "What was the secret?" John was asked. ...
– Sven Yargs
Nov 22 at 22:27
1
... If the point is merely to paraphrase the actual question asked of John, you could rephrase the sentence as a question-mark-less statement: John was asked what the secret was.
– Sven Yargs
Nov 22 at 22:27
add a comment |
2
I the point of the sentence is to ask what the secret was that John was asked, you would remove the comma and replace the period with a question mark: What was the secret [that] John was asked? If the point of the sentence is relay a bit of a conversation in which someone asked John what the secret was—and if the writer wanted to use a passive construction for some reason, you could add change the comma to a question mark and add quotation marks around the question: "What was the secret?" John was asked. ...
– Sven Yargs
Nov 22 at 22:27
1
... If the point is merely to paraphrase the actual question asked of John, you could rephrase the sentence as a question-mark-less statement: John was asked what the secret was.
– Sven Yargs
Nov 22 at 22:27
2
2
I the point of the sentence is to ask what the secret was that John was asked, you would remove the comma and replace the period with a question mark: What was the secret [that] John was asked? If the point of the sentence is relay a bit of a conversation in which someone asked John what the secret was—and if the writer wanted to use a passive construction for some reason, you could add change the comma to a question mark and add quotation marks around the question: "What was the secret?" John was asked. ...
– Sven Yargs
Nov 22 at 22:27
I the point of the sentence is to ask what the secret was that John was asked, you would remove the comma and replace the period with a question mark: What was the secret [that] John was asked? If the point of the sentence is relay a bit of a conversation in which someone asked John what the secret was—and if the writer wanted to use a passive construction for some reason, you could add change the comma to a question mark and add quotation marks around the question: "What was the secret?" John was asked. ...
– Sven Yargs
Nov 22 at 22:27
1
1
... If the point is merely to paraphrase the actual question asked of John, you could rephrase the sentence as a question-mark-less statement: John was asked what the secret was.
– Sven Yargs
Nov 22 at 22:27
... If the point is merely to paraphrase the actual question asked of John, you could rephrase the sentence as a question-mark-less statement: John was asked what the secret was.
– Sven Yargs
Nov 22 at 22:27
add a comment |
1 Answer
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0
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Antiquely, severely, one can write,
What was the secret? John was asked.
The question mark takes the place of the omitted comma.
Modern readers probably won't expect that, though. Even antiquely, it's a problem because John's name is capitalized.
I like the way you write it:
What was the secret, John was asked.
The stylistic logic is imperfect but, actually, it works.
Some others have suggested alternatives in the comments. As I said, I prefer yours.
If your context liked quotation marks (I assume from your question that it does not), then, of course,
"What was the secret?" John was asked.
And if you wished to try alternative word ordering,
"What," John was asked, "was the secret?"
In fact, that even almost works without the quote markes, doesn't it?
What, John was asked, was the secret?
But these later attempts stray from your question.
answered Nov 22 at 23:59
thb
675416
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
Antiquely, severely, one can write,
What was the secret? John was asked.
The question mark takes the place of the omitted comma.
Modern readers probably won't expect that, though. Even antiquely, it's a problem because John's name is capitalized.
I like the way you write it:
What was the secret, John was asked.
The stylistic logic is imperfect but, actually, it works.
Some others have suggested alternatives in the comments. As I said, I prefer yours.
If your context liked quotation marks (I assume from your question that it does not), then, of course,
"What was the secret?" John was asked.
And if you wished to try alternative word ordering,
"What," John was asked, "was the secret?"
In fact, that even almost works without the quote markes, doesn't it?
What, John was asked, was the secret?
But these later attempts stray from your question.
answered Nov 22 at 23:59
thb
675416
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
Antiquely, severely, one can write,
What was the secret? John was asked.
The question mark takes the place of the omitted comma.
Modern readers probably won't expect that, though. Even antiquely, it's a problem because John's name is capitalized.
I like the way you write it:
What was the secret, John was asked.
The stylistic logic is imperfect but, actually, it works.
Some others have suggested alternatives in the comments. As I said, I prefer yours.
If your context liked quotation marks (I assume from your question that it does not), then, of course,
"What was the secret?" John was asked.
And if you wished to try alternative word ordering,
"What," John was asked, "was the secret?"
In fact, that even almost works without the quote markes, doesn't it?
What, John was asked, was the secret?
But these later attempts stray from your question.
answered Nov 22 at 23:59
thb
675416
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Antiquely, severely, one can write,
What was the secret? John was asked.
The question mark takes the place of the omitted comma.
Modern readers probably won't expect that, though. Even antiquely, it's a problem because John's name is capitalized.
I like the way you write it:
What was the secret, John was asked.
The stylistic logic is imperfect but, actually, it works.
Some others have suggested alternatives in the comments. As I said, I prefer yours.
If your context liked quotation marks (I assume from your question that it does not), then, of course,
"What was the secret?" John was asked.
And if you wished to try alternative word ordering,
"What," John was asked, "was the secret?"
In fact, that even almost works without the quote markes, doesn't it?
What, John was asked, was the secret?
But these later attempts stray from your question.
answered Nov 22 at 23:59
thb
675416
Antiquely, severely, one can write,
What was the secret? John was asked.
The question mark takes the place of the omitted comma.
Modern readers probably won't expect that, though. Even antiquely, it's a problem because John's name is capitalized.
I like the way you write it:
What was the secret, John was asked.
The stylistic logic is imperfect but, actually, it works.
Some others have suggested alternatives in the comments. As I said, I prefer yours.
If your context liked quotation marks (I assume from your question that it does not), then, of course,
"What was the secret?" John was asked.
And if you wished to try alternative word ordering,
"What," John was asked, "was the secret?"
In fact, that even almost works without the quote markes, doesn't it?
What, John was asked, was the secret?
But these later attempts stray from your question.
answered Nov 22 at 23:59
thb
675416
edited Nov 23 at 0:07
answered Nov 22 at 23:59
thb
675416
answered Nov 22 at 23:59
thb
675416
answered Nov 22 at 23:59
thb
675416
675416
add a comment |
add a comment |
Vicky is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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2
I the point of the sentence is to ask what the secret was that John was asked, you would remove the comma and replace the period with a question mark: What was the secret [that] John was asked? If the point of the sentence is relay a bit of a conversation in which someone asked John what the secret was—and if the writer wanted to use a passive construction for some reason, you could add change the comma to a question mark and add quotation marks around the question: "What was the secret?" John was asked. ...
– Sven Yargs
Nov 22 at 22:27
1
... If the point is merely to paraphrase the actual question asked of John, you could rephrase the sentence as a question-mark-less statement: John was asked what the secret was.
– Sven Yargs
Nov 22 at 22:27