How should I style a direct question contained in a sentence? | MLA Style Center (2024)

Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook.

Ifa direct question contained in a sentence is long or has internal punctuation, setthe question off with a comma and begin it with a capital letter:

The question posed to the MLA editors was,How shoulda question contained in a sentence be punctuated?

The teacher wondered, Will my students ever understand how to incorporate a question in a sentence, or will they always do it incorrectly?

A single question contained in a sentence can also be preceded by a colon as long as the word before the question is not a verb. The question should start with a capital letter:

The answer left us with another question: When can a question be preceded by a colon?

Uselowercase letters to begin questions incorporated in series in a sentence:

Should I punctuate a question contained in a sentence with a comma? with a colon? with a dash?

In the example above, the questions in series are not capitalized because they are not complete sentences and do not begin with a proper noun.

But questions in series that are complete sentences are usually more appropriately styled with an initial capital letter:

I have several questions: What punctuation should I use? In what circ*mstances should I use it?What are the rules?

How should I style a direct question contained in a sentence? | MLA Style Center (2024)

FAQs

How should I style a direct question contained in a sentence? | MLA Style Center? ›

1) When you have a direct question that is part of a sentence (as in my example), introduce it with a comma and end it with a question mark. Don't use italics.

How should I style a direct question contained in a sentence? ›

1) When you have a direct question that is part of a sentence (as in my example), introduce it with a comma and end it with a question mark. Don't use italics.

How do you structure a question in a sentence? ›

How are interrogative sentences structured? Unlike in other sentences, in interrogative sentences the auxiliary verb comes first, then the subject, and last the main verb. If there's a question word like who or what, that usually goes at the beginning, before the auxiliary verb.

How do I put a question mark in the middle of a sentence? ›

If the inserted question comes in the beginning, put the question mark in the middle but do not capitalize the word following it. Was she really doing her job the best she could? Her boss wondered. Was she really doing the best she could? was the question.

How do I format a list of questions in an essay? ›

How do you write a list of questions in an essay? A: Yes, a series of questions in the middle of a sentence, surrounded by dashes or parentheses, is punctuated in just that way. Each question begins with a lowercase letter and ends with a question mark, according to language guides.

What is the format of a direct question? ›

"A direct question," says Thomas S. Kane, "is always marked by one or some combination of three signals: a rising intonation of the voice, an auxiliary verb inverted to a position before the subject, or an interrogative pronoun or adverb (who, what, why, when, how, and so on)" (The New Oxford Guide to Writing, 1988).

What is a direct question example? ›

Direct Question: A type of question that is asked directly to someone to get an answer. It is usually a clear and specific question that requires a straightforward response. For example, "What is your name?" is a direct question because it asks for a specific piece of information.

How do you structure answers to questions? ›

Overall, the key to structuring effective answers to evaluation questions is to be clear, concise, and well-organized. Make sure to use clear topic sentences, provide evidence and analysis to support your arguments, and evaluate your own position in a thoughtful and balanced way.

What are examples of sentence questions? ›

Interrogative Sentences: Examples
  • Where are you coming from?
  • Would you like some coffee?
  • What are you wearing?
  • Aren't you going there?
  • Would you like to have tea or coffee?
  • Did John buy a present for the birthday party?

What is an example of a sentence structure? ›

A simple sentence structure has one independent clause: “I rode my bike.” A compound sentence has at least two independent clauses: “I got in my car, and I drove into town.” In that sentence, both clauses can stand on their own as complete sentences.

Can you use a question mark within a sentence? ›

How to Use a Question Mark in a Sentence. Use a question mark at the end of a direct question. This means the questions are asked directly. Indirect questions are embedded within a declarative sentence.

Why would you place a question marks within a sentence? ›

The main purpose of a question mark, perhaps unsurprisingly, is to indicate that a sentence is a question. Direct questions often (but not always) begin with a wh- word (who, what, when, where, why). Why did the chicken cross the road?

How to punctuate a list of questions in a sentence? ›

This is a grammatically correct use of the question mark. It might look awkward to some, but the laws of grammar state that when multiple questions are asked in the same sentence, a "?" can be used in place of a comma to indicate multiple questions.

How do I state a question in an essay? ›

Establish you understand the topic

For the first question, type number one and add a period, and then write the question using the approved font and size on the same line. Punctuate correctly using a question mark at the end of the question.

How do you format multiple choice questions? ›

Tips for Writing Multiple-Choice Answer Options
  1. Include a total of 3 to 5 options.
  2. Make options similar in grammar, length, complexity, and style.
  3. Move repeated text to the stem if possible.
  4. Write the correct answer first, and then write the incorrect options in a parallel style.

How do you grammatically format a list? ›

Rules for stand-alone lists:
  1. Use a heading, not a lead-in.
  2. Start each list item with a capital letter.
  3. Don't add full stops to the end of any of the list items (even the last item).
  4. Indent each list item if it helps people scan the content.

What do we add to the direct question to form an embedded question? ›

Embedded questions are introduced by whether, whether or not, and if when there is no question word in the sentence (yes/no questions). Will he be there? Do you know if he will be there?

What is the rule for direct question and indirect question? ›

If the direct question is a “yes or no” question (it has no question word such as what, who, when, where, why, or how), then the indirect question will have if. Direct: Does Tom like Italian food? Indirect: Do you know if Tom likes Italian food? Direct: Are your parents joining us for dinner?

What question can you ask to identify the direct object in a sentence? ›

While direct objects answer the questions “what?” or “whom?” about the action of the verb, indirect objects answer questions like “to whom?” or “for what?”

How do I list out questions in a sentence? ›

A: Yes, a series of questions in the middle of a sentence, surrounded by dashes or parentheses, is punctuated in just that way. Each question begins with a lowercase letter and ends with a question mark, according to language guides.

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