PUNCTUATION
Using the Question Mark
A question mark is used to mark the end of a direct question:
e.g.
Would you feel better as someone else? -Alice Walker
A question mark is used to indicate uncertainty within a statement:
e.g. Socrates (470?-399 B.C.), the Greek philosopher and teacher, was
condemned to death for his unpopular ideas.
Note: Don\'t use a question mark within parentheses to express
sarcasm or irony. Express these attitudes through sentence structure and diction:
Faulty - - - - Her friendly (?) criticism did not escape notice.( A star marks an unacceptable utterance.)
Revised - - - - Her criticism, too rough to be genuinely friendly,
did not escape notice.
Using the Exclamation Point
The exclamation point is used to mark an expression of strong feeling:
e.g. Poor Columbus! He is a minor character now, a walk-on in the
middle of American history. -Frances FitzGerald
Because exclamation points make a special appeal to the reader,
you should use them sparingly. If oh introduces an expression of strong
feeling, put the exclamation point at the end of the expression. Never use
more than one exclamation point after an exclamation:
e.g. Oh, this is unspeakable!
"Great guns!" he shouted in consternation.
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