Question Mark Punctuation
Decide first whether the sentence is actually asking a direct question, then decide what exact text the question mark applies to. Do not add a question mark merely because the sentence contains a question word such as who, why, or whether.
Use a question mark at the end of a direct question. Indirect questions and ordinary commands normally take other end punctuation. With quotation marks or brackets, put the question mark where its scope belongs—inside when the quoted or bracketed material is the question, outside when the surrounding sentence is the question.
Key details
Further guidance
Direct Questions
Use a question mark for a direct question: “When will the report arrive?”
Indirect Questions
Do not normally use one for an indirect question embedded in a statement: “She asked when the report would arrive.”
Quotes And Brackets
Place the mark inside quotation marks or brackets when the enclosed words form the question; place it outside when the surrounding sentence is interrogative.
Requests
A request framed grammatically as a question can take a question mark: “Could you send the final file?”
Worked Example
“Did she really write ‘the deadline is Friday’?” puts the question mark outside because the surrounding sentence—not the quoted words—is the question.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Question marks (opens in a new tab)Australian Government Style Manual · Current government guidance distinguishes direct questions from indirect questions/commands and explains question-mark placement with brackets and quotation marks.
- Punctuation (opens in a new tab)Microsoft · Current technical-style guidance treats question marks as end punctuation subject to style-specific restraint and broader punctuation rules.