Question mark required: 'Would you please open the door?'

Tom · December 3, 2006, 8:02pm

Hi

Could you please tell me if I should put a question mark at the end?

1- Would you please open the door[color=red]?
2-Would you please stop that nonsense[color=red]?

Tom

Pamela · December 3, 2006, 9:08pm

Yes, Tom. A question mark() is needed.

Tom · December 4, 2006, 7:02pm

A lot of thanks, Pamela.

Would any of our moderators like to shed some light on it?

Tom

Conchita · December 4, 2006, 9:38pm

I wonder what makes you doubt, Tom? These are direct questions and require a question mark, as Pamela said.

Tom · December 5, 2006, 3:58am

A lot of thanks, Conchita! In fact, I just read a novel in which there was no question mark after a ‘sort of’ request starting with ‘would’. :shock: Maybe a misprint.

Tom

Mister_Micawber · December 7, 2006, 8:38am

.
I agree that they are direct questions and normally require a question mark. I can also imagine the phraseology being used in a more rhetorical sense by an angry mother: Would you please stop that nonsense!

This seems to be an ideal job for the INTERROBANG.
.

Prezbucky · December 7, 2006, 3:55pm

Declarative statements do not require question marks.

For instance:

I wonder when the Bears will win again.

vs.

When will the Bears win again?