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QUESTION MARK

Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language | 1998 | | Copyright

QUESTION MARK, also especially AmE interrogation mark, interrogation point. The PUNCTUATION mark (?). Its primary use is to show that a preceding word, phrase, or sentence is a direct QUESTION: Do you want more to eat? It is not used in indirect speech, because a reported question is part of a statement: I asked you whether you wanted more to eat. The question mark is sometimes repeated in informal usage or followed by an exclamation mark/point in order to indicate a specially strong question (What did you say??; What did you say?!). It is also used, often in brackets, to express doubt or uncertainty about a word or phrase that immediately follows or precedes it: Julius Caesar, born (?) 100 bc; They were then seen leaving the house (in tears?) and walking away.

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TOM McARTHUR. "QUESTION MARK." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

TOM McARTHUR. "QUESTION MARK." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-QUESTIONMARK.html

TOM McARTHUR. "QUESTION MARK." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-QUESTIONMARK.html

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question mark

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

ques·tion mark • n. a punctuation mark (?) indicating a question. ∎ fig. used to express doubt or uncertainty about something: there's a question mark over his future.

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"question mark." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"question mark." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-questionmark.html

"question mark." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-questionmark.html

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question mark

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

question mark see punctuation .

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"question mark." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"question mark." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-question.html

"question mark." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-question.html

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