MetaChat - A question about Exclamation marks?

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26 January 2007

A question about Exclamation marks? →[More:]I’ve been meaning to ask someone this, and who better than the people here…
I have some doubts about the exclamation points that I use, and would like to rectify them if need be. For example: when i’m not asking someone a question, but just stating a fact, and If I want to end it with a question mark, can I, or do I need to end it with a period. Plus, should I’ve ended the previous sentence with a question mark, since I was asking a question?? And is it alright for me to use multiple question marks (I guess it’s a manifestation of my inquisitive nature, and my enthusiasm for the answer.)

The thing is, I’m wondering how much a difference it makes to the tone of what I’m saying, and since I can’t be the judge of that (I feel that I usually give a lot of respect to what I’m reading if it’s from someone else, but when it’s my own stuff—I usually treat it like crap, and can’t help but feel that its inferior in some way, which might not be the case, but it still doesn’t help with the flow of the thing.

So, if someone could help me out with this, I’d greatly appreciate it:)
Thanks again!

post by: hadjiboy at: 07:04 | 12 comments

A question about Exclamation marks?
This should not have a question mark on it.
when i’m not asking someone a question, but ... do I need to end it with a period.
This needed a question mark.

Double question marks are syntactically incorrect, but understandable so I'd personally allow it within the context of conversational written English.

If you expect an answer to a specific sentence, then you need a question mark.

Not using question marks will tend to flatten the tone of the question, but the meaning should still be there.

posted by seanyboy 26 January | 07:32

posted by trondant 26 January | 09:21

posted by tr33hggr 26 January | 09:53

I've never looked into a hard-and-fast rule about using exclamation points, but generally it seems best to avoid them unless you want to create the written equivalent of a loud, excited shout. They are best reserved for occasional interjections, highly agitated sentiments, extremely good news, and the like.

Sometimes they are used very well to comic effect, but when they are overused, they simply make the writer seem (to me) hysterical, breathless, and perhaps young.

posted by Miko 26 January | 10:01

seanyboy has it. If it's a question, it needs a question mark. If it's not a question, it must not have a question mark. There's not really a lot of leeway with this one.

Also, a question mark is not an exclamation mark/point. Exclamation marks are these guys: !

posted by chrismear 26 January | 10:09

I probably overuse exclamation points!
(so I can only assume Miko finds me hysterical, breathless and young!). (I also probably overuse parenthesis).

posted by Hellbient 26 January | 11:02

(In my first draft of posts, I often start with parentheses, to indicate that my comment is parenthetical. I'll usually edit them out, because I feel they make me look timid and unsure of what I'm saying.)

posted by muddgirl 26 January | 11:21

Hee, muddgirl, I do the same thing.

posted by occhiblu 26 January | 13:14

hadjiboy, I definitely think question marks (which I think are what you're asking about?) are important. They really make things easier to read, because you have a visual clue of what the author is trying to do.

I think many of us (myself included) tend to use them on statements that look like questions, in order to indicate an incredulous or questioning or unsure tone of voice:

She's going to New York. Simle statement of fact.

She's going to New York? "Am I correct in thinking she's going to New York?"

She's going to New York???? "Oh my god, are you kidding me???? She can't POSSIBLY be going to New York!"

The sentence "Is she going to New York?" always needs a question mark, by the way. If you've constructed the sentence as an interrogative, with the verb first, you need the question mark punctuation.

(The above is based a bit on the assumption you're not a native English speaker, but your writing is good enough that it's hard to tell. So if any of it's insultingly simple, I apologize!)

posted by occhiblu 26 January | 13:20

I like the ?! combo for examples like occhiblu's.

She's going to New York?!

But maybe I just read too many Archie comics growing up.

posted by Miko 26 January | 15:01

The first thing I do editing someone else's work is replace the exclamation points with periods and change the two spaces after their periods to one space.

Then again, I'm neither young, nor enthusiastic, and I have a "I don't do exclamation points" t-shirt.

Drunkeness is the only time my ! key typically gets used.

posted by gucky 26 January | 19:00

No apologies necessary occhiblu--I appreciate your (and everyone's) advice!

I think the meaning of what I sometimes say gets lost when I don't apply the appropriate Punctuation Marks. Yeah, I sort of mistook them for "Exclamation Marks"--sorry!

Just wanted to know if it was confusing anyone; Hellbient--your exclamation marks might not sound childish or out of breath because your posts are carefully thought out, and even if they're not you're probably not childish or out of breath when you're posting them. But for someone like me, who does get excited very easily, and works himself up--it would be best if I cut down on those pesky critters!

posted by hadjiboy 26 January | 23:35

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