The 3 terminal punctuation marks - The Question Mark

The Question Mark (?)

The question mark (?) also known as interrogation point, is used

 1. At the end of a direct question.

Example: What is your name?

                 What are your hobbies?

 2. If the question is in the form of direct quotation, reproduced as it is spoken. Example: Anita asked me, “What is your name?”

 Note: It is never placed at the end of indirect query.

Anita asked me what my name is.

 3. Enclosed in parenthesis. (?)

 The question mark is also used to represent of missing or doubtful information.

Example:    Genghis Khan (1162?–1227) (Date of birth unconfirmed)

                   Vijay was born in 1964 (?)

                    I bought this sari when I was in Chennai (?)

 4. With question tags

A question mark is used to end a tag question.

 * Question tags are used at the end of statements to ask for confirmation.

 Examples:

 We have never seen a beach, have we?

He went on time, didn’t he?

I’m intelligent, aren’t I?

There weren’t any problems when you talked to Jack, were there?