Question marks and exclamation marks
Two common styles of punctuation question marks and exclamation marks have a long and interesting history.
Before the appearance of written language, people used a question mark more often for marking serious or abstract thoughts.
In fact, one account refers to the use of question marks as signifying “the absence of a direct answer.”
For example,
“This book is very important” would be marked by a question mark.
In this type of writing, there was a clear meaning in the absence of a yes-no or indicator, and question marks could therefore be used to make a statement without the need for a more precise expression.
Question Marks
The question mark, however, evolved into an entirely different style of writing after the appearance of cursive writing.
In this newer style, question marks were now used for listing objects of desire (like a diamond ring) or for summarizing a long and complex idea (like a voyage around the world).
A question mark might also be used to report a surprise, as the discovery of a body part you had not noticed earlier.
In Different Language
As question marks became more widely used throughout the English-speaking world, they began to find their way into other languages as well.
French, for example, has its own term for the question mark, while Germany and Italy used exclamation marks to point out prepositions (and sometimes independent words) in speech.
It wasn’t long before question marks – along with exclamation marks – made their way into all languages, with question marks eventually overtaking exclamation marks in the usage of written English.
Today, it’s rare to hear a sentence without either one or the other.
Hyphens
Other kinds of punctuation, though, are less commonly used today. Parallels between question marks and other types of punctuation can occur, however.
Like hyphens, which are used to indicate a pause or a division in a sentence (as in “but,” “although,” “while,” “or,” “hear,” and “she heard”), and periods, which indicate a change of tone (as in “in the process of,” “while she’s writing,” “before beginning” and “to see how,” “in six months from now”).
There are even words whose use is partially dependent on question marks, like “as far as,” “for sure,” and “it’s your choice.”
Question Marks Function
One of the reasons
why a question mark has taken on such a significant role? Communication is the fact that they’re incredibly versatile.
They can stand alone, they can be combined with other types of punctuation, and they can function as single or double punctuation marks.
Because they can stand alone, they give your message a more crisp, clear edge, but they can also be used in conjunction with a number of other kinds of marks to make your message more complex or forceful.
This makes them an excellent choice when you need to emphasize your point in a document, a speech, or an essay.
A question mark can even be used to show readers that you agree with something they’ve read; the hyphen” -” marks a “bottom line” opinion, while “the question mark,” when used in place of “your opinion” indicates that you’re quoting someone else’s opinion.
And while question marks are most often used to introduce a question, some people make use of them to provide a subtle clue as to what the main point is.
Rules Of Question Marks
One of the things that make using a question mark so useful is the fact that you can use them with almost any kind of writing medium.
You can write an essay, a story, a report, a business proposal, a sales letter, a newspaper article, or a marketing brochure – whatever your message needs to be communicated in.
You can use a question mark to indicate a particular thought or idea, and you can use it to create a focal point or to highlight your main point.
It’s not uncommon for question marks to appear in the middle of a sentence, indicating an idea that runs throughout the rest of the sentence.
And while you may have to reword your message to make it suitable for a variety of writing environments, you can be confident in knowing that question marks will always stand out as an effective way to get your message across.
Depends On Formatting
Another reason why the question mark is so widely used is the fact that they’re fairly easy to learn. Unlike many other types of text formatting – like italics, bold, underlined, and other formatting related to text – you don’t have to be an experienced writer to be able to make full use of question marks.
They’re actually very easy to set up and use – all you need is a computer, Internet connection, and a web page.
You’ll need a pen or a pencil, and it’s important that you use one that’s not too sharp. This is because they can be easily misread as arrows, which doesn’t convey the intended meaning.
Read Tutorial & Gain Skills
The best way to learn how to use question marks effectively is by finding online tutorials or books that teach you how to use them.
These tips can be particularly helpful if you have a lot of questions about how to use them. If you have to ask someone for help, be sure to take advantage of that help!
Learning how to use this effectively can be one of the easiest skills you can learn, especially if you take the time to explore the options and find resources.
Try to remember that there’s always an answer waiting for you – so get writing!