A Period or a Question Mark?

Margie Wakeman WellsThe Comma, The Question Mark, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

When the witness repeats the question or part of the question and then answers it, use a question mark after the question and let the rest of the answer stand on its own.

…Q   Was it after 10:00 that he called that night?
…A    Was it after 10:00? Yes.

…Q   What was the attire for the meeting?
…A   What was the attire? It was business attire.

…Q   Were you there alone?
…A    Was I alone? No.

…Q   Do you own a personal computer?
…A   Do I have a computer? Of course.

If what he repeats is not in the form of a question, then it can take a comma or a question mark, depending on the intonation.

…Q   Did you join him for dinner after that meeting?
…A   For dinner, yes.
OR
…A   For dinner? Yes.

…Q   Did you buy a new car during that time period?
…A   A new car, yes.
OR
…A   A new car? Yes.

Happy punctuating!

Margie

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