Does a question mark go after a quotation? This is a common question that many people ask when they are writing or editing their work. The answer to this question is not as straightforward as it may seem, as it depends on the context and the rules of punctuation.
In general, when a quotation is used as a statement or a fact, the question mark should not be placed at the end of the quotation. Instead, it should be placed at the end of the sentence that contains the quotation. For example:
According to the weather report, it is going to rain tomorrow. “Rain is expected,” the meteorologist said.
In this case, the question mark is not placed after the quotation because the quotation is being used as a statement within the sentence.
However, if the quotation itself is a question, then the question mark should be placed at the end of the quotation, followed by the closing quotation mark. For example:
Are you coming to the party? “I’m not sure,” she replied.
In this example, the quotation is a question, so the question mark is placed after the closing quotation mark.
There are also situations where a quotation is used to introduce a question, in which case the question mark is placed after the closing quotation mark. For example:
“What time is it?” he asked, looking at his watch.
In this case, the quotation is part of the question, so the question mark is placed after the quotation.
It is important to note that when a quotation is part of a longer sentence that ends with a question mark, the question mark should be placed after the closing quotation mark. For example:
Did you hear what she said? “She’s going to be late,” she whispered.
In this example, the question mark is placed after the closing quotation mark because the entire sentence is a question.
In conclusion, whether or not a question mark goes after a quotation depends on the context and the rules of punctuation. It is essential to pay attention to the intended meaning of the quotation and the overall structure of the sentence to determine the correct placement of the punctuation.
