What is a question mark and what does it do?

A question mark is the punctuation mark that looks like "?" and goes at the end of a sentence that asks something. It tells the reader that the sentence is a question and usually expects an answer or response.

When should my child use a question mark instead of a period?

Use a question mark when the sentence is a direct question, such as "Where are we going?" or "Can I have a snack?" Use a period when the sentence is telling something, even if it mentions a question, as in "He asked where we are going."

Can a sentence have both a question mark and an exclamation point?

In casual writing, people sometimes use "?!" to show surprise and a question at the same time. In school writing, it is better to choose one mark. If the sentence is mainly a question, end it with a single question mark.

What is a question mark in reading and how can I help my child notice it?

In reading, a question mark signals that the sentence should be read with a questioning voice and that a character or narrator is asking something. You can pause when you see a question mark, ask your child what is being asked, and have your child practice reading the question aloud with the right tone.

What Is a Question Mark? Definition and Examples

How to explain a question mark to a child

A question mark is a little squiggly line with a dot that you put at the end of a sentence when you are asking something. If you want to know the answer, your sentence usually needs a question mark. For example, "What time is it?" ends with a question mark. It tells the reader to use a questioning voice!

Question mark examples

Example 1 (younger students):

Sentence: "Where is my backpack?"

This sentence is asking for information, so it ends with a question mark. If it were written as "Where is my backpack." with a period, it would look and sound wrong, because the punctuation would not match the asking voice.

Example 2 (older students):

Sentence: "Did you remember to bring your science project, or do you still need to finish it?"

This is a longer sentence, but it is still asking a question. The whole sentence is one question, so it ends with a single question mark at the very end. Even though there is a comma in the middle, the question mark comes only once, after the final word.

Going deeper with question marks

As students get older, they learn that question marks are used for direct questions, which are sentences that actually ask something, such as "Who wrote this story?" or "Can you help me?" Indirect questions, which report a question instead of asking it, usually end with a period, as in "She asked who wrote the story."

Older students also learn about questions that appear inside longer sentences. For example, in "I wonder, 'What will happen next?'" the question mark belongs inside the quotation marks because the quoted words form a question. When a question ends with an abbreviation that already has a period, such as "Does the bus leave at 3 p.m.?", the abbreviation keeps its period and the question mark is added after it.

By middle and high school, students may analyze how authors use questions in dialogue or persuasive writing. Question marks help show tone, such as curiosity, doubt, or challenge, and they guide how a sentence should sound when read aloud.

Common mistakes with question marks

Using a period instead of a question mark: Writing "Are you coming." instead of "Are you coming?" confuses readers, because the punctuation does not show that the sentence is a question. Use a question mark for sentences that ask something directly.
Adding a question mark to a statement that is not a question: Writing "I know the answer?" is usually incorrect, because it is telling, not asking. If the speaker is not actually asking, it should be "I know the answer." with a period.
Using more than one question mark in formal writing: Writing "What are you doing??" may show strong emotion in casual texting, but in school writing the correct form is "What are you doing?" with a single question mark.

Where question marks show up in everyday life

Question marks appear in many places your child sees every day. They show up in text messages between friends, on homework directions that ask "What is the main idea?", in books when characters talk to each other, and on signs or flyers that ask things like "Need help with math?" Recognizing the question mark helps your child know when something is being asked and when an answer is needed.

Related terms to explore

To understand how question marks work with other punctuation and formatting, it can help to review these terms:

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What is a question mark?