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How to fix my computer?

How to save money?

Are these grammatically correct questions?

Flimm
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    Informally they're fine, as is most such understandable but telegraphic English. –  Jan 24 '13 at 08:20
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    They're not sentences as sentences are almost always defined, but have you never found 'Ouch!' necessary and sufficient? – Edwin Ashworth Jan 24 '13 at 11:59

2 Answers2

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They are grammatical, but they should be used with care, because they are subordinate clauses, rather than complete sentences. They might occur as headings, or at the start of a paragraph that goes on to answer the question. Even then, they are generally confined to informal writing. You wouldn’t expect to find them in academic prose, for example.

Barrie England
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1 They are not questions. (Don't be surprised.)
2 They are not even sentences. (In a sense.)

1 Considering the widespread use of such expressions as (book, chapter, section or paragraph) titles, ending the expression with a mark of interrogation ? is a common error. How to save money used in a standalone way means '(Here is a way that shows) how to save money'. Do not end it with a question mark.

2 By now it can be already seen that these are mere phrases and not sentences. However, when used in a proper context, with a question mark, they can serve as grammatical sentences, as in, "I don't have the manual now. How to fix my computer?" Per the advice of @BarrieEngland, these expressions should be avoided in formal writing.

Kris
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