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Is it technically correct to use two question marks in the sentence below, i.e. one for the quoted question and the other for the overall question?

Did she say, "Where's the coffee?"?

londonderry
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1 Answers1

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According to this source, using two question marks in a sentence is not correct where both quoted words and the sentence are questions.

To re-iterate the explanation

For those rare occasions when both the quoted words and the sentence are questions, put the question mark inside the quotation marks.

Here’s an example of this rule:

Did the mover really ask, “Is that lady for real?” No matter what, don’t use two question marks:

Wrong: Did Betsy ask, “What’s the number of a good lawyer?”?

Right: Did Betsy ask, “What’s the number of a good lawyer?”

[Source: How to Punctuate Quotations with Question Marks]

Update : Per Edwin Ashworth, in England, it is not incorrect to use double punctuation. My suggestion would be to know the audience before punctuating. Avoid double punctuation, if you feel it will be irksome to readers.

BiscuitBoy
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  • But 'this source' is essentially a style guide. At least one other says that double punctuation is not considered incorrect per se, especially in England. – Edwin Ashworth Dec 24 '15 at 15:37
  • It may be accepted, but it is not "visually appealing", to quote Andrew Leach from this answer. I'll edit my answer accordingly. – BiscuitBoy Dec 24 '15 at 16:06