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The quote is,

I am going to the store. I will probably buy some food. It's getting late.

I want to ask a question about whether someone would have said that. This post is about putting a question mark at the end of the third sentence in the quote.

Isn't it reasonable to assume that Bob might have said, "I am going to the store. I will probably buy some food. It's getting late?"

I think it is correct for me to put that question mark at the end despite it coming a few sentences (kind of) after the question. Please advise, thank you.

hodop smith
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  • Why are you putting the question mark inside the quotation marks rather than outside? There is a lot of variety on how to punctuate quotations, so it may be what you have been told to do, but this question would recommend putting the question mark outside in a question about a declarative quote. Other than that, why not rewrite so it ends with your question not the quote? – Stuart F Feb 20 '23 at 10:04
  • Many style guides would also say that a multi-sentence quote should be formatted as a block quote. But I assume you're not required to do that. (And certainly if you put a question mark after a block quote that would look odd, although pretty sure I have seen it done.) – Stuart F Feb 20 '23 at 10:12
  • Putting the question mark outside the quotes is hideously ugly and I would put off writing for the rest of my life if that was my only option (unless I changed my mind and decided it was ok, which I may if it's in the Chicago Manual of Style.) Block quote is fine but that doesn't indicate where I would put the question mark. I guess the answer is that I can't put it inside the quote because the quoted dialogue was not a question. Still, I would like an example where the quote has multiple sentences since that extra question mark at the end will become an especially unsightly hanger. Thanks. – hodop smith Feb 20 '23 at 12:24
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    You can get past your aversion to the outside punctuation when you realize that inserting the mark inside the quote, when the quote is not a question, must be wrong. – Yosef Baskin Feb 20 '23 at 14:22

2 Answers2

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There isn't really a non-awkward way to fit a long, multi-sentence quotation within lines of text, even without the interrogative. The solution is to use a block quote, as below.

Isn't it reasonable to assume that Bob might have said the following?

I am doing to the store. I will probably buy some food. It's getting late.

alphabet
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  • This looks slightly odd but I guess it's OK; still, it would be good to have some evidence that it is widely used, with examples; or even to find style guides recommending it. – Stuart F Feb 23 '23 at 09:31
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I would suggest a bit of transposition and italicization, as follows:

"I am going to the store. I will probably buy some food. It's getting late." Isn't it reasonable to assume that Bob might have said that?

Or, it could be kept as a single sentence:

"I am going to the store. I will probably buy some food. It's getting late-" isn't it reasonable to assume that Bob might have said that?

Or, (colon optional)

Bob might have said: "I am going to the store. I will probably buy some food. It's getting late." Isn't it reasonable to assume that he might have said so?

As for the sentence you're using right now, the question mark would be better placed outside of the quotation marks, as Bob's final statement isn't an interrogative one. I'd also suggest italicizing it, but it's still not particularly elegant.

Isn't it reasonable to assume that Bob might have said, "I am doing to the store. I will probably buy some food. It's getting late"?

I saw in the comments that you'd consider putting the question mark outside of the quote if the Chicago Manual of Style said to do so. In a forum post, they write:

The only end punctuation that would go outside the quotation marks would be a question mark or exclamation point (unless it was part of the quoted material).

Again, the question mark is not part of the quoted material, so you ought to put it outside of the quote marks.

Heartspring
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