Question Mark Placement in Dialogue
Questioning your question mark usage in dialogue? Editor Jane Friedman has the scoop on proper placement.
Q: When writing dialog where one character poses a question to another, where do you place the question mark? Does it go inside the quote mark or at the end of the entire sentence? –Tamara T.
A: The question mark should always appear at the end of the question—whether that's the end of the sentence or not. If two of your characters are having a conversation, the dialogue (and proper punctuation placement) might go something like this:
"Why are you growing a mustache?" asked Jonathon.
"Why do you care?" said Cliff.
Jonathon responded, "Why did you answer my question with a question?"
It's important to note that whenever the question falls inside quote marks, the question mark generally falls inside the quote marks (as shown in the examples above). The only real exception to the rule is when a character is quoting another character, and the use of single quote marks inside double quote marks come into play.
For example:
"Did you really just ask me if I answered your 'question with a question'?" asked Cliff.
Placing the question mark on the wrong side of the quote is a rookie mistake made by writers—and one that agents will notice. Be sure to get it right and stay consistent.
Jane Friedman is a full-time entrepreneur (since 2014) and has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. She is the co-founder of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and is the former publisher of Writer’s Digest. In addition to being a columnist with Publishers Weekly and a professor with The Great Courses, Jane maintains an award-winning blog for writers at JaneFriedman.com. Jane’s newest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press, 2018).
