Diary passage

   Share on Facebook  
Cute572  #542598  Wed, 16 Jul 08 10:46 PM

When I promoted to 2nd grade, my father brought me a barbie cover diary. I loved pink and barbie as well. Its pink and purple lining pages encouraged me to write some thing special on it. I was confused what should I write? I go to school and study usually, but I can’t write school notes on it. I have a common life. What else is important to me?  I often say to myself.

 

Guys please check my using of question mark. I am talking to myself, here too we would use quotation marks and next line?

thanks! 


  
Top 500 Contributor
Joined on Mon, Apr 28 2008
Full Member (211)
Glitter Graphics
Mr Wordy  #542633  Thu, 17 Jul 08 12:25 AM

In the first case, I would probably write:

I was confused: What should I write?

However you do it, you certainly need some punctuation between "confused" and "what". Alternatively you could say:

I was confused about what to / what I should write.

In the second case, since you are actually saying it to yourself, I would use quotation marks:

"What else is important to me?", I often say to myself.

Alternatively, you could say:

I often ask myself what else is important to me. 

There are one or two other things that need fixing in your text. Since I'm here, I have underlined them:

When I promoted to 2nd grade, my father brought [could be correct] me a barbie cover diary. I loved pink and barbie as well. Its pink and purple lining pages encouraged me to write some thing special on it. ... I go to school and study usually, but I can’t write school notes on it. I have a common life. ... 

  
Top 75 Contributor
Joined on Tue, May 27 2008
Regular Member (960)
Proficient Speaker
Native British English speaker
Cute572  #542635  Thu, 17 Jul 08 12:39 AM
 Thank you Mr. Wordy Smile

I want to know why we don't use question mark in such context you have explained. I have seen this type before but i don't know the exact reason for usage.

 When I got in 2nd grade, my father bought  me a beautiful diary. I loved its pink colored  pages and in someway it encouraged me to write some thing special on it. ... I go [should we applied went] to school and study usually, but I can’t write school notes on it. I have a good life. ...

i try to correct them, see if it works

 "What else is important to me?", I often say to myself.

After this sentence we would continue same paragraph or start  with the new line? As after dialogs new paragraph begin but since it is the same speaker (me) what will we do here?

Thanks again ! 

  
Mr Wordy  #542650  Thu, 17 Jul 08 02:04 AM

Cute572
I want to know why we don't use question mark in such context you have explained. I have seen this type before but i don't know the exact reason for usage.
 

"I was confused about what to write" (for example) is not a question, it's a statement. It therefore does not need a question mark. A sentence that is a question usually starts with one of the words What, Who, Why, Where, When, How, Which, Whose, or with the verb and the subject round the other way (for example, Am I happy?, rather than I am happy). (This isn't intended to be a complete list of ways to ask a question.)

When I got in to (the) 2nd grade, my father bought me a beautiful diary. I loved its pink colored pages and in some way it encouraged me to write something special on in it. ... I go [If you're talking about your present situation then "go" is fine. If you're describing what happened in the past then you should use "went", but you'll have to change some of the other verbs too] to school and study usually ["Usually" here is not wrong, but I suspect it's not quite what you are trying to say], but I can’t write school notes on in it. I have a good life. ... ["good life" is OK, but has a completely different meaning to what you had before. Rather than choosing words randomly, it might be better to decide which idea you want to express, and then try to find the correct words to express it.]

Cute572
After this sentence we would continue same paragraph or start  with the new line? As after dialogs new paragraph begin but since it is the same speaker (me) what will we do here?
 

There is no need to start a new line here (it's not a dialogue). If you think it's a good place to start a new paragraph then you can, but it's not mandatory.

  
Mr Wordy  #542653  Thu, 17 Jul 08 02:12 AM

Another way to tell if something is a question (and therefore needs a question mark) is to imagine what would happen if you said it to someone. If it requires an answer from them, then it's a question. Otherwise it isn't.

For example, "I was confused about what to write" does not require an answer, so is not a question.

However, "What should I write?" does require an answer, and so is a question.

  
Cute572  #543634  Sat, 19 Jul 08 08:06 PM

Thank you Mr. Wordy for helping and suggesting me Smile
  
Peaceblinkfriend  #543639  Sat, 19 Jul 08 08:17 PM
Cute572

Thank you Mr. Wordy for helping and suggesting me Smile

I would say 'giving me suggestions' instead of 'suggesting me'. Or you could just leave it out.


PBF

  
Top 75 Contributor
Joined on Wed, May 9 2007
Australia
Contributing Member (1,573)
Cute572  #543666  Sat, 19 Jul 08 09:43 PM
Big Smile

thanks 

  
AddThis Feed Button RSS Feed: ESL General English Grammar Questions
© 2008 MediaCET Ltd.
Terms and Conditions & Terms of Service