Punctuation

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Ryan  #8158  Mon, 15 Sep 03 07:29 PM
I came across the sentence below in a dictionary. Are the punctuation marks correctly used?

Could you please keep quiet, so that you won't waken the baby.

Ryan
  
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Mike in Japan  #8181  Tue, 16 Sep 03 02:07 AM
Seems O.K. to me Ryan.
  
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Mike in Japan  #8182  Tue, 16 Sep 03 02:08 AM
Perhaps the comma is not neccessary, but I don't think it does any harm.
  
Ryan  #8611  Sat, 20 Sep 03 10:50 AM
Dear Mike,

A question mark is not used to end the sentence. This is because it is intended to be a request that expects no replies (rhetorical question). Am I right?

Ryan
  
Mike in Japan  #8724  Mon, 22 Sep 03 02:36 AM
That's a curly one Ryan. You may be right, but I'm not sure.
  
Ryan  #8746  Mon, 22 Sep 03 09:18 AM
'curly one' means?
  
ryan smith  #8751  Mon, 22 Sep 03 09:49 AM
I think he means that it's a nasty question. I agree.

However, a question is a question. What's meant to be rhetorical is a matter of interpretation.

I vote for using a question mark.
  
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Guest  #8790  Mon, 22 Sep 03 03:38 PM
Agreed.

If the 'Could you' was omitted at the start then the sentence is turned into a command so the question mark is not needed. With the 'Could you' included I believe that it is a question so should include a question mark.
  
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