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This question is Not Answered
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Ryan
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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
Joined on
Sat, Aug 23 2003
New Member
33
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Mike in Japan
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8181
Tue, 16 Sep 03 02:07 AM
Seems O.K. to me Ryan.
Joined on
Tue, Aug 19 2003
Senior Member
4,588
I do like to be beside the seaside
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Mike in Japan
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8182
Tue, 16 Sep 03 02:08 AM
Perhaps the comma is not neccessary, but I don't think it does any harm.
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Ryan
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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
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Mike in Japan
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8724
Mon, 22 Sep 03 02:36 AM
That's a curly one Ryan. You may be right, but I'm not sure.
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Ryan,
6 yr 48 days ago
'curly one' means?
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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.
Joined on
Tue, Sep 9 2003
CLASSIFIED
Full Member
199
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Guest,
6 yr 48 days ago
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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