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Ghost Writer Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
Then the question is...
When writing out statements that later lead to a question, how does a person introduce the question to the read in a grammatically correct way?
Example:
This quote uses a statement, but importantly "the obvious question is..."
What is the correct way to lead onto a question when using a statement? Is the dash or hyphen the correct punctuation to use?
I've been using the colon along with dependent and independent claues:
Ex:
...then this leads to an obvious question: Who is this person that eats, drinks...?
Example:
But if there is no such thing as a permanent self or soul, then the obvious question is - who is this person that eats, drinks, breathes, thinks, forms relationships and has a career?(source: http://buddhism.about.com/library/weekly/aa070702a.htm)
This quote uses a statement, but importantly "the obvious question is..."
What is the correct way to lead onto a question when using a statement? Is the dash or hyphen the correct punctuation to use?
I've been using the colon along with dependent and independent claues:
Ex:
...then this leads to an obvious question: Who is this person that eats, drinks...?
Top answer
The colon is more formal; the m-dash is gaining in popularity, though. "
- The colon is more formal; the m-dash is gaining in popularity, though.
- "
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3 Answers
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The colon is more formal; the m-dash is gaining in popularity, though. Or, why use any mark?-- The obvious question is "Who is this person?"
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I've even seen it without the quotation marks, in a structure I've heard described as semi-indirect quotation. Or was it semi-direct?
... obvious question is who is this person that ...
Indirect would have the is at the end, but this is awkward because it separates who and is by such a heavy structure.
CJ
... obvious question is who is this person that ...
Indirect would have the is at the end, but this is awkward because it separates who and is by such a heavy structure.
CJ
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Hi guys,
But if there is no such thing as a permanent self or soul, then the obvious question is - who is this person that eats, drinks, breathes, thinks, forms relationships and has a career?
In reported speech, trying to keep as much of your wording as possible, I would say
But if there is no such thing as a permanent
But if there is no such thing as a permanent self or soul, then the obvious question is - who is this person that eats, drinks, breathes, thinks, forms relationships and has a career?
In reported speech, trying to keep as much of your wording as possible, I would say
But if there is no such thing as a permanent
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