: vs. ?

Question

1. How about these?
(list of bulleted items)

2. How about these:
(list of bulleted items)

Isn't it wrong to put the question mark (QM) before the list? (It seems intrusive to me).
Without the QM, the second approach is also wrong, right?
In short, where should I place the QM?

Thanks,
Hoa Thai

Feebs11 · Accepted Answer

Either use the question mark, or rephrase the sentence: "These can be considered:"

Hoa Thai · Answer

Feebs11Either use the question mark, or rephrase the sentence: "These can be considered:"

Hi Feesb,
I do not express my opinion! I question - So where should the question mark be placed? At the end of the last bulleted item?

Thanks again,
Hoa Thai

Yoong Liat · Answer

Hi Hoa Thai

I would choose "How about these?"
(list of bulleted items)

Are the following sentences correct?
He is fat and clumsy.
He was caught unawares.
He is stupid and lazy.

Only one question mark is necessary.

Best wishes

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Very generally speaking, the expression 'How about these?' in writing often seems infelicitous and imprecise.

Clive

Hoa Thai · Answer

CliveHi,

Very generally speaking, the expression 'How about these?' in writing often seems infelicitous and imprecise.

Clive

Hello Clive,

Thank to you, I've just learned a new word, infelicitous!

If you don't mind, may I pose a few more questions to you?

Question #1: The phrase 'very generally speaking' of yours tells me that the expression 'How about these?' has very little use in writing. So could you kindly show me a few cases when its use is not infelicitous and not imprecise?

For me, the few instances I use that expression are:
a) when I want to follow another question with a final question as an after thought; for instance: Do you think this word is acceptable ....? How about these (list of words) ? Of course, this pattern caused me to ask the original question (i.e., the placing of the question mark when a bulleted list is involved);

b) when I want to embed a suggestion in a question mode. I like to use a question tone more than a direct suggestion tone, not because I lack confidence, but because I feel that suggestion tone is rather pompous when the suggested item(s) is/are not factual and more on the imaginary / abstract side (beauty is in the eye of the beholder). From what you shared with me, in the future I will try to rephrase it in different way such as "Would you like to consider one of these alternatives:"

Question #2: What do you think of the italicized and underlined construction in part a) ? Is there a better alternative? (Perhaps, I should not write anything as an after thought, but I guess for forum exchange it is tolerable).

With special thanks,
Hoa Thai
P.S. By the way, could you kindly suggest anything I could / should change in this writing to make it better (grammar, punctuation, word choice, semantics, etc...)

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Question #1: The phrase 'very generally speaking' of yours tells me that the expression 'How about these?' has very little use in writing. So could you kindly show me a few cases when its use is not infelicitous and not imprecise?

For me, the few instances I use that expression are:
a) when I want to follow another question with a final question as an after thought; for instance: Do you think this word is acceptable ....? How about these (list of words) ? Of course, this pattern caused me to ask the original question (i.e., the placing of the question mark when a bulleted list is involved);

Your example above seems OK, because the first part of what you say defines what you then mean when you ask 'How about these?'. It does, however, still sound rather informal.

Here's a very precise usage of 'how about . . .'.

A: I'd like to talk to you some day next week.

B: OK, how about Wednesday?

'How about . . .' is often used in this way to offer a specific suggestion, eg 'How about a Coke?

However, if I meet someone and they begin by saying 'How about your weekend?', this is a very ill-defined and imprecise and open-ended question. Now I have to take time to think what the questioner really means and how I should answer. Such questions are more typical of students than of native speakers.

b) when I want to embed a suggestion in a question mode. I like to use a question tone more than a direct suggestion tone, not because I lack confidence, but because I feel that suggestion tone is rather pompous when the suggested item(s) is/are not factual and more on the imaginary / abstract side (beauty is in the eye of the beholder). From what you shared with me, in the future I will try to rephrase it in different way such as "Would you like to consider one of these alternatives:" This sounds reasonable.

Best wishes, Clive

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