A question about question marks.

[manyeyedhydra]

I hope this is the right place for this.

Question marks in a sentence involving a POV character's thoughts. Where does the question mark go?

As dialogue it would look like this:

"What did she think she was doing?" he asked.

What about if it's his thoughts?

I used to think it was:

What did she think she was doing? he thought.

MS word seems to think it's:

What did she think she was doing, he thought?

And I suppose it could conceivably be:

What did she think she was doing? He thought.

Anyone care to shine a light?

Sorry for the basic punctuation question. It's something that's been bothering me

 

[fieryjen]

I'd use the first one.

I have no idea whether it's right, but there you go.

MS Word just wants to place a question mark at the end of everything that starts with "What".

 

[meg1]

I hope this is the right place for this.

Question marks in a sentence involving a POV character's thoughts. Where does the question mark go?

As dialogue it would look like this:

"What did she think she was doing?" he asked.

What about if it's his thoughts?

I used to think it was:

What did she think she was doing? he thought.

MS word seems to think it's:

What did she think she was doing, he thought?

And I suppose it could conceivably be:

What did she think she was doing? He thought.

Anyone care to shine a light?

Sorry for the basic punctuation question. It's something that's been bothering me

actually, if you are putting his thoughts into italics anyway, then there is no need to put in the "he thought"....the fact that those are his thoughts is already being made clear. if you wish to put in the 'the thought'...then put his thoughts in quotation marks.

 

[sr71plt]

Your first thought example is fine. (Chicago Manual of Style, 6.71).

The example CMA gives is: Is it worth the risk? he wondered.

 

[manyeyedhydra]

Your first thought example is fine. (Chicago Manual of Style, 6.71).

The example CMA gives is: Is it worth the risk? he wondered.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Evil M$ has been leading me astray

thanks.

 

[starrkers]

One day I'm going to write a piece using all MS 's grammatical "corrections". Should be good for a giggle, but I doubt it'll make any sense at all!

 

[snoopercharmbrights]

I hope this is the right place for this. ...

Yes. Exactly the right place.

... Anyone care to shine a light? ...

I solve your problem by putting direct speech in double quotes as you did. However i put direct thoughts in single quotes as:

'What did she think she was doing?' he thought.

The (entirely acceptable) italic alternative whould be:

What did she think she was doing? he thought.

Your version with no quotation marks ot italicising is just confusing.

As to MSWord suggested corrections, remember this is the author assistance system which suggests that "fucktoy" is spelled "factory"!

 

[Lalah]

As to MSWord suggested corrections, remember this is the author assistance system which suggests that "fucktoy" is spelled "factory"!

Well hey, if you're also into the impregnation fetish it could be appropriate.

 

[sr71plt]

Yes. Exactly the right place.

I solve your problem by putting direct speech in double quotes as you did. However i put direct thoughts in single quotes as:

'What did she think she was doing?' he thought.

The (entirely acceptable) italic alternative whould be:

What did she think she was doing? he thought.

Your version with no quotation marks ot italicising is just confusing.

As to MSWord suggested corrections, remember this is the author assistance system which suggests that "fucktoy" is spelled "factory"!

As I noted, with a citation from the publishing authority, your original is just fine. There's no need to rewrite what you wanted to do using what someone else would do if what you did was fine and you prefer it.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

From time to time I either put thoughts in itallics if there is a lot of thinking going on as

Who the fuck is this asshole? (Note: No tag since it's obvious who is thinking)

or if there are not that many thoughts in the piece, in quotes in which it's treated just like dialogue using a tag as:

"Who the fuck is this asshole?" he wondered.

I'm just careful not to use both version in the same piece.

 

[sr71plt]

From time to time I either put thoughts in itallics if there is a lot of thinking going on as

Who the fuck is this asshole? (Note: No tag since it's obvious who is thinking)

or if there are not that many thoughts in the piece, in quotes in which it's treated just like dialogue using a tag as:

"Who the fuck is this asshole?" he wondered.

I'm just careful not to use both version in the same piece.

In my own writing, I do this as well. I don't really like that the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style dropped this as an option. I just don't change it if a author whose work I'm editing went with the CMA-preferred rendering.

 

[CopyCarver]

From time to time I either put thoughts in itallics if there is a lot of thinking going on as

Who the fuck is this asshole? (Note: No tag since it's obvious who is thinking)

or if there are not that many thoughts in the piece, in quotes in which it's treated just like dialogue using a tag as:

"Who the fuck is this asshole?" he wondered.

I'm just careful not to use both version in the same piece.

I'll vote that ticket--twice, if the election commissioners aren't watching. The whole point is to identify the thought as such, without beating the fact into the ground.

As to MSWord suggested corrections, remember this is the author assistance system which suggests that "fucktoy" is spelled "factory"!

It also says that a reference to The Hunchback of Notre Dame is misspelled, sexist and archaic. It recommends (sic) hunchbacked woman notary.

 

[fieryjen]

I always use italics, it's just what I feel most comfortable with and what "looks" right to me. Obviously it's not the only way to go.

 

[sunandshadow]

When I have this problem I can often smoothly avoid it by sticking the dialogue tag before the sentence, e.g. Kevin grumbled to himself, "What the hell does she think she's doing?"

I also like the no dialogue tag thing if the character's name has been mentioned recently. E.g. Kevin smacked himself in the forehead. What on earth had Kelly been thinking?

 

[cloudy]

actually, if you are putting his thoughts into italics anyway, then there is no need to put in the "he thought"....the fact that those are his thoughts is already being made clear. if you wish to put in the 'the thought'...then put his thoughts in quotation marks.

ditto this.

 

[snoopercharmbrights]

MSWord also says that a reference to The Hunchback of Notre Dame is misspelled, sexist and archaic. It recommends (sic) hunchbacked woman notary.

Don't let it worry you. There are probably employees of Mr. Gates working day and night to rectify this lack of political correctness in respect of physical handicaps. Soon there will be a version which suggests "differently skeletoned woman notary".