Which punctuation marks are used to signal a question?

• A. Period
• B. Comma
• C. Question mark
• D. Exclamation points

Answer: (C)

Question marks signal that a sentence is asking something. They appear at the end of direct questions, letting the reader know to expect an answer. A period ends statements or commands, so it doesn’t indicate a question. A comma creates a pause inside a sentence and isn’t used to mark questions. Exclamation points show strong emotion or surprise and aren’t used to signal a question, though in casual writing you might see a combination like “What a day?!”; the standard marker for a question is the question mark. In indirect questions, the sentence may end with a period because it’s reporting someone’s inquiry rather than asking directly, so the question mark isn’t used there.