Booher's Rules of Business Grammar - Dianna Booher 2009

Would you send me your address please
Punctuation problems

INDIRECT QUESTIONS AND SOFTENED COMMANDS

Picture yourself walking into your boss’s office. He or she says to you, “So, … tell me what’s on your mind.” It sounds like a command, but from the smile and the body language, you take it as a true question and an invitation to talk—but only if you want to.

Same scene a week later: the boss says to you, “Can you send me a project update by this afternoon.” The phrasing sounds like a question, but the frown and the tone let you know that it’s actually a directive.

With such experience in the background, it’s no wonder that we have trouble distinguishing a direct question from an indirect question and even a softened command. And that decision determines the proper punctuation. So here are the rules:

Use a question mark with a direct question.

Do you have enough staff to meet the deadline?

He asked, “Do you have enough staff to meet the deadline?”

Use a period with an indirect question.

Ebeneezer asked if I had enough staff to meet the deadline.

The client wondered whether Max could handle that high-pressure culture.

The president questioned Mesick about how he liked New Zealand.

Use a period with a softened directive phrased as a question.

Would you send the report to me immediately at my office address.

Would you let me know if anyone deviates from this procedure.

Will someone please give me a call if you need more forms.

Will you please close my account, effective today.

Consider press conferences and how often reporters make political statements disguised as questions. Remember: A question is not a question until it’s punctuated as such.

Memory tip

Think scriptwriting. If you can “hear” someone asking the question, punctuate it as a question. If you’re simply telling us about what question someone asked, don’t. If your question is really a softened request or directive, use a period.