# "." : ";" :: "?" : ? \[. is to : as ? is to what\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 24, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-as-is-to-what/241735 "2004-04-24T00:42:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-as-is-to-what/241735/1 "2004-04-24T00:42:44Z")
OK, really pointless grammar question, but I thought I’d throw it out. Where were you? I was worried. Where were you (I was worried)? Where were you - I was worried. I was worried: where were you? If you feel two clauses are closely related enough to prefer a semicolon as opposed to a question mark, but the first one is a question, how do you phrase it? ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-as-is-to-what/241735/2 "2004-04-24T01:48:51Z")
I would use the first one because it would most accurately reflect the spoken inflections I would use. ---
**Author:** ![purrplebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@purrplebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purrplebear)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-as-is-to-what/241735/3 "2004-04-24T01:56:21Z")
**Shade** , I agree with **Zy**. I would also use the first example, since that is how my voice inflection would come out. [hijack] Hi, Zy![/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-as-is-to-what/241735/4 "2004-04-24T01:56:22Z")
Well, just because they’re closely related doesn’t mean they can’t be two separate sentences. I don’t think you would normally use anything other than a question mark at the end of a question. ---
**Author:** ![Daver914](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@Daver914](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daver914)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-as-is-to-what/241735/5 "2004-04-24T02:02:59Z")
In this particular example I’d also go with #1. But I can think of other cases where it’s less clear-cut. For example, _Nice weather, don’t you think?_ Most English-speakers would write this as one sentence, when there are actually two components: the statement “Nice weather”, and the question “Don’t you think?” Spanish-speakers, for example, would write this as one sentence, but they would separate the question from the rest of the sentence, like so: _Hace buen tiempo, ¿no crees?_ The “inicio de interrogacíon” and “fin de interrogación” (beginning and ending question-marks) clearly denote the question. Neat system they’ve got going there. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-as-is-to-what/241735/6 "2004-04-24T02:16:11Z")
> [@purrplebear](#): > > **Shade** , I agree with **Zy**. I would also use the first example, since that is how my voice inflection would come out. > [hijack] Hi, Zy![/hijack] Hi Purrp! ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-as-is-to-what/241735/7 "2004-04-24T10:49:06Z")
> [@Daver914](#): > > In this particular example I’d also go with #1. But I can think of other cases where it’s less clear-cut. For example, _Nice weather, don’t you think?_ Most English-speakers would write this as one sentence, when there are actually two components: the statement “Nice weather”, and the question “Don’t you think?” > > Spanish-speakers, for example, would write this as one sentence, but they would separate the question from the rest of the sentence, like so: _Hace buen tiempo, ¿no crees?_ The “inicio de interrogacíon” and “fin de interrogación” (beginning and ending question-marks) clearly denote the question. Neat system they’ve got going there. Oooh, pretty. I might import that into english. I did know that, but hadn’t thought of it. Thanks, all. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-as-is-to-what/241735/8 "2004-04-26T23:26:20Z")
> [@Daver914](#): > > Spanish-speakers, for example, would write this as one sentence, but they would separate the question from the rest of the sentence, like so: _Hace buen tiempo, ¿no crees?_ The “inicio de interrogacíon” and “fin de interrogación” (beginning and ending question-marks) clearly denote the question. Neat system they’ve got going there. However, they’re use of "–"s for quotes confuses me to no end. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-as-is-to-what/241735/9 "2004-04-26T23:28:25Z")
Curses! Their use of… ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-as-is-to-what/241735/10 "2004-04-26T23:36:30Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > However, they’re use of "–"s for quotes confuses me to no end. I could get to like “«” and “»” though.