# Statements in emails with question marks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 19, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statements-in-emails-with-question-marks/769054 "2016-10-19T18:44:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statements-in-emails-with-question-marks/769054/1 "2016-10-19T18:44:42Z")
So I notice this when it happens here and there? Last week though, apparently everyone was doing it more than normal? Often, someone has a question to ask or is asking for help but instead of forming the sentence as a question, he or she will just tack a question mark at the end? This looks odd to me though? They’re not really questions but there’s that interrogative inflection added to the end? It’s not really a pet peeve but I sure do notice it and I do find it mildly distracting? It could be worse though, it could be all exclamation marks or in all caps? ---
**Author:** ![Caldazar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Caldazar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caldazar)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statements-in-emails-with-question-marks/769054/2 "2016-10-19T19:15:23Z")
One possibility: people are using characters that cannot be interpreted by the email client you are using. Happens to me with emoticons; people type up their emails, include something like Colon-RightParenthesis for a smiley face, and their email client converts the characters to a smiley-face automatically. They send, and my email client can’t parse the smiley face, and shows ‘?’ in place of the smiley-face character. Or maybe the people you email are weird and annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statements-in-emails-with-question-marks/769054/3 "2016-10-19T19:39:40Z")
I see this a lot. The writer wants to ask a question, or ask for help, but just blurts out some statement and appends a question mark - I suppose just to express general puzzlement. For example. \*My screen has gone all yellow and I don’t know what to do? The order is going to get to the customer later than they expected and there doesn’t seem to be a contact number?\* ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statements-in-emails-with-question-marks/769054/4 "2016-10-19T20:16:56Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I see this a lot. The writer wants to ask a question, or ask for help, but just blurts out some statement and appends a question mark - I suppose just to express general puzzlement. > > For example. > > \*My screen has gone all yellow and I don’t know what to do? > > The order is going to get to the customer later than they expected and there doesn’t seem to be a contact number?\* Yes, this is exactly it. Great examples. I want to reply “Are you asking me this?” but I restrain myself when I see them. I was trying to find my latest example and I did a search for ? in Outlook but there were too many results to list. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statements-in-emails-with-question-marks/769054/6 "2016-10-19T21:17:29Z")
People in Minnesota talk like that? like they’re just making sure you’re paying attention? Perhaps they’re dictating their emails? ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statements-in-emails-with-question-marks/769054/7 "2016-10-19T21:26:35Z")
I have a friend whose phone has some kind of quirk that inserts question marks instead of periods. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statements-in-emails-with-question-marks/769054/8 "2016-10-19T22:04:25Z")
[The writers are probably Australian? Or Valley Girls?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_rising_terminal) > [@even\_sven](#): > > I have a friend whose phone has some kind of quirk that inserts question marks instead of periods. I wonder if she’s the type of person who puts two spaces after every period? Like my phone automatically adds a period if I put two spaces. No question mark but maybe hers does. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statements-in-emails-with-question-marks/769054/9 "2016-10-19T22:08:56Z")
I do this occasionally with “I wonder” statements: _I wonder if maybe the cable got unplugged?_ It’s easier than typing, say, _I wonder: “Did the cable get unplugged?”_ ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statements-in-emails-with-question-marks/769054/10 "2016-10-19T22:18:13Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I see this a lot. The writer wants to ask a question, or ask for help, but just blurts out some statement and appends a question mark - I suppose just to express general puzzlement. That’s always been how I’ve read it; basically the writer is indicating they need assistance/guidance/input/more information rather than making a statement. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statements-in-emails-with-question-marks/769054/11 "2016-10-19T22:45:36Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > That’s always been how I’ve read it; basically the writer is indicating they need assistance/guidance/input/more information rather than making a statement. That’s how I use it. I suggest something but put a question mark implying that I welcome correction or a better idea from the people I am copying. I use an ellipsis and then a question mark. I’m sure it drives some people nuts. :o ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statements-in-emails-with-question-marks/769054/12 "2016-10-19T23:07:09Z")
But you’re not writing a question…? 😃