Use of question marks and exclamation marks

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Whenever we talk we do it with a communicative intention; that is to say, we speak not only to emit sets of words that form sentences but we also pursue a specific purpose. For example, asking for information through questions or expressing surprise, admiration or rejection towards something using the exclamatory mechanisms that the language makes available to us.

To do this, it is essential to know what the different communicative functions are as well as the linguistic and orthographic signs that we must use in each one of them. In this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to focus on two of the most common: the question mark and the exclamation point. Thus, we will study the use of question marks and exclamation marksn through various examples.

Contrary to what happens in most languages ​​of the world, both the question marks (¿?) And the exclamation marks (¡!) In Spanish is mandatory to write them at the beginning of the sentence and at the end of the same, as it also happens, for example, with the quotation marks (","), the parentheses ((,)) or the brackets ([,]). You must always bear in mind that, if we do not use the opening sign, it is considered a misspelling, so it is incorrect to write sentences like * in Spanish

On the other hand, the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) states that, after the signs both question mark and punctuation you can't write a point, since these signs already contain the necessary nuance to conclude a statement. Thus, in the case of question marks, it is correct to state sentences like the following: Have you reserved a table at the restaurant? and instead it would not be correct Have you reserved a table at the restaurant? *

It is also important to bear in mind that, if for semantic and discursive reasons, the interrogative or exclamatory statement ends a sentence or idea, the word that continues the speech must be capitalized, as indicated in the following example: It is so hot! Don't forget to drink water to hydrate yourself.

Another use of question marks, somewhat less frequent, is related to dates that, for reasons beyond their control, are questionable or of doubtful reliability, especially those referring to illustrious historical figures or to events past. In these cases, it is advisable to use the opening sign and the closing sign, although it is true that only the closing sign can be used, for example: Martínez, Joaquín (1538? - 1590) O well Martínez, Joaquín (1538? - 1590), both are correct but the first is more advisable, to maintain a logic with the mandatory use of both signs, both the one that begins the statement and the one that concludes it.

In this other lesson from a TEACHER we will discover the punctuation rules in Spanish.

Along with the question marks (?) That we have seen previously, there are the exclamation marks (!), used in sentences to express feelings and emotions such as surprise, anger, admiration, joy or rejection, among many others.

Both question marks and exclamation marks must be written glued to the word that the statement begins and the word that ends it; that is, without leaving spaces between the first and last letter of the statement: What a wonderfull day!

On the other hand, it is important to bear in mind that both the exclamation and question marks can be combined with each other, since the same sentence can contain the interrogative and exclamatory values. In these cases, the RAE recommends using both signs, but it is preferable to use the first exclamation and, to close the statement, the question mark, as we can see in the following examples: But what happened!?, What are you saying !?

When we want to indicate a greater degree of emphasis in our statement, it is possible to resort to the use of two or three exclamation marks, as in the following examples: Congratulations!!! O well You're a liar!!!

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