People often write declarative statements such as “I wonder who wrote The Book of Love?” The temptation to add a question mark is great, even though the sentence is not actually a question. If you wonder who wrote The Book of Love, just ask the question directly.
INCORRECT
- I asked myself if this was true?
- He wondered when the train would arrive?
- Perhaps she questions her very existence?
CORRECT
The solution for this mistake is to understand the difference between a question and a declarative sentence. Declarative sentences make a statement: “I wonder who wrote The Book of Love.” When you write a declarative sentence, regardless of the words in that sentence, you are not asking a question. Declare: “He wondered when the train would arrive.” Ask: “When will the train arrive?” Declare: “She asked her teacher if she might leave.” Ask: “She asked her teacher: May I leave?”
MORE TO KNOW
There are four types of sentences: declarative (making a statement), interrogative (asking questions), imperative (issuing orders), and exclamative (self-explanatory!). You wonder. He asks. They question. I do declare!