Although you won't be seeing? questions on the SAT often, there is only one released exam that has? questions. But the SAT does state that they can ask these type of questions. So it's important to know how they work and understand them.

On the SAT there are two types of ways that the question marks can be tested on, direct and indirect speech.

Direct Speech

Direct speech does exactly what his name implies. It asks questions directly. Note that in this construction, the entire statement consists of the question itself.

When Orson Welles’ War of the Worls was broadcast as a radio play in 1938, some listeners asked themselves the following question: is this a piece of theater or a live broadcast?

Although the question here is clearly linked to the first part of the sentence in terms of meaning, it is a separate element that makes sense grammatically on its own. A question mark is therefore necessary.

Indirect Speech

However, in indirect speech, a question is embedded in a longer sentence, and no? is used. Very often, but not always, this construction involves clauses begun by whether or if.

When Orson Welles’ War of the Worls was broadcast as a radio play in 1938, some listeners could not tell whether it was a piece of theater or a live broadcast.

Other Tips

The SAT Writing and Language portion tests your ability to identify and correct errors in grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. One common punctuation mark that students often struggle with is the question mark. Here are some tips to help you use question marks correctly on the SAT:

1. Use a question mark at the end of a direct question:

   • Example: "What time is the meeting?"

2. Do not use a question mark for indirect questions or statements that imply a question:

   • Example: "I wonder what time the meeting is." (no question mark)

3. Be careful with rhetorical questions, which are questions that do not require an answer:

   • Example: "Who doesn't love a good pizza?" (no question mark)

4. Use a question mark when a sentence ends with a tag question:

   • Example: "You're coming with me, aren't you?"

5. Use a question mark when a sentence ends with an abbreviated question:

   • Example: "You're going to the party, right?"

Remember, using question marks correctly is just one aspect of the SAT Writing and Language portion. Be sure to practice all aspects of grammar and punctuation to improve your score.