Is it okay to use a question mark after a name if another character wishes to draw that person's attention? [closed]

Solution 1:

You can always use a question mark to indicate a sense of query or uncertainty, in the same way that we use rising intonation in spoken English to indicate the same thing.

There are subtle but important differences conveyed by the choice of punctuation; the following gives an idea of the range of meanings that a single punctuation mark can convey:

Anne: Bob.

No inflexion in the voice: deadpan, non-committal, hard to read the meaning. You could, of course, use it to convey precisely that sense that Anne is being deliberately deadpan: for example, there's danger, and Anne wants Bob's attention but doesn't want to raise her voice (in the way an exclamation mark would indicate) nor to whisper. But usually it simply indicates an uninflected statement of fact: "Who did this?" "Bob."

Anne: Bob ....

The use of three dots is called ellipsis (the fourth dot is the period or full stop to indicate the end of the sentence, but there is debate on whether or how it's used with ellipsis - consult your style manual!); it's also known as a suspension point. Wikipedia describes this particular usage succinctly:

Depending on their context and placement in a sentence, ellipses can indicate an unfinished thought, a leading statement, a slight pause, an echoing voice, or a nervous or awkward silence. Aposiopesis is the use of an ellipsis to trail off into silence—for example: "But I thought he was …" When placed at the beginning or end of a sentence, the ellipsis can also inspire a feeling of melancholy or longing.

So as a punctuation mark, it sits somewhere between a period and a question mark in effect.

Anne: Bob—

The em dash is used to indicate sudden interruption: for example, Anne was about to say something further to Bob but has been stopped mid-sentence. However, there's a risk of ambiguity if it's used for self-interruption:

Either an ellipsis or an em dash can indicate aposiopesis, the rhetorical device by which a sentence is stopped short not because of interruption, but because the speaker is too emotional or pensive to continue. Because the ellipsis is the more common choice, an em dash for this purpose may be ambiguous in expository text, as many readers would assume interruption, although it may be used to indicate great emotion in dramatic monologue.

Anne: Bob?

Slightly rising tone: depending on context, Anne is asking if Bob is present, or if he can hear her, or if he's paying attention; alternatively, these are assumed and Anne is flagging that a question will follow, or that there is something already apparent that she wants Bob's advice on (e.g. suspicious person appears, and "Bob?" means "How should I respond to this?"); or perhaps she's asking if Bob is the one being referred to.

Anne: Bob!

An exclamation or shout. Anne is either demanding Bob's attention, or rebuking him, or saying his name in surprise or consternation or with some other strong emotion.

Lastly, I should note that using multiple punctuation marks is generally discouraged unless it's in informal writing (such as text messages) or is stylistically appropriate (e.g. in cartoon strips). Since the point of language is to use words to express nuance, it's best to avoid usage such as:

Anne: Bob?? Bob?! Bob!!