a look back to 1906, when the more straitlaced 1st edition of the manual offered intriguing punctuation!, puzzling spaces ?, and curious examples . . .

116. the interrogation point is used to mark a query, or to express a doubt:

“who is this ?” the prisoner gave his name as roger crowninshield, the son of an english baronet (?).

indirect questions, however, should not be followed by an interrogation point:

he asked whether he was ill.

117. the interrogation point should be placed inside the quotation marks only when it is a part of the quotation:

the question: “who is who, and what is what?” were you ever in “tsintsinnati” ?

for a facsimile of the 1906 1st edition of chicago’s manual of style, click here.

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