Back to Basics

"The first interview was general, designed to eliminate the obvious sociopaths. During the second interview we were asked why we wanted to be elves. This is always a problem question. I listened as the woman ahead of me, a former waitress, answered the question, saying, "I really want to be an elf? Because I think it's about acting? And before this I worked in a restaurant? Which was run by this really wonderful woman who had a dream to open a restaurant? And it made me realize that it's really really... important to have a... dream?" Everything this woman said, every phrase and sentence, was punctuated with a question mark and the interviewer never raised an eyebrow." - David Sedaris from Holidays on Ice

First of all, if you enjoyed that little excerpt from Holidays on Ice, I recommend you get the entire collection of short stories and just in time for the holiday season too! 

Secondly, I'm here to talk to you about something very important. Basic, but important. I'm here to discuss a topic that irks me to no end: the incorrectly placed spoken question mark. Referring back to the exerpt, the incorrectly placed spoken question mark is when someone ends their sentence with an inflection, like they are asking a question. Ever heard of someone being called a 'Valley Girl'? Guess what? It's not cute. 

I was prompted to write on this topic from working on/listening to group presentations in some of my classes. Every week I've had to listen to people presenting on a topic that they seemed pretty unsure of. If there is one thing I've learned in life, it's fake it till you make it. One of the easiest ways of doing this is speaking with authority, like you know what you're talking about, even when you have no clue. Do yourself a favor and listen to yourself speak. Hear that? It's a misplaced question mark! You're welcome, friends!   

-ACC