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Is this an indirect question:

You are probably wondering, what are they staring at?

My instinct is to add a question mark, since, if you changed the construction to,

You are probably asking, "What are they staring at?"

I would want to add a question mark. But I'm not sure of the answer, which is why I'm asking you folks.

T Bell
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1 Answers1

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That's not an indirect question. It's a direct question.

An indirect question is a question at one remove, using phrases like

  • Can/Could you tell me…?
  • Do you know…?
  • Would you mind…?
  • Do you have any idea…?
  • Would it be possible…?

In these cases, the question is that first phrase, and a question mark is appropriate.

In your example, "What are they staring at?" is a direct question and should be punctuated as your instinct tells you.

Note that "You are probably wondering..." is not a question, so it doesn't form an indirect question. It is a statement, and the object of wondering is a noun phrase, in this case "what they are staring at".

Andrew Leach
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  • The OP asked whether "You are probably wondering..." was a question, so your first sentence is potentially confusing. You give the answer only as an afterthought! – Kate Bunting Jul 20 '22 at 12:14
  • @KateBunting Actually he asks, "Is this an indirect question?" and my first sentence is "It is not an indirect question." I think the answer is structured correctly, but in any case an answer should be taken as a whole. – Andrew Leach Jul 20 '22 at 12:22
  • Sorry - I had misread it as You are probably wondering what they are staring at. – Kate Bunting Jul 20 '22 at 13:02