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Word of the Month
Prov·e·nance
(Noun) The place of origin or earliest known history of something.
Example: Marty disposed of the stray green cookies because no one could attest to their provenance.
Example: Millie traced the provenance of the antiques to Portugal.
Tip of the Month
Question Mark, Colon, or Both?
When a question introduces a list, should you use a question mark or a colon? Or both?
Answer
Use neither “:?” nor “?:”. Instead, use the stronger mark. If it is a direct question, the question mark is usually stronger.
Example: Which fruit would you recognize by texture alone?
- banana
- apple
- blueberry
- pineapple
The question mark can follow the last item if you incorporate the list into a sentence.
Example: Which of these fruits would you most likely recognize by texture alone: bananas, apples, blueberries, or pineapples?
Especially for shorter sentences, a comma can be used instead of a colon to introduce the list.
Example: Which fruit do you like best, bananas or pineapples?
As always, when in doubt, check it out! Contact the Editorial Help Desk for help (Donna_M_MarksPleasant@mcpsmd.org).
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