Should a request, worded as a question, have a question mark? Ex: ‘Would you pass the salt, please.’ Its not strictly a question because the speaker isn’t expecting an answer, and yet the recipient could make it a question by replying, ‘No, get it yourself.’
I would punctuate it as a question whether or not an actual response is expected. Failing to do so would have me read it like a command that's been worded as a question. It would feel aggressive, even if only slightly so.
In real life when you want salt, you'd probably speak as if you were asking a question. Also, the answer that the speaker is expecting is the salt -- if you want to look at it that way. So yeah, in my opinion, add a question mark. Also I'll reiterate what Wreybies said. If you put a period your readers will just read it as if it was a command, and then they'd probably be pulled out of the immersion of the book; questioning whether or not the writer is correct or not instead.
I don’t agree. In fact I’d go so far as to say (at least from my part of the world) it’s phrased as a request and neither the speaker nor the recipient think a verbal answer is required. In truth, this ‘question’ would more often that not be worded ‘Pass the salt, please.’ If there’s a black and white grammatical rule which says a ? Is required, then okay.
This can be used to suggest the dynamics of the situation. If the speaker is very authoritarian or angry or there's a lot of tension building up, start dropping question marks to show the politeness is fading. A question mark seems to be the written equivalent of the voice going up politely at the end of the sentence, so these days you might almost write some people with one at the end of every sentence? Know what I mean? (Not really, just demonstrating the equivalence. Though if your writing is a bit impressionistic I suppose you could? To show the self-doubt, the wavering confidence, the deference?)
I think that a request like “Could you pass the salt please” is expressing the need or desire for something so it’s not really a question per se... it doesn’t ask for information, which is the fundamental function of a question in this context.
I would say "could you pass the salt please" is a question, but "please pass the salt" isn't. But of course, either could be said either way, especially depending on the character and situation dynamics involved.
"Would you..." is a question. None of the "ifs" in this thread change that. It needs a question mark. You can do whatever you want; you're the writer, but an English teacher would get out the red pen if you used a period there. Your dialog tags, on the other hand, are a little more flexible. You could use "said" or "asked," depending on your intent.
This reminds me of the way (Hollywood) naval officers phrase orders on the bridge. "All ahead full, if you please, Mr. Jones."
Ah, but Starfleet is allowed to have its own set command phrases. I'm thinking strictly of whether or not real-life naval officers speak that way in English, or even American.
Well yes, unless everybody is passive aggressive, then no. Though if the entire cast were, then they could be the Snarky Bunch or something.
'Pass the salt, please' is slightly different from 'Would you pass the salt, please?' The former could be a command OR a question—and might sound a bit on the rude side in real life. The latter is at least formulated as a polite question. However, at least in fiction, context is everything. Tone of voice, situation, relationship between the others at the table all figure in. Would there be consequences from a refusal? Is this a semi-sarcastic attempt to bring a heated discussion to a close with something mundane? Think about voice inflection and what that indicates about the speaker and the situation. Is the request a command to somebody who will dare not refuse? Or is it a timid request to somebody who might refuse? Or something in between ...a bland and conventionally polite request where the salt gets handed over with a smile? Answering these kinds of questions should help you decide how to punctuate it.
You see 'please' makes everything okay. In my family I could say, "Oi, dickhead! Pass the salt now, please." and it would be passed with a smile.
I would punctuate a question unless it was in a poem. Punctuation in poetry just wrecks the flow. As I understand it for stories, punctuation is required, it actually becomes invisible in anycase. The reader expects it so it only looks odd if you leave out the question mark. That is just my opinion and others may disagree, it is a can of worms really.
^ That's if you're writing formally. If it's casual or takes some artistic license just about anything goes, though an author should be aware of the formal rules so they can be broken skillfully or meaningfully.
