The medieval question mark had an additional function that has since been lost: a mirror-reversed question mark (called punctus percontativus) signified a rhetorical question that did not expect a direct answer.

The North Korean nuclear issue, stalemated for the past three years, is now back in play again - not before time.

Despite restrictions I did manage to talk a couple of colleagues into doing a sponsored walk …. Due to COVID-19 we had to organise this ourselves, but it went off splendidly and the three of us walked 12 miles along the Basing Canal on the River Wey and Thames. ….

As yet a child, nor yet a fool to fame, / I lisp'd in numbers, for the numbers came.