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My question is that which of the followings is correct?

  • My question is [...]
  • My question is that [...]

for example should I use that in the first sentence of this post or not?

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3 Answers 3

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The conjunction that is never used in this context. You have a number of ways to express this question, but none of these ways employs the conjunction that.

  • Which of the following is correct?
  • My question is "Which of the following is correct?"
  • I want to know which of the following is correct.
  • Please tell me which of the following is correct.

You use the conjunction that with an indicative clause, not a question.

  • I believed that both of the following are correct.
  • He told me that only the first of the following is correct.
  • I now know that only the first of the following is correct.

You may however use the demonstrative ('pointing') pronoun that with a question:

  • That is what I want to know: which of the following is correct.
  • I want to know that: which of the following is correct.
  • I now know that: that only the first of the following is correct.
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    From NPR - But my question is that for how long do you want to not to send a signal to Tehran...
    – Maulik V
    Commented Mar 10, 2014 at 10:29
  • @MaulikV: haha politics again, but it seems a serious contradiction!
    – Mohsen Kamrani
    Commented Mar 10, 2014 at 10:32
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    @MaulikV: The speaker there is non-native; listen to the recording, from about 8:40 forward. This is moreover a spoken context, in which even native speakers struggle to formulate their sentences. You will find on Google many instances of non-native speakers writing my question is that, and many instances of native speakers writing my question is that followed by a statement which acts as background to the question, before finally arriving at the question itself.
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Commented Mar 10, 2014 at 10:45
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    @StoneyB I see. To me, being an Indian, it sounded okay. I learn this now. Just tell me, if I use my question is that... and then statement, does it require question mark?
    – Maulik V
    Commented Mar 10, 2014 at 10:47
  • @MaulikV One of the most interesting questions for the next century will be which of Indian English's innovations Anglo-American English ends up adopting!
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Commented Mar 10, 2014 at 10:51
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Though both can be used to ask a question, there's something interesting.

When you use that, the sentence does not require comma in general and I think question mark is optional (I'll edit this if someone comments on it, to make this answer better). On the other hand, the sentence without that generally requires comma.

Check these -

My question is, how does it go there?
My question is that how does it go there (?).

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-2

Both are correct. I think to use that in this case question of style. There are cases when using that is not valid. This case is not one of them.

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  • Do you mean they are equal? I think the second one is a little more official, is this right?
    – Mohsen Kamrani
    Commented Mar 10, 2014 at 9:55
  • I would say yes, they are, but it depends on the missing part of the sentence.
    – AndrasCsanyi
    Commented Mar 10, 2014 at 10:10

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