"I have a question"

There are multiple reasons to ask a question. These include:

1. To glean information that we do not currently possess ("What is the meaning of life?").

2. To verify something of which we are unsure ("Do you think they knew what would happen before XX actually happened?").

3. To rhetorically (and sarcastically) state something to someone that we think is obvious but is obvious they do not know ("Are you stupid?").

There are also multiple types of personalities that may be asking questions and means by which a question is posed. These include:

1. People who just ask questions. You know. Because they are trying to get information they do not currently possess.

2. People who announce their intention to ask a question ("I have a question").

3. People who ask a question to see if it's ok to ask a question ("Can I ask you a question?")

   1. There are smart-asses who reply to that question with: "You just did".

4. People who say they have a question and then state something.

To that last one, let’s look at a case in point:

Me? (answering a call) How can I help you?

Not-a-question (henceforth NQ): I have a question.

Me: Alright.

NQ: I applied for the weekend position.

Me: (waits patiently for whatever question it is they need to ask) Ok...

NQ: (is silent)

Me: (waits a few more seconds) Ok, and what is your question.

NQ: I applied for the weekend position.

Me: Yes, you said that, but you said you have a question and have yet to ask your question. What is your question?

NQ: What is the status of my application?

I fail to understand how some people think a statement is a question. At a minimum, If the inflection was a bit different (up on the word 'question'), it would have changed the statement into a question.

'I have a question?'

To which Yours Truly would have replied (being one of the afore-mentioned smart-asses): 'I don't know, do you?' But that, at least, would have at least produced a question.

Come to think of it, the initial part of my conversation with the not-a-question-asker also went nowhere, so there's that.

Oh, in case you were wondering, she wasn't hired for the weekend position. Turns out her inability to ask a question after announcing she had a question was indicative of a few other flaws that led to her application being rejected.