Accordingly, the question "How far does the note issue under the new system seem likely to prove an elastic one? The moment was an awkward one, and Cynthia wished madly that she had not been prompted to ask that unfortunate question.
A question asked without expecting an answer but for the sake of emphasis or effect. That's a rhetorical question. New Word List Word List. Save This Word! See synonyms for rhetorical question on Thesaurus. We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms. Also known as erotesis , erotema, interrogatio, questioner , and reversed polarity question RPQ.
A rhetorical question can be "an effective persuasive device, subtly influencing the kind of response one wants to get from an audience " Edward P. See Examples and Observations, below. They may also be used for dramatic or comedic effect, and may be combined with other figures of speech , such as puns or double entendres.
In English, rhetorical questions are commonly used in speech and in informal kinds of writing such as advertisements. Rhetorical questions appear less frequently in academic discourse. Rhetorical questions are those so worded that one and only one answer can be generally expected from the audience you are addressing. In this sense, they are like the unmentioned premises in abbreviated reasoning, which can go unmentioned because they can be taken for granted as generally acknowledged.
Consequently, people pay closer attention to information relevant to the rhetorical question. Clearly, an ironical rhetorical question is going to have a different effect on an audience than an agreement rhetorical question. Unfortunately, little research has been conducted on how different types of rhetorical questions operate in a persuasive context.
Lawrence Erlbaum, Rhetorical questions have attracted particular attention, as—not requiring any answer—they are so different in kind. Easy enough to handwrite, some late 16th century authors did sporadically use it, such as Robert Herrick. But printers were unimpressed, and the mark never became standard. However, it has received a new lease of life online. Martin's Press, Let me ask you a question. What does an accomplished entomologist with a doctorate and twenty years of experience do when the university cuts all his funding?
My watch is linked to the atomic clock in Boulder, Colorado. It's accurate to one-tenth of a second. But as I'm saying this, it occurs to me that you may have again been asking a rhetorical question. Rhetorical questions are a great way to achieve that.
Leaving a question lingering in the air will allow the reader to spend further time in contemplation. Here are some examples from literature:. If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? One of the best ways to include the audience in your speech is to ask a rhetorical question. It opens up the floor to them, without actually having to open up the floor and let everyone speak.
It simple serves as an opportunity to pique their interest and then continue to emphasize your points. Here are some rhetorical question examples in famous speeches:. Can anyone look at the record of this Administration and say, "Well done"? Can anyone compare the state of our economy when the Carter Administration took office with where we are today and say, "Keep up the good work"?
Can anyone look at our reduced standing in the world today say, "Let's have four more years of this"? Look at me! Look at my arm!
I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well!
I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me!
Are we a nation that tolerates the hypocrisy of a system where workers who pick our fruit and make our beds never have a chance to get right with the law? Are we a nation that accepts the cruelty of ripping children from their parents' arms?
Or are we a nation that values families, and works to keep them together? With all these what-if scenarios, you may be wondering when to ask a rhetorical question. Making your point in the form of a question is sometimes more striking than a flat statement. It has the possibility to leave your opinions hanging in the air for further consideration.
There are all kinds of literary devices available to the aspiring writer. Analogies, metaphors, and even onomatopoeias can heighten your writing.
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