What are rhetorical questions?

A rhetorical question is when someone asks a question that isn't meant to be answered. For example if you arrive home late your mum might say, "what time do you call this?" she doesn't actually want you to tell her the time, she's making a point about you getting home late. Usually rhetorical questions are used to make someone think or to emphasise a point.

a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.

A rhetorical question is some that doesn't warrant an answer. You're asking it to make or emphasize a point or be dramatic rather than to get a specific answer. Example: I am looking for my house keys before I leave home and can't find them. I might say "keys, really, you're hiding from me?" - of course they're not going to answer me and of course, they're not hidden. I'm just emphasizing that I can't find them.

Rhetorical questions are statements posed as questions that answer themselves. They are often used to create dramatic effect by highlighting the issue they are concerned with in a certain light.

A rhetorical question is one that requires no response. More often than not, it involves sarcasm. Common examples would be 'Are you serious?' or 'Do you really think I am that stupid'?

Hey Juawn,

Rhetorical questions are, questions either written or spoken, that are not expected to be given an answer in response. Often it is used to draw attention to a particular phrase or to be dramatic or sarcastic.

An example of a rhetorical question is:

Is the pope catholic? - we know, if at all familiar with christianity that this is the case, so we are not expected to take the question seriously or literally and is intended as simply a thought, pointing out the obvious as it were.

I hope this helps,

Rubi Jansen

Rhetorical questions are questioins that are asked in order to create a dramatic or special effect. They are also asked by the Author/Narrator, through characters; these characters can be in plays, stories or dramas, in which they speak in rhetorical questions, in order to make a point.

The other notable thing about rhetorical questions, is that they do not necessarily require an answer. In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Juliet asks a rhetorical question, which she does not expect to be answered. She exclaims " What's in a name?" Then she follows this with "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"

Rhetorical questions do not require an answer. They are used to engage the audience and to make the audience think about the answer. It helps to connect the speaker/writer to their audience. For example in a persuasive speech about banning school uniform a speaker/writer might begin by saying, ‘Have you ever thought about all of the money your parents waste on buying you that hideous school uniform? ‘. This would make the audience consider their own view whilst it clearly shows that the speaker/writer disagrees with school uniform.

These are questions that do not require an answer or are used when the answer is already known and the speaker is trying to make a certain point

Hello there,

Rhetorical questions are questions that you mainly use in a persuasive text that you are writing. It usually is answers that cannot be answered but makes the reader think and usually persuades them to know what the text is about. It can also be used as part of emotive language.

Rhetorical questions are not real questions, but they are used to emphasize what we want to say. We do not wait for an answer. Your friend arrives for a wedding ceremony in casual clothes and you tell him: "Do you call this an outfit for a wedding?"

Rhetorical questions are questions that do not require an answer. For example, often questions ending in question tags are rhetorical. "Lovely day, isn't it," or "He's a bit of an old duffer, isn't he." Strictly speaking, those are practically statements, that is, not questions at all. Be careful though, because tone of voice is important here. If there's a questioning sound at the end, they might want a little agreement, a "yes", or a "sure". Another example would be somebody who is trying to make a point, and they use the question as an emphasis. Like, a mum whose toddler is crying, and she wants her husband to take him out. "I think James would like to go to the park, wouldn't he?" She doesn't really want an answer, she wants an action. Sometimes such questions are used in a way that's quite rude. Somebody might say, "Why don't you go and stuff yourself!?" They don't want an answer to that! Or, for something positive, "You're so cool, everyone wants to be like you don't they?"

A rhetorical question is one that is posed to the audience to instigate thought, but does not require an answer. It is often used in text when a character is talking to themselves or you are reading their thoughts.

A question asked which requires no given answer

Hi Juwan!

Rhetorical questions are questions that the author/speaker doesn’t need or want an answer to. So, whilst normal questions may be asked by one person to another person (requiring the second person to answer), rhetorical questions simply pose an idea and don’t need an answer.