Rhetorical Questions

A rhetorical question is a question that isn't meant to be answered by the reader – you use your writing before the question and the context of the question to imply the answer you want.

How would you feel?

How would you feel if your innocent, vulnerable little brother or sister was exposed to dangerous playground equipment?
- In this phrase, the rhetorical question is combined with emotive language to steer the reader in the right direction.
- By using adjectives such as ‘innocent’, ‘vulnerable’, ‘little’ and ‘dangerous’, we suggest that the young child is a victim who needs protecting.
- We then use the question to encourage the reader to agree with us by directly addressing them (as ‘you’ and ‘your’).

Do you want to?

Do you want to die young?
- In this phrase, the rhetorical question is formed because most people would have the same answer to this question, and so it doesn’t need an answer – we would all assume that everyone would answer ‘no’ to this question.

Aren't you ashamed?

Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?
- In this phrase, the rhetorical question is formed because most people would have the same answer to this question, and so it doesn’t need an answer.
- Because of the way this is phrased, the ‘correct’ response would be ‘yes’. By phrasing it in this way, we have implied that the reader/listener should be ashamed of themselves, and so should not have any other response to the question.

1Key Terms

1.1Key Terms

1.1.1Key Terms - Nouns, Verbs & Sentences

1.1.2Key Terms - Sentence and Clause Types

1.1.3Key Terms - Words, Sounds & Language

1.1.4Key Terms - Types of Language

1.1.5Key Terms - Images, Symbols & Mood

1.1.6Key Terms - Mood & Feelings

1.1.7Key Terms - Other Techniques

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Key Terms

2Language Devices

2.1Language Devices

2.1.1Metaphors

2.1.2Similes

2.1.3Metaphors & Similes HyperLearning

2.1.4Personification

2.1.5Pathetic Fallacy

2.1.6Puns & Oxymorons

2.1.7Hyperbole & Emotive Language

2.1.8Alliteration

2.1.9Sibilance

2.1.10Onomatopoeia

2.1.11Recap: Language Devices

2.1.12End of Topic Test - Language Devices

3Writing Structure

3.1Writing Structure

3.1.1Narrators

3.1.2Paragraphs

3.1.3Tense

3.1.4Present vs Past vs Future Tense

3.1.5Foreshadowing

3.1.6Structure

3.1.7End of Topic Test - Writing Structure

4Section B: Reading & Writing

5Section C: Writing

5.1Writing Task

5.1.1Discursive Writing

5.1.2Narrative Writing

5.1.3Descriptive Writing

5.1.4End of Topic Test - Writing Task

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