4.3.10

Rhetorical Questions

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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?

  • 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?

  • 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?

  • 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.
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1

Key Terms

1.1

Key Terms

1.1.1Key Terms - Nouns, Verbs & Sentences1.1.2Key Terms - Sentence and Clause Types1.1.3Key Terms - Words, Sounds & Language1.1.4Key Terms - Types of Language1.1.5Key Terms - Images, Symbols & Mood1.1.6Key Terms - Mood & Feelings1.1.7Key Terms - Other Techniques1.1.8End of Topic Test - Key Terms
2

Language Devices

2.1

Language Devices

2.1.1Metaphors2.1.2Similes2.1.3Metaphors & Similes HyperLearning2.1.4Personification2.1.5Pathetic Fallacy2.1.6Puns & Oxymorons2.1.7Hyperbole & Emotive Language2.1.8Alliteration2.1.9Sibilance2.1.10Onomatopoeia2.1.11Recap: Language Devices2.1.12End of Topic Test - Language Devices
3

Writing Structure

3.1

Writing Structure

3.1.1Narrators3.1.2Paragraphs3.1.3Tense3.1.4Present vs Past vs Future Tense3.1.5Foreshadowing3.1.6Structure3.1.7End of Topic Test - Writing Structure
4

Section B: Reading & Writing

4.1

Writing Formats

4.1.1Letter4.1.2Reports & Essays4.1.3Journal/Diary Entry4.1.4Speech4.1.5Newspaper Article4.1.6Leaflet4.1.7Review4.1.8Travel Writing4.1.9End of Topic Test - Writing Formats
4.2

Writing to...

4.2.1Writing to Inform4.2.2Writing to Inform - Example4.2.3Writing to Explain4.2.4Writing to Explain - Example4.2.5Writing to Persuade4.2.6Writing to Persuade - Example4.2.7Writing to Argue4.2.8Writing to Argue - Example4.2.9Writing to Persuade vs Writing to Argue4.2.10Writing to Advise4.2.11Writing to Advise - Example4.2.12End of Topic Test - Writing to...
4.3

Acronym of Techniques - DAFORESTAR

4.3.1Direct Address4.3.2Alliteration4.3.3Facts4.3.4Opinions4.3.5Repetition4.3.6Exaggeration (Hyperbole)4.3.7Statistics4.3.8Triple (Rule of 3)4.3.9Emotive Language4.3.10Rhetorical Questions4.3.11End of Topic Test - DAFORESTER
5

Section C: Writing

5.1

Writing Task

5.1.1Discursive Writing5.1.2Narrative Writing5.1.3Descriptive Writing5.1.4End of Topic Test - Writing Task

Practice questions on Rhetorical Questions

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  1. 1
    What does a rhetorical question NOT have?Multiple choice
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Emotive Language

End of Topic Test - DAFORESTER