Как составить риторический вопрос на английском

Риторический вопрос в английском языке

Риторический вопрос (Rhetorical Question) – выразительное средство вопроса со смыслом утверждения. В отличие от обычного, риторический вопрос не требует ответа, а лишь привлекает внимание получателя и выражает авторскую эмоцию. Вопросительная интонация и препинание заостряют внимание на сути высказывания.

What have I done to deserve it? – Чем я это заслужил?

Is the poor privilege to turn the key – Является ли бедность привилегией повернуть ключ?

Upon the captive freedom? – На пленника свободой?

Риторический вопрос присущ публицистике и риторике.

English Joke

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DEA officer stops at a ranch in Texas, and talks with an old rancher.. He tells the rancher, «I need to inspect your ranch for ill*gally grown dr*gs. «

The rancher says, «Okay , but do not go in that field over there,» as he points out the location.

The DEA officer verbally explodes saying, «Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me. » Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removes his badge and proudly displays it to the rancher. «See this badge? This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish…. On any land.. No questions asked or answers given. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand? «

The rancher nods politely, apologizes, and goes about his chores.

A short time later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the DEA officer running for his life chased by the rancher’s big Santa Gertrudis Bull……

With every step the bull is gaining ground on the officer, and it seems likely that he’ll get gored before he reaches safety. The officer is clearly terrified.

The rancher throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs…..

«Your badge… Show him your badge!! «

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Rhetorical questions can be defined as questions that are not really meant to be answered. Rather, rhetorical questions are asked in order to make a point about a situation or to point out something for consideration. This is a very different usage than yes/no questions or information questions. Let’s quickly review these two basic types before moving on to rhetorical questions.

Yes/No questions are used to quickly get an answer to a simple question. They are usually answered with the short response using only the auxiliary verb. For example:

Would you like to come with us tonight?
Yes, I would.

Did you understand the question?
No, I didn’t.

Are they watching TV at the moment?
Yes, they are.

Information questions are asked using the following question words:

• Where
• What
• When / What time
• Which
• Why
• How many / much / often / far / etc.

Information questions are answered in full sentences. For example:

Where do you live?
I live in Portland, Oregon.

What time does the movie start?
The movie starts at 7:30.

How far is it to the next gas station?
The next gas station is in 20 miles.

Rhetorical Questions for the Big Questions in Life

Rhetorical questions pose a question that is intended to make people think. For example, a conversation might begin with:

What do you want to do in life? That’s a question we all need to answer, but it’s not easy…

How much time does it take to become successful? That’s an easy question. It takes a lot of time! Let’s take a look at what success requires so that we can get a better understanding. 

Where do you want to be in 15 years? That’s a question that everyone should take seriously no matter how old they are.

Rhetorical Questions to Draw Attention

Rhetorical questions are also used to point to something important and often have an implied meaning. In other words, the person who poses the question is not looking for an answer ​but wants to make a statement. Here are some examples:

Do you know what time it is? — MEANING: It’s late.
Who is my favorite person in the world? — MEANING: You are my favorite person.
Where’s my homework? — MEANING: I expected you to turn in the homework today.
What does it matter? — MEANING: It doesn’t matter.

Rhetorical Questions to Point Out a Bad Situation

Rhetorical questions are also often used to complain about a bad situation. Once again, the actual meaning of the quite different than the rhetorical question. Here are some examples:

What can she do about that teacher? — MEANING: She can’t do anything. Unfortunately, the teacher isn’t very helpful.
Where am I going to find help this late in the day? — MEANING: I’m not going to find help this late in the day.
Do you think I’m rich? — MEANING: I’m not rich, don’t ask me for money.

Rhetorical Questions to Express a Bad Mood

Rhetorical questions are often used to express a bad mood, even depression. For example:

Why should I try to get that job? — MEANING: I’ll never get that job!
What’s the point in trying? — MEANING: I’m depressed and I don’t want to make an effort.
Where did I go wrong? — MEANING: I don’t understand why I’m having so many difficulties lately.

Negative Yes/No Rhetorical Questions to Point to a Positive

Negative rhetorical questions are used to suggest that a situation is actually positive. Here are some examples:

Haven’t you had enough awards this year? — MEANING: You’ve won a lot of awards. Congratulations!
Didn’t I help you on your last exam? — MEANING: I helped you on your last exam.
Won’t he be excited to see you? — MEANING: He will be very excited to see you.

Hopefully this short guide to rhetorical questions has answered any questions you may have on how and why we use them. There are other types such as question tags to confirm information and indirect questions to be more polite. 

If you prick us, do we not bleed? 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?

These lines are from William Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice, wherein he uses consecutive rhetorical questions to evoke a sense of human empathy. This literary technique certainly worked here because the speech manages to move us and pushes us to think.

Writers have been incorporating rhetorical questions together for centuries. So, why not take inspiration and include them in your college essays too?

A rhetorical question is asked more to create an impact or make a statement rather than get an answer. When used effectively, it is a powerful literary device that can add immense value to your writing.

How to Use Rhetorical Questions in an Essay

Thinking of using rhetorical questions? Start thinking about what you want your reader to take away from it. Craft it as a statement and then convert it into a rhetorical question. Make sure you use rhetorical questions in context to the more significant point you are trying to make.

Let’s examine everything you must know about using this literary device to strengthen your writing.

When to Use Rhetorical Questions in Essays

Wondering when you can use rhetorical questions? Here are four ways to tactfully use them to take your writing a notch higher and make your essays more thought-provoking.

Hook Readers

We all know how important it is to start your essay with an interesting hook that grabs the reader’s attention and keeps them interested. Do you know what would make great essay hooks? Rhetorical questions.

When you begin with a rhetorical question, you make the reader reflect and indicate where you are headed with the essay. Instead of starting your essay with a dull, bland statement, posing a question to make a point is a lot more striking.

Here’s a video on how you can use rhetorical questions as essay hooks

Example

What is the world without art?

Starting your essay on art with this question is a clear indication of the angle you are taking. This question does not seek an answer because it aims to make readers feel that the world would be dreary without art.

Evoke Emotions

Your writing is considered genuinely effective when you trigger an emotional response and strike a chord with the reader.

Whether it’s evoking feelings of joy, sadness, rage, hope, or disgust, rhetorical questions can stir the emotional appeal you are going for. They do the work of subtly influencing readers to feel what you are feeling.

So, if you want readers to nod with the agreement, using rhetorical questions to garner that response is a good idea, which is why they are commonly used in persuasive essays.

Example

Doesn’t everyone have the right to be free?

What comes to your mind when you are met with this question? The obvious answer is – yes! This is a fine way to instill compassion and consideration among people.

Emphasize a Point

Making a statement and following it up with a rhetorical question is a smart way to emphasize on it and drive the message home. It can be a disturbing statistic, a well-known fact, or even an argument you are presenting, but when you choose to end it with a question, it tends to draw more emphasis and makes the reader sit up and listen.

Sometimes, rather than saying it as a statement, inserting a question leaves a more significant impact.

Example

Between 700 and 800 racehorses are injured and die yearly, with a national average of about two breakdowns for every 1,000 starts. How many will more horses be killed in the name of entertainment?

The question inserted after presenting such a startling statistic is more to express frustration and make the reader realize the gravity of the situation.

Make a Smooth Transition

One of the critical elements while writing an essay is the ability to make smooth transitions from one point or section to another. The essay needs to flow logically while staying within the topic. This is a tricky skill, and few get it right.

Using rhetorical questions is one way to connect paragraphs and maintain cohesiveness in writing. You can pose questions when you want to introduce a new point or conclude a point and emphasize it.

Example

Did you know that Ischaemic heart disease and stroke are the world’s biggest killers? Yes, they accounted for a combined 15.2 million deaths in 2016.

Writing an essay on the leading causes of death? This is an intelligent way to introduce the reason and then go on to explain it.

Types of Rhetorical Questions

Yes, there are types. Here are the three different kinds of rhetorical questions you can use in your essays.

Epiplexis

This rhetorical question is meant to express disapproval or shame to the reader. Not meant to obtain an answer; it is a way to convince the reader by demonstrating frustration or grief.

Example

«Have you eyes?

Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed,

And batten on this moor? Ha! have you eyes?”

— Hamlet, William Shakespeare

Erotesis

This is used to express strong affirmation or denial. It usually implies an answer without giving the expectations of getting one. Erotesis or erotica is used to push the reader to ponder and reflect.

Example

“O mighty Caesar! Dost thou lie so low?

Are all thy conquests,

Glories, triumphs, spoils,

Shrunk to this little

Measure?”

— Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare

Hypophora

When a question is raised and is immediately answered, it is referred to as hypophora. It is used in a conversational style of writing and aids in generating curiosity in the reader. It’s also a way to make smooth transitions in the essay while letting the writer completely control the narrative.

Example

What made me take this trip to Africa? There is no quick explanation. Things got worse and worse and worse and pretty soon they were too complicated.”

— Henderson the Rain King, Saul Bellow

3 Mistakes You Must AVOID while Incorporating Rhetorical Questions

Yes, there is a lot you can achieve and communicate with the use of rhetorical questions. However, it is important to use them sparingly and wherever appropriate. Rhetorical questions cannot be used in every piece of writing.

Using Rhetorical Questions in Thesis Statements

Asking a rhetorical question in your thesis statement is an absolute no-no because thesis statements are meant to answer a question, not pose another question.

Through the thesis statement, you need to highlight the central argument of your essay. Using this space to insert a rhetorical question is certainly a waste of space as it fails to indicate what your paper is about.

The right way to do this would be to start your introduction with a rhetorical question and end the introductory paragraph with a thesis statement that can answer the question raised.

Overusing Rhetorical Questions

Who’s to blame for climate change? How long will we deny the impending danger? What are we leaving for future generations?

Is this impactful? No. It isn’t enjoyable.

Subjecting the reader to an overdose of rhetorical questions, consequently or not, makes for an annoying reading experience.

While you might think you are creating an impact and driving your message home, the truth is, using too many rhetorical questions makes it lose steam. It can overwhelm your readers and add no value to the essay.

So, to create the impact it should, it is crucial to craft a solid rhetorical question and use it sparingly.

Using Rhetorical Questions in Research Papers

Research papers require you to research a topic, take a stand and justify your claims. It’s a formal piece of writing that must be based on facts and research.

The style of writing needs to be straightforward. Moreover, the paper needs to give the reader answers and not pose more questions, which explains why rhetorical questions are inappropriate for research papers.

So, keep this literary device for persuasive or argumentative essays and creative writing pieces instead of using them in research papers.

Conclusion

While rhetorical questions are effective literary devices, you should know when using a rhetorical question is worthwhile and if it adds value to the piece of writing.

If you are struggling with rhetorical questions and are wondering how to get them right, don’t worry. We at Writers Per Hour can help you write an essay using the correct literary devices, such as rhetorical questions, that will only alleviate your writing.

So, buy an essay from us and let our team of experts deliver a professional, well-written one that will impress your instructors.