Rhetorical question: Difference between revisions

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A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for rhetorical effect rather than to receive an answer.^[1] Rhetorical questions encourage the listener to reflect on what the implied answer to the question must be. When a speaker states, "How much longer must our people endure this injustice?" or "Do you really think I want to have a Star Trek themed wedding?", or "How many times do I have to tell you to stop walking into the house with mud on your shoes?"; no formal answer is expected. Rather, it is a device used by the speaker to assert or deny something.

In the 1580s, English printer Henry Denham invented a "rhetorical question mark" for use at the end of a rhetorical question; however, it died out of use in the 1600s. It was the reverse of an ordinary question mark, so that instead of the main opening pointing back into the sentence, it opened away from it.^[2]

Some have adapted the question mark into various irony marks, but these are very rarely seen.

A rhetorical question that intends the communication of "yes, of course".
Examples:

• Was Baron Davis suppose to be in the 2008 All Star game?
• Is the Pope Catholic?
• Is Heather Mills a gold digger?
• Is the sky blue?
• Is the ocean salty?
• Is the sun hot?
• Is this guy kiddin'?
• Does a bear shit in the woods?
• Is the atomic weight of Cobalt 58.9? (from Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters II)

• Aporia
• Hypothetical question

• What is a rhetorical question?
• Audio illustrations of the rhetorical question
• A short definition of the term
• Paul Brians, Washington State University. ""Common Errors in English"". Grammatical Errors in the English Language. Retrieved 2007-10-19. {{cite web}}: Check |authorlink= value (help); External link in |authorlink= (help)
• Roger Kruez, Aaron Ashley, and Kathryn Bartlett, University of Memphis. ""Twisting Arms: Figurative Language Effects in Persuasive Discourse"" (PDF). psychology research paper. Retrieved 2007-10-19. {{cite web}}: Check |authorlink= value (help); External link in |authorlink= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Gideon O. Burton, Brigham Young University. ""Epiplexis"". specialized language definitions. Retrieved 2007-10-19. {{cite web}}: Check |authorlink= value (help); External link in |authorlink= (help)