Purpose of a Rhetorical Question

Questions without Answers

We mostly ask questions to get information. So when we ask questions we are usually looking for an answer.What will the weather be today? What would you like to eat for dinner?

Unlike information seeking questions, rhetorical questions are not meant to be answered.

Why ask a question that is not really a question? Rhetorical questions are used to make a point or draw attention to something important.

When we ask a rhetorical question we want people to really think about what we are saying. Since they don't need an answer or the answer is obvious, or clear, the real meaning of rhetorical questions is often implied, suggested and not directly said.

Rhetorical questions are used to make people think about the point being made, not to get answers.

Draw Attention

If you wrote a note to a friend and wanted to show them that the information was important how would you do that? Would you underline the important words or maybe circle them? Rhetorical questions work just like a highlighter pointing out important parts of a message.

Rhetorical questions work like a highlighter drawing attention to important points.

Imagine you are running late to meet a friend for lunch. When you finally make it to the restaurant your friend asks: Do you know what time it is? This is a rhetorical question. Your friend doesn't want you to look at the clock and tell him the time, he just wants to draw attention to the fact that you are late! The implied meaning is that being late is not good.

Identifying the Negative

Rhetorical questions are often used to show that a situation or circumstance is bad or communicate that someone is in a bad mood.

When people get frustrated and things don't seem to be going their way they might ask what is the point? or where did I go wrong? These rhetorical questions are a way of expressing difficulty and telling others you are having a hard time.

Identifying the Positive

Rhetorical questions aren't all about pointing out bad situations. Negative rhetorical questions are used to show that something is actually positive. The question itself may sound bad, but it is meant to show that the opposite is actually true. These negative questions get people to think about how positive a situation really is.

After watching an entertaining movie with a friend, your friend might ask: Wasn't that movie good? The question sounds negative because it starts with a negative word, but it really draws attention to the fact that your friend thought the movie was great.

Literary Devices

So far we have seen examples of the way rhetorical questions can be used in everyday conversations, but they are also an important literary device, an element used by writers to get their message across to readers. In literature, rhetorical questions are used to persuade, or convince, a reader or to make a reader think about an author's message.