What are rhetorical questions and should I be using them?

TL;DR: A rhetorical question is a question asked for effect or persuasion rather than to elicit an answer. Writers use rhetorical questions to emphasize a point, engage readers, or guide an audience toward a particular conclusion without stating it outright.

Believe it or not, you use rhetorical questions daily. But, being able to harness them in the right way, will make your writing better than ever before!

What is a rhetorical question?

A rhetorical question is a literary technique used by writers for dramatic effect or to make a point. Unlike standard questions, rhetorical questions are not intended to be answered directly. Instead, writers use rhetorical questions as a persuasive device to shape the way an audience thinks about a certain topic.

Why should you use them in your writing?

Rhetorical questions are a powerful but often underutilized technique that can add diversity and flair to your writing. They can explain or pinpoint something to the reader without explicitly saying or writing it. This added complexity forces the reader to engage, consider, and hypothesize about what they have read. This in turn creates a dramatic effect, making your writing much more entertaining to the reader.

To get the most out of your rhetorical questions, read them out loud to make sure they evoke the effect you intended, whether that be revealing the unknown, making a point or subtly influencing the reader.

Where and when can they be used?

Rhetorical questions can be used in most types of writing. Below are common rhetorical question techniques, each labeled with its formal literary term for reference.

Erotesis: Revealing Perception Without Direct Statement

Writers use this type of rhetorical question to reveal a character's perception of the world without explicitly saying it. See the example below:

"What has the world come to?"

Without directly saying that the character is upset by the state of the world, it forces the reader to piece this together themselves.

Engaging the Audience Through Shared Experience

By using a rhetorical question with an intended answer, the speaker can engage the audience through a common experience.

Do you hate doing the dishes? Then, I've got a solution for you!

Hypophora: Asking and Answering One's Own Question

Hypophora occurs when a writer poses a question and then immediately answers it—often with another rhetorical question—when the answer is seemingly obvious.

"Does Nick like chocolate?", asked Craig.
"Is the Pope Catholic?"

Epiplexis: Reproach Through Repeated Questioning

Rhetorical questions can be thought-provoking, leading the reader to arrive at a conclusion on their own and potentially having a greater impact on the reader. This technique, known as epiplexis, uses a series of questions to reproach or persuade.

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?

"The Merchant of Venice" - William Shakespeare

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can you use rhetorical questions in academic essays?
A: Rhetorical questions are generally discouraged in formal academic essays, since academic writing favors direct, evidence-based statements. However, some disciplines allow a rhetorical question in an introduction to frame a research problem, as long as it's used sparingly.

Q: What is the difference between a rhetorical question and hypophora?
A: A rhetorical question is any question asked for effect without expecting a direct answer, while hypophora is a specific type of rhetorical question in which the writer poses the question and then answers it themselves. Hypophora is one technique within the broader category of rhetorical questions.

Q: Should rhetorical questions end with a question mark?
A: Yes, rhetorical questions should end with a question mark, since they are grammatically structured as questions even though they don't require a direct answer.

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To learn more about language techniques, check out our articles on Similes and Quotation marks.