Overview
Deploy rhetorical questions strategically in argument, persuasion, and academic discourse.
Form and Function
- Implied negativeCan we afford to ignore this evidence? (= we cannot)
- Is it not…Is it not the case that standards have declined? — formal challenge
- How can…How can anyone argue that the data is irrelevant?
- Anaphoric seriesRepeated structure for rhetorical momentum: Who decides? Who benefits? Who pays?
Rhetorical Purposes
- Challenging assumptions: Is this really the only option available?
- Emphasising a point: What better evidence could we require?
- Engaging readers: draws audience into the argument
- Ironic concession: And what precisely did that policy achieve?
Common C2 Mistakes
- ❌ Overuse: one per section maximum in academic writing
- ❌ Genuine question framed as rhetorical — reader confusion about expected answer
- ❌ Isn't it? as rhetorical → ✅ Is it not the case that…? (formal register)
- ❌ Answering your own rhetorical question immediately — undermines the rhetorical effect
When to use
Academic argument
Can the current model be sustained indefinitely in the face of such evidence?
Political journalism
And who, precisely, will bear the cost of these reforms?
Legal persuasion
Is it not beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant was present?
Formal oratory
What greater injustice could a society inflict upon its most vulnerable?