An example of a rhetorical question is such a speech circulation that is intriguing, but does not imply an answer. Such statements add expressiveness and colorfulness to words, allow emphasizing something important, penetrate deeper into the consciousness of listeners and induce them to act. In this article, we will consider how to properly use rhetorical questions in speech and what this will give us.
Definition
Rhetorical utterance is used in speech as a statement spoken with interrogative intonation. The essence of this turn is that both interlocutors know exactly the answer, and they do not need to pronounce it by ear. Here are some examples of rhetorical questions:
- All people are aging: "Are all people aging?"
- After winter comes spring: "Does spring come after winter?"
Also a rhetorical question may be a quote from some famous work.
Role
Rhetorical questions give a certain coloring to human speech. They perform the following functions:
- make speech expressive;
- pay attention to the speaker;
- lead to a specific topic;
- focus on any problem;
- used as quotes from a famous person or work.
Kinds
Since the Russian language is rich, examples of rhetorical questions will be somewhat diverse. Here are the most common sayings:
The first type of this speech turn is interrogative-rhetorical phrases. They are actively used in everyday life to express their personal attitude to any event that happened:
- "How could I leave my phone in the classroom?" - this exclamation shows a clear emotional coloring of annoyance, resentment and irritation.
The next example of a rhetorical question is incentive. This type is also often used in everyday communication. It has an instructive character, but due to interrogative intonation it is pronounced much softer than the order:
- "Children, are you going to go to bed?" - This phrase is more like an urgent request than a demand.
Also a rhetorical question may be negative. The principle of its action is that when constructing a sentence, the “not” particle is not used:
- "Once I was young: can I regain my youth again?" - this statement is put in such a way that obviously carries a negative value.
Another example of a rhetorical question, which is accompanied by an extremely clear tone of voice and notes of condemnation. It is used to enhance the semantic load of the phrase, emphasizing its own rightness and adding expression:
- "Is it possible to do this?"; "Are there really people who don't like tomato juice?"; "How can I wear such a dress?
How to understand and where to use
Rhetorical question. How to recognize this speech circulation in everyday life and in public speaking?
There are several universal rules to help you do this:
- Any rhetorical question can be rephrased into a statement. If you doubt the words your interlocutor has said, just try to pronounce them with the utmost accuracy or categorically. For example, the phrase: "Am I an enemy to myself?" can be said in the standard form: "I am not my enemy."
- Often, speakers tear rhetorical questions out of any works or quote famous people: "And who are the judges?" (A. S. Griboedov "Woe from Wit");
- Listen carefully to the interlocutor, given the hidden meaning of his words.
In order to use rhetorical questions correctly, the speaker must remember that all the peculiarities and subtleties of this speech circulation must be taken into account. You need to think about what idea you would like to emphasize with a phrase, how it can affect the audience. It is important to consider the audience where the speech is made.
It is also necessary to formulate a rhetorical question in such a way that the listener does not have any misunderstanding.
It is advisable to accompany the rhetorical question with certain facial expressions or gestures, so that the interlocutor does not have a sense of the ambiguity of the phrase.