Rhetoric is that discipline that studies and regulates the language (written or oral) used in various fields of knowledge, such as: political, educational, biological, and communication sciences, among others. Its main objective is to rectify the understanding and aesthetics of shared information; at the same time that communication fulfills its three roles, that is, to be: enthusiastic, persuasive and compassionate.
Also, this discipline is known as: ‘the art of expressing yourself correctly’. For this, it has a structure that the informative document must maintain, achieving the enrichment of the message to be transmitted. Initially, the writer analyzes the topic to be discussed or developed in a manuscript. Next, he must order the ideas or segments of the content, in order to provide coherence and cohesion, in this way, the perfect writing is built, according to rhetoric.
Throughout our studies, we have been exposed to different rhetorical figures, which are characterized by an alteration in the syntax to give meaning to a certain communication, that is, to create an imaginative sense, with the purpose of expressing contrast to the writing, diverting narrator’s attention when reading a rhetorical figure. Thus, the best known and currently used are: metaphor, hyperbole, irony, epiphora, concatenation, among others.
Likewise, there are questions that we ask without expecting an answer in return, these are called: rhetorical questions. They are also known as: rhetorical question or erotema. And they are characterized, mainly, by being enunciated without needing a return answer, alone, we seek to reaffirm our point of view and/or criteria on a specific topic, at the same time that we encourage the listener to reflect on a matter or to adopt a change in their behavior.
It should be noted that rhetorical questions can also be self-questioning. For example, when we say to ourselves: What’s wrong with me? What am I doing? The purpose of rhetorical questions is to touch the feelings of the people to whom we formulate them, even to our own being.
In this sense, it is always important to know a little more about the diversities that language and composition present, because they are knowledge that will help us in different aspects of our personal, professional and work life. Even today, we ask countless rhetorical questions, without knowing it. For this reason, once we know what rhetoric is, and what erotems, known for referring to rhetorical questions, are about, we explain to you through simple examples: What is a rhetorical question? For your better understanding.
Instructions
Life is full of knowledge waiting to be acquired by us, and all of them have a field of application, without exception. Many times, we practice certain activities without knowing that they have a scientific determination. Such is the case with rhetorical questions. Daily, we ask ourselves: What is happening to me today? without knowing that this is defined as a rhetorical question. Therefore, below, through certain examples, we explain: What is a rhetorical question:
Rhetorical questions to third parties:
They are characterized by being formulated without waiting for a response in the feedback, but with the intention of creating awareness in the person to whom the erotema is enunciated, with the purpose of changing their opinion regarding a subject from which we think differently. For example:
- Are you crazy? Let’s suppose that: Pedro says to María: «María, I want to tour America, alone, by bicycle». To which Maria immediately reacts and says: Are you crazy? There, we can denote that she does not expect him to answer the question, she just wants to make him aware of what she is saying so that he changes her opinion.
- Do I have monkeys on my face?: Suppose: Maria is eating and in one bite, she spreads food on her clothes, without realizing it. Pedro arrives, greets her and begins to laugh. So, Maria says to him: Do I have monkeys on my face? Obviously, she does not expect an answer on the question asked. Just let him stop laughing.
- What man would not want to have a girlfriend like me? Let’s assume that Pedro and María are talking. Then, Pedro tells her: “What a wonderful girlfriend I have!”. To which Maria, she replies: “Sure! What man would not want to have a girlfriend like me? ». There, we clearly notice that María does not intend to obtain any answer, only, she presumes her virtues,
- How many times should I tell you to go away?: Suppose that Pedro and María are arguing, and María asks him to leave. But Pedro insists on staying, to which he refutes: « How many times must I tell you to leave?» There, María does not expect Pedro to answer her, alone, she wants to achieve with her phrase, that he understands that she withdraws.
Own rhetorical questions
- What am I doing? Suppose that Maria is obsessed with losing weight, so she stops eating because she thinks that she will achieve it. Looking in her mirror, and noticing the negative effects that lack of nutrition is having on her, she says to herself: “What am I doing?” We note that Maria does not intend to answer that question by saying that she is stopping eating. Alone, she is realizing that she is doing things wrong, and she must change.
- Why does everything always happen to me? Let’s assume that Maria is studying and working at the same time. One day, her schedules collide and she must be at the same time in both places, so she must deliver a final report. There, she says to herself: « Why does everything always happen to me? »She seeks to reflect on the events that are happening to her.
- How many years will pass until he can finally forget her? Let’s suppose that Pedro is sad and heartbroken, because Maria has ended the relationship they had. Therefore, he says to himself: « How many years will it be until he can finally forget her? » Thus, we notice that Pedro does not expect an answer from it, he only reflects on the matter as he decides to stop thinking about it.
- What’s happening to me?: Suppose, Maria is preparing her lunch, suddenly she feels bad, she is experiencing certain ailments and dizziness, so she says to herself: « What’s wrong with me? ». Thus, we notice that she does not intend to obtain an answer from herself, her idea is to reflect on what her organism is feeling at that precise moment.