4.40 rhetorical questions

When you use a 'yes/no'-question to offer help or to make a request, you still expect the answer 'yes' or 'no'. However, people sometimes say things which seem like 'yes/no'-questions, although they do not expect an answer at all. They are using the 'yes/no'-question form to express a strong feeling, opinion, or impression.

For example, instead of saying 'That's an ugly building', someone might say 'Isn't that an ugly building?'. Or instead of saying 'You never seem to get upset', someone might say 'Don't you ever get upset?'.

Questions like these are called rhetorical questions.

• Doesn't the whole set-up strike you as crazy?
• Can't you see that I'm busy?
• Hasn't anyone round here got any sense?
• Does nothing ever worry you?

Another kind of rhetorical question consists of a statement followed by an expression such as 'are you?' or 'is it?'. For example, someone might say 'So you are the new assistant, are you?' or 'So they're coming to tea, are they?'.

• So you want to be an actress, do you?
• So you came up to sit beside me, did you?

Rhetorical questions can also begin with 'how'. They usually express a feeling of shock or indignation. For example, instead of saying 'You are very cruel', someone might say 'How can you be so cruel?'.

• How can you say such things?
• How dare you speak to me like that?

Rhetorical questions are dealt with fully in paragraph 10.21.