Rhetorical terms · AP English Language, SAT Reading and Writing, ACT Reading
Rhetorical question
Rhetorical question: A question asked for effect, often to lead the audience toward a conclusion it supplies itself.
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What it means
A rhetorical question assumes the answer is obvious, and that is its power: it makes the audience supply the conclusion themselves. It can also challenge an audience, express emotion or introduce a topic.
The effect depends on whether the audience will answer the question the way the writer intends. A rhetorical question aimed at a skeptical audience can backfire.
Example
'If we would not accept a bridge that fails one time in ten, why do we accept a reading program that fails one student in ten?' The question makes listeners apply a standard they already accept.
On the exam
Explain what answer the writer expects and why getting the audience to supply it advances the purpose.