RHETORICAL QUESTION
RHETORICAL QUESTION. A QUESTION that expects no answer. The answer may be self-evident (If she doesn't like me why should I care what she thinks?) or immediately provided by the questioner (What should be done? Well, first we should …). The question is often asked for dramatic effect. Rhetorical questions are sometimes announced with such a phrase as I ask you (when nothing is in fact being asked): ‘Garn! I ask you, what kind of a word is that? / It's Ow and Garn that keep her in her place, / Not her wretched clothes and dirty face’ ( Alan Jay Lerner, My Fair Lady, 1956).
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Question , ques·tion / ˈkweschən/ • n. a sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information: we hope this leaflet has been helpful in answering your quest… Ask , ask / ask/ • v. 1. [tr.] say something in order to obtain an answer or some information: he asked if she wanted coffee people are always asking quest… INTERROGATIVE , in·ter·rog·a·tive / ˌintəˈrägətiv/ • adj. having or conveying the force of a question: a hard, interrogative stare. ∎ Gram. used in questions: an int… query , query •beery, bleary, cheery, dearie, dreary, Dun Laoghaire, eerie, eyrie (US aerie), Kashmiri, leery, peri, praemunire, query, smeary, teary, theory… question mark , QUESTION MARK, also especially AmE interrogation mark, interrogation point. The PUNCTUATION mark (?). Its primary use is to show that a preceding wor… T. F. HOAD , beg / beg/ • v. (begged , beg·ging ) 1. ask (someone) earnestly or humbly for something: [tr.] a leper begged Jesus for help [intr.] I must beg of yo…
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RHETORICAL QUESTION