English Language GCSE
Rhetorical Question
What Rhetorical Question means in English Language GCSE, as defined for OCR, Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Rhetorical Question
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
A question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.
A question asked for effect or to make a point, rather than to elicit an actual answer.
A question asked for effect or to make a point, rather than to elicit an answer.
Topics that use Rhetorical Question
- Reading meaning and effects (OCR GCSE)
- Spoken language (03 or 04) (OCR GCSE)
- Writing for audience, impact and purpose (OCR GCSE)
- Reading: Non-fiction and Transactional Writing (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Spoken Language (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Writing: Non-fiction and Transactional Writing (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Juxtaposition
- Discourse Markers
- Register
- Anecdote
- Semantic Field
- Connotation
- Cyclical Structure
- Discourse Marker
Using Rhetorical Question in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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