What is the point and/or purpose of a rhetorical question?

Question

I do not understand why anyone would ask a question that does not require an answer instead of making a statement. If you are reading this and ask rhetorical questions frequently, please state your point and/or purpose of asking them.

Everyone thank you for the feed back. Jeeen your example of a rhetorical question is bad, as it is not worded as a question but as a statement; anyone using a questioning tone with the words of that sentence obviously doesn't know the difference between a question and a statement.

Answer 1

Rhetorical question is a leading question. Receiver will answer this rhetorical question in his mind. This answer will lead him to answer the primary question that the questioner wanted him to answer in the first place.

Answer 2

Purpose Of Rhetorical Questions

Answer 3

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RE:
What is the point and/or purpose of a rhetorical question?
I do not understand why anyone would ask a question that does not require an answer instead of making a statement. If you are reading this and ask rhetorical questions frequently, please state your point and/or purpose of asking them.

Answer 4

The purpose would be to make a person realize something, without actually telling them. Some people do not take direct statements well, and it is easier to give them a "question" with an obvious answer. It can also be a form of sarcasm.

Answer 5

In my experience, a rhetorical question is often used to emphasize a point; it can also be used to further a conversation.

Answer 6

It makes whoever is listening to you feel involved. if you said, say,
"many people consider the methods used in animal testing cruel and barbaric", then that is simply your opinion. People willl listen to it, but will not necessarily absorb it - it does not have much impact.
If you were to say, on the other hand
"Surely you cannot argue that the methods used in animal testing are cruel and barbaric?" that directly addresses your audience. When they hear the "you" in this statement and the questioning tone, anyone who previously was paying less attention will sit up and feel like they should be involved, and what you say will have more of an impact.

in short it adds emphasis and draws your listener in to be a part of what you are saying - teachers often use it in schools to "wake up" children who are not listening properly to make them feel like they are being asked a question. It also makes the reader feel less as if you are telling something, and more as if they have agreed to a question you have asked them - simply because they cannot disagree with it.

Answer 7

I use rhetorical refrains and choral expressions for emphasis and to keep audiences awake and excited.
I dabble in rap and hip-hop and during live performances we belch out senselessly at the at the audience
SAY yoooo yaaa yoooo!
and they belch it back in chorus
SAY YOOOO YAAA YOOO!
They love it.
Rhetorical questions have similar purpose - emphasis and arresting attention of the listener. Don't you think so?
(that's an example)

Answer 8

rhetorical questions are asked to make the receiver of the question...think. borderline sarcastic questioning. ya think?

Answer 9

so that the person doesn't make an esxcuse for an answer to it. It gets them to think even later in their life about the question

Answer 10

That's a good question and I hope you'll get valuable answers