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Blog criado por Bruno Coriolano de Almeida Costa, professor de Língua Inglesa desde 2002. Esse espaço surgiu em 2007 com o objetivo de unir alguns estudiosos e professores desse idioma. Abordamos, de forma rápida e simples, vários aspectos da Língua Inglesa e suas culturas. Agradeço a sua visita.

"Se tivesse perguntado ao cliente o que ele queria, ele teria dito: 'Um cavalo mais rápido!"

sexta-feira, 21 de julho de 2017

RHETORICAL QUESTION – WHAT IS IT?



There are some questions that we ask, but we are not really asking for information. In English, a question with an obvious answer can be used as a way of trying to get attention to something. We call those kind of questions RHETORICAL QUESTIONS. We do not expect an answer.

This figure of speech, as I said, does not require a direct answer. Sometimes, rhetorical questions may be intended to start a discussion or at least draw an acknowledgement that the listener understands the message. Moreover, rhetorical questions might also be the ones that have obvious answers. We ask the question to make a point, to persuade or for literary effect.   

Here are some answers of rhetorical questions:


·         Do you know what time it is? (Meaning that the person is late.)
·     Who’s a lovely baby? (Talking to the person and showing that the person is obviously the lovely baby.)
·         Is the pope catholic? (asked to emphasize a point.)
·         Are you stupid?




ATTENTION


Sometimes we may use why/how should…? But it can be a bit aggressive:


John is unhappy, but why should I care?

Or

Why should I know? (especially in American English it is an aggressive reply to a question.






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