: Re: What are appropriate uses of rhetorical questions? When I speak or teach, I often use rhetorical questions to prompt people to think. I find it helps frame my arguments and clarify how I am

@Deb2945533

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Like lots of style questions, I don't think there's an absolute rule. It's not like you can say, Use rhetorical questions when discussing questions of type 147-B subparagraph 4.

In general, I'd say don't overuse them. I read an editorial not long ago that consisted almost entirely of rhetorical questions, one after the other. "Is it acceptable for a politician to do X? What is the effect on the country if the government does X? Is X a violation of the Constitution?" Etc. I thought it quickly got tedious. It sounded like he didn't have the courage to come out and state his opinions, and so phrased everything as a question. One or two rhetorical questions in an article to make a point can be effective. Fifty gets tedious and annoying.

Second, I'd say be careful if you're trying to use rhetorical questions to sound profound. Being profound is very difficult. If you try to be dramatic and don't quite make it, you might still be somewhat dramatic. If you try to be bold and don't quite make it, you might still be somewhat bold. But if you try to be profound and don't quite make it, you rarely end up being "somewhat profound". You usually end up being laughable.

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