New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

Considering and emulating the use of rhetorical questions in opinion writing

I can understand and emulate how opinion writers use rhetorical questions for effect.

New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

Considering and emulating the use of rhetorical questions in opinion writing

I can understand and emulate how opinion writers use rhetorical questions for effect.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Rhetorical questions engage the reader by encouraging them to consider their own opinions.
  2. They are structured in the same way as a normal question.
  3. They can be answered by the writer or left unanswered - both create different effects.
  4. They can be combined with direct address to effectively grab the reader’s attention.

Common misconception

A rhetorical question is never answered. It is designed to make people think.

While a rhetorical question is designed to encourage the reader or audience to consider their views on the subject matter, a writer can choose to answer the rhetorical question conveying their opinions (but they don't have to).

Keywords

  • Rhetorical questions - questions posed for effect, not requiring an answer, to emphasise a point

  • Opinion writing - writing that expresses personal views on a topic, backed by reasoning, to persuade or inform readers

  • Direct address - speaking directly to the audience using "you" to engage and involve them in the message

  • Personal pronouns - words like "I", "you" and "we" used to refer to individuals or groups in place of their names

The task slide for Task B includes a summary of the key ideas in Hoare's article (needed to write a response to it for this task) however you may wish to omit this and instead work with the class to summarise the text together. This might better support their understanding of the text.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need to access to a copy of the Guardian article 'All zoos should be closed - other species have rights' by Philip Hoare. There is a link attached in the additional materials.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is being described here: 'speaking directly to the audience using "you" to engage and involve them in the message'?
rhetorical questions
Correct answer: direct address
analogies
alliteration
Q2.
Which of the following words are personal pronouns?
Correct answer: they
Correct answer: we
who
quickly
Q3.
What is opinion writing?
writing that provides factual information without any personal bias
writing that tells a fictional story for entertainment
Correct answer: writing that expresses a personal viewpoint supported by reasons and evidence
writing that describes a process or gives instructions
Q4.
Which punctuation mark is being described here: 'a piece of punctuation that can separate two closely related clauses'?
Correct answer: semicolon
colon
dashes
question mark
exclamation mark
Q5.
Which of these does not apply to opinion writing?
expressing a personal viewpoint
presenting personal opinions with supporting arguments
Correct answer: providing factual information without personal bias
using reasoning and evidence to persuade the reader
Q6.
What should you aim to do on the first line of your opinion piece?
introduce a counterargument
present a complex statistic
Correct answer: state your main opinion clearly
provide a detailed background history

6 Questions

Q1.
What is a rhetorical question?
a question that expects an answer
Correct answer: a question used to emphasise a point
a question that provides factual information
a question that introduces new data
Q2.
Should a rhetorical question be answered?
never
always
Correct answer: it can be, but doesn't have to be
only when used at the end of a piece of writing
only when it is used as an opening sentence
Q3.
Which of these is not a top tip for using rhetorical questions?
It need to be structured as a question (question word(s) and a question mark).
It should used to emphasise key ideas only.
It can be answered by the writer but it doesn’t have to be.
Correct answer: It should be used only at the beginning or end of a paragraph.
Q4.
Which of the rhetorical questions below would be least effective in an opinion piece about the rise of technology?
Correct answer: How has technology changed the way we communicate?
Is our dependence on smartphones making us less human?
Why do people enjoy reading books?
Could the internet be widening the gap between rich and poor?
Q5.
It can be really effective to combine rhetorical questions with to grab the reader's attention and encourage them to consider their own views on the topic. Which two words are missing?
Correct Answer: direct address, personal pronouns
Q6.
Which of these rhetorical questions are used incorrectly?
Correct answer: 'How many of you own a smartphone? Hold up your hands and I'll count them.'
'Have you ever gone a full day with no social media?'
Correct answer: 'Are you addicted to gaming.'
'Have you ever considered what technology does to your brain?'

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