Pausing for Rhetorical Questions

Deliver rhetorical questions with intonation and silence that let the audience supply the answer.

A rhetorical question is asked for effect, not for information; the speaker expects the audience to answer silently, usually in a predictable way. Reading one aloud requires two decisions: intonation and silence. Questions that can be answered yes or no ('Is this the future we want? ') usually rise at the end, while questions starting with a wh- word ('Who benefits from this delay? ') often fall. After the question, a pause gives listeners time to form the answer in their own heads, which is the whole persuasive point.

If you rush into the next sentence, you rob them of that moment. Some speakers ask a question and then answer it themselves, a move called hypophora: 'Why does this matter? Because every student here will inherit the result. ' In that case, the pause after the question is shorter, and the answer is delivered firmly, as if settling the matter. Notice which type you face before you read.

• 1Rhetorical questions invite a silent answer.
• 2Yes/no questions tend to rise; wh- questions often fall.
• 3Pause long enough for listeners to answer in their heads.
• 4Hypophora: the speaker asks, then answers.