Identify Thyself

To identify a rhetorical question, look for answer choices that begin with phrases such as "To emphasize," "To illustrate," "To contrast," or "To provide an example." These answer choices often indicate that the question is asking you to identify the author's rhetorical purpose.

Here's an example of a rhetorical question and its answer choices:

Question: Why does the author mention the early life of Vincent van Gogh?

• A) To provide a detailed account of the artist's childhood
• B) To emphasize the influence of his family on his artistic development
• C) To illustrate the importance of education in the arts
• D) To contrast van Gogh's early life with his later artistic achievements

In this example, the answer choices all begin with phrases that indicate the author's rhetorical purpose. By reading the question and answer choices carefully, you can identify that this is a rhetorical question asking you to determine why the author mentions the early life of Vincent van Gogh.

When answering rhetorical questions, it's important to consider how the highlighted information fits into the overall presentation of ideas in the passage. By understanding the author's rhetorical purpose, you'll be better equipped to comprehend complex texts and answer questions accurately.

On the next page, we will look at a practice exercise that will allow us to apply what we have learned.