Rhetorical Question Research Articles

FRAMING WATER SUSTAINABILITY AND TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS: A MICROSTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF RHETORICAL STRATEGIES IN ELON MUSK’S 2024 WORLD WATER FORUM SPEECH

This study provides a detailed microstructural analysis of Elon Musk's 2024 World Water Forum speech, focusing on his use of rhetorical strategies to address critical water sustainability challenges and advocate for technological solutions. By analyzing Musk’s language, tone, and framing techniques, this research uncovers how he skillfully crafts a narrative that combines urgency with optimism, positioning technology as an essential tool for addressing water scarcity. Key findings reveal that Musk employs hyperbole to magnify technology’s potential impact, metaphors to simplify complex concepts, and rhetorical questions to engage his audience in critical reflection. Additionally, he uses repetition to emphasize core themes, reinforcing his message on the importance of collaboration across sectors. The study concludes that Musk’s rhetorical approach is not only informative but also mobilizing, as it seeks to inspire both public and private stakeholders to take active roles in sustainable water management. This research underscores the power of strategic rhetoric in advancing discourse on sustainability and encouraging actionable solutions.

Kalimat Tanya pada Percakapan Tokoh Utama dalam Noveltoon Kulepas Kau Dengan Bismillah Karya D'wie

The aim of this research is to describe the types of interrogative sentences in the NovelToon Kulepas Kau dengan Bismillah by D'wie. The research method used in this research is descriptive qualitative by describing the use of interrogative sentences in the conversation of the main character in the NovelToon Kulepas Kau with Bismillah. The results of this research include four types of question sentences, there are 196 ordinary question sentences, 17 rhetorical question sentences, 58 disguised question sentences, and 89 clarifying questions. Of the four types of question sentences, 361 quotations were found, the most dominant type of question sentence used in NovelToon Kulepas Kau dengan Bismillah by D'wie was a regular question sentence which appeared 196 times, while rhetorical question sentences with 17 quotations were the most common type of question sentence. appeared a little. The reason why there are more ordinary interrogative sentences in D'wie's NovelToon Kulepas Kau dengan Bismillah is because ordinary interrogative sentences are often used to obtain information directly, often appear in everyday communication, and have a simple structure. Meanwhile, rhetorical question sentences are used less often because they aim to express feelings without requiring an answer.

Maternal Question Use Relates to Syntactic Skills in 5- to 7-Year-Old Children.

This study examined how mothers' question-asking behavior relates to their child's syntactic skills. One important aspect of maternal question-asking behavior is the use of complex questions when speaking with children. These questions can differ based on both their purpose and structure. The purpose may be to seek out information, to teach, or to get a simple yes/no response. Questions may even be rhetorical, with no answer intended at all. Structurally, questions can include a wh-word (who, what, when, where, why, and how) or not; however, these wh-questions are important because they elicit utterances from the child and support vocabulary development. Despite wh-questions eliciting a response from children, it remains unknown how these questions relate to children's syntactic skills. Thirty-four mother-child dyads participated in a 15-min seminaturalistic play session. Children were between the ages of 5 and 7 years (M = 6.26 years, SD = 1.04 years; 20 girls/14 boys). The Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation (DELV) assessment was used to measure syntactic skills in children. Using the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts, questions were categorized based on structure (wh-questions vs. non-wh-questions) and purpose (information-seeking, pedagogical, or yes/no and rhetorical questions). A repeated-measures analysis of covariance and a linear regression model were implemented to address the frequency of different questions asked by mothers, as well as what types of questions are most related to children's concurrent syntactic skills. When controlling for total maternal utterances, results revealed that non-wh-questions and rhetorical/yes and no questions were the most frequent types of questions produced by mothers, in terms of structure and purpose, respectively. However, wh-questions were predominantly information-seeking questions. This is important, as the use of information-seeking wh-questions was positively associated with children's syntactic skills, as measured by the DELV, and resulted in children producing longer utterances in response to these questions, as determined by child mean length of utterance in words. Taken together, these findings suggest maternal use of wh-questions aids syntactic skills in children ages 5-7 years, likely because they require a more syntactically complex response on the child's behalf. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27276891.

Может ли курьер управлять государством: об уровне оплаты труда на государственной службе

Reasoning over the somewhat ironic and, by and large, rhetorical question indicated in the title of the article, the author touches upon the problem of decent material security (wages) of a public servant and argues for the conclusion about its role and place in the sustainable development of public administration.

EFL Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices on the Use of Questions in Mozambican Secondary Schools

In this study, the use of questions in a Mozambican English as a Foreign Language context is explored as a technique to develop communicative and critical thinking skills in secondary school students. Therefore, a qualitative approach was adopted using a phenomenological design which allowed the use of classroom audio recordings and semi-structured online interviews for data collection, based on Lowery’s (2005) questioning framework. The results revealed that English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in Mozambican public secondary schools are aware of open and closed questions, which they claim to use for checking understanding. However, in practice, they often use open-ended, rhetorical, and procedural questions found in Lowery’s framework. These teachers ignore the relevance of using integrating, confirming, valuing, as well as feeling questions, which foster learners’ communicative skills. These results have strong implications for the decision EFL teachers make on the selection of questions for their classes, as well as the impact of such practices on the students’ outcome at the end of the course or year. Therefore, further studies should be conducted to understand the students’ abilities in the use of English as a result of such practices. In addition, similar studies in Mozambican higher education should examine whether EFL teachers under training are prepared to use questions in class.

THREAT CONSTRUCTION IN ENVIRONMENTAL DISCOURSE: HOW FEAR APPEALS ARE CONSTRUCTED IN THE NATURE IS SPEAKING VIDEOS

Fear appeals are a form of discourse that arouses emotional imbalance which triggers a desire to alleviate the ensuing uneasiness. Often, such appeals result in some forms of behavioural changes, at least temporarily. In public discourse, the behavioural changes are expected to be compliance towards the fear appeal advocations. Previous studies reveal that the effect of fear appeals is largely decided by threat-framing strategies (Furedi, 2006). This study examines how threat-framing strategies are constructed to produce fear appeals in public service announcement (PSA) videos. Data for our analysis comprise of 13 PSA videos from the Nature Is Speaking campaign that was launched in 2014. These videos use a unique narrative perspective, with Nature highlighting its superior power and its indispensability to humans. We adopt the Proximisation Theory (PT) proposed by Piotr Cap (2013) to identify instances of threat occurrences. According to PT, a threat occurs when an external agent or force, referred to as “the outside-deictic-centre” (ODC), is conceptualised as crossing the space to invade another central figure in the narrative, referred to in PT as “the inside-deictic-centre” (IDC). Our analysis reveals that through different choices of nouns and pronouns, Nature is constructed as the ODC that threatens humans, the IDC. The threat-framing strategies were often found to be amplified through analogies, assertions, rhetorical questions, and parallel structures. This study adds to our understanding of how fear appeal PSAs are constructed; future research needs to further examine the effectiveness of these PSAs through public surveys.

Syntactic and semantic variations in negative interrogatives: Contracted vs. uncontracted forms

This study investigates the forms and uses of negative interrogatives with auxiliary verb contractions in English, focusing on syntactic and semantic differences. Data was drawn from conversations in an English class at a university in Lhokseumawe, Indonesia, between a lecturer and students and students and students. The aim was to examine three types of negative interrogatives: Yes-No questions, negative rhetorical questions, and both marked (n’t) and unmarked (not) forms. The research employs a descriptive method with a synchronic time frame, utilizing distributional analysis, including immediate constituent analysis and mark reading techniques, to categorize and analyze the data. The findings reveal that negative interrogatives involving auxiliary verbs exhibit positive and negative presuppositions, with adjectival negative interrogatives showing variations between contracted and uncontracted forms. Adverbial negative interrogatives were found across all three types, indicating their versatility in forming questions. The study highlights that the choice between ‘not’ and ‘n’t’ affects the tone and emphasis of negative interrogatives, influencing the interpretation of responses. Contracted forms often carry a rhetorical or presumptive tone, while uncontracted forms are more formal and explicit. These variations show the importance of auxiliary verbs and negative markers in shaping the structure and meaning of negative interrogatives. This research contributes to the understanding of how negative interrogatives function in English, revealing the nuanced ways in which they impact communication and interpretation.

An Experimental Pragmatic Study on Korean Learners’ Comprehension of Ironical Rhetorical Questions: Focusing on Intermediate and Advanced Chinese Learners

An Experimental Pragmatic Study on Korean Learners’ Comprehension of Ironical Rhetorical Questions: Focusing on Intermediate and Advanced Chinese Learners

Мовні стратегії в медійному дискурсі: аналіз та інтерпретація

The article analyses linguistic strategies in media discourse, focusing on the British national variant of the English language. Media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion and influencing societal perceptions. Understanding the linguistic strategies employed in media discourse is essential for deciphering how narratives are constructed and how information is manipulated to impact audiences. The primary purpose of this study is to identify and analyse the linguistic strategies used in British media to influence their audience. The objectives include a content analysis of media texts, identifying key linguistic strategies and techniques, revealing the impact of these strategies on the audience, and providing practical recommendations for studying media texts. Methods. This research employs content analysis, discourse analysis, and psycholinguistic analysis. Content analysis involves categorising different media texts (news articles, features, interviews) and examining their content. Discourse analysis focuses on the structure and content of the texts to identify how narratives are constructed and which linguistic techniques are used to influence the audience. Psycholinguistic analysis examines the psychological impact of these linguistic strategies on the audience's perception of information. Results. The analysis reveals significant differences in linguistic strategies across various media sources, including newspapers, television, and online media. Key linguistic strategies include metaphors, epithets, rhetorical questions, and irony. These strategies are crucial in shaping narratives and influencing public perception. Additionally, the frequency and intensity of these strategies vary depending on the target audience and the specific goals of the media outlet. For instance, newspapers may employ more sophisticated and subtle language techniques, while online media often use more direct and engaging language to capture immediate attention. The study also highlights the dynamic nature of linguistic strategies, adapting to the evolving media landscape and audience preferences. Originality. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of linguistic strategies in British media, highlighting the specific techniques used to influence audiences. The originality lies in the detailed examination of different media formats and combining content analysis, discourse analysis, and psycholinguistic analysis to provide a holistic understanding of media influence. Conclusion. The study concludes that linguistic strategies are vital in media discourse, significantly impacting audience perception and shaping public opinion. The findings underscore the importance of critical analysis of media texts and provide valuable insights for media analysts, journalists, and linguists. Further research is recommended to explore the evolving nature of linguistic strategies in digital media and their implications for public discourse.

Roman épistolaire et ethos discursif : interprétation stylistique de "La voie de ma rue" de Sylvain Kean Zoh

Epistolary "Novel and Discursive Ethos": Stylistic interpretation of La voie de ma rue by Sylvain Kean Zoh The aim of this article is to conduct a stylistic analysis of the discursive ethos presented in the epistolary novel "La voie de ma rue" by Ivorian writer Sylvain Kean Zoh. Specifically, it examines how the main character constructs a nuanced ethos through a letter that raises awareness about street children. This analysis focuses on the interplay between fragility and resilience within the character's discourse. Here, ethos refers to the image crafted by a speaker to be perceived and understood through their speech. This study employs stylistics as a literary approach to scrutinise and interpret the linguistic resources exploited by the writer. The central question addressed is how linguistic and enunciative-discursive elements serve to shape ethos, inviting stylistic interpretation within the framework of the epistolary novel. The article argues that discursive ethos, a concept rooted in ancient rhetoric, is richly explored and invested in La voie de ma rue. The ethos portrayed in this work is distinctive, rooted in the protagonist's challenging life experiences as a self-described wanderer. The construction of ethos is notably influenced by the specific spatio-temporal contexts in which the subject evolves. For instance, the childhood locales evoke an ethos of fragility, whereas the character’s experiences in the capital city foster an ethos of resilience. In the familiar places of his childhood, the character articulates a discourse amidst an ethos of fragility. However, upon unexpectedly finding himself in the capital, he begins to develop a narrative of resilience within his discourse. This analysis posits that the stylistic examination of ethos in the epistolary novel is facilitated by various literary devices. Among these, deixis, rhetorical questions, axiological lexis, and affective modalisation are identified as particularly significant in shaping and conveying the ethos of the protagonist's narrative. The findings revealed that the stylistic analysis of discursive ethos in Sylvain Kean Zoh's "La voie de ma rue" reveals how the protagonist, through his wandering journey, shapes the notions of ethos regarding fragility and resilience. The text explores various linguistic and enunciative techniques such as personal deixis, rhetorical questions, negations, and evaluative terms, all playing crucial roles as textual dominants. The influence of spatio-temporal context on ethos construction is notable, transforming childhood places into foundations of fragility ethos, and the capital city into a catalyst for resilience ethos. Through life's trials, the narrator-character, an early orphan, evolves from initial fragility to affirmed resilience, shaped by his urban environment. "La voie de ma rue" thus demonstrates how the epistolary novel can be effectively studied through a stylistic analysis focused on discursive ethos.

LINGUISTIC MARKERS OF EXTREMISM IN ISLAMIST TEXTS OF THE RELIGIOUS GENRE “SERMON”: METHODOLOGICAL ASPECT

Linguistic examination of texts with allegedly extremist content is carried out using special methods. The most popular today are lexical-semantic, semantic-syntactic methods, as well as the method of discourse anal-ysis, which allow an expert linguist to make an objective expert opinion on the issues raised. An expert linguist conduc ting an examination of texts with allegedly extremist content has to identify linguistic markers of extrem-ism that are implemented at all language levels. The linguistic examination of Islamist discourse texts involves taking into account genre features of a religious text, having an impact on linguistic markers. Islamist discourse is understood as texts related to political radical trends of Islamism. The article presents fundamental diff erenc-es between the terms “Islam” as a world religion and “Islamism” as a political trend. We propose an algorithm for the me thodology of analyzing texts of allegedly extremist content based on the material of an Islamist text of the “sermon” genre, the main function of which is to instruct believers. Linguistic markers of extremism in the sermon genre are identifi ed during the analysis and are classifi ed according to their main functions: motivation and appeal, negation, demonstration of the superiority of one person or group of persons over other people based on nationality, origin and attitude to religion. These linguistic markers are implemented using the following lin-guistic means: morphological (verbs of obligation, verbs of the 2nd person singular or plural in the imperative mood, the form of the imperative of the 1st person plural); syntactic (particles in imperative sentences, complex sentences with subordinate clauses, addresses in combination with verbs in the imperative mood of the 2nd per-son plural); rhetorical means (rhetorical questions, antithesis); lexical and semantic means (nouns, verbs and oth-er parts of speech with negative connotations); morphemic and word-formation means (comparative, superlative forms). The identifi ed linguistic markers realize the function of demonstrating superiority, appeal, negativity in relation to “strangers”, “others”.

Witnessing Con/Text(s) and Narrativizing Subjectivities: Rhetorical Questions in Atef Abu Saif’s The Drone Eats with Me: A Gaza Diary

ABSTRACT This paper studies the rhetorical questions posed by Atef Abu Saif in his work The Drone Eats with Me: A Gaza Diary (2016). By engaging the theoretical position of Paul John Eakin’s witnessing eye and narrative ‘I’, a framework that emphasises the role of the author as a witness and narrative ‘I’ as a tool for expression, this article analyses witnessing, the consequent development of rhetorical questions, and their impact and interplay. It argues that Eakin’s take on witnessing eye and narrative ‘I’ helps foreground the importance of such questions through the generic scope of life narratives, amplifying its representational range in the recent socio-political and literary landscape. The rhetorical questions in the Diary become performative speech acts that communicate the larger contextual significance beyond the textual world. The situatedness of the narrator, Abu Saif, in Gaza and the position of questions in the text instigate a complex interplay of texts and contexts. The autobiographical efficacy of the respective text, contexts, and the symbolic potential of individual and collective bodies are examined in this article to study these questions. Consequently, this analysis significantly contributes to the fields of witnessing and rhetorical questioning in life narratives, thereby enriching wider academic discussions.

Misleading information in crises: exploring content-specific indicators on Twitter from a user perspective

ABSTRACT Recent crises like the COVID-19 pandemic provoked an increasing appearance of misleading information, emphasising the need for effective user-centered countermeasures as an important field in HCI research. This work investigates how content-specific user-centered indicators can contribute to an informed approach to misleading information. In a threefold study, we conducted an in-depth content analysis of 2382 German tweets on Twitter (now X) to identify topical (e.g. 5G), formal (e.g. links), and rhetorical (e.g. sarcasm) characteristics through manual coding, followed by a qualitative online survey to evaluate which indicators users already use autonomously to assess a tweet's credibility. Subsequently, in a think-aloud study participants qualitatively evaluated the identified indicators in terms of perceived comprehensibility and usefulness. While a number of indicators were found to be particularly comprehensible and useful (e.g. claim for absolute truth and rhetorical questions), our findings reveal limitations of indicator-based interventions, particularly for people with entrenched conspiracy theory views. We derive four implications for digitally supporting users in dealing with misleading information, especially during crises.

Impoliteness Triggers and Strategies in Students’ Complaints: A Socio-Pragmatic Analysis

This socio-pragmatic study aimed to unearth the impolite triggers and strategies used in students' complaints extracted from 100 online student complaints. Using Culpeper's Impoliteness Theory (1996, 2011, 2016), the study identified various impoliteness triggers, namely conventionalized and non-conventionalized impoliteness triggers. The former includes pointed criticisms, condescension, insults, unpalatable questions, dismissals, message enforcers, threats, silencers, negative expressives, redundant patterning, and fighting words. On the other hand, the latter involves non-conventionalized impoliteness triggers, which involve form-driven and bald-on-record impoliteness, red herrings, convention-driven impoliteness, rhetorical questions, and inflammatory expressions. In terms of impoliteness strategies, the study found the use of bald-on-record impoliteness, positive impoliteness, negative impoliteness, and sarcasm or mock impoliteness, with withhold impoliteness not observed in the online context. Understanding the linguistic patterns of impolite complaints in online contexts can help formulate strategies to mitigate conflict and promote more constructive interaction among students. This study may provide valuable insights for improving digital discourse and social interaction protocols.

Teacher-child Discourse in Vietnamese Preschool Classrooms: An Exploratory Case Study of Teachers’ Questions and Statements in the Planned Science Activity

AbstractThe quality of teacher-child discourse affects children’s development and learning. Our study aims to explore teacher-child discourse during planned science activities (PSAs) in Vietnamese preschools. This research is essential to understanding the reasons behind Vietnamese children’s low level of scientific skills and to exploring the dynamics of discourse in an Asian context. We conducted a case study to describe and understand the teacher-child discourse during PSAs. The study involved eight PSA sessions in four classes of three to four-year-old in Da Nang, Vietnam. We found that teachers tended to make statements more often than ask questions. When they did ask, they preferred using closed questions that did not require much of a response from children. Open questions were used sparingly, even though they are crucial for promoting children’s cognitive thinking and literacy. Teachers also made use of rhetorical questions that did not require any answer. This has led to mostly non-interactive classes where students remain passive learners. To improve the quality of teacher-child discourse, we suggest providing teacher training on encouraging children to participate and asking more engaging questions.

Stylistic in children's stories

Background: Stylistics examines the use of language that assesses aesthetics in children's stories. It requires stylistics to bind readers by presenting interesting stories and arousing curiosity. In contrast, stylistics in children's stories can be found if the stylistic devices are known. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore stylistics in children stories of five graders in SDN Kompa Design and methods: This type of research uses qualitative with a literature review method. The literature selection technique uses keywords story, device, and stylistics. Results: This study identifies various stylistic devices, such as Parallelism, Chiasmus, Antithesis, Climax, Asyndeton, Sentential adverb, Irony, Understatement, Litotes, Hyperbole, Metabasis, Hypophora, Distinction, Metanoia, Zeugma, Diazeugma, Mesozeugma, Hypozeugma, Syllepsis, Hyperbaton, Anastrophe, Appositive, Simile, Metaphor, Chatachresis, Metonymy, Personification, Apostrophe, Transferred epithet, Anaphora, Epistrophe, Simploce, Anadiplosis, Conduplication, Epanalepsis, Diacope, Epizeuxis, Scesis Onomaton, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, Assonance, Rhetorical question, Apophesis, Anacoluthon, Oxymoron, and Antimetabole, used in children's short stories to enhance narrative appeal and expression.

A STUDY OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE IN WOMEN’S FASHION ADVERTISING ON INSTAGRAM

The language of the advertisement is distinctive and unique to attract the reader’s attention and motivate them. Thus, figurative language in advertisement is one of the strategies needed to persuade the readers. However, the use of figurative language in advertisements in an insensitive way without knowing the types and functions of figurative language will make the advertisements less attractive and persuasive. This qualitative approach study attempts to analyse the type and functions of the figurative language used in women’s clothing advertisements on Instagram using content analysis. The theory of figurative language by McQuarrie and Mick (1996) is used to identify the types of figurative language used in this study. An analysis of a series of collections of women’s clothing advertisements from five online shops shows that there are eleven types of figurative language, namely rhyme, chime, assonance, alliteration, anaphora, epistrophe, antithesis, hyperbole, rhetorical question, metaphor, and homonym. The findings show that using figurative language in women’s clothing advertisements on Instagram would attract the readers, give a strong impression, memorable, and satisfy the customers’ needs. Overall, this study suggests that figurative language as a language of advertisement is essential to attract and persuade the readers and influence their purchasing decision. This study is also beneficial for the advertisers to create their advertisements using figurative language.

“The mother of every insane form: fetishistic interest and capitalistic perversion”

ABSTRACT Money is the epitome of Marx’s fetishised commodity. And, in Marxist discussions of the connected topics of currency and commodity fetishism, it often is left under-appreciated that such fetishism reaches its apotheosis only with the development of ‘interest-bearing capital.’ Herein, I perform two complementary gestures, one as regards Marxism and another with respect to psychoanalysis. Apropos Marxism, I counter-balance the usual, long-standing (over)emphasis on commodity fetishism as per the first volume of Das Kapital with a foregrounding of this fetishism as per the third volume. Apropos psychoanalysis, I shift away from its traditional fixation on reducing financial matters to libidinal contents. I explore instead the implications of the forms of capitalist fetishism for reconsidering the forms of intra-subjective defence mechanisms. This leads me to posit a complementary inversion of Lacan’s dictum according to which ‘repression is always the return of the repressed’: The return of the repressed sometimes is the most effective repression. To pose a rhetorical question paraphrasing Brecht: What is the laundering of money compared with the laundering that is money?

The Meaning of Korean ‘mwe kulehkey’ Rhetorical Questions

The Meaning of Korean ‘mwe kulehkey’ Rhetorical Questions

THE TRUTHS ABOUT TAUSUGS THROUGH THE LITERARY DEVICES IN TAUSUG CONTEMPORARY SONGS

One of the countries in the world that is linguistically and culturally rich is the Republic of the Philippines. It is composed of various tribes that contribute to its rich linguistic and cultural repertoire. One of these is the Tausug which does not only refer to the people, but also to their language, and culture (Velasco, 2015). From time immemorial, kalangan or song/s, have been featured or showcased in seasonal festivities such as enthronement, wedding ceremonies, or even war hence, it is evident that music runs in the veins of Tausug people that also makes up their identity. This study employed a descriptive-analytic research design that utilized a qualitative approach in the analysis of thirty-one (31) Tausug Contemporary Kalangan (Songs). Through the lens of Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), this study revealed and discussed the literary devices in the select kalangan. After the in-depth analysis, it was found out that there was a total of thirteen (13) literary devices evident as a textual practice in the select kalangan. The literary devices found were Symbolism, Leitmotif, Irony, Hyperbole, Metaphor, Rhetorical Questions, Simile, Metonymy, Objective Correlative, Allusion, Foreshadowing, Personification, and Repetition that revealed the themes such as love, adoration, heartbreak, oppression, manipulation, sorrow, dependence, power abuse of authority, Filial Piety, and strong Islamic faith. Through analyzing the literary devices in the Tausug songs, it has paved way to revealing truths about Tausug people and their culture.