Purpose
Interrogative sentences are useful when authors want to persuade their audience or pose a question to make their audience think as well as prove their point. By asking a question, it can make the reader feel as though they have a choice or a sense of duty. Interrogative sentences also include rhetorical questions- this means that they don’t have an obvious answer and are made to raise a point rather than a possible solution. As shown by the example below, rhetorical questions are employed in speeches a lot to raise awareness of the speaker’s point of view regarding an issue.
Steps for Analysis
Identify the interrogative sentence by its question mark.
Look for the context around the sentence as well as the argument, point or message the author is trying to make.
Think about the significance of the sentence as well as in the context of the rest of the passage. These questions might help:
How would the effectiveness of the author's message or argument differ if they used a declarative sentence rather than an interrogative one?
What options does the author give the reader, and are they truly fair, or does it seem like there’s only one right choice?
How is the author trying to make you see things the way they do?
Example from Elizabeth Glasner's 1992 Democratic National Convention Address
In this hall is the future -- women, men of all colors saying, "Take America back." We are -- We are just real people wanting a more hopeful life. But words and ideas are not enough. Good thoughts won't save my family. What's the point of caring if we don't do something about it? A President and a Congress that can work together so we can get out of this gridlock and move ahead, because I don't win my war if the President cares and the Congress doesn't, or if the Congress cares and the President doesn't support the ideas.
Glasner, Elizabeth. "1992 Democratic National Convention Address." 14 July 1992. American Rhetoric, 21 July 2021, www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/elizabethglaser1992dnc.htm. Accessed 6 Sept. 2022. Speech.
Analysis of Passage
Elizabeth Glasner’s speech at the 1992 Democratic National Convention focused on her experience as an HIV patient and advocate. Her speech was intended to motivate the audience and raise awareness about the difficulties of progressing AIDS and HIV treatment. To do so, she used the bolded interrogative sentence as a rhetorical question. By asking the audience a rather obvious question with an obvious answer, she starts to force them into looking at the issue from her point of view. Everyone knows that if you care about something, you would do anything to fix or change it. She tries to motivate and shape those who believe that they just care about AIDS and HIV into those who will do something about it and take action. Instead of merely stating if you care about something, you should do something about it, her interrogative sentence poses her idea as a question to allow the audience to feel as if they have a choice, and they are making the right one by supporting her cause.
Rhea M