A1 Level – Elementary
1. Do you ask questions?
2. What is a long answer?
3. Do you like simple talks?
4. What is a strong voice?
5. Do you like funny questions?
6. What is a clear idea?
7. Do you understand quickly?
8. What is a surprise?
9. Do you like feeling sure?
10. What is a big mistake?
11. Do you feel angry easily?
12. What is a clever speaker?
13. Do you listen to speeches?
14. What are three ways to talk to people?
15. Do you think talking is easy?
A2 Level – Pre-Intermediate
1. What is the difference between a real question and a rhetorical question?
2. Why do speakers use rhetorical questions?
3. What are the good things and bad things about making a statement look like a question?
4. How can a rhetorical question make people think hard?
5. Should teachers use rhetorical questions often?
6. Why is it important to know when a question does not need an answer?
7. Do you think rhetorical questions are often used in advertisements?
8. What is the purpose of sarcasm?
9. How does a rhetorical question affect the mood of a conversation?
10. What is the difference between questioning someone and criticizing them?
11. Do you think political leaders use rhetorical questions too much?
12. What are the problems when people mistakenly answer a rhetorical question?
13. When is the best time to use a rhetorical question in a presentation?
14. What are two differences between asking and stating?
15. How does a rhetorical question create drama in a movie?
B1 Level – Intermediate
1. What are the rules for politely responding to a rhetorical question (even if you know the answer)?
2. How does the use of rhetorical questions change depending on the speaker’s language (L1)?
3. Should the government track how often politicians use rhetorical questions?
4. What is the difference between a rhetorical question that is purely for style and one that carries a strong moral point?
5. Do you believe that a good rhetorical question is a sign of clever thinking?
6. What are the challenges for non-native English speakers in understanding rhetorical questions?
7. How does the use of rhetorical questions affect the feeling of certainty in an argument?
8. What is the idea of “Socratic questioning” (questions that lead to an answer)?
9. Is it fair or unfair when a speaker uses a rhetorical question to make the audience feel stupid?
10. How does a rhetorical question help a speechwriter emphasize a point?
11. What are the steps for properly identifying a rhetorical question in a complex text?
12. What is the value of teaching rhetorical devices in school?
13. Should public media highlight examples of powerful rhetorical questions in history?
14. What are the reasons why some people feel confused or frustrated by rhetorical questions?
15. How does a speaker’s use of rhetorical questions reveal their personal style of communication?
B2 Level – Upper-Intermediate
1. What are the social pressures to use sophisticated language (like rhetorical questions) to appear intelligent?
2. What are the moral problems when rhetorical questions are used to spread false information indirectly?
3. How does constant exposure to persuasive rhetoric (ads, speeches) affect a person’s critical thinking?
4. Should teachers be legally required to explain the persuasive function of rhetorical questions?
5. Analyze the psychological effect of having an obvious statement presented as an unanswerable question.
6. Who is responsible for preventing the misuse of rhetorical language in political campaigns?
7. What is your view on the practice of using rhetorical questions to avoid giving a direct answer?
8. Evaluate the role of rhetorical questions in historical speeches (e.g., Martin Luther King Jr.).
9. How does the use of rhetorical questions simplify complex political issues?
10. Discuss the concept of “loaded language” in the context of persuasive questions.
11. What are the problems with having very strong emotions attached to certain rhetorical questions?
12. What are the legal differences between a rhetorical question and a slanderous statement?
13. Do you agree that the purpose of rhetorical questions is mainly to influence, not to communicate?
14. What steps should be taken to ensure that political debate is based on facts, not just rhetoric?
15. How does the ability to recognize rhetorical questions affect a person’s media literacy?
C1 Level – Advanced
1. Is it fair that the most skillful speakers often use rhetoric to win arguments rather than truth?
2. What is the right way to think about a politician’s moral duty to use clear language, not just persuasive techniques?
3. How do the platform’s algorithms influence the visibility of highly rhetorical political content?
4. When should the government consider mandatory labeling for highly persuasive or rhetorical advertising?
5. What are the moral questions when we talk about using psychological knowledge to craft highly effective, manipulative rhetoric?
6. How does the focus on quick, memorable phrases affect the long-term, deep analysis of complex issues?
7. Discuss the impact of major rhetorical failures (e.g., misstatements) on a political leader’s career.
8. How should leaders use knowledge about rhetoric to promote national unity and reduce polarization?
9. What is the idea of “pathos” (appeal to emotion) and its reliance on rhetorical questions?
10. What are the long-term effects on society when political debate is dominated by emotional rhetoric?
11. What are the difficulties when courts try to decide if a statement was an opinion or a clear rhetorical claim?
12. How does the search for total certainty conflict with the use of questions that highlight ambiguity?
13. Do you agree that the most important thing is the ethical intention behind the rhetorical question?
14. What are the simple moral rules a person should follow when they use a rhetorical question to make their opponent look foolish?
15. Should the government set a legal minimum for the amount of objective fact required in political speeches?
C2 Level – Proficiency
1. What is the real difference between a person’s genuine inquiry and their strategic use of questioning?
2. Debate the idea: Should we completely eliminate the use of rhetorical devices in all public service communications?
3. How does the concept of “truth” change when it is presented as an unanswerable, self-evident question?
4. What laws or rules are needed to control how technology platforms use rhetorical language to influence user choices?
5. How do historical views of sophistry and manipulation affect modern public distrust of persuasive speakers?
6. How can communities maintain rational debate when leaders constantly appeal to emotion through rhetoric?
7. Argue the point that humans should stop all attempts to analyze rhetoric and focus solely on the facts presented.
8. What protection should laws give to critics who challenge a speaker’s rhetorical use of loaded questions?
9. How can we stop the problem of using rhetorical questions to imply guilt without providing evidence?
10. What did old thinkers say about logic, debate, and the power of language that is still important today?
11. What will happen to the need for human debaters if AI can perfectly craft and refute all rhetorical arguments?
12. How do people use the idea of “that’s just my opinion” to avoid discussing the manipulative intent of their rhetoric?
13. How does the experience of a powerfully rhetorical speech improve a person’s understanding of human motivation?
14. What is the power of a collective movement to demand that politicians use clear, unambiguous language?
15. If scientists could create a perfect system that measures the manipulative intent of every sentence, how would that fundamentally change public debate?
