Questions

Questions are vitally important in writing, especially in getting people's attention.

Look at this:

I am going to talk today about Thomas Clarkson and slavery. Thomas Clarkson was the person who did more than anyone else to drive that evil out of the world.

(yawn...)

Now this:

Who has ever heard of Thomas Clarkson? Nobody? I am horrified. Doesn't anyone realise that he is the person who actually abolished slavery throughout the world?

Well, no actually...

Advertisers know this very well.

“Have you had a road accident recently? We can help...”
“How is your smile? Smile in a day with Darwood and Tanner dental specialists...”

Don't take it too far.

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen? 

And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills? 

Not really, although the belief that Jesus took a gap year in UK is now the official liberal intellectual anthem.

Praise works well too as a question (Anacoenosis=cuddling up).

How good is this then?

Who else could have done that? 

How sweet is that?

Or insults (epiplexis=beating up):

What is the point?
Why go on?
How could you?
Do you really mean that?
Could you repeat that please?

Or more simply (more Anacoenosis):

Why not?
What's to stop us?
Why shouldn't we?

Go on, you know you want to!

I put these obvious questions in because they form the backbone of civilization.

If, instead of carrying placards, instead of writing that biting comment, we could once again engage in civilized questioning in a polite way, might we not learn something?

More on this tomorrow. Can you wait that long?

A Level students only:

These types of uestions are all classical old chestnuts. They all have Greek names which you can ferret if it pleases you. Let's don't.

Oh all right then (it's in brackets for nerds)…