ESL Lesson Plan · CEFR C1

Rhetorical and Emphatic Questions ESL Lesson Plan (C1, 60 Minutes)

A complete 60-minute C1 lesson on Rhetorical and Emphatic Questions, built round the theme "Giving a Persuasive Speech".

CEFR C1
60 minutes
Teenagers and adults
Grammar
Question Forms
Rhetorical and Emphatic Questions

About this lesson

Who it is for. Advanced students who use all standard question forms accurately but rarely use questions for effect. Their speeches and essays are a list of statements, and they make errors in expressive questions (What on earth you are doing?, Who would think that? for Who would have thought ...?).

Everything the lesson needs is on this page: the language analysis, the timed stages with the teacher's own words and instruction-checking questions, the differentiation, the printable handouts and the answer key.

At a glance

Level: CEFR C1 (Advanced)
Learners: Teenagers and adults
Length: 60 minutes. For 45 minutes, run "Freer practice" once through without the second round and cut "Feedback and wrap-up" to board-based error correction.
Skills: Speaking and writing
Language focus: Grammar: Rhetorical and Emphatic Questions in Persuasive Speech (Isn't it time ...? How on earth ...? What if ...?)
Framework: PPP (presentation, practice, production)
Materials: Handout 1 (extract from a student speech), Handout 2 (language analysis), Handout 3 (practice), Handout 4 (speech planner and topic cards).
Preparation: About 10 minutes: print Handouts 1 to 4, one per learner, and read the language analysis. The answer key is for you, not the class.

Download this lesson plan

Google Docs · 60 minutes · PPP (presentation, practice, production)

Download the PDF Word Make a copy

The PDF prints as it stands. The Word file and Make a copy are for adapting it: your copy is yours to change, and the original stays as it is.

Aims

Main aim. To develop students' use of rhetorical questions (Isn't it time we ...? Is it any wonder that ...? Who would have thought ...? What if ...? How can we ...?), emphatic questions (How on earth / Why ever / What on earth / Whatever) and formal question forms with fronted prepositions (To whom ...? For what purpose ...?) in persuasive speech.

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can deliver a 90-second persuasive speech using at least five rhetorical or emphatic question structures, e.g. Isn't it time we banned single-use plastic? How on earth can we justify ...? What if every family ...?

Subsidiary aim. To analyse the persuasive effect of questions.
Subsidiary aim. To plan and deliver a short persuasive speech.

Language analysis

What to know before the lesson: the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language, and the problems learners usually have with it.

Rhetorical question structures

Structure	Function	Example
Isn't it time (that) + subject + past simple?	urging action	Isn't it time we banned single-use plastic?
Is it any wonder (that) + clause?	presenting a consequence as obvious	Is it any wonder that our beaches are dirty?
Who would have thought (that) + clause?	expressing surprise	Who would have thought a straw could kill a turtle?
What if + clause?	imagining a possibility	What if every family recycled just one bottle a day?
How can / could we + verb?	challenging the audience	How can we stand by and do nothing?
Negative question (Don't we all ...? Shouldn't we ...?)	inviting agreement	Don't we all want clean water?
Question + immediate answer (hypophora)	guiding the argument	So what can we do? The answer is simple.

Emphatic questions

How / What / Why / Who / Where on earth ...? (strong surprise or annoyance): How on earth can we justify this?
Why ever / Whatever / Whoever / However ...? (as one or two words in emphatic questions): Why ever would anyone do that?
Normal question word order follows: What on earth are you doing? (not What on earth you are doing?)

Formal fronted prepositions

Informal: Who are we doing this for? Formal: For whom are we doing this? · What purpose does it serve? / To what end ...?

Pronunciation

Rhetorical questions usually fall at the end (no answer is expected): Isn't it time we acted? ↘
Pause after the question for effect.
Stress on earth: How on EARTH ...?

Concept-checking questions

Isn't it time we banned single-use plastic? · Does the speaker expect an answer? (No.) · Why the past form banned? (It's the pattern after It's time; it doesn't mean past time.) · Is it any wonder that our beaches are dirty? · Is the speaker surprised that the beaches are dirty? (No, it's obvious to the speaker.)

Anticipated problems and solutions

Problem	Solution
Present tense after Isn't it time we ... (we ban).	Board: It's time + subject + past simple (unreal).
Statement word order in emphatic questions (What on earth you are doing?).	Board normal question order after on earth.
Who would think ...? for surprise	Teach Who would have thought ...? as a chunk.
Overuse making speeches sound unnatural.	Guideline: one rhetorical question per main point.
Rising intonation on rhetorical questions.	Drill falling intonation and pauses.

Board plan

Left: functions	Centre: patterns	Right: delivery
urge action · show the obvious · express surprise · imagine · challenge · invite agreement · guide the argument
Isn't it time (that) we + past simple? · Is it any wonder (that) ...? · Who would have thought (that) ...? · What if + clause? · How can we ...? · Don't we all ...? · So what can we do? (answer) · How / What / Why on earth + question order? · Why ever ...? · For whom ...? To what end ...?
Rhetorical: ↘ falling · pause after the question · How on EARTH ...?

Warm-up5 minutes · Whole class, pairs

Aim: To raise awareness of questions used for effect.

Ask the class, with dramatic delivery: "Who wants to spend the whole weekend doing homework? ... Nobody? Exactly."

Ask: "Did I want an answer? Why did I ask the question?" Pairs discuss (2 minutes). Elicit: to make a point, to involve the audience.

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, groups, whole class

Aim: To present rhetorical and emphatic questions in a model speech and clarify their form, function and delivery.

Part A: Reading and listening (6 minutes)

Give out Handout 1. Read the speech aloud with appropriate delivery while students follow. Ask: "What does the speaker want the audience to do? Was it persuasive?"

Pairs discuss.

Part B: Analysis (6 minutes)

Give out Handout 2. Say: "In groups, find the questions in the speech. Match each one to its function. Then answer the questions."

ICQs: "Where do you find the questions?" (In the speech.) "What do you match them to?" (Functions.)

Monitor and help.

Part C: Clarification (8 minutes)

Feedback. Build the functions and patterns on the board.

Isn't it time ...? Ask the CCQs. Highlight the past form after It's time.

Emphatic questions. Board What on earth you are doing ✗ → What on earth are you doing?

Formal fronted prepositions. Contrast Who is this for? with For whom is this?

Delivery. Model falling intonation and pauses. Students repeat three questions from the speech with dramatic delivery.

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Aim: To practise the structures accurately.

Give out Handout 3. Say: "Exercise A: rewrite the statements as rhetorical questions using the words given. Exercise B: correct the errors. Seven minutes."

Pairs check and read their questions aloud with persuasive delivery. Check as a class.

Freer practice18 minutes · Pairs, then groups, then whole class

Aim: To use rhetorical and emphatic questions in a persuasive speech.

Give out Handout 4. Pairs choose a topic card and plan a 90-second speech using the planner. They must include at least five structures from today (8 minutes).

ICQs: "How long is the speech?" (90 seconds.) "How many question structures?" (At least five.)

Deliver (6 minutes). In groups of six (three pairs), one student from each pair delivers the speech. Listeners tick the structures they hear and give one piece of feedback on delivery.

Two speakers perform for the whole class. The class votes for the most persuasive speech (4 minutes).

Monitor and note language use.

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Aim: To give feedback and consolidate.

Board the most effective questions and one or two with errors. Students correct the errors.

Ask: "How many rhetorical questions is too many?" Discuss balance.

Set the homework.

Homework Write a persuasive article or speech (250 words) on an issue you care about. Use at least six rhetorical or emphatic question structures and underline them.

PPP (presentation, practice, production). Stage times add up to 60 minutes.

Differentiation

Support: Give weaker students a pattern card with examples. Allow them to write their speech in full before delivering it.
Stretch: Stronger students use Need I remind you that ...? Dare we imagine ...? Must we wait until ...? (formal modal questions). They answer their own questions (hypophora) to structure the speech.

Adapting the lesson

For	What to change
A large class (40 or more)	Keep the pairwork in "Freer practice" in fixed pairs rather than a mingle, and take feedback from four or five pairs instead of the whole room. Run "Deliver" once, with two pairs reporting, rather than hearing every pair. Monitor one half of the room during "Controlled practice" and the other half during "Freer practice".
A class with no photocopier	Put the exercises from Handout 3: Practice on the board for learners to copy into their notebooks, and read any text aloud twice instead of printing it. Handout 4: Speech Planner and Topic Cards works read out from the front: learners note what they need rather than holding a card. The board plan above is this lesson's minimum - with that on the board, it runs on no paper at all.
An online class	Send Handouts 1 to 4 in the chat before the lesson and put the board plan on a shared slide. Use breakout rooms for "Deliver" and visit each room once. Have learners type the controlled answers in the chat, so you see every answer at once instead of nominating.
A different age group	With teenagers at this level, cut the academic framing and keep the examples in their own world; the forms do not change. With adults in a work context, swap the lesson's texts for ones from their own field and keep the analysis as it stands.

Checking learning

The speech includes at least five rhetorical or emphatic question structures used accurately. Rhetorical questions are delivered with falling intonation and pauses. 7 out of 8 or better on Handout 3, Exercise A.

Teacher's reflection

Did students use the questions for effect rather than as decoration? Was the delivery practice useful?

Handout 1: A Student Speech

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

"OUR BEACHES, OUR RESPONSIBILITY": extract from a speech to the school assembly

Good morning, everyone. Last weekend, I walked along Mount Lavinia beach. And what did I find? Bottles, bags, straws, and a turtle tangled in a fishing net. Who would have thought that a beach so beautiful could become a rubbish dump?

Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic enter the ocean. Is it any wonder that our fish now contain microplastics? And how on earth can we call ourselves an island nation if we can't protect our own sea?

Some people say, "One person can't make a difference." Really? What if every student in this school used a refillable bottle? That's a thousand fewer plastic bottles every single day.

Don't we all want to swim in clean water? Don't we all want our children to see turtles? So what can we do? The answer is simple: refuse, reuse, recycle.

For whom are we protecting these beaches? Not for ourselves, but for the next generation. Isn't it time we stopped making excuses and started taking action?

Thank you.

Discuss.

What does the speaker want the audience to do? ______________________________
Which question did you find most persuasive? Why? ______________________________

Handout 2: Language Analysis

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Find a question in the speech for each function.

Discuss.

Why does the speaker say Isn't it time we stopped, not we stop? ______________________________
Rewrite For whom are we protecting these beaches? informally. ______________________________
Does the speaker expect answers to these questions? How should they be said? ______________________________

Function	Question from the speech
express surprise
present a consequence as obvious
show strong annoyance (emphatic)
imagine a possibility
invite agreement
ask and then answer (guide the argument)
formal question with a fronted preposition
urge action

Handout 3: Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Rewrite each statement as a rhetorical or emphatic question using the words given.

B. Correct the errors.

We should stop wasting food now. (Isn't it time) → ______________________________
Obviously, students are tired; they sleep only five hours. (any wonder) → ______________________________
I'm very surprised that a small app changed the whole country. (Who would have thought) → ______________________________
Imagine if every school planted 100 trees. (What if) → ______________________________
We all want a safer city. (Don't) → ______________________________
I can't understand how anyone could ignore this. (How on earth) → ______________________________
Who is this law for? (formal: whom) → ______________________________
We cannot just do nothing. (How can) → ______________________________
What on earth you are doing? ______________________________
Isn't it time we stop talking and start acting? ______________________________
Who would think that a straw could kill a turtle? ______________________________
Is it any wonder why people are angry? ______________________________
Whom is this money for? (formal) ______________________________

Handout 4: Speech Planner and Topic Cards

Topic cards (choose one)

Speech planner


Phones should be banned in schools.	Every student should learn to swim.
Cars should be banned from city centres on Sundays.	Homework should be optional.
Fast food advertising should be banned.	Every town needs a free public library.

Section	My notes	Question structure
Hook (start)		Who would have thought ...? / Have you ever ...?
Problem		Is it any wonder that ...? / How on earth ...?
Solution		What if ...? / So what can we do?
Appeal to the audience		Don't we all ...?
Call to action (end)		Isn't it time we ...?

Answer Key

Handout 2

Handout 3, Exercise A

Handout 3, Exercise B

Common errors to watch for

Surprise: Who would have thought that a beach so beautiful could become a rubbish dump? · Obvious consequence: Is it any wonder that our fish now contain microplastics? · Emphatic: How on earth can we call ourselves an island nation ...? · Imagine: What if every student in this school used a refillable bottle? · Invite agreement: Don't we all want to swim in clean water? · Question + answer: And what did I find? Bottles ... / So what can we do? The answer is simple ... · Fronted preposition: For whom are we protecting these beaches? · Urge action: Isn't it time we stopped making excuses ...?
After It's time + subject, we use the past simple (unreal; it means "now"). · 2. Who are we protecting these beaches for? · 3. No; with falling intonation and a pause.
Isn't it time we stopped wasting food? · 2. Is it any wonder (that) students are tired when they sleep only five hours? · 3. Who would have thought (that) a small app could change the whole country? · 4. What if every school planted 100 trees? · 5. Don't we all want a safer city? · 6. How on earth could anyone ignore this? · 7. For whom is this law (intended)? · 8. How can we just do nothing?
What on earth are you doing? · 2. Isn't it time we stopped talking and started acting? · 3. Who would have thought that a straw could kill a turtle? · 4. Is it any wonder (that) people are angry? · 5. For whom is this money?

Error	Correction
What on earth you are doing?	What on earth are you doing?
Isn't it time we act?	Isn't it time we acted?
Who would think that ...? (surprise)	Who would have thought that ...?
Is it any wonder why ...?	Is it any wonder (that) ...?

Prints without the site's menus or advertisements.

Download this plan

Google Docs · 60 minutes

Download the PDF Word Make a copy

The same document as the one at the top of the page.

Elsewhere in Global English

Pages that help with this lesson in particular, rather than everything we have.

Written by RCF English to the RCF English international standard: levelled by the CEFR, original throughout, and suitable for classrooms in any country. Last reviewed 22 September 2026.

Rhetorical and Emphatic Questions ESL Lesson Plan (C1, 60 Minutes)

About this lesson

At a glance

Download this lesson plan

Aims

Language analysis

Rhetorical question structures

Emphatic questions

Formal fronted prepositions

Pronunciation

Concept-checking questions

Anticipated problems and solutions

Board plan

Warm-up5 minutes · Whole class, pairs

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, groups, whole class

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Freer practice18 minutes · Pairs, then groups, then whole class

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Differentiation

Adapting the lesson

Checking learning

Teacher's reflection

Handout 1: A Student Speech

Handout 2: Language Analysis

Handout 3: Practice

Handout 4: Speech Planner and Topic Cards

Answer Key

Download this plan

Elsewhere in Global English

Share this lesson plan

More question forms plans