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Interrogative Paragraph
An interrogative sentence is one that asks a question; an interrogative
paragraph is commonly a paragraph that uses a question as an
opening tactic. Usually the question leads to a statement of the main
point of the paragraph.
So, why in recent years has there been so much
controversy with respect to Bishop's First World War record? Upon
close examination, none of the reasons are particularly mysterious.
Most importantly, one must come to grips with the paradox inherent
in both his writings and his personality. On the one hand, there
was the terse, laconic, even understated nature of his combat
reports, which formed the basis for his victory claims and awards.
Far from embellishing the truth, he was renowned for tending not
to claim categorical success. . . .
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Sometimes a whole paragraph may be constructed out of a series of questions that the writer then goes on to address. The interrogative sentence at the beginning of this paragraph sets up
the organizing principle of the paragraph, which is to give reasons for
the continuing controversy over Billy Bishop's aerial achievements.
First, this study will examine the matter of
refusal to accept casualties, the casualty-aversion syndrome,
and will try to answer several questions. What is the origin of
such a syndrome? Does it still exist? Does it arise in the same
way in the public at large as in political and military leaders?
What impact does it have on the conduct of military operations?
Do Canadians and Europeans perceive it in the same way? Was there
evidence of this syndrome during the Kosovo conflict?
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This kind of interrogative paragraph usually appears at the beginning
of a longish article and itemizes the questions that the writer has set
out to address.
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