Name for a question that is answered with a question

[Vandee]

OK so for many years I thought that when someone asks you a question and you answer with a question.. that is called a rhetorical question. Come to find out I am wrong, rhetorical question is a question whos answer is not needed. So my question is... WHAT IS THE TERM FOR A QUESTION THAT IS ANSWERED WITH A QUESTION?? EX: Bobby: "What do you want to do tonight?" Lisa: "Do you want to go bowling?"

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

OK so for many years I thought that when someone asks you a question and you answer with a question.. that is called a rhetorical question. Come to find out I am wrong, rhetorical question is a question whos answer is not needed. So my question is... WHAT IS THE TERM FOR A QUESTION THAT IS ANSWERED WITH A QUESTION?? EX: Bobby: "What do you want to do tonight?" Lisa: "Do you want to go bowling?"

It's called answering a question with a question.

=O]

[I edit copy and have tutored college writing.]

 

[vandeemayes]

Is it really something as simple as that??? I could have swore that I learned an actual term in for this type of question.

 

[David L.]

WHAT IS THE TERM FOR A QUESTION THAT IS ANSWERED WITH A QUESTION?? EX: Bobby: "What do you want to do tonight?" Lisa: "Do you want to go bowling?"

It's called answering a question with a question.

I understand this differently.
Bobby: "What do you want to do tonight?"
Lisa: "What do you want to do?" OR "Why do you ask?" OR WORSE, "Why do you ask?"

...is what we usually mean by 'answering a question with a question'.

"Do you want to go bowling?" may be in the form of a question, but it is actually making a suggestion, and so actually advancing the conversation, rather than just throwing it all back on the other person.

 

[vandeemayes]

That is actually how I meant it. "What do you want to do tonight?" and it answered by "Why do you ask?". So it is simply answering a question with a question?

 

[Baffled]

Why do you ask, Vandee?

 

[Baffled]

You may want to look into what's referred to as the Socratic Method.

This goes beyond linguistics, but is still an interesting topic. Socratic questioning may be the term you're looking for.

The Unaborted Socrates applies this line of questioning to deal with abortion.

I hope that helps!

 

[David L.]

No, Socratic Questioning does not involve answering a question with a question. It is a means of elucidating a feeling, attitude or belief, and the more specific the answers, the more successful the elucidation.

 

[Raymott]

That is actually how I meant it. "What do you want to do tonight?" and it answered by "Why do you ask?". So it is simply answering a question with a question?

It could be called a number of things depending on the motivation for the second question: evasion, suspicion (paranoia), non-commitment ...

 

[paulmoss]

DearVandee,
These questions are called "Reply Questions". There also "echo questions", Which repeat a part of the speaker's statement and typically show surprise or other feelings, depending on the context.
A:"John has a new girlfriend" B:" A new Girlfriend?"