Figures of Speech Quiz

Identify the figure of speech used in the sentence below: Sentence: The silence was so loud that it thundered in his ears.

1. oxymoron
2. irony
3. transferred epithet
4. alliteration

Answer: (a) oxymoron

Identify the figure of speech used in the sentence below: Sentence: She’s not unkind when it matters most.

1. litotes
2. irony
3. understatement
4. hyperbole

Answer: (a) litotes

Which figure of speech is defined below? This figure of speech involves the use of one word (often a verb or adjective) to govern or modify two or more words, usually in a way that blends literal and figurative meanings.

1. transferred epithet
2. metonymy
3. zeugma
4. paradox

Answer: (c) zeugma

Fill in the blank with a word to form an example of metonymy: Hollywood is obsessed with ______.

1. fame
2. scripts
3. awards
4. glamour

Answer: (d) glamour

In which sentence is the figure of speech identified incorrectly?

1. The city slept under a blanket of fog – Personification
2. She rose through the ranks like a phoenix from the ashes – Simile
3. He lost his job, his house, and finally, his identity – Climax
4. The sun smiled warmly at the sleepy valley – Metaphor

Answer: (d) The sun smiled warmly at the sleepy valley – Metaphor

In which sentence is the figure of speech identified correctly?

1. He was lost in the maze of his own making – Hyperbole
2. Her voice was music to his weary soul – Metaphor
3. Life is a journey with speed bumps – Pun
4. The fire swallowed the forest whole – Simile

Answer: (b) Her voice was music to his weary soul – Metaphor

Which of these is an example of synecdoche?

1. The world treated him harshly.
2. She wore a crown of sorrow.
3. All hands on deck.
4. The stars danced in the night.

Answer: (c) All hands on deck.

How many figures of speech are used in the sentence below? He came, he saw, he conquered — like a storm sweeping through a sleeping town.

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4

Answer: (d) 4

Read the incident and identify the two figures of speech used. He spoke not with passion but with precision; not with fire, but with form. His calm chaos confused the jury.

1. paradox and metaphor
2. chiasmus and oxymoron
3. alliteration and transferred epithet
4. litotes and metaphor

Answer: (b) chiasmus and oxymoron

Which sentence is the odd one out based on the figure of speech used?

1. He kicked the bucket last night.
2. She passed away peacefully.
3. The teacher grilled the students before the test
4. The curtain of life fell suddenly.

Answer: (c) The teacher grilled the students before the test