This set of English Grammar Exercises (MCQs) focuses on “Figures of Speech – Set 2”.
1. Identify the figure of speech in the below sentence.
England won the Cricket World Cup 2019.
a) Synecdoche
b) Metaphor
c) Irony
d) Anticlimax
View Answer
Explanation: In the given sentence, ‘England’ refers to the playing eleven of the English cricket team. Hence, the team is designated by the name of the country. Thus, it comes under Synecdoche.
2. Which of the following sentences is an example for Anticlimax?
a) You are a pretty fellow
b) He won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his decades of research on String theory
c) John is an estimable scientist, a father and a charity worker
d) He passed away yesterday as a result of chronic illness
View Answer
Explanation: In the sentence, ‘John is an estimable scientist, a father and a charity worker’, the roles gradually decrease from a scientist to a charity worker. Thus, it’s a suitable example for Anticlimax.
3. The figure of speech in which the ideas or statements are arranged in an increasing order of importance is _________
a) Climax
b) Irony
c) Pun
d) Antithesis
View Answer
Explanation: Such sentences in which a series of ideas are arranged in the order of increasing importance are said to be employing Climax.
4. From the options, identify the figure of speech in the below sentence.
Rohit’s room is as clean as a whistle.
a) Simile
b) Metaphor
c) Hyperbole
d) Antithesis
View Answer
Explanation: The sentence makes a comparison between Rohit’s room and a whistle. It also uses the word ‘as’ for the purpose of comparison. Thus, the figure of speech is Simile.
5. The below sentence employs Euphemism.
The local government stood against ethnic cleansing.
a) True
b) False
View Answer
Explanation: Here, the phrase ‘ethnic cleansing’ is used in place of ‘genocide’ which is a harsh and unpleasant word. Thus, it qualifies as Euphemism.
6. Identify the sentence employing Irony.
a) The marriage counselor living next to our house has filed for a divorce
b) He was beaten up cruelly at the Police Station
c) The family members were rescued by the firemen
d) You are a kind and honorable person
View Answer
Explanation: The sentence refers to the state of affairs in which a marriage counselor, a person whose role is to patch up fighting couples, has himself filed for a divorce from his wife. Such statements are examples of Irony.
7. Select the figure of speech employed in the below sentence from the options.
The team’s loss in the World Cup was a dagger to his heart.
a) Simile
b) Synecdoche
c) Metaphor
d) Irony
View Answer
Explanation: The correct answer is Metaphor. The given sentence compares the team’s loss to a dagger without employing any comparison words.
8. The figure of speech which produces a ludicrous meaning by employing similar sounding words having different meaning is _______
a) Metaphor
b) Litotes
c) Oxymoron
d) Pun
View Answer
Explanation: Consider the set of sentences, ‘Time flies like a bullet’ and ‘Joseph likes to eat in restaurants’. Here, the word ‘like’ refers to different meanings. In such cases, the figure of speech employed is Pun.
9. Select the sentence which can be considered as an example for Antithesis.
a) “You played like a hero”, said the coach
b) ‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’ is a famous quote of Neil Armstrong
c) Always remember that life is not a race
d) He ended up in a career that he had despised his whole life
View Answer
Explanation: Two opposing statements, ‘one small step for man’ and ‘one giant leap for mankind’ are juxtaposed for providing a contrast. Hence, it can be said that the sentence employs Antithesis.
10. Choose the correct figure of speech used in the below sentence.
My son’s school bag weighs a ton.
a) hyperbole
b) Anticlimax
c) Climax
d) Personification
View Answer
Explanation: The sentence implies that the school bag is loaded with books to such an extent that it becomes heavy to carry. In order to put more emphasis on the comparison, the statement is exaggerated by the mention of the word ‘ton’. Therefore, the sentence is a hyperbole.
11. If an object is designated by the name of something which is generally associated with it, then the corresponding figure of speech is ________
a) Synecdoche
b) Euphemism
c) Metonymy
d) Litotes
View Answer
Explanation: The figure of speech in such circumstances is Metonymy. For example, ‘The Crown’ is used in sentences to refer to the king.
12. The figure of speech employed in the below sentence is Climax.
What a legend he is!
a) True
b) False
View Answer
Explanation: The given sentence employs ‘Exclamation’ to attract more attention to the sentence which is evident by the exclamation mark at the end of sentence.
13. Choose the sentence in which Metonymy is employed.
a) Ask some challenging questions to the visiting faculty
b) The captain smiled despite losing the game
c) The Bench postponed the hearing to a later date
d) The Police officers investigated the members related to the crime
View Answer
Explanation: In the sentence, ‘The Bench postponed the hearing to a later date’, the word ‘Bench’ refers to the Judges of the Court. Thus, the sentence qualifies as a Metonymy.
14. The figure of speech employed in the quotation is ___________
Oscar Wilde put forward a famous quote, ‘I can resist everything but temptation’.
a) Metaphor
b) Pun
c) Epigram
d) Anticlimax
View Answer
Explanation: The quotation by Oscar Wilde is a clever saying with a satirical sense. Thus, the statement can be considered as an example for the figure of speech ‘Epigram’.
15. The figure of speech in which a question is asked for the sake of rhetorical effect is ________
a) Climax
b) Transferred Epithet
c) Interrogation
d) Antithesis
View Answer
Explanation: The figure of speech employed in such circumstances is Interrogation. Such questions are not put forward for obtaining answers, but to impart emphasis.
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