Quiz on Figures of Speech

What is a simile?

• A direct comparison without using 'like' or 'as'

• A phrase that has a meaning different from the literal meaning

• A word or phrase that compares something using 'like' or 'as'

• A figure of speech that attributes human characteristics to non-human things

Which of the following is an example of personification?

• The wind whispered through the trees.

• Her smile is like the sun.

• He held her hands.

• I am so hungry I could eat a horse.

What does hyperbole mean?

• An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally

• A comparison using 'like' or 'as'

• A mild or indirect word used to replace a harsh one

• A phrase that has a different meaning from its literal interpretation

Which of the following is an example of alliteration?

• The wind whispered through the trees.

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

• The bees buzzed in the garden.

• I feel these patterns are pretty ugly.

What is an oxymoron?

• A rhetorical device that exaggerates for effect

• A phrase that has a different meaning from its literal interpretation

• A direct comparison without using 'like' or 'as'

• A figure of speech that uses two opposite terms together

Which of the following is an example of a metaphor?

• The cat and the fiddle.

• He is as brave as a lion.

• The whole world is a stage.

• She sings like a bird.

What does assonance refer to?

• Repetition of initial consonant sounds

• A phrase that has a different meaning from its literal interpretation

• Use of similar vowel sounds in a sentence

• A word that imitates a sound

Which of the following is an example of an idiom?

• It's raining cats and dogs.

• I am so hungry I could eat a horse.

• The whole world is a stage.

• The wind whispered through the trees.

What is the purpose of euphemism?

• To compare two different things directly

• To create rhythm in writing

• To make something sound less harsh

• To exaggerate for effect

Which of the following is an example of antithesis?

• The whole world is a stage.

• I am so hungry I could eat a horse.

• The wind whispered through the trees.

• Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing.