MCQs on Figures of Speech and Literary Terms (100 questions)
Q.1 A comparison between two
unlike things using "like" or "as" is called:
1. Metaphor
2. Simile
3. Personification
4. Hyperbole
Answer: 2
Explanation: A simile makes a
direct comparison by using the words "like" or "as," while
a metaphor does not use these words and instead states that one thing is
another.
Q.2 Which of the following is an
example of onomatopoeia?
1. "The
leaves danced in the wind."
2. "The
clock ticked loudly in the silent room."
3. "All
the world’s a stage."
4. "Life
is but a dream."
Answer: 2
Explanation: Onomatopoeia refers
to words that imitate natural sounds, such as "ticked" for a clock.
Q.3 The repetition of initial
consonant sounds in nearby words is called:
1. Assonance
2. Alliteration
3. Consonance
4. Repetition
Answer: 2
Explanation: Alliteration is the
repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of closely connected
words.
Q.4 In literature, a character
that contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist, is called a:
1. Antagonist
2. Foil
3. Archetype
4. Protagonist
Answer: 2
Explanation: A foil is a character
whose traits contrast with those of another character, highlighting aspects of
the other character.
Q.5 The phrase “O death, where is
thy sting?” is an example of:
1. Apostrophe
2. Synecdoche
3. Metonymy
4. Irony
Answer: 1
Explanation: Apostrophe is a
literary device in which the speaker addresses someone absent, dead, or
non-human as if present and capable of responding.
Q.6 Which literary term refers to
a story that operates on both a literal and symbolic level?
1. Allegory
2. Satire
3. Parody
4. Fable
Answer: 1
Explanation: An allegory is a
narrative in which characters and events symbolize broader themes and concepts
beyond the literal story.
Q.7 “The fair breeze blew, the
white foam flew, the furrow followed free” is an example of:
1. Alliteration
2. Onomatopoeia
3. Assonance
4. Consonance
Answer: 3
Explanation: Assonance is the
repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words, as heard in the repeated 'oo'
sound here.
Q.8 An exaggerated statement not
meant to be taken literally is known as:
1. Metaphor
2. Euphemism
3. Hyperbole
4. Irony
Answer: 3
Explanation: Hyperbole is
purposeful exaggeration for emphasis or effect, not meant to be interpreted
literally.
Q.9 When an inanimate object or
abstract concept is given human qualities, it is called:
1. Symbolism
2. Personification
3. Metonymy
4. Irony
Answer: 2
Explanation: Personification
assigns human attributes to objects or abstract ideas.
Q.10 A recurring theme, symbol, or
character type in literature is called:
1. Motif
2. Cliché
3. Foreshadowing
4. Paradox
Answer: 1
Explanation: A motif is a repeated
element with symbolic significance that recurs throughout a work.
Q.11 The use of hints or clues to
suggest events that will occur later in a story is:
1. Flashback
2. Foreshadowing
3. Irony
4. Satire
Answer: 2
Explanation: Foreshadowing
involves giving hints or indications earlier in a story about what will happen
later.
Q.12 A contradiction that seems
impossible but reveals a deeper truth is known as:
1. Paradox
2. Oxymoron
3. Irony
4. Ambiguity
Answer: 1
Explanation: A paradox presents a
self-contradictory statement that, when examined, may reveal an unexpected
truth.
Q.13 “Parting is such sweet
sorrow” is an example of:
1. Oxymoron
2. Hyperbole
3. Apostrophe
4. Synecdoche
Answer: 1
Explanation: Oxymoron juxtaposes
two opposing or contradictory words, such as "sweet" and
"sorrow."
Q.14 A story that ridicules human
vices or social institutions for reform is called:
1. Satire
2. Parody
3. Allegory
4. Tragedy
Answer: 1
Explanation: Satire uses humor,
irony, or ridicule to criticize and expose the flaws in society or individuals,
often with the aim of promoting change.
Q.15 A reference to a well-known
person, place, event, or work of art is:
1. Allusion
2. Symbolism
3. Analogy
4. Epigraph
Answer: 1
Explanation: An allusion is an
indirect reference to something commonly known, enriching the text's meaning.
Q.16 Which of the following is an
epithet?
1. "Alexander
the Great"
2. "Time
is money"
3. "The
clock ticked"
4. "Life
is a journey"
Answer: 1
Explanation: An epithet is a
descriptive phrase expressing a quality of the person or thing mentioned, such
as "the Great" for Alexander.
Q.17 “He has the heart of a lion”
is an example of:
1. Simile
2. Metaphor
3. Hyperbole
4. Personification
Answer: 2
Explanation: This is a metaphor,
as it directly equates one thing ("heart") with another
("lion") without using "like" or "as."
Q.18 The attitude of the author
toward the subject or audience is called:
1. Style
2. Tone
3. Mood
4. Voice
Answer: 2
Explanation: Tone reflects the
writer's attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through word choice
and style.
Q.19 The feeling or atmosphere a
literary work conveys to the reader is called:
1. Tone
2. Mood
3. Theme
4. Diction
Answer: 2
Explanation: Mood is the emotional
effect created for the reader by a literary work.
Q.20 Which device involves
repeating conjunctions for effect, as in “and the rain and the thunder and the
lightning”?
1. Polysyndeton
2. Asyndeton
3. Anaphora
4. Parallelism
Answer: 1
Explanation: Polysyndeton is the
deliberate use of many conjunctions for emphasis.
Q.21 The deliberate omission of
conjunctions in a series is called:
1. Polysyndeton
2. Asyndeton
3. Anaphora
4. Epistrophe
Answer: 2
Explanation: Asyndeton
intentionally leaves out conjunctions between words or phrases in a list.
Q.22 The main character in a
literary work is called the:
1. Protagonist
2. Antagonist
3. Foil
4. Narrator
Answer: 1
Explanation: The protagonist is
the central character around whom the story revolves.
Q.23 The struggle between opposing
forces in a story is known as:
1. Plot
2. Conflict
3. Climax
4. Resolution
Answer: 2
Explanation: Conflict is the
essential struggle that drives the plot and creates tension.
Q.24 The point of highest tension
or turning point in a narrative is the:
1. Rising
action
2. Climax
3. Falling
action
4. Exposition
Answer: 2
Explanation: The climax is the
moment of greatest intensity, after which the story begins to resolve.
Q.25 The final unraveling of the
plot in a drama or novel is called:
1. Denouement
2. Exposition
3. Climax
4. Foreshadowing
Answer: 1
Explanation: The denouement is the
resolution or conclusion after the climax, tying up loose ends.
Q.26 A brief story with animals as
characters, conveying a moral, is a:
1. Myth
2. Parable
3. Fable
4. Allegory
Answer: 3
Explanation: A fable uses animals
with human qualities to teach a moral lesson.
Q.27 A long narrative poem, often
about heroic deeds and events significant to a culture, is:
1. Sonnet
2. Ballad
3. Epic
4. Elegy
Answer: 3
Explanation: An epic is a lengthy
poem highlighting heroic actions and cultural values.
Q.28 Which of the following is a
form of dramatic irony?
1. When
the audience knows something the character doesn’t
2. When
the character mocks another
3. When
two words sound alike but differ in meaning
4. When
a story ends with a twist
Answer: 1
Explanation: Dramatic irony occurs
when the audience has knowledge that the character does not, creating suspense
or humor.
Q.29 A figure of speech in which a
part stands for the whole is:
1. Metonymy
2. Synecdoche
3. Apostrophe
4. Antithesis
Answer: 2
Explanation: Synecdoche uses a
part of something to represent the whole, such as "wheels" for
"car."
Q.30 A form of verbal irony that
involves bitter, mocking remarks is:
1. Satire
2. Sarcasm
3. Pun
4. Paradox
Answer: 2
Explanation: Sarcasm uses sharp,
often bitter language to mock or convey contempt.
Q.31 The central idea or
underlying meaning of a literary work is its:
1. Theme
2. Plot
3. Motif
4. Symbol
Answer: 1
Explanation: The theme is the main
idea or message that runs throughout a literary work, expressing its underlying
meaning.
Q.32 Which of the following is a
bildungsroman?
1. A
poem about nature
2. A
novel about a character’s moral and psychological growth
3. A
play with tragic ending
4. A
fable with a moral lesson
Answer: 2
Explanation: A bildungsroman is a
coming-of-age story focused on a character’s personal development, both morally
and psychologically.
Q.33 A fourteen-line poem, usually
written in iambic pentameter, is called a:
1. Ballad
2. Sonnet
3. Ode
4. Limerick
Answer: 2
Explanation: A sonnet is a 14-line
poem following a specific rhyme scheme, often written in iambic pentameter.
Q.34 “Death lays his icy hand on
kings” is an example of:
1. Hyperbole
2. Personification
3. Metaphor
4. Irony
Answer: 2
Explanation: Personification is
shown here by attributing human qualities (an “icy hand”) to an abstract
concept (death).
Q.35 A humorous imitation of a
literary work is called a:
1. Allegory
2. Parody
3. Satire
4. Farce
Answer: 2
Explanation: Parody is a
lighthearted or mocking imitation intended to entertain by mimicking the style
of another literary work.
Q.36 Which literary device is used
in the phrase “the crown will decide the nation’s fate”?
1. Synecdoche
2. Metonymy
3. Personification
4. Allusion
Answer: 2
Explanation: Metonymy substitutes
a related word ("crown") for the person or thing actually meant (the
monarch or government).
Q.37 A poem mourning the death of
an individual is called:
1. Epic
2. Ode
3. Elegy
4. Pastoral
Answer: 3
Explanation: An elegy is a
mournful poem lamenting the death of a person.
Q.38 The repetition of vowel
sounds within words is:
1. Alliteration
2. Consonance
3. Assonance
4. Rhythm
Answer: 3
Explanation: Assonance involves
repeating vowel sounds to create internal rhyming within phrases or lines.
Q.39 A sudden insight or
revelation experienced by a character is called:
1. Catharsis
2. Epiphany
3. Denouement
4. Anagnorisis
Answer: 2
Explanation: An epiphany is a
moment of clarity or revelation for a character, transforming their
understanding.
Q.40 A long speech by one
character in a play, delivered to others, is a:
1. Soliloquy
2. Monologue
3. Aside
4. Dialogue
Answer: 2
Explanation: A monologue is an
extended speech by one character addressed to other characters.
Q.41 A speech in which a character
speaks his or her thoughts aloud, alone on stage, is called:
1. Soliloquy
2. Monologue
3. Dialogue
4. Chorus
Answer: 1
Explanation: Soliloquy features a
character talking to themselves, revealing inner thoughts when alone on stage.
Q.42 Which device uses a
contradiction of terms like “deafening silence”?
1. Paradox
2. Oxymoron
3. Antithesis
4. Irony
Answer: 2
Explanation: An oxymoron links
contradictory terms together to achieve an effect, such as “deafening silence.”
Q.43 A character that represents a
universal pattern or type in literature is:
1. Foil
2. Archetype
3. Antagonist
4. Allegory
Answer: 2
Explanation: An archetype
represents a typical example of a certain person or thing across stories and
cultures.
Q.44 In drama, the release of
emotions (pity and fear) experienced by the audience is called:
1. Epiphany
2. Catharsis
3. Climax
4. Pathos
Answer: 2
Explanation: Catharsis is the
emotional cleansing or release experienced after tension in a dramatic work.
Q.45 Which of the following is an
example of anaphora?
1. “To
strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
2. “Mad
world! Mad kings! Mad composition!”
3. “Of
the people, by the people, for the people.”
4. “Veni,
vidi, vici.”
Answer: 2
Explanation: Anaphora is the
repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses or sentences,
as seen here.
Q.46 A short, witty, and memorable
statement is known as an:
1. Epigram
2. Epigraph
3. Epithet
4. Epilogue
Answer: 1
Explanation: Epigrams are concise,
clever, and often humorous comments or observations.
Q.47 Which literary term refers to
a brief quotation at the beginning of a text, suggesting its theme?
1. Epigraph
2. Epilogue
3. Prologue
4. Epithet
Answer: 1
Explanation: An epigraph is a
short quotation or saying at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme.
Q.48 A work that ridicules another
work by imitating its style is:
1. Parody
2. Satire
3. Allegory
4. Farce
Answer: 1
Explanation: Parody mocks and
imitates the style or subject of another work, often humorously.
Q.49 The use of understatement to
achieve an ironic effect is called:
1. Hyperbole
2. Litotes
3. Irony
4. Paradox
Answer: 2
Explanation: Litotes uses
understatement, often with negative expressions, to create emphasis or irony.
Q.50 Which term refers to a
recurring symbol, image, or idea that contributes to a theme?
1. Motif
2. Archetype
3. Allegory
4. Cliché
Answer: 1
Explanation: A motif is a
recurring element that reinforces and develops major themes throughout a
literary work.
Q.51 A five-line humorous verse
with a rhyme scheme AABBA is a:
1. Sonnet
2. Limerick
3. Ballad
4. Ode
Answer: 2
Explanation: A limerick is a
five-line verse with an AABBA rhyme pattern, often humorous and playful.
Q.52 Which literary term refers to
“instructive literature that aims to teach”?
1. Didactic
2. Pastoral
3. Tragic
4. Satirical
Answer: 1
Explanation: Didactic works are
intended to provide instruction, often ethical or moral lessons.
Q.53 A short tale in prose or
verse that teaches a moral or religious lesson is a:
1. Myth
2. Parable
3. Fable
4. Allegory
Answer: 2
Explanation: Parables are simple
stories used to illustrate a moral or religious lesson.
Q.54 The phrase “the pen is
mightier than the sword” is an example of:
1. Synecdoche
2. Metonymy
3. Personification
4. Analogy
Answer: 2
Explanation: Metonymy replaces one
concept with another closely associated with it; here, “pen” stands for written
words, “sword” for military force.
Q.55 A recurring phrase or line in
a poem, often at the end of a stanza, is called:
1. Refrain
2. Motif
3. Chorus
4. Allusion
Answer: 1
Explanation: A refrain is a
repeated line or phrase in a poem, usually at the end of each stanza.
Q.56 Which literary term refers to
the use of humor to ease tension in a tragedy?
1. Satire
2. Comic
relief
3. Farce
4. Parody
Answer: 2
Explanation: Comic relief
introduces humor in serious or tragic works to lighten the emotional load.
Q.57 The ordering of words into
phrases, clauses, and sentences is called:
1. Syntax
2. Diction
3. Semantics
4. Morphology
Answer: 1
Explanation: Syntax is the set of
rules that governs the structure and arrangement of words in sentences.
Q.58 The choice of words or style
of expression in a literary work is known as:
1. Syntax
2. Diction
3. Tone
4. Mood
Answer: 2
Explanation: Diction refers to the
word choices made by a writer to convey a certain effect or tone.
Q.59 A story passed down through
generations, often explaining natural phenomena, is called:
1. Fable
2. Myth
3. Legend
4. Allegory
Answer: 2
Explanation: Myths are traditional
stories that seek to explain the origins of the world, customs, or phenomena.
Q.60 Which literary term refers to
a scene that interrupts the present action to depict an earlier event?
1. Foreshadowing
2. Flashback
3. Epiphany
4. Denouement
Answer: 2
Explanation: Flashback interrupts
the chronological order of a narrative to show events that happened earlier.
Q.61 The repetition of the same
word or phrase at the end of successive clauses is:
1. Anaphora
2. Epistrophe
3. Alliteration
4. Chiasmus
Answer: 2
Explanation: Epistrophe repeats a
word or phrase at the end of clauses, while anaphora repeats at the beginning.
Q.62 “Fair is foul, and foul is
fair” is an example of:
1. Paradox
2. Irony
3. Antithesis
4. Chiasmus
Answer: 4
Explanation: Chiasmus reverses the
structure in the second part (AB → BA).
Q.63 Which literary device
addresses an absent or imaginary person directly?
1. Apostrophe
2. Allusion
3. Metonymy
4. Symbolism
Answer: 1
Explanation: Apostrophe features
direct address to an absent or abstract entity.
Q.64 A recurring image, idea, or
symbol that develops or explains a theme is:
1. Motif
2. Theme
3. Symbol
4. Archetype
Answer: 1
Explanation: A motif is a repeated
element; the theme is the central message.
Q.65 A narrative in which
characters and events represent abstract ideas or moral qualities is:
1. Satire
2. Allegory
3. Parable
4. Fable
Answer: 2
Explanation: Allegories use
symbolism to convey deeper moral or political meanings.
Q.66 The term for a “character who
does not change throughout the story” is:
1. Dynamic
character
2. Static
character
3. Round
character
4. Flat
character
Answer: 2
Explanation: A static character
remains the same; a dynamic character changes.
Q.67 A character with complex,
fully developed traits is called:
1. Flat
character
2. Round
character
3. Foil
4. Archetype
Answer: 2
Explanation: Round characters
display multiple, developed traits; flat are simple.
Q.68 Which literary term means
“the struggle of a character against himself”?
1. External
conflict
2. Internal
conflict
3. Climax
4. Resolution
Answer: 2
Explanation: Internal conflict is
emotional or moral turmoil within a character.
Q.69 The use of vague, mild words
to soften harsh reality is called:
1. Euphemism
2. Hyperbole
3. Litotes
4. Oxymoron
Answer: 1
Explanation: Euphemisms replace
harsh terms—like “passed away” for “died.”
Q.70 The final speech or section
at the end of a play, often wrapping up the story, is called:
1. Epilogue
2. Prologue
3. Chorus
4. Monologue
Answer: 1
Explanation: The epilogue provides
the closing; prologue is for the introduction.
Q.71 A short introductory section
in a play or novel is a:
1. Epilogue
2. Prologue
3. Preface
4. Epigraph
Answer: 2
Explanation: Prologue outlines
background or context at the start.
Q.72 Which of the following best
defines pathos?
1. Appeal
to logic
2. Appeal
to credibility
3. Appeal
to emotion
4. Appeal
to irony
Answer: 3
Explanation: Pathos persuades by
evoking emotion, often pity or sorrow.
Q.73 Which literary term describes
a play that combines humorous and serious elements?
1. Farce
2. Tragicomedy
3. Satire
4. Pastoral
Answer: 2
Explanation: Tragicomedy merges
tragedy’s profundity with comedic relief.
Q.74 The arrangement of events in
the order they occurred in time is:
1. Flashback
2. Chronological
order
3. Plot
structure
4. Foreshadowing
Answer: 2
Explanation: Chronological order
places events in natural temporal sequence.
Q.75 Which of the following is an
example of situational irony?
1. A
fire station burns down.
2. Audience
knows Juliet is not dead.
3. A
cruel joke insults someone.
4. A
paradoxical statement.
Answer: 1
Explanation: Situational irony
occurs when an expected outcome is reversed.
Q.76 A form of Japanese poetry
with 17 syllables (5-7-5) is called:
1. Tanka
2. Haiku
3. Limerick
4. Ode
Answer: 2
Explanation: Haiku are
nature-inspired poems with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern.
Q.77 The use of symbols to signify
ideas beyond the literal sense is:
1. Allegory
2. Symbolism
3. Metonymy
4. Personification
Answer: 2
Explanation: Symbolism uses
objects or actions to suggest deeper meanings.
Q.78 A brief, simple narrative
often with supernatural elements, passed down orally, is a:
1. Myth
2. Legend
3. Fairy
tale
4. Epic
Answer: 3
Explanation: Fairy tales include
magical or fantastical events, shared by word-of-mouth.
Q.79 Which term means a reversal
of fortune for the protagonist in tragedy?
1. Hamartia
2. Peripeteia
3. Anagnorisis
4. Catharsis
Answer: 2
Explanation: Peripeteia marks the
turning point—a sudden change in luck.
Q.80 The character’s tragic flaw
leading to downfall is called:
1. Hubris
2. Hamartia
3. Catharsis
4. Anagnorisis
Answer: 2
Explanation: Hamartia is a
personal defect or error precipitating the tragic outcome.
Q.81 The excessive pride or
arrogance that leads to downfall in tragedy is:
1. Anagnorisis
2. Hubris
3. Peripeteia
4. Pathos
Answer: 2
Explanation: Hubris is often the
fatal pride confronting Greek tragic figures.
Q.82 The moment of recognition or
discovery in a tragedy is:
1. Anagnorisis
2. Hamartia
3. Peripeteia
4. Catharsis
Answer: 1
Explanation: Anagnorisis is the
tragic hero’s realization of truth or self-awareness.
Q.83 The omission of words that
are implied by the context is:
1. Zeugma
2. Ellipsis
3. Litotes
4. Paralipsis
Answer: 2
Explanation: Ellipsis leaves out
words understood from context.
Q.84 A play on words that exploits
double meanings is a:
1. Irony
2. Pun
3. Paradox
4. Hyperbole
Answer: 2
Explanation: Puns are jokes using
words with multiple meanings (e.g., “pointless pencil”).
Q.85 A form of poetry that does
not rhyme and is written in iambic pentameter is:
1. Blank
verse
2. Free
verse
3. Ballad
4. Ode
Answer: 1
Explanation: Blank verse features
unrhymed iambic pentameter (favored by Shakespeare).
Q.86 Poetry without consistent
meter or rhyme is called:
1. Blank
verse
2. Free
verse
3. Sonnet
4. Ballad
Answer: 2
Explanation: Free verse has no
fixed rhyme or rhythmic pattern.
Q.87 Which term refers to
exaggerated imitation for comic effect?
1. Parody
2. Satire
3. Caricature
4. Burlesque
Answer: 3
Explanation: Caricature
exaggerates and distorts features, often humorously.
Q.88 A long narrative song-like
poem, usually about folk tales, is:
1. Ballad
2. Epic
3. Sonnet
4. Elegy
Answer: 1
Explanation: Ballads are lyrical
stories traditionally set to music.
Q.89 A brief story that
illustrates a moral or religious principle is:
1. Allegory
2. Parable
3. Fable
4. Myth
Answer: 2
Explanation: Parables impart
ethical or spiritual lessons through simple stories.
Q.90 Which device places opposite
ideas together for emphasis?
1. Paradox
2. Antithesis
3. Oxymoron
4. Chiasmus
Answer: 2
Explanation: Antithesis presents
direct contrast in parallel structures (“speech is silver, silence is golden”).
Q.91 A regional variety of
language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation is:
1. Jargon
2. Dialect
3. Register
4. Slang
Answer: 2
Explanation: Dialect marks
language differences based on region or social group.
Q.92 Highly specialized vocabulary
used by a profession or group is called:
1. Jargon
2. Slang
3. Dialect
4. Idiom
Answer: 1
Explanation: Jargon comprises
technical terms unique to certain fields.
Q.93 Which literary term describes
a phrase that has lost originality due to overuse?
1. Motif
2. Cliché
3. Archetype
4. Epigram
Answer: 2
Explanation: Clichés lose impact
through excessive repetition.
Q.94 A pastoral poem is concerned
with:
1. Courtly
love
2. Rural
life and nature
3. Political
satire
4. Religious
devotion
Answer: 2
Explanation: Pastoral poetry
celebrates countryside and nature.
Q.95 The use of contradictory
statements side by side, e.g., “wise fool”, is:
1. Oxymoron
2. Paradox
3. Antithesis
4. Irony
Answer: 1
Explanation: Oxymoron places
opposites in juxtaposition.
Q.96 A narrative voice that knows
the thoughts and feelings of all characters is:
1. First-person
narrator
2. Omniscient
narrator
3. Limited
narrator
4. Objective
narrator
Answer: 2
Explanation: Omniscient narrator
reveals every character’s inner world.
Q.97 A brief, descriptive passage
used to characterize a person or thing is an:
1. Epigram
2. Epithet
3. Epigraph
4. Epilogue
Answer: 2
Explanation: Epithet is a term or
phrase describing traits or qualities (“Swift-footed Achilles”).
Q.98 A short remark spoken by a
character directly to the audience (not heard by others) is:
1. Soliloquy
2. Aside
3. Monologue
4. Dialogue
Answer: 2
Explanation: Aside allows secret
communication with the audience.
Q.99 Which of the following best
defines verisimilitude?
1. Use
of irony for humor
2. Lifelike
realism in a literary work
3. Hidden
moral message
4. Direct
address to the reader
Answer: 2
Explanation: Verisimilitude
ensures fiction feels genuinely real.
Q.100 A narrative technique that
presents the flow of thoughts and feelings of a character is:
1. Dramatic
monologue
2. Stream
of consciousness
3. Soliloquy
4. Flashback
Answer: 2
Explanation: Stream of
consciousness shows a character’s thoughts as they occur, often unfiltered.
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