Understanding literary devices is essential for analysing and appreciating literature. These questions are designed to help students prepare for the 11+ assessment by recognising and understanding various literary devices commonly found in texts.
Sample Example
Question:
Identify the literary device used in the following sentence and explain its effect:
Sentence: “The leaves danced in the wind.”
Answer:
- Literary Device: Personification
- Explanation: The leaves are given human qualities by saying they “danced,” which creates a vivid and lively image of the scene.
Questions
1. Identify the Literary Device
Read the sentence and name the literary device used.
Sentence: “The sun smiled down on us during our picnic.”
2. Simile Identification
Find the simile in the following sentence.
Sentence: “Her smile was as bright as the morning sun.”
3. Metaphor Identification
Identify the metaphor used in this sentence.
Sentence: “Time is a thief that steals our moments.”
4. Alliteration Recognition
Point out the alliteration in the sentence below.
Sentence: “Sally sold seashells by the seashore.”
5. Onomatopoeia Identification
What onomatopoeic word is used in this sentence?
Sentence: “The bees buzzed busily around the flowers.”
6. Hyperbole Recognition
Identify the hyperbole in the following sentence.
Sentence: “I’ve told you a million times to clean your room.”
7. Personification Identification
Find the personification in this sentence.
Sentence: “The wind whispered through the trees.”
8. Oxymoron Identification
What oxymoron is present in this sentence?
Sentence: “The silence was deafening after the loud concert.”
9. Imagery Recognition
Identify the type of imagery used in the sentence below.
Sentence: “The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the kitchen.”
10. Idiom Identification
What is the idiom used in this sentence?
Sentence: “It’s raining cats and dogs outside.”
11. Symbolism Recognition
Identify the symbol in the following sentence and explain its meaning.
Sentence: “The dove is a symbol of peace.”
12. Irony Identification
What type of irony is used in this sentence?
Sentence: “A fire station burned down last night.”
13. Repetition Recognition
Find the repetition in the following sentence.
Sentence: “The big, big elephant walked slowly through the forest.”
14. Assonance Identification
Identify the assonance in this sentence.
Sentence: “The early bird catches the worm.”
15. Consonance Recognition
What consonance is present in the sentence below?
Sentence: “The lumpy, bumpy road was hard to navigate.”
16. Allusion Identification
Find the allusion in this sentence.
Sentence: “He was a real Romeo with the ladies.”
17. Anaphora Recognition
Identify the anaphora in the following passage.
Sentence: “Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better.”
18. Euphemism Identification
What euphemism is used in this sentence?
Sentence: “He passed away peacefully in his sleep.”
19. Synecdoche Recognition
Identify the synecdoche in the following sentence.
Sentence: “All hands on deck for the storm.”
20. Pun Identification
What is the pun in this sentence?
Sentence: “I used to be a banker, but I lost interest.”
Answers
- Personification
- Simile: “as bright as the morning sun.”
- Metaphor: “Time is a thief.”
- Alliteration: “Sally sold seashells by the seashore.”
- Onomatopoeia: “buzzed.”
- Hyperbole: “I’ve told you a million times.”
- Personification: “The wind whispered.”
- Oxymoron: “deafening silence.”
- Olfactory Imagery: “The aroma of freshly baked bread.”
- Idiom: “It’s raining cats and dogs.”
- Symbolism: Dove symbolizes peace.
- Situational Irony: A fire station burning down.
- Repetition: “big, big.”
- Assonance: Repetition of the “e” sound in “early” and “bird.”
- Consonance: Repetition of the “m” sound in “lumpy, bumpy.”
- Allusion: “Romeo” refers to a romantic figure from Shakespeare.
- Anaphora: Repetition of “every.”
- Euphemism: “Passed away” instead of “died.”
- Synecdoche: “Hands” referring to people.
- Pun: “Lost interest” plays on the double meaning of losing interest and losing money.
These questions and answers aim to enhance students’ understanding of literary devices, enabling them to recognise and apply these concepts effectively in their 11+ exams.
