No matter what language we speak, we all utilise diverse figures of speech in our daily lives. Knowing different sorts of this grammar will assist you not only expand your vocabulary in a certain language and advance your profession. This is especially important for anyone who desires to work in translation, poetry, or writing. Furthermore, knowing the different figures of speech will help you pass various examinations, including language competence exams for studying abroad and several competitive exams for employment or school. Do you want to learn more about it? This blog has thorough information on the most common sorts of figures of speech.
A figure of speech is a non-literal phrase or term used for a rhetorical or rich effect. It's a figurative term with a different meaning from its literal meaning.
A figure of speech is a means of clear and creative describing something or someone. The words or phrases may not imply precisely what they indicate, but they create a vivid image in the reader's or listener's mind. A phrase or a single word can be used as a figure of speech. Rhetorical figures are sometimes known as figures of speech.
A figure of speech is easier to grasp than an idiom since it does not need language knowledge. Every language has its own set of figures of speech and idioms. They are used to add interest to the text.
There are many types of figures of speech in English, but we'll focus on the most prevalent ones.
There are countless types of figures of speech, but the following is the most commonly used:
- Simile:
In simile figure of speech, two very different items are directly compared. "She is like a fairy," for example. Words like so, as, and others are used to establish a simile.
Examples:
- Her response was as cold as ice.
- His eyes were as dark as night.
- Ram easts like a pig.
- Metaphor:
The terms like, as, and so are missing in this informal or implicit simile. It is a direct comparison without using comparative words. "He is like a lion (simile)" and "He is a lion (metaphor)" are two examples. Metaphors of the figure of speech are highlighted in the following instances.
- He is the star of his family.
- Sonia is now the sunset of the days.
- Personification:
Inanimate things or abstract conceptions are given a human personality, intellect, or character as a personification figure of speech. The ferocious storm, the thirsty earth, and the pitiless cold, for example, are all expressions we employ.
Examples:
- The cloud has a tongue of fire.
- The day was sleepless for Amit.
- Oxymoron:
When two phrases or words are used together in a statement yet appear to contradict each other, it is called an oxymoron. An oxymoron is a statement that appears to contradict itself on the surface - a form of sharp contradiction. A figure of speech that purposely uses two opposing concepts is known as an oxymoron. In the mind of the reader or listener, this contradiction creates a paradoxical image, which provides a new notion or meaning for the entire.
Oxymoron figure of speech in which two seemingly incompatible or incongruent words are combined for emphasis or impact.
Example:
- Sweet sorrow
- Free market
- Loving hate
- Antithesis:
In antithesis, the figure of speech, one word is presented in direct opposition to another. It's a mixture of two words, phrases, clauses, or sentences with opposing meanings to draw attention to opposing concepts. When two diverse or opposing thoughts are placed near one other, antithesis arises.
Example:
- We look for light, but all is darkness.
- United we stand, divided we fall.
- Synecdoche:
Synecdoche figure of speech is the comprehension of one thing via the use of another. A portion is used to designate the entire, or the whole is used to designate a part in this case.
Examples:
- All hands ( crew) at work
- Colgate ( any toothpaste)
- Pun
Pun is a word or phrase that has two meanings. It's most commonly seen in comedies, in which a single phrase has two contrasting meanings. Puns are made by combining two or more words with distinct meanings or sound the same.
While reading, using a word to indicate various meanings or words with the same sound but distinct meanings creates humour and intrigue. Learn all different kinds of figure speech in our English grammar online tuition.
Examples:
- Is life worth living? It depends upon the liver.
- Where do you find giant snails? On the ends of the giants' fingers.
- Hyperbole:
This is the literary device that is used in the poetry and is sometimes encountered in the causal speech. Newspapers and other media use hyperbole while discussing an accident to create the story's impact. It is a kind of figure of speech as it consists of exaggeration.
Example:
- Rani’s brain is the size of a pea.
- I have told you a million times not to lie.
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