ICSE Class 10 Answered

There are many figures of speech in English. Below is a summary of the important ones that are generally asked in the exams.

The common types of figures of speech are as follows:

Simile- The comparison is made between two things.

eg: She is like a rose.

Metaphor- It is like a simile but the comparison is direct.

eg:- She is a rose

Onomatopoeia: The sounds of things are expressed through words.

eg: The clicking of her high heels.

Alliteration- The first consonant sounds of words are repeated.

eg: The long and languid ordeal.

Repetition- The words are repeated for a poetic effect.

eg: On and on the rain will fall.                

Hyperbole- Exaggeration of ideas

Eg- She cried for a thousand nights.

He was the happiest man in the world.

Antithesis- Opposing ideas are brought together.

To err is human; to forgive is divine.

Man proposes; God disposes.

Personification: Giving human qualities to non-living things.

Eg. The rain danced.

The flowers smiled.

Euphemism: Using a milder term for a harsh word/idea.

Eg: He is mentally unsound. (Milder term for mad)

Her grandmother is with God. (Milder term for dead)