English
SIMILE
An indirect comparison of unlike objects
with the use of “as” or “like”
Ex. The dangerous city looks like sleeping tiger at
midnight
METAPHOR
A direct comparison of unlike objects
Ex. An unknown island rich in natural resources is a pot
of gold for the conquistadors.
PERSONIFICATION
Nonhuman objects are given human qualities
Ex. The enchanting forest forest is drawing me close to
her.
HYPERBOLE
Exaggeration of statements.
Ex. Selena cried a river when Justine broke up with her.
LITOTES
Unstatement using double negatives.
Ex. You won’t be sorry you joined us in this nature trip.
METONYMY
A substitute word or group of words for an
abstract idea.
Ex. The Malacanang Palace shuts down mining companies
Pen is mightier than the sword.
SYNEDOCHE
The substitute tword is part of the whole
Ex. We need more hands to continue our advocacy .
Do you like my new wheels?
ONOMATOPOEIA
A sound device wherein words are used to
suggests or imitates the sound of something.
Ex. The boom of the loud explosion shocked and terrified
the quiet neighborhood.
OXYMORON
Opposing words that are place side by side.
Ex. The country’s production of nuclear weapons was
an open secret.
PARADOX
A self-contradictory statement that leaves
something to think about.
Ex. The child is father of the man
I shut my eyes so that I can see
EUPHEMISM
An expression used for sugarcoating something rude,
blunt, or tragic, or offensive.
Ex.
“I have to let you go” (A sugarcoat for firing
someone)
IRONY
The intended meaning is the opposite of what is
stated.
Ex. What a beautiful weather! (The sky is dark and there is
lightning.)
APOSTROPHE
Addressing an absent or dead person or a nonhuman
entity as if it can reply.
Ex. Death be not proud, though some have called thee
mighty and dreadful, for, thou art not so.
message of the poem?
A. Appreciating and finding happiness in
nature
B. Looking at the beauty of what surrounds us
C. Taking care of our environment
1. Pun
A play on words that have similar sounds but have
different meanings
Examples:
a. He deiided to put up an ice cream sotre and
named in “Metro Vanilla”
b. Grammar lovers have a lot of comma sense
2. Mixed Metaphor
When two or more unrelated common expressions,
metaphors, or cliches are combined, it results in
something absurd yet funny.
Examples:
a. Please don’t burn bridges over troubled waters.
b. It was the smeel of raining cats and dogs.
3. Overstatement
An exaggeration, hyperbole
Example:
He has gained so much weught that the earth
trembles every moves he makes
4. Reverses
An unexpected sudden twist at the end of the statement
Example:
I have met a number of instances in my life that taught
me how to give a fair fight and one of them I just
recently faced. I must recount and tell you then how I
won the most difficult of them all which is “A Trip to
Jerusalem”
5. Situational Irony
What took place is the opposite of what is
expected.
Example:
The inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham
Bell, refused to have a telephone in his working
room becuase he didn’t want to be disturbed.