Word Choice Literary Devices

Question 0

Ellipsis

Answer 0

The omission of one or more words that, while essential to a grammatic structure, are
​​easily supplied. Ex. “Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity a greater.”

Question 1

Solecism

Answer 1

A violation of prescriptive grammatical rules. Basically, a grammatical error.
​​Ex. “He don’t” instead of “He doesn’t” or “between you and I” instead of
​​​“between you and me”

Question 2

Metonymy

Answer 2

the substitution of the name of an object closely associated with a word for the
​​word itself. Ex. Using the word “crown” when speaking of a king.

Question 3

Synecdoche

Answer 3

A trope in which the part signifies the whole or the whole signifies the part.
​​Ex. The use of “threads” for clothing.

Question 4

Syllepsis

Answer 4

A grammatically correct construction in which one word is placed in the same
​​grammatical relationship to two words but in quite different senses.
​​Ex. She held her breath and the door.

Question 5

Anastrophe

Answer 5

inversion of the usual, normal, or logical order of the parts of a sentence.
​​Ex. “midnight dreary” instead of dreary midnight

Question 6

Tautology

Answer 6

The use of repetitious words. Ex. “Lonely isolation”

Question 7

Antiphrasis

Answer 7

The satirical or humorous use of a word or phrase to convey an idea exactly the
opposite to its real significance. Ex. Using “Bad” to mean “good”

Question 8

Asyndeton

Answer 8

A condensed form of expression in which elements customarily joined by
conjunctions are presented in a series without conjunctions.
​Ex. I came, I saw, I conquered

Question 9

Polysyndeton

Answer 9

The use of more conjunctions than is normal.

Ex. “And swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flies”