164 exam-style questions on Readers, writers and texts with answers and explanations. Six real samples below — the full set is free with an account.
Which term names the repetition of a word or phrase at the START of successive clauses or lines?
Answer: Anaphora
Anaphora hammers a phrase at the beginning of successive lines (e.g. 'We shall fight... We shall fight...') to build rhythm and emphasis. Spot it by looking for the repeated opening words.
Repetition of a word or phrase at the END of successive clauses is called:
Answer: Epistrophe
Epistrophe is the mirror of anaphora: the repeated words land at the end (e.g. '...of the people, by the people, for the people'). Check the line endings, not the openings.
The deliberate use of MANY conjunctions in quick succession ('and... and... and...') is called:
Answer: Polysyndeton
Polysyndeton stacks conjunctions to slow the pace, suggest accumulation, or create a weighty, overwhelming effect. If the 'and's are repeated on purpose, it's polysyndeton.
The repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the ends or middles of words (e.g. 'blank and think'), is called:
Answer: Consonance
Consonance repeats consonant sounds anywhere in the word, not just the start. Alliteration is a special case limited to initial sounds.
An OXYMORON is best described as:
Answer: Two contradictory terms placed together
An oxymoron yokes two opposite words into one phrase to spark a striking, compressed contradiction. It is smaller than a paradox, which is a whole contradictory statement or idea.
LITOTES is a figure of speech that creates emphasis by:
Answer: Understatement using a double negative
Litotes affirms something by negating its opposite ('she's no fool'). It is a form of understatement and the tonal opposite of hyperbole.
164 Readers, writers and texts questions — free with an account. Spaced repetition, streaks and full exam simulations included.
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