Identify the figure of speech used in the following sentence:
Standing before her late grandmother’s photograph, Meena whispered, “Nani, your little girl became a doctor today.”
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Apostrophe
Meena’s grandmother has died, so she is an absent person. Still, Meena speaks straight to her: “Nani, your little girl became a doctor today”. She talks as if Nani can hear her.
| Figure | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Apostrophe (answer) | the speaker talks directly to a thing, an idea or an absent person, as if it can hear | O monsoon clouds, please bring rain to our dry village. |
| (2) Personification | human qualities or actions given to a thing, an animal or an idea | The old ceiling fan groaned and complained all through the hot night. |
| (3) Rhetorical question | a question asked for effect, not for an answer | Who needs an alarm clock when the neighbour’s rooster lives next door? |
| (4) Hyperbole | a big exaggeration made for effect | Our maths teacher has given us enough homework to last a lifetime. |