Identify the figure of speech used in the following sentence:
On result day, the school notice board stared back at the crowd of students without saying a word.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Personification
A notice board cannot stare or keep quiet on purpose. Here it “stared back” and said nothing, like a person who will not give away a secret.
| Figure | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Metaphor | a hidden comparison: it says one thing is another, without “like” or “as” | During the test, the exam hall was a silent desert. |
| (2) Transferred epithet | a describing word moved from a person to a thing linked to them | Before his driving test, Ravi spent a restless night. |
| (3) Simile | an open comparison of two different things, using “like” or “as” | The kitten’s fur was as white as milk. |
| (4) Personification (answer) | human qualities or actions given to a thing, an animal or an idea | The angry wind slammed the kitchen window shut. |