Choose the correct figure of speech used in the following sentence:
After weeks of lectures to our class on phone addiction, the school counsellor missed her own session because she was busy scrolling on her phone.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Irony
The counsellor spent weeks warning the class about phone addiction. We expect her to keep away from her phone. Instead, she “missed her own session because she was busy scrolling on her phone”. What happens is the opposite of what we expect.
| Figure | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Irony (answer) | the opposite of what we expect happens, or words say the opposite of what is meant | The traffic police officer got a fine for jumping a red light. |
| (2) Paradox | a statement that seems to go against itself but still holds a truth | The harder Ritu tried to fall asleep, the more awake she felt. |
| (3) Pun | a play on a word that has two meanings (or two words that sound alike) | The candle maker said his business had a bright future. |
| (4) Hyperbole | a big exaggeration made for effect | The wait for the result felt longer than a hundred years. |