Which of the following sentences use a transferred epithet?
(A) The rusty gate grumbled every time the milkman pushed it open.
(B) After the plumber fixed the leak, Papa handed him a grateful cup of tea.
(C) After years of use, Riya’s school shoes were as soft as a pair of socks.
(D) On the bus to her new school, Tara held a shy schoolbag on her lap.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (B) and (D) only
In a transferred epithet, a describing word is moved from a person to a thing linked to them.
(A) The rusty gate grumbled every time the milkman pushed it open. — Incorrect.
- This is personification, because the gate is given a human action: it “grumbled”.
(B) After the plumber fixed the leak, Papa handed him a grateful cup of tea. — Correct.
- A cup of tea cannot feel grateful. Papa is the grateful one, and the word is moved to the cup.
(C) After years of use, Riya’s school shoes were as soft as a pair of socks. — Incorrect.
- This is a simile, because the shoes are compared to socks with “as soft as”.
(D) On the bus to her new school, Tara held a shy schoolbag on her lap. — Correct.
- A schoolbag cannot be shy. Tara is the shy one, and the word “shy” is moved to her bag.