Identify the figure of speech in the following sentence:
After surviving the war, the soldier died in a car accident.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Irony
A soldier who lived through the dangers of war, where death was expected, dies in an ordinary car accident at home.
| Option | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Irony (answer) | Irony is a contrast between what is expected and what actually happens. In situational irony, the outcome of an event is the opposite of what anyone would expect. | The fire station burned down while the firemen were out on a call. |
| (2) Pun | a play on a word with two meanings. No word in the sentence has a double meaning. | A bicycle cannot stand on its own because it is two-tired. |
| (3) Synecdoche | Synecdoche uses a part for the whole or the whole for a part. The sentence names the soldier directly. | "All hands on deck" uses hands for sailors. |
| (4) Pleonasm | the use of more words than needed. The sentence has no extra words. | "Free gift" is a pleonasm, since every gift is free. |