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
Situational irony:
- 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.
- This sentence: a soldier who lived through the dangers of war, where death was expected, dies in an ordinary car accident at home.
Example: The fire station burned down while the firemen were out on a call.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: Pun — Incorrect. A pun is a play on a word with two meanings; no word in the sentence has a double meaning.
Example: A bicycle cannot stand on its own because it is two-tired.
Option 3: Synecdoche — Incorrect. Synecdoche uses a part for the whole or the whole for a part; the sentence names the soldier directly.
Example: "All hands on deck" uses hands for sailors.
Option 4: Pleonasm — Incorrect. Pleonasm is the use of more words than needed; the sentence has no extra words.
Example: "Free gift" is a pleonasm, since every gift is free.