Lesson T2.2.4

T2.2.4 Literary and rhetorical devices in writing Quiz: KS3 English, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T2.2.4, Literary and rhetorical devices in writing: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 English (National Curriculum), Unit 2: Writing, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is alliteration?

    • The repetition of whole lines at the end of a poem to form a rhythmic and musical chorus.
    • The repetition of the same consonant sound at the start of several closely connected words.
    • The comparison of two unlike things using the words 'like' or 'as' to make the description clearer.
    • The exaggeration of a claim so that it is clearly not meant to be taken as literally true.

  2. Which example shows a simile?

    • Her smile was as bright as the midday sun over the sea.
    • Her smile was the bright sun that warmed every single room in the house.
    • Her smile was so enormous that it could be seen from the top of the hill.
    • Her smile shone and her smile sparkled and her smile lit up the whole street.

  3. Which device is used in 'The wind whispered through the trees'?

    • Onomatopoeia, because the word whispered is a sound that exactly copies a noise.
    • Personification, because the wind is given the human ability to whisper.
    • Rhetorical question, because the writer asks the reader what the wind is saying.
    • Hyperbole, because the wind is described as far stronger than any wind has ever been.

  4. What is the effect of using a rhetorical question in a speech?

    • It shows that the speaker does not know the answer and is therefore not an expert on the topic.
    • It gives the audience a list of facts they must memorise before the speech ends at the end.
    • It makes the speech shorter, so that the listeners have less to think about during the talk.
    • It makes the audience think about the answer and can encourage them to agree with the speaker.

  5. Which device is a metaphor?

    • Her voice was soft, soft, soft, and it kept going on and on like a song.
    • Her voice was so soft that it could hardly be heard from the back of the room.
    • Her voice was as soft as honey, flowing softly through the quiet room.
    • Her voice was a river of honey, flowing softly through the quiet room.

  6. Which example uses hyperbole?

    • I have told you twice to tidy your room, and you have now finished doing it.
    • I have told you a million times to tidy your room, and you still have not done it.
    • Please tidy your room before dinner, because the rest of the house needs to be clean.
    • Your room is untidy, so you should put your clothes away before you go out later.

  7. What is the effect of a tricolon, such as 'We will fight, we will resist, we will win'?

    • The three phrases make the sentence shorter and easier to translate into other languages.
    • The three parallel phrases build rhythm and make the message memorable and powerful.
    • The three phrases show that the speaker has not decided what he or she truly wants to say.
    • The three phrases confuse the audience, so they stop listening and cannot repeat the point.

  8. Which device is used in 'Buzz, crash, bang went the fireworks'?

    • Euphemism, because a harsh idea is replaced by a gentler word to avoid upsetting the listener.
    • Anaphora, because the same word is repeated at the start of each line of the poem.
    • Oxymoron, because two opposite ideas are placed side by side to create a surprising contrast.
    • Onomatopoeia, because the words imitate the sounds that the fireworks make.

  9. What is an oxymoron?

    • A question that the writer asks without expecting any answer from the reader at all.
    • A phrase that places two contradictory words together, such as 'deafening silence'.
    • A comparison that uses the word 'like' to link two things that share one feature.
    • A sentence that repeats the same word at the start of several lines for emphasis.

  10. What does a writer achieve by using personification?

    • The reader is led to think that the writer is a poet rather than a writer of prose.
    • Non-human things seem alive, which helps the reader feel a closer connection to them.
    • The reader is given a fact that can be checked against a reliable source of information.
    • The reader is told exactly how big an object is, so there is no need to imagine its size.

  11. Which example uses a rhetorical question for effect?

    • The sun rose at six o'clock and the birds began to sing their morning songs.
    • Who would choose to live in a world without music, colour or laughter?
    • The bus arrives at the stop every twenty minutes during the working week.
    • The river flows east to west and it empties into the sea near the town.

  12. Which device is used in 'The classroom was a zoo'?

    • Alliteration, because the same consonant sound is repeated in the words zoo and classroom.
    • Hyperbole, because the classroom is said to hold more animals than the largest zoo in the world.
    • Metaphor, because the classroom is described as if it were a zoo to show how noisy it was.
    • Simile, because the classroom is compared to a zoo using the word 'like' to link them.

  13. Why might a writer use a short sentence after a long one?

    • To make the text shorter so that the teacher can read it more quickly when marking.
    • To create a sudden change of pace and draw attention to the important point that follows.
    • To show that the writer has no interest in the topic and would prefer to write about something else.
    • To show that the writer is tired and wants the piece to end as quickly as it can.

  14. Which device would a writer use to avoid saying that someone has died?

    • A hyperbole, such as 'I cried a river', which exaggerates the sadness to make it seem enormous.
    • An anecdote, such as a short true story, which shows a point through an event that happened.
    • A euphemism, such as 'passed away', which replaces a harsh word with a gentler one.
    • A pun, such as 'he was a dead loss', which uses a word with two meanings for humour.

  15. Which device is used in 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers'?

    • Alliteration, because the same consonant sound is repeated at the start of many words.
    • Simile, because the peppers are compared to a peck using the word 'like' to link them.
    • Oxymoron, because the words pickled and peck contrast with each other in an unusual way.
    • Rhetorical question, because the reader is asked to imagine how many peppers were picked.

  16. What is the effect of anaphora, the repetition of 'We shall' at the start of several sentences?

    • It shows that the speaker is reading from notes and does not know what to say next.
    • It builds momentum and emphasis, so the listener feels the force of each promise together.
    • It makes the listener forget each promise, so that the speech becomes harder to remember.
    • It makes the speech shorter by joining several sentences into one long and tangled phrase.

  17. Which device is used in 'Slowly, silently, the snow settled on the sleeping town'?

    • Oxymoron, because the words slowly and silently are placed together to make a contrast.
    • Alliteration, because the 's' sound is repeated at the start of several words in the phrase.
    • Metaphor, because the snow is directly described as a blanket that covers the sleeping town.
    • Onomatopoeia, because the word snow is a sound that imitates the soft noise of falling flakes.

  18. Which device does a writer use when they say 'The world is a stage'?

    • A personification, because the stage is given a human ability to speak and to act.
    • A simile, because the world is compared to a stage using the word 'like' to link the two.
    • A rhetorical question, because the writer asks whether the world is really a stage at all.
    • A metaphor, because the world is described directly as a stage without using 'like' or 'as'.

  19. Which example uses a simile?

    • The wind raced across the playground and the wind swept past every child.
    • He ran like the wind across the playground to reach the ball first.
    • He ran across the playground faster than anyone else had ever run before.
    • He was the wind that raced across the playground to reach the ball first.

  20. What is a hyperbole?

    • The repetition of the same consonant sound at the start of several words in a single phrase.
    • A question asked for effect, where the writer does not expect the reader to give any answer.
    • A comparison using the word 'like' or 'as' between two things that are very different from each other.
    • An extreme exaggeration used for effect, which is not meant to be taken literally.

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