The figures of

speech
To Mohamed Bachir Konaté
Introduction

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LOREM IPSUM DOLOR SIT AMET, CONSECTETUER ADIPISCING ELIT

In this presentation, we are going to important

elements in English grammar: figures of speech.
We will also understand why figures of speech
are important in English, in which cases they are
used the most and what are the different figures
of speech .

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 Figures of speech are very useful in writing a speech, an

Definition essay, a letter... They make it possible to make a text more

lively, interesting, expressive, and thus to more easily
captivate the attention of the reader or the 'audience. This
presentation will be devoted to the main figures of speech
in English: for each of them, you will find clear
explanations accompanied by examples.

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 Titre de la section
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Alliteration
Alliteration helps create imitative harmony The sentence built
Also called the repetition of consonants on alliteration often anchors itself more quickly in the mind of
the reader/listener. This process facilitates memorization by the
producing identical sounds , it is when expressive effect it produces.
consonant sounds are repeated over several
words: the initial consonants, and by Examples :
extension the interior consonants, of beautiful bouquet ;
following words produce the same sound I knew she’d be a natural at kneading
repeatedly. These words can follow each the noodle dough ;
other directly but also be separated by a
preposition or another word. sea shanty .

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LOREM IPSUM DOLOR SIT AMET, CONSECTETUER ADIPISCING ELIT

Allusion
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The allusion is a figure of speech by which people, (historical) events or texts supposedly known to all are evoked without
explicitly quoting them . We use this stylistic device to illustrate the speech, to underline an argument . The allusion is usually
quite brief and should implicitly refer to something that everyone knows, for example : well-known character , famous people
historical events , ....
When using such an analogy, it is assumed that the events, people, stories or things referred to are known to all. It provokes in
the mind of the reader or listener a rapid rapprochement between times, places, people... Thus a few words are enough to build
an allusion. This process has the following advantages :
The reader/listener is encouraged to participate more actively (we appeal to his imagination).
The message sinks deeper into the mind of the reader/listener as it is both made explicit and exemplified.
Examples : Are the US facing a second Vietnam? (Allusion to the Vietnam War, often used to refer to the Iraq War )
He is a real Romeo with the ladies(Allusion to the character of Romeo in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, in particular to
its romanticism) .

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Anaphora
Or repetition of the same word at the beginning of a sentence , Anaphora is a process that consists of
repeating the same word at the beginning of several lines, sentences or parts of sentences that follow
each other. It produces an effect of insistence, of symmetry, and makes it possible to underline an
idea.
Examples :
-Together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel
and commerce, schools and colleges to train our workers;
-Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition
and fair play;
-Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from
life's worst hazards and misfortune.
The anaphora is often used when there is a parallelism .

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Antithesis
Or combining of two opposite words or expressions which underlines a contrast ; the antithesis
consists in bringing together two words, two thoughts or two strongly opposed expressions to better
bring out the contrast. The striking effect produced by the antithesis comes from the contrast itself
and the symmetry that enhances it. The two members of the sentence are indeed often constructed
symmetrically so that all the attention of the reader / listener is focused on the contrast expressed.
- Examples: We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools ;
To err is human; to forgive divine;
One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

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Hyperbole
Or favorable or unfavorable exaggerationHyperbole is the exaggerated expression of an idea or a
reality. It allows you to highlight a particular aspect of the idea or reality you are talking about and to
make a strong impression on the mind of the reader/listener.
• Examples:I am so hungry I could eat a horse;
• I have told you a thousand times;
• I could hear you from a mile away.
• Warning! Do not exaggerate with exaggeration, at the risk of dulling the speech and causing the
opposite of the desired effect. A few well-placed hyperboles will be more successful than a text
built entirely on exaggeration .

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Hypophora
Or question whose answer comes from the one who asked it . Anglophones distinguish the
hypophora from the rhetorical question (which the French do not). A rhetorical question is a question
that does not wait for an answer while hypophora is a question to which an answer is given by the
one who asks it in conclusion of speech or to close a part of speech. It makes it possible to give more
force to an affirmation while captivating the audience whose curiosity is aroused. It can also be used
to introduce a new topic into the speech .
Example :There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?”
We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police
brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot
gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.

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Understatement
• Or attenuated expression of an idea or a fact ; The euphemism is
a figure which consists in replacing the direct expression of an
idea or a fact by an expression (word or group of words)
attenuated, softened. Euphemism is often used out of politeness
or convention, but it can also be used ironically.
• Examples :Tokyo is not the cheapest place in the world;
It's just a scratch;
I wouldn't say it tastes great.
his opposite : Hyperbole
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Litotes
• Or say less to make more heard , litote is a process of attenuation that works thanks to the
innuendo: we say less to suggest more. The weakened expression thus strengthens the thought. It
is generally built on the negation of the opposite of the asserted idea.
• Examples:
Not bad. – instead of: Very good.
You are not wrong. – instead of: You are right .

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 Time is a thief.

Metaphor
• (image resulting from an instantaneous and implied comparison) Metaphor is a process consisting
of a transfer of meaning by comparison. It makes it possible to implicitly and instantaneously
bring together two distinct realities or ideas. In a simplified way, it is a comparison without a
comparative tool (like or as). A is like B becomes A is B. Correspondence becomes identity.
• Example:
Butterflies in my stomach;
Time is a thief.

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Metonym
Metonymy is a figure that consists of replacing the name of an object, an idea, etc. by the name of
another who maintains with him a relationship of contiguity or belonging. The comprehension is
done thanks to the logical relation existing between the two words . Unlike metaphor, metonymy
is always built on an implied comparison between two things linked together by their meaning, by
a logical link.
• Example: The White House. (the White House = the US government)
Crown. (the crown = the king, queen or a member of the royal family)

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Onomatopoeia
• the English also designate by this term a word which has an onomatopoeic value, that is to say that
it was created on the imitation of a sound or a noise. It is therefore not always interjections but
also verbs, nouns or adjectives that imitate a sound. Since it is difficult to describe noises and
sounds, onomatopoeia are often very useful and can make a text more lively.
• Example: Put your phone on silent so that it doesn’t beep during the film

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Parallelism
• We speak of parallelism when two phrases or two sentences with a similar structure and length are
coordinated, juxtaposed or follow each other. It is therefore a repetition of syntactic structures (two
sentences is a minimum number, this repetition can be done over several sentences). Parallelism
brings clarity to the discourse; it allows faster comprehension and memorization of the content.
• Example:Like father, like son

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Parenthesis
• The parenthesis, as a figure of speech, makes it possible to insert in a sentence an autonomous
element (word, group of words, whole sentence) providing additional information on the main
sentence or, on the contrary, introducing a digression. This stand-alone element is always
surrounded by either commas, parentheses or hyphens .
• Example:
John, a 7-year-old cat from Doncaster, hid in the engine area of his owner's car for a 60-mile trip to
the seaside.

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Personification
• Personification is a stylistic process that consists of attributing
the properties of a human being (behaviour, physical
appearance, thought, etc.) to an animal, an abstract or inanimate
entity. It rests, like comparison, metaphor or metonymy, on
analogy, but here the compared is animal or inanimate and the
comparing is a person. This figure of speech makes it possible
to make a story or a speech more lively and captivating.
• Examples : The wind howled;
The stars were dancing in the sky.

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Repetition
• The repetition of a word or a group of words in a sentence or a
text makes it possible to highlight an idea, a situation, a key
element...
• Examples : The rain is falling all around,
It falls on field and tree,

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Rhetorical Question
• A rhetorical question is a question that does not expect an
answer. This false question often has an affirmative value: it
gives more force to an affirmation while captivating the
audience. It is often used in political speeches and can make it
possible to formulate sharp criticisms as well as to convince an
adversary.
• Examples : Isn't that nice?
What's the matter with you?

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Simile
• Comparison creates an analogy between two terms. It consists
in bringing together two objects of thought (person, animal,
object, abstraction, etc.) having a common point to identify their
difference or their resemblance. It is built with a comparison
tool (like or as) …. The comparison is generally made up of four
elements: the compared (A), the comparator (B), the comparison
tool, the point of comparison or common element (can be
omitted)
• Example : My love is like a red, red rose.

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Synecdoche
• Synecdoche is a variety of particular metonymy. It consists of
replacing the name of an object, an idea, etc. by the name of
another who maintains with him a relationship of inclusion or
dependence. It can express a generalization or a
particularization.

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 MARTENSSON@EXAMP
ALEXANDRE CHAUVIN

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