Rhetorical Devices Writing Exercises: Level B2-C1 (with Answers)

⏱ Time: 07:30 📝 Questions: 15 📊 Level: B2, C1 📚 Type: Writing ⭐ XP: up to +19 (on pass)

How well do you really know Rhetorical Devices? Find out with 15 exercises designed for B2-C1 learners. Instant scoring shows exactly where you stand, and detailed explanations turn every mistake into a learning moment. Retake any time to measure your improvement.

⏱ You have 07:30 to answer 15 questions. The timer only starts when you click Begin.

Q1  15
Q1 15

Question 1: Read the following sentence: "Every morning, every afternoon, every evening, she practised her violin until her fingers ached." Which rhetorical device is used here?

Question 1 options
The repetition of "every" at the beginning of successive phrases is anaphora, a device in which a word or phrase is repeated at the start of consecutive clauses for emphasis.
Q2 15

Question 2: Complete the sentence with the correct rhetorical device: "The old house groaned under the weight of years, its shutters ___ in the autumn wind." To add personification, the blank should read ___.

Question 2 options
"Sighing" gives the shutters a human quality (the ability to sigh), which is the definition of personification. "Banging" and "flapping" describe literal physical actions, and "broken" is merely an adjective with no human attribute.
Q3 15

Question 3: A simile always uses the word "like" or "as" to make a comparison, whereas a metaphor states the comparison directly without these words.

Question 3 options
This is the standard rule distinguishing similes from metaphors. Similes use "like" or "as" (e.g., "brave as a lion"), while metaphors equate two things directly (e.g., "He is a lion").
Q4 15

Question 4: Which sentence correctly uses hyperbole?

Question 4 options
"I have told you a million times to lock the door" is a deliberate exaggeration for emphasis, which defines hyperbole. The other options use a simile, personification, and a literal statement respectively.
Q5 15

Question 5: Match each rhetorical device to its correct definition.

Question 5 options
Oxymoron
Synecdoche
Antithesis
Euphemism
Contrasting ideas placed in parallel structure
A mild expression replacing a harsh one
A part represents the whole thing
A combination of two contradictory words

Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

Oxymoron pairs contradictory words; synecdoche uses a part to represent the whole; antithesis places contrasting ideas side by side; euphemism substitutes a milder expression for a harsh one.
Q6 15

Question 6: Which sentence contains an error in the use of a rhetorical device?

Question 6 options
"She moved as graceful as a swan" is incorrect because the simile requires the adverb "gracefully" (or the restructured form "as gracefully as"). The other sentences correctly employ their respective devices: alliteration, metaphor, and personification.
Q7 15

Question 7: Read the speech excerpt: "We will not be silenced. We will not be ignored. We will not be defeated. We will ___." Which option best completes the passage while maintaining the rhetorical pattern established?

Question 7 options
The passage uses anaphora ("We will not be") to build tension through repeated negation, so the climax should break the pattern with a positive, emphatic declaration. "We will prevail" provides the strongest rhetorical contrast and resolution.
Q8 15

Question 8: The following sentence contains an error: "The politician's speech was full of logos when he wept on stage and begged voters to think of their children's future." Which option correctly fixes the error?

Question 8 options
Weeping and begging voters to think of their children's future is an emotional appeal, which is pathos, not logos. Logos refers to appeals based on logic, reason, and evidence.
Q9 15

Question 9: Arrange the parts in the correct order to build a persuasive paragraph that uses rhetorical devices effectively.

Question 9 options
  • Call to action using anaphora for emphasis
  • Emotional appeal describing the human impact
  • Rhetorical question to engage the reader
  • Logical evidence with statistics and facts

Drag items or use arrows to arrange them in the correct order.

An effective persuasive paragraph opens with a hook (rhetorical question), follows with an emotional appeal (pathos), supports the argument with evidence (logos), and closes with a powerful call to action using repetition (anaphora).
Q10 15

Question 10: You are writing a formal eulogy for a respected colleague. Which sentence most appropriately uses a euphemism?

Question 10 options
"Passed away" is a euphemism — a mild, indirect expression that replaces the blunt term "died." In a formal eulogy, this softer phrasing is the most appropriate and respectful choice.
Q11 15

Question 11: Which sentence uses a metaphor rather than a simile?

Question 11 options
"The classroom was a zoo" is a metaphor because it directly equates the classroom with a zoo without using "like" or "as." The other options all contain "like" or "as," making them similes.
Q12 15

Question 12: Which version of the sentence is most appropriate for an academic essay analysing a political speech?

Question 12 options
An academic essay requires formal register and precise terminology. Identifying the specific rhetorical device (anaphora) and explaining its effect using scholarly language is the most appropriate approach for this context.
Q13 15

Question 13: Irony and sarcasm are the same rhetorical device; the terms can always be used interchangeably in literary analysis.

Question 13 options
This is false. While sarcasm is a form of verbal irony, irony is a broader concept that also includes situational irony and dramatic irony. Sarcasm specifically involves mocking or contemptuous language, so the terms are not fully interchangeable.
Q14 15

Question 14: Read the sentence: "She donated her entire fortune to a charity that was later exposed as a fraud." What effect does the situational irony create in this sentence?

Question 14 options
Situational irony occurs when the outcome sharply contradicts expectations. The reader expects the generous donation to do good, but the fraudulent charity produces the opposite result, creating a sense of tragic contrast between intention and reality.
Q15 15

Question 15: Which option best improves the following weak sentence? Original: "The city was really, really quiet and there was nobody around at all, which was kind of weird."

Question 15 options
"An eerie silence blanketed the deserted city" uses personification ("silence blanketed") and strong word choice ("eerie," "deserted") to convey the same meaning more vividly and concisely than the original.