Question

Identify the figure of speech employed in the sentence:
The police station got robbed.
A. Irony
B. Personification
C. Alliteration
D. Oxymoron

Answer 1

Hint: Figure of speech is a part of language which is cut away from normalcy. It is usually with an intention to spark humor or to deviate from the routine use of the language.
Irony is defined as a figure of speech used to express something in a way which looks normal, but it means the opposite of what is said. It is mostly used for humorous reasons.

Complete step by step answer:
Option A – Irony: When we look at the given sentence we see that a police station (which is a place of police who are protectors of society) got robbed which shows that it could not be protected by itself. This is an appropriate example of irony hence this is the right answer.
Option B – Personification: This is a figure of speech employed to give a human touch to things that are not human. The idea is to give unnatural things natural characteristics (usually human) and draw similarities to them with humans. This is not seen in the given case, hence this is not the right answer.
Option C – Alliteration: Alliteration is when the first letter of most or all words in the sentence is the same. This is a way of creating a rhythm to the writing to grab the reader’s attention and spark curiosity. This option too is not right because the sentence does not fit this definition.
Option D – Oxymoron: This figure of speech is applied when the elements in the sentence contradict other elements in the same sentence. There are usually two parts to these kinds of phrases or sentences that are contradictory to one another. This too is not the right option because it does not define the sentence.

So, the correct answer is “Option A”.

Additional Information: Personification is used in poems and plays usually. Example: The shadow of the tree danced like a seasoned dancer to the tunes of the wind. Alliteration is seen in children’s books to hold their attention. Example: The lady lay down laden in lace on the leafy heap on the land. Oxymoron helps capture contradictions to describe the intensity of the expression. Example: There was deafening silence in the room full of people meditating.
Note:
Oxymoron and Irony may sound similar but note that while oxymoron is used to express contradiction within itself, irony is used to explain the opposite of routine.