GCSE English Quiz – Literary Techniques Revision

English Quiz - Literary Techniques (Questions)

Writers use literary techniques to create impact. Learn how personification, metaphor and juxtaposition shape tone, mood and meaning, then spot them in speeches, fiction and articles.

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Fascinating Fact:

Personification gives human traits to non human things. The gate yawned as the wind pushed it open.

In GCSE English, you study literary techniques to see how writers guide readers’ feelings and ideas. You will explore imagery, sound and structure to explain effects and support analysis with precise evidence.

Key Terms

Personification: Giving human actions or feelings to objects, ideas, or nature.
Metaphor: Saying one thing is another to suggest a strong comparison.
Juxtaposition: Placing contrasting ideas or images side by side to highlight differences.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What are literary techniques in GCSE English?

Literary techniques are writer’s tools, such as metaphor, personification, juxtaposition, alliteration, and repetition. They shape a text’s mood, focus attention, and influence how readers respond.

How do I analyse personification in an exam?

Quote the personification, explain which human quality is suggested, then link to effect. For example, calling a gate “yawning” creates laziness or eerie calm in the setting.

What is the difference between metaphor and simile?

A metaphor states one thing is another, while a simile compares using like or as. Both create vivid images, but metaphors are usually more direct and powerful.

Try These Related Quizzes

Match the definition to the correct literary technique.
A contrast between the audience's expectations and the reality of events.

[ ]	Satire
[ ]	Paradox
[ ]	Situational irony
[ ]	Dramatic irony

Match the definition to the correct literary technique.
The repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close together.

[ ]	Rhyme
[ ]	Sonnet
[ ]	Assonance
[ ]	Onomatopoeia

Match the definition to the correct literary technique.
The repetition of the 's' or 'sh' sound.

[ ]	Sibilance
[ ]	Alliteration
[ ]	Scansion
[ ]	Simile

Match the definition to the correct literary technique.
An example of figurative language in which inanimate objects are given human characteristics.

[ ]	Trope
[ ]	Onomatopoeia
[ ]	Hyperbole
[ ]	Personification

Match the definition to the correct literary technique.
An example of figurative language which treats one thing as if it were another.

[ ]	Metaphor
[ ]	Alliteration
[ ]	Paradox
[ ]	Utopia

Match the definition to the correct literary technique.
A description of one thing as being similar to something else.

[ ]	Metaphor
[ ]	Personification
[ ]	Simile
[ ]	Idiom

Match the definition to the correct literary technique.
A word which recreates the sound which it represents.

[ ]	Onomatopoeia
[ ]	Alliteration
[ ]	Assonance
[ ]	Consonance

Match the definition to the correct literary technique.
Non-literal language; metaphorical or rhetorical language.

[ ]	Formal language
[ ]	Figurative language
[ ]	Creative language
[ ]	Informal language

Match the definition to the correct literary technique.
A story in which everything symbolises something else.

[ ]	Fiction
[ ]	Motif
[ ]	Allegory
[ ]	Narrative

10.

Match the definition to the correct literary technique.
An object, person or colour used to represent an idea.

[ ]	Theme
[ ]	Mood
[ ]	Symbol
[ ]	Simile

English Quiz - Literary Techniques (Answers)