Which rhetorical figure asserts a positive statement by negating its diametrical opposite, as in 'no ordinary accomplishment'?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Litotes using deliberate understatement through denial
- Step 1: Litotes is a rhetorical trope that emphasizes a point through deliberate understatement via the negation of its opposite. Describing a great triumph as 'no minor achievement' softens overt boasting while intensifying genuine affirmation. Answer: Litotes using deliberate understatement through denial. Why not the others: "Hyperbole using dramatic expansion" magnifies scale or intensity beyond factual reality for dramatic emphasis; "Irony communicating double meaning" expresses a meaning directly contrary to the literal words uttered; "Antithesis balance of concepts" sets contrasting concepts against each other in balanced grammatical clauses.
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