National 5 (Scotland) · National 5 English

Language and Technique

15 practice questions, each with the answer and an explanation.

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Random questions from this topic, one at a time. You see the answer and the explanation straight after each one.

All 15 questions

  1. Identify the technique in 'The wind snarled at the windows.'
  2. Which technique is clearest in 'The kettle hissed and spat on the stove'?
  3. 'Cold, clear, calm, the morning crept in.' Which sound technique repeats the same consonant?
  4. 'I have told you a million times to close the door.' What is this an example of?
  5. Which phrase is an oxymoron?
  6. A character says, 'Oh, you're as helpful as a chocolate teapot.' What is the tone?
  7. A paragraph of long, flowing sentences ends with the short sentence: 'Then the lights went out.' What is the most likely effect?
  8. The writer asks, 'Is this really the future we want for our children?' What is the main purpose of this rhetorical question?
  9. 'We were tired, hungry and afraid.' What is the effect of the list of three?
  10. 'Beside the gleaming towers of the bank, a row of boarded-up houses leaned together.' Which technique is most obvious?
  11. What does the verb 'trudged' suggest in 'She trudged up the hill', compared with 'walked'?
  12. Why might a writer put extra information in brackets or between dashes, as in 'The house — an old farmhouse — stood empty'?
  13. 'We will not give in. We will not go back. We will not be silent.' What is the effect of the repetition at the start of each sentence?
  14. 'The factory chimneys coughed grey breath over the sleeping town.' Which analysis is strongest?
  15. 'He smiled the thin smile of a man counting someone else's money.' What does this suggest about the man?

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