Which part of speech usually shows an action or state of being?
AnswerVerb
Verbs such as run, think and is express actions or states.
Language · Facts & stats
Verbal facts & stats
7 fact-checked facts about words, grammar and verbal communication, each with the reason behind it. 5 more are in today's round and join this page after it closes.
The basics
Which word is a palindrome?
AnswerLevel
A palindrome reads the same forward and backward, like level.
Going deeper
A word that imitates a sound, like 'buzz' or 'sizzle', is an example of what?
AnswerOnomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia names a sound by imitating it.
Which phrase is an oxymoron?
AnswerJumbo shrimp
An oxymoron pairs contradictory terms, like jumbo and shrimp.
Repeating the same starting consonant sound, as in 'Peter Piper picked', is called what?
AnswerAlliteration
Alliteration repeats initial consonant sounds in nearby words.
Expert level
The misuse of a similar-sounding word is a malapropism, named after a character in which play?
AnswerThe Rivals
Mrs. Malaprop in Sheridan's The Rivals (1775) constantly mixed up words.
Repeating a word at the start of successive clauses, as in 'I have a dream', is called what?
AnswerAnaphora
Anaphora repeats the opening words of successive phrases for emphasis.
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