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Writers use literary devices — special techniques — to make their writing more vivid, powerful, and interesting. In the SET Stage 1 English paper, you will be asked to identify these devices and understand the effect they have on the reader.
Literary devices help writers to:
In the SET exam, you may be asked to name a device, explain its effect, or choose the best description of what a particular phrase does.
A comparison using "like" or "as".
Example: "The moon hung like a lantern in the sky."
Effect: This creates a visual image — the moon is bright and round, casting light just like a lantern.
A comparison that says something IS something else (without "like" or "as").
Example: "Her eyes were diamonds, sparkling in the light."
Effect: This is stronger than a simile. It says the eyes are not just like diamonds — they are diamonds. This emphasises their brightness and beauty.
Giving human qualities to something that is not human.
Example: "The wind whispered through the trees."
Effect: This makes the wind seem gentle and alive, creating a calm or mysterious mood.
Repeating the same sound at the beginning of words close together.
Example: "The silent snow settled softly."
Effect: The repeated "s" sound is soft and quiet, mirroring the gentle fall of snow. Alliteration can also create a sense of rhythm.
A word that sounds like the thing it describes.
Examples: "crash", "buzz", "whisper", "sizzle", "thud"
Effect: These words make descriptions more vivid because the reader can almost hear the sound.
A deliberate exaggeration for emphasis.
Example: "I have told you a million times!"
Effect: The speaker has not literally said it a million times — the exaggeration shows frustration and emphasises the point.
Using the same word or phrase more than once for effect.
Example: "We will fight. We will resist. We will never give up."
Effect: Repetition of "We will" creates a strong, rhythmic, determined tone.
Words chosen to make the reader feel a strong emotion.
Example: "The helpless puppy whimpered, shivering in the cold rain."
Effect: Words like "helpless", "whimpered", and "shivering" are designed to make the reader feel sympathy and sadness.
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