Which figure of speech is used in this text?
Aaliyah swore she would never go back to Morristown, but I told her she should never say never. The city might be a very different place in ten years.
oxymoron paradox
Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
A euphemism is a polite or indirect expression that is used to de-emphasize an unpleasant topic.
The head of Human Resources would never refer to firing people, only to laying them off.
Hyperbole is an obvious exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally.
I ate so much that I think I might explode!
An oxymoron is a joining of two seemingly contradictory terms.
Some reviewers are calling this book a new classic.
A paradox is a statement that might at first appear to be contradictory, but that may in fact contain some truth.
Always expect the unexpected.
The text uses a paradox, a statement that might at first appear to be contradictory, but that may in fact contain some truth.
Never say never at first appears to be contradictory: by saying the phrase itself, you have already said never. However, it contains some truth: people often change their minds as they age and so should not rule anything out by saying never.