What figure of speech is used in “...the microphone dropped on the floor, sending a vexatious clatter out of the twin sound boxes”?

Step 1: Analyze the question We need to identify the figure of speech in the phrase "sending a vexatious clatter out of the twin sound boxes."

Step 2: Review the concepts

• Onomatopoeia: a word that imitates the sound it describes (e.g., buzz, bang, hiss, clatter).
• Simile: a direct comparison using "like" or "as."
• Irony: saying the opposite of what is meant, or an outcome opposite to what is expected.
• Personification: giving human qualities to non-human things.

Step 3: Examine the sentence

• "Clatter" is a word that imitates the harsh, rattling noise of an object hitting a hard surface. That is onomatopoeia.
• There is no "like" or "as," so it is not a simile.
• Nothing suggests the opposite of what is meant, so it is not irony.
• "Vexatious" (annoying) describes the clatter. The sound boxes are not given human actions or feelings, so it is not personification. The microphone and the speakers are simply objects producing noise.

Step 4: Conclusion The word "clatter" is the sound-imitating word here, so the figure of speech is onomatopoeia.

Correct answer: A. Onomatopoeia

Exam tip: When you see a sound word like clatter, bang, crash, sizzle, thud, or murmur, check for onomatopoeia first. Personification needs a human action or feeling (e.g., "the wind whispered"), and a simile always has "like" or "as."