Over the cobbles it clattered and crashed is an example of__________

Step 1: Analyze the question The line is "Over the cobbles it clattered and crashed." We need to name the figure of speech or sound device it shows.

Step 2: Explain the concepts

• Oxymoron: two contradictory words placed together, e.g. "deafening silence" or "bitter-sweet."
• Pun: a play on words using a word with double meanings or similar sounds, for humour or effect.
• Onomatopoeia: a word whose sound imitates the sound it describes, e.g. "buzz," "hiss," "bang."
• Paradox: a statement that seems self-contradictory but contains a truth, e.g. "The child is father of the man."

Step 3: Apply to the line

• "Clattered" and "crashed" both imitate the noisy sounds of something rattling and striking against hard cobblestones.
• There are no contradictory terms, so it is not an oxymoron.
• There is no double meaning or wordplay, so it is not a pun.
• There is no seemingly self-contradictory statement, so it is not a paradox.
• The words reproduce the actual noise, so it is onomatopoeia.

Correct answer: C. Onomatopoeia

Exam tip: When a line is full of sound words like clatter, crash, bang, sizzle, murmur, think onomatopoeia first. Ask yourself, "Can I hear this word?" If the answer is yes, that is your device.