Which literary device is used in statements such as 'This backpack weighs a ton'?

• A. Hyperbole
• B. Irony
• C. Satire
• D. Metaphor

Answer: (A)

This question tests your ability to recognize hyperbole, a figure of speech that uses deliberate exaggeration for emphasis. Saying the backpack weighs a ton isn’t meant to be taken as a literal weight; it’s an extreme overstatement to convey how heavy it feels. The exaggeration makes the reader feel the struggle or effort involved.

It isn’t irony, which would involve saying something opposite of what’s intended or presenting a contrast between appearance and reality; it isn’t satire, which uses humor to critique a broader issue; and it isn’t a metaphor, which would claim the backpack literally is something else (or directly compare it as being a ton) rather than simply exaggerating its weight. So the line clearly fits hyperbole.