Puns & Oxymorons

Puns

A pun is a joke/a play on words which exploits the different possible meanings of a word - it makes fun of the fact that there are other words which sound the same but have different meanings.

Elephant's weight

An elephant’s opinion carries a lot of weight.
- In this phrase, the pun happens because of the dual meaning of ‘weight’.
- Firstly, it suggests that an elephant’s opinion is heavy, like the elephant.
- Alternatively, it suggests that an elephant’s opinion is very important (carries a lot of weight).

Library story

The tallest building in town is the library — it has thousands of stories.
- In this phrase, the pun occurs due to the dual meaning of ‘stories’.
- Firstly, it suggests that the library building is tall because it has a lot of floors (stories). Alternatively, it suggests that the building has a lot of story books because it is a library and houses so many.

Grave man

Tomorrow, you shall find me a grave man (Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet).
- In this phrase, the pun happens because of the dual meaning of ‘grave’.
- Firstly, it suggests that Mercutio is going to be a very serious (grave) man. Alternatively, it suggests that Mercutio is going end up buried in a grave because he is about to die.

Oxymoron

An oxymoron is when two contrasting ideas are combined for dramatic effect or to create a comedic effect.

Minor crisis

There was a minor crisis yesterday.
- In this phrase, the two meanings of the words ‘minor crisis’ combine to give the reader pause – oxymorons are not straightforward; they make your reader think.
- A crisis is a time of severe difficulty, and so it cannot be a ‘minor’ event – it literally cannot be a crisis if it is ‘minor’.

Bittersweet

He laughed at the bittersweet memory.
In this phrase, the two meanings of the word ‘bittersweet’ give the reader pause – oxymorons are not straightforward; they make your reader think.
- ‘Bitter’ and ‘sweet’ are antonyms (they have opposite meanings), and so things cannot usually be ‘bitter’ and ‘sweet’ at the same time.

Deafening silence

They stared at each other in the deafening silence.
- In this phrase, the two meanings of the words ‘deafening’ combine to give the reader pause – oxymorons are not straightforward; they make your reader think. Silence, by definition, has no sound – so it literally cannot deafen anyone because there is no noise.

1Key Terms

1.1Key Terms

1.1.1Key Terms - Nouns, Verbs & Sentences

1.1.2Key Terms - Sentence and Clause Types

1.1.3Key Terms - Words, Sounds & Language

1.1.4Key Terms - Types of Language

1.1.5Key Terms - Images, Symbols & Mood

1.1.6Key Terms - Mood & Feelings

1.1.7Key Terms - Other Techniques

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Key Terms

2Language Devices

2.1Language Devices

2.1.1Metaphors

2.1.2Similes

2.1.3Metaphors & Similes HyperLearning

2.1.4Personification

2.1.5Pathetic Fallacy

2.1.6Puns & Oxymorons

2.1.7Hyperbole & Emotive Language

2.1.8Alliteration

2.1.9Sibilance

2.1.10Onomatopoeia

2.1.11Recap: Language Devices

2.1.12End of Topic Test - Language Devices

3Writing Structure

3.1Writing Structure

3.1.1Narrators

3.1.2Paragraphs

3.1.3Tense

3.1.4Present vs Past vs Future Tense

3.1.5Foreshadowing

3.1.6Structure

3.1.7End of Topic Test - Writing Structure

4Section B: Reading & Writing

5Section C: Writing

5.1Writing Task

5.1.1Discursive Writing

5.1.2Narrative Writing

5.1.3Descriptive Writing

5.1.4End of Topic Test - Writing Task

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