Archimedes said, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place…

20162025

Archimedes said, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I will move the world.”

The sentence above is an example of a ___________ statement.

  1. A.

    figurative

  2. B.

    collateral

  3. C.

    literal

  4. D.

    figurine

Attempted by 75 students.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Answer: figurative.

Explanation: The sentence is figurative because it uses exaggeration and imagery rather than stating a literal fact. Saying "I will move the world" emphasizes the power of a lever in a dramatic way; it is not a real claim that the speaker can physically move the planet.

Why the other choices are incorrect:

  • Collateral: means secondary or accompanying; it does not refer to a type of speech or figure of speech.

  • Literal: means exactly true or factual. This sentence is not meant to be taken literally, so 'literal' is incorrect.

  • Figurine: refers to a small statue or model and is unrelated to language or figures of speech.

A video solution is available for this question — log in and enroll to watch it.

Explore the full course: Gate Guidance By Sanchit Sir