Irony

Irony

Ms. Ebron, English I

How this lesson works:

• You will move at your own pace through the lesson.

• First, you will read 5 short passages to teach you about irony, and answer a check-for-understanding question about each passage.

• Then, you will answer 10 practice questions to apply what you learned.​

• You need to score an 80% or higher in order to master this topic. You can redo the lesson if you don't score an 80%.

​Verbal Irony

Verbal irony is the use of language to mean something different or opposite from its literal meaning. Verbal irony is often used to create humor and might come in the form of sarcasm, overstatement or understatement. A particularly common example of verbal irony involves weather. Reacting to a hurricane by saying, “what lovely weather we’re having” is verbal irony. The inclement weather and, in some cases, the speaker’s tone makes it clear that she is speaking ironically. While she says the weather is “lovely,” she actually means the weather is terrible.

Multiple Choice

Which detail from the passage is an example of verbal irony?

• As the numbers came into focus, he quickly realized it was well after 1:00pm.

• “Glad to see someone’s up early.”

• “I...was up late studying.”

• His father laughed, shook his head and kept reading.

Answer Explanation

Correct Answer: “Glad to see someone’s up early.”

​

According to the passage, “Verbal irony is the use of language to mean something different or opposite from its literal meaning.” When Desmond’s father says “glad to see someone’s up early,” he is using verbal irony to comment on the fact that Desmond had slept into the afternoon.​ 

​Situational Irony

Another type of irony is situational irony. Situational irony occurs when results do not match expectations. When an author makes use of situational irony, the opposite of what would normally be expected occurs.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the best example of situational irony found in the passage?

• The spelling bee trophy had a misspelled word on it.

• The reader already knew DeAnna could spell esquamulose.

• The final word was a winning word from a past National Spelling Bee.

• DeAnna spelled the word before her principal could finish pronouncing it.

Answer Explanation

Correct Answer: The spelling bee trophy had a misspelled word on it.

​

According to the passage, “Situational irony occurs when results do not match expectations.” In this case, one would not expect a spelling bee trophy to have a misspelled word on it.

​Dramatic Irony

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something a character does not. When an author employs dramatic irony, the audience is no longer wondering what will happen. Instead their focus shifts to when and how something will be revealed. The horror genre is known for its use of dramatic irony to build suspense. If the reader already knows something evil lurks behind a closed door, dramatic irony is the reason a reader feels tension as a character reaches for the doorknob.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the use of dramatic irony in the passage?

• Just as Dwight began to relax, he saw police lights flashing in his rearview mirror.

• Dwight thought it was safe to drive and ended up getting pulled over almost instantly.

• The reader knows Dwight is on the run from the police, but the police officer does not.

• The reader expects the police officer to arrest Dwight, but he only warns him about a flat tire.

Answer Explanation

Correct Answer: The reader knows Dwight is on the run from the police, but the police officer does not.

​

According to the passage, “Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something a character does not.” The reader is prepared for an arrest, but the police officer is totally unaware he is interacting with a criminal.​

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements best expresses the central idea of the passage?

• Irony is a literary device used to create a mismatch between expectation and reality that does not apply to real life.

• Irony is a literary device used by authors to add humor to their work and keep their audience engaged and invested.

• Irony is both a literary device and a way to describe a set of circumstances in which expectations do not match reality.

• Two examples of irony are a driving instructor who never learned to parallel park and James Naismith’s losing coaching record.

Answer Explanation

Correct Answer: Irony is both a literary device and a way to describe a set of circumstances in which expectations do not match reality.

​

This passage explains that irony is both a “literary device” authors use, and a type of situation that can “occur in real life.”​

Multiple Choice

The author of this passage would most likely agree with which of the following statements?

• The word “ironic” is a synonym for coincidental.

• The word “ironic” is not a particularly specific term.

• The word “ironic” is often misunderstood and overused.

• The word “ironic” only applies to situations involving strangers.

Answer Explanation

Correct Answer: the word “ironic” is often misunderstood and overused.

​

According to the passage, “When it comes to situational irony, the word ‘ironic’ is often misused to describe a peculiar occurrence or coincidence.''

Multiple Choice

Irony is a literary ________ authors use to keep readers engaged.

• genre

• device

• symbol

• element

Multiple Choice

When an author employs situational irony, the opposite of what would normally be ________ occurs.

• stated

• expected

• explained

• described

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of situational irony?

• a child eating a lollipop

• a vegetarian eating tomatoes

• a doctor prescribing medicine

• a 90-year-old driving a motorcycle

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes verbal irony?

• when a twist ending of a story involves character dialogue

• when the result of an event contradicts the expected outcome

• when the audience knows something the main character does not

• when words are used to mean the opposite of their literal meaning

Multiple Choice

Which of the following can irony help create in a text?

• humor

• tension

• suspense

• all of the above

Multiple Choice

True or False: Dramatic irony is only found in plays.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

When an author employs dramatic irony, the audience has...

• become part of the plot.

• less information than the characters have.

• the same information the characters have.

• more information than the characters have.

Multiple Choice

As the waiter collected Cezar’s empty plate, Cezar smiled and said, “clearly I hated it.” Which type of irony is this?

• verbal irony

• dramatic irony

• situational irony

Multiple Choice

A fire takes place at the local fire station. Which type of irony is this?

• verbal irony

• dramatic irony

• situational irony

Multiple Choice

In a horror movie, the audience sees a monster enter the house while a family quietly eats dinner. Which type of irony is this?

• verbal irony

• dramatic irony

• situational irony