Question

name: _____________ date: _____________
irony practice
choose whether the example is verbal, dramatic or situational irony.

1. a fire station that burns down.
2. in frozen, the audience is aware that elsa has powers that are hard to control. her sister anna does not know about these powers and thinks of elsa as standoffish and cold.
3. someone breaks into a police station.
4. entering a friend’s messy room and saying “nice place you have here.”
5. in the tv show smallville, clark kent comments that in the future he does not want to put on a suit and fly around but the audience knows he will.
6. stating during a thunderstorm, “beautiful weather we’re having.”
7. in the movie toy story, buzz lightyear thinks he is a real space ranger but the other toys and the audience knows that he is just a toy.
8. someone telling the loser of a race “you should try out for the olympics!”
9. winner of a spelling bee failing a spelling test.
10. in star wars, luke does not know darth vader is his father until episode v, but the audience knows sooner.

Explanation:

1. A fire station exists to prevent fires, so it burning down is a reversal of expected outcome.
2. The audience knows more about Elsa's secret than Anna, creating a knowledge gap.
3. A police station is meant to prevent crime, so a break-in there reverses expectations.
4. The speaker says the opposite of their true opinion about the messy room.
5. The audience knows Clark Kent's future as Superman, which he doesn't anticipate.
6. The speaker's comment about the weather is the opposite of the actual stormy conditions.
7. The audience and other toys know Buzz is a toy, but he believes he's a real ranger, creating a knowledge gap.
8. The speaker says the opposite of a genuine compliment to the race loser.
9. A spelling bee winner is expected to pass a spelling test, so failing reverses expectations.
10. The audience knows Darth Vader is Luke's father before Luke does, creating a knowledge gap.

Answer:

1. Situational Irony
2. Dramatic Irony
3. Situational Irony
4. Verbal Irony
5. Dramatic Irony
6. Verbal Irony
7. Dramatic Irony
8. Verbal Irony
9. Situational Irony
10. Dramatic Irony