1.
SCALE LEVEL 2: What type of irony is present:
Lois Lane, a reporter at the Daily Planet, is in love with the superhero Superman. She is obsessed with him and always asks her co-worker, Clark Kent, for information about him. She thinks that Clark and Superman are friends. However, Clark is actually Superman in disguise and is very much in love with Lois, but she won’t give Clark the time of day.
Correct Answer
B. Dramatic irony
Explanation
The given scenario demonstrates dramatic irony because the audience or reader is aware of the true identity of Clark Kent as Superman, while Lois Lane remains oblivious to this fact. This creates a sense of tension and irony as the audience knows something that the character does not.
2.
SCALE LEVEL 2: What type of irony is present:
A son reluctantly walks outside to meet his father in the yard at 6:00 on a Saturday morning. “Are you ready to do some yard work?” his father asked. “Yeah, I can’t wait,” the boy replied.
Correct Answer
A. Verbal irony
Explanation
The correct answer is verbal irony. Verbal irony is when someone says something but means the opposite. In this situation, the son says "Yeah, I can't wait" when in reality he is reluctant and doesn't want to do yard work.
3.
SCALE LEVEL 2: What type of irony is present:
Janice begins to receive threatening notes in the mail and on her car. Then, a car tries to run her over in a dark parking lot. She can’t see who the driver is. She goes to her best friend Doug for help. However, her attacker keeps trying to kill her. Finally, Doug has her come stay with him at his cabin so she will be safe. Then, he reveals that HE is the attacker!!
Correct Answer
C. Situational irony
Explanation
The correct answer is situational irony because the situation is unexpected and contrary to what is expected. Janice goes to her best friend Doug for help, thinking he will keep her safe, but it turns out that he is the one trying to harm her. This is a twist of events that is unexpected and contrary to what Janice and the reader would anticipate.
4.
SCALE LEVEL 2: What type of irony is present:
Cinderella, a penniless house slave to her stepmother and two step-sisters, goes to a ball held for the prince. The prince believes that Cinderella is a royal lady since she is at the ball and is so beautiful. He falls in love with her, not knowing that she is a maid in her stepmother’s house.
Correct Answer
B. Dramatic irony
Explanation
The correct answer is dramatic irony because there is a contrast between what the prince believes about Cinderella and the reality of her true identity as a maid. This creates a sense of irony as the audience is aware of this contradiction while the prince remains unaware.
5.
SCALE LEVEL 2: What type of irony is present:
When this movie opens, we see a town, and the setting appears to be early-Colonial America (i.e., the Puritans). The town is attacked regularly by creepy rat-like monsters in red cloaks. One of the members of the town falls very ill, and they need to send someone to another town for medical supplies. They choose to send a blind girl to the town, who leaves on her journey, having to run from the monsters. When she reaches the main road, a truck picks her up, and we realize that the setting is not early-American but present-day!
Correct Answer
C. Situational irony
Explanation
The correct answer is situational irony because the situation presented in the movie is unexpected and contrary to what is initially believed. The audience is led to believe that the setting is early-Colonial America with creepy rat-like monsters, but it is revealed to be present-day when a truck picks up the blind girl. This contrast between the expected and the actual situation creates a sense of irony.
6.
SCALE LEVEL 2: What type of irony is present:
Ashley is six feet tall. She will only date guys who are 6’3 and above. One night, she saw a guy who was less than 5 feet tall. She said, “Yeah, he definitely meets my height requirement.”
Correct Answer
A. Verbal irony
Explanation
In this scenario, Ashley claims that the guy who is less than 5 feet tall meets her height requirement, even though she specifically stated that she would only date guys who are 6'3 and above. This is an example of verbal irony because Ashley's statement contradicts her previous requirement, creating a humorous or sarcastic effect.
7.
SCALE LEVEL 1: Which of the following are reasons why an author might use irony? Check all that apply.
Correct Answer(s)
A. Create Humor
B. Create Sympathy
C. Create Suspense
D. Teach a lesson
Explanation
An author might use irony to create humor by presenting situations or statements that are unexpected or contradictory. This can lead to comedic effects and make the audience laugh. Irony can also be used to create sympathy by highlighting the contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs, evoking emotions of pity or understanding from the readers. Additionally, irony can create suspense by building anticipation and tension as the audience wonders how the unexpected outcome will unfold. Lastly, irony can be used to teach a lesson by exposing the flaws or contradictions in certain beliefs or behaviors, encouraging readers to reflect and learn from the story.
8.
SCALE LEVEL 2: What type of irony is this and why?
A movie you are watching shows a woman jogging in the park. The next scene shows a mountain lion lying in wait down the path where the woman is jogging.
Correct Answer
B. Dramatic: We know the mountain lion is there, but the woman doesn't.
Explanation
Dramatic irony is the correct type of irony in this scenario because the audience is aware of the mountain lion's presence, but the woman in the movie is not. This creates a sense of tension and suspense for the audience as they anticipate the potential danger that the woman is unaware of.
9.
SCALE LEVEL 3: What is the effect of the irony in this passage? Tom has always liked Lucy, but Lucy has always thought Tom was annoying and unattractive. One day, Lucy comes home to find an eviction notice on her door. Apparently, her roommate had been spending the rent money that Lucy was giving her on other things. Lucy only has 24 hours to get all her stuff over to her mom’s house, and Lucy doesn’t even have a car. But Tom has a truck. So Lucy calls up Tom and asks him how he’s doing. She tells him that she’s always thought he was funny and that they should hang out sometime. Tom thinks that Lucy has finally come around and is beginning to like her. He also thinks that his jokes are funny because she is laughing after everything that he says.
Correct Answer
C. The reader feels sympathy for Tom, because they know Lucy will break his heart.
Explanation
The irony in the passage is that Tom has always liked Lucy, but Lucy has always found him annoying and unattractive. However, when Lucy is in a difficult situation and needs help, she reaches out to Tom. Tom misinterprets this as Lucy finally coming around and beginning to like him. The reader feels sympathy for Tom because they know that Lucy will ultimately break his heart, despite his belief that she is starting to like him.
10.
SCALE LEVEL 3: What is the effect of the irony in this passage? In this short story by O. Henry, a wife sells her hair to buy her husband a watch chain, and her husband sells his watch to buy her combs for her hair. Both have made sacrifices in order to buy gifts for one another, but in the end, the gifts are useless.
Correct Answer
A. The effect is that the reader knows how much they love each other.
Explanation
The irony in the passage is that both the wife and husband make sacrifices to buy gifts for each other, but the gifts turn out to be useless. This creates a sense of irony as their actions, although well-intentioned, do not lead to the desired outcome. The reader understands the depth of their love for each other through their selfless acts, despite the futility of their gifts.
11.
SCALE LEVEL 3: What is the effect of the irony in this passage?
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater’s been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or–
Huh? You say it’s mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!
Correct Answer
C. The author created humor, because he was making fun of what turned out to be his own room.
Explanation
The passage uses irony to create humor by describing a messy room and criticizing its owner, only to reveal at the end that the room actually belongs to the narrator. This unexpected twist adds a comedic element as the author pokes fun at themselves for not recognizing their own messy room.