Name: _____________________

Identifying Irony

Directions: Read the following and determine which type of irony is being used. Explain your answer.
Dramatic irony – This occurs when the reader or audience understands more about the events of a story than a
character.
Situational irony – This occurs when what actually happens is the opposite of what is expected or appropriate.
Verbal irony – A character says one thing but really means the opposite.

1. A mean old man ate a large meal at a restaurant. The waitress tried to provide him with excellent
service, but every time she brought him a dish, he complained. First, he thought that the soup was too
cold but it was indeed hot. Then he said that his steak was dry and chewy, when it was moist and
succulent. He also complained that one of the waitress’ blonde hairs was in his mashed potatoes, but
the hair was actually grey like his own. She remained patient and continued to try to help him until the
end of the meal, when he left her a quarter for a tip. She replied on his way out, “Thank you for the
generous tip, Mister.”

Which type of irony is used? ____________verbal _______She doesn’t mean what she says.

2. Tom has always liked Lucy, but Lucy has always thought Tom was annoying and unattractive. One day,
Lucy came 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 had 24 hours to get all her stuff over
to her mom’s house, and Lucy didn’t even have a car. However, she remembered that Tom, who liked
her, had a truck. So Lucy called up Tom and asked him how he was doing. She told him that she’s always
thought he was funny, and that they should hang out today. Tom thinks that Lucy has finally come
around is beginning to like him. He also thinks that his jokes are funny because she is laughing after
everything that he says.

Which type of irony is used? ___dramatic__We know Lucy is just using him but Tom doesn’t.

3. The rapper Eminem is well-known for his song writing ability, but he is equally known for his
shockingly profane and obscene lyrical content. Eminem has made a fortune selling his curse-filled songs
to millions of children around the world. However, on a “60 Minutes” interview, Eminem claimed that
there was no swearing in his own home and that his children were not allowed to play music with curse
words, including his own tracks.

Which type of irony is used? __situational_____Eminem curses in his songs so you expect him to allow
cursing at home but he doesn’t.
4. When Lawrence saw the posters for the circus hanging on the bulletin board, as he swept up the
trimmings at Slim’s Barbershop, he knew he would be taking his little cousins. They loved animals, and
he was looking forward to seeing the smiles on their faces as the circus performers amazed them with
their stunts. Unfortunately, sweeping up hair clippings didn’t pay a whole lot. Lawrence spent $45 just
getting tickets, but it was worth it to see his cousins’ faces. The day finally came and everyone was
excited as they walked into that big circus tent. Soon Lawrence realized that he and his cousins would be
thirsty and hungry. As they sat in their seats, the drink vendor walked by selling beverages. Desperately
thirsty, Lawrence asked him, “How much does a a lemonade cost?” The drink vendor replied, “Eleven
dollars each.” Lawrence responded, “Oh, that’s it? Just eleven dollars? What a great deal for one cup of
lemonade. That’s totally worth it.” With that, the drink vendor walked away.

Which type of irony is used? _______verbal_________He doesn’t mean what he says.

5. Mr. Reinhart is the building inspector for the entire county. Anytime a person wants to add a
permanent structure to his home or property, such as a deck or balcony, the building plans need to be
approved by Mr. Reinhart before construction can begin. Mr. Reinhart checks to see that each plan is
safe before construction begins. Once building begins, he checks to see that construction is going
according to the plan. In a way, he is responsible for ensuring that every structure in the county is built
properly. One day Mr. Reinhart was having a party at his house. He and his three guests were
barbequing on the porch attached to his house, when the structure suddenly collapsed. Apparently,
termites got into the wood and had been chewing away the support beams for several months.

Which type of irony is used? _situational____You don’t expect he building inspector’s porch to collapse.

6. Mr. Bath is the president of Make-A-Bath Industries, a small company that employs fifteen workers,
including Tom Miller, father of six. Ever since the economy went down the tubes, Make-A-Bath hasn’t
been selling bath tubs like they once did, and now Mr. Bath has to fire three workers, one of whom will
be Tom Miller. Mr. Bath has never fired anyone before, so he has been delaying giving Tom and the
other employees the bad news. Meanwhile, Christmas is approaching. Tom wants to buy nice gifts for
his six children, but he doesn’t have any money. So Tom charges a whole bunch of nice gifts on his credit
card, figuring that he can pay it back with money from his checks that he will be getting from his job all
year. Tom and his family don’t have a lot of extra money to spend, so he likes to get his kids nice
Christmas presents. Tom is looking forward to one of the best Christmases ever.

Which type of irony is used? ___dramatic _______We know Tom is being fired but he doesn’t.