Let’s go through each example one by one and match it to the correct type of irony using the definitions given:
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Definition Recap:
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Verbal Irony: When someone says something but means the opposite (sarcasm is a common form).
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Dramatic Irony: When the audience knows something that the characters in the story do not.
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Situational Irony: When what happens is the opposite of what you’d expect — like an action having the opposite effect.
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Example 1: “A firehouse burns down.”
→ A firehouse is supposed to put out fires, not catch on fire itself. That’s unexpected and opposite of its purpose →
Situational Irony
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Example 2: “A man who needed medical assistance is run over by an ambulance.”
→ An ambulance is meant to help people medically — so being hurt by it is the opposite of what should happen →
Situational Irony
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Example 3: “I’d like to visit that museum again as much as I’d like to gnaw off my own foot.”
→ The speaker doesn’t actually want to go back — they’re saying the opposite of what they mean →
Verbal Irony
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Example 4: “A marriage counselor files for divorce.”
→ A marriage counselor helps couples stay together — so getting divorced themselves is the opposite of what you’d expect →
Situational Irony
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Example 5: “Saying ‘Oh, fantastic!’ when the situation is actually very poor.”
→ Saying “fantastic” when things are bad = saying the opposite of what you mean →
Verbal Irony
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Example 6: “In a scary movie, the character walks into a house and the audience knows the killer is in the house.”
→ The audience knows something the character doesn’t →
Dramatic Irony
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Example 7: “Sometimes a person is in disguise and the other character talks with him as if he is someone else. Since this is known by the audience, it adds to the humor of the dialogue.”
→ Again, the audience knows the truth (the disguise), but the character doesn’t →
Dramatic Irony
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Final Answer:
1. Situational
2. Situational
3. Verbal
4. Situational
5. Verbal
6. Dramatic
7. Dramatic
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of irony worksheet.
