Irony and Ambiguity

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Irony and Ambiguity
Feature Menu
The Best Stories Irony Ambiguity Practice
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The Best Stories
The best stories are the ones that present life
and people the way they really are.
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Irony
Irony is the difference between what we expect or
what seems suitable and what actually happens.
Writers include irony in stories to reflect the
real worlda world where expectations arent
always fulfilled and unexpected events often
surprise us.
Katies grandfather taught her to play chess a
few weeks ago. Now, she consistently wins matches
against her grandfather and the other members of
his chess club.
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Irony
In stories, we find three kinds of irony.

• Verbal irony occurs when someone says one thing
  but means the opposite.

• Situational irony occurs when an event is not
  just surprising but actually contrary to what we
  expected.

• Dramatic irony occurs when the audience or the
  reader knows something important that the
  character does not know.

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Irony
Quick Check
Based on the passage, which statement would be an
example of verbal irony?
Mr. Hapner wants to sell his old van. A
prospective buyer, Mrs. Duran, shows up to look
at the van. She notices that it is rusty and
dented, the front bumper is missing, and the
engine will barely start.
A. Oh, sir, she says, are you sure you want
to part with this gem?
B. Oh, sir, she says, do you really expect to
sell this piece of junk?
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Irony
Quick Check
Based on the passage, which statement would be an
example of verbal irony?
Mr. Hapner wants to sell his old van. A
prospective buyer, Mrs. Duran, shows up to look
at the van. She notices that it is rusty and
dented, the front bumper is missing, and the
engine will barely start.
Statement A
A. Oh, sir, she says, are you sure you want
to part with this gem?
B. Oh, sir, she says, do you really expect to
sell this piece of junk?
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Irony
Quick Check
Based on the passage, which statement would be an
example of situational irony?
Dr. Kwan is a pet psychologist. A leader in her
field, she has received several awards for her
research and clinical successes. Dr. Kwan
publishes a book called The Workings of a Dogs
Mind How to Get Unruly Dogs to Behave, and it
soars up the bestseller list.
A. Dr. Kwan gets an offer to host a television
show about pets.
B. Dr. Kwan comes home to find that her two dogs
have gnawed on several pairs of her shoes and
ruined them.
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Irony
Quick Check
Based on the passage, which statement would be an
example of situational irony?
Dr. Kwan is a pet psychologist. A leader in her
field, she has received several awards for her
research and clinical successes. Dr. Kwan
publishes a book called The Workings of a Dogs
Mind How to Get Unruly Dogs to Behave, and it
soars up the bestseller list.
Statement B
A. Dr. Kwan gets an offer to host a television
show about pets.
B. Dr. Kwan comes home to find that her two dogs
have gnawed on several pairs of her shoes and
ruined them.
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Irony
Quick Check
Based on the passage, which statement would be an
example of dramatic irony?
Detective Boone, the main character of a play, is
trying to solve a rash of burglaries in his
precinct. The audience knows that one of the
other characters, a server at a coffee shop
frequented by the detective, is the burglar.
A. We watch as Detective Boone talks to the
server about his investigation and shares
sensitive information.
B. Another detective eventually solves the
case, and the server is arrested.
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Irony
Quick Check
Based on the passage, which statement would be an
example of dramatic irony?
Detective Boone, the main character of a play, is
trying to solve a rash of burglaries in his
precinct. The audience knows that one of the
other characters, a server at a coffee shop
frequented by the detective, is the burglar.
Statement A
A. We watch as Detective Boone talks to the
server about his investigation and shares
sensitive information.
B. Another detective eventually solves the
case, and the server is arrested.
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Ambiguity
Ambiguity is an element of uncertainty in a text.
Ambiguous texts offer several conflicting
consequences or meanings that readers must sort
out.
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Ambiguity
A story with an ambiguous ending or theme

• keeps us wondering about what it means

• tends to stick in our memory

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Ambiguity
Quick Check
Describe the ambiguity in this story.
Millie notices that Hector, a new student, feels
left out, so she asks him to the school dance.
Hector accepts. Later, Millie finds out that her
best friend, Cindy, likes Hector and wants to ask
him to the dance. Oh, says Millie, Im glad
you told me. I asked him to the dance earlier,
but I just remembered that Ive got plans. Now, I
wont feel bad about canceling. When Millies
mom picks her up from school, Millie asks, Mom,
arent we supposed to visit Grandma this weekend?
We havent seen her in a while.
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Ambiguity
Quick Check
Describe the ambiguity in this story.
Millie notices that Hector, a new student, feels
left out, so she asks him to the school dance.
Hector accepts. Later, Millie finds out that her
best friend, Cindy, likes Hector and wants to ask
him to the dance. Oh, says Millie, Im glad
you told me. I asked him to the dance earlier,
but I just remembered that Ive got plans. Now, I
wont feel bad about canceling. When Millies
mom picks her up from school, Millie asks, Mom,
arent we supposed to visit Grandma this weekend?
We havent seen her in a while.
Does Millie really have other plans, or does she
cancel in order to give Cindy a chance to ask
Hector to the dance?
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Practice
Review the definition of verbal
irony. Then, write a paragraph describing a scene
between two characters. Include an ironic
statement made by one character. You might take
inspiration from one of the characters or
situations described in this presentation.
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The End
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Irony
Verbal Irony
Ive read a few books about computers, Mr.
Maner said.
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Irony
Situational Irony
The dentist was surprised to find a cavity when
she examined her own dental X-rays.
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Irony
Dramatic Irony
Maria was not expecting to receive a copy of the
literary magazine because she never received a
response to her poetry submission. Readers know
that the acceptance letter was lost in the mail
and that Marias poem was published.