Grade 8 · English Language Arts · Unit 5 of 11
When words mean more than they say
Telling verbal, situational and dramatic irony apart, spotting how satire uses exaggeration to criticize, and explaining what an allusion to a well-known story adds to a text.
Ontario Curriculum expectation: C3.1 · irony, satire and allusion, and how they help create meaning
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
A friend says the free game was a Trojan horse because it hid ads and viruses. What does the allusion suggest?
something that looks like a gift but hides a danger
Hint: In the ancient story, soldiers hid inside a wooden horse that was given as a gift.
Question 2
A fire station burns down while the firefighters are away at a fire-safety workshop. What kind of irony is this?
situational irony
Hint: Situational irony is when what happens is the opposite of what we expect.
Question 3
It is pouring rain, and Dev says, “What lovely weather for a picnic.” What kind of irony is this?
verbal irony
Hint: In verbal irony, a speaker says the opposite of what they mean.
Question 4
What does the reader expect from the first paragraph?
Dev had spent a month preparing for the school's Be On Time Award. He set three alarms, packed his bag the night before and left home an hour early. He reached the school gate at 7:15 a.m., ready to be the first one there.
The gate was locked. A sign taped to it read: “School closed today for Professional Development Day.”
that Dev will arrive first and win the award
Hint: Dev prepares carefully and arrives early.
Question 5
What kind of irony is the ending?
Dev had spent a month preparing for the school's Be On Time Award. He set three alarms, packed his bag the night before and left home an hour early. He reached the school gate at 7:15 a.m., ready to be the first one there.
The gate was locked. A sign taped to it read: “School closed today for Professional Development Day.”
situational irony
Hint: What happens is the opposite of what Dev and the reader expect.
Question 6
What is the author's main purpose?
ATTENTION CITIZENS: To reduce crowding on sidewalks, the Department of Walking now requires all pedestrians to apply for a Walking Permit. Applications take six to eight weeks to process. Until your permit arrives, residents are asked to stay where they are.
A spokesperson called the system “simple and efficient.” The permit office is open on alternate Tuesdays from 2:00 to 2:15 p.m., on the fifth floor of a building with no elevator.
to poke fun at rules that make simple things complicated
Hint: The rule is so silly that the notice cannot be serious.