irony and hyperbole

​use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning.

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1. ​A fire station burns down.

2. ​The police station gets robbed.

3. ​I saw a fish drowning.

4. ​After looking at a student’s poor test score, the teacher says, “You will surely finish the year with highest honors”.​

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1. VERBAL IRONY​ - saying the opposite of what you mean.

1. Saying “Oh, fantastic!” when the situation is actually very bad.

2. Looking at her son's messy room, Mom says, "Wow, you could win an award for cleanliness!"

3. A small child does not flush the toilet, and the mother says, "I really appreciate when you flush the toilet! Thank you for remembering your manners!"

​2. DRAMATIC IRONY- The audience knows the truth except the main characters themselves

1. Girl in a horror film hides in a closet where the killer just went (the audience knows the killer is there, but she does not)

2. ​In Romeo and Juliet, the audience knows that Juliet is only asleep-not dead-but Romeo does not, and he kills himself.

​3. SITUATIONAL IRONY- opposite of what is expected to happen.

1. A fish is drowning.

2. The fire station burns down while the firemen are out on a call.

3. Ralph wakes up late and thinks he is going to be late to school. After rushing around to get dressed, he realizes it is Saturday.

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

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1. I walked a million miles to get here.

​2. He's as skinny as a toothpick.

​3. It's raining cats and dogs.

​4. She's as tall as a flagpole.