Irony is used to express a viewpoint which is usually the opposite of what is being said. For example, saying ‘What a nice day’ when it is raining. It is mostly used for humour and entertainment, but it can be used to emphasise a particular point. Irony also refers to oddly contradictory situations (situational irony).
Read the following headlines and see if you can identify the irony in each.
Pair Banned From All-You-Can-Eat Restaurant For Eating Too Much
Screening of Noah Cancelled After Cinema Theatre Floods
Anti-Piracy Group Accused of Stealing the Photo They Used in an Anti-Piracy Ad
Discuss
1. Can you think of any other examples of irony? 2. Has anything ironic ever happened to you?
Understand Explain how each headline above is ironic. Explore
1. Which headline is your favourite? Give a reason for your answer. 2. Aside from entertainment value, what else would you use irony for?
Create
1. Work in groups to come up with some ironic newspaper headlines. Share these with the class.
2. Choose one of the headlines above, or one of the headlines that you came up with yourself, and write a humorous article to go with it.
