Irony: what you expect and what happens
Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
The Quiet Sign (original story)
[1] The reading nook at Maple School had one problem: it was supposed to be the quietest corner of the library, but it was always noisy. [2] Pia, the nook's volunteer helper, decided that one enormous sign would solve the problem completely. [3] “Once people see QUIET PLEASE in tall red letters, they will whisper,” Pia told Ari. [4] Pia painted the sign during lunch and felt sure that the nook would finally be peaceful.
[5] The next morning, Pia brought a hammer and a long nail to hang the sign above the bookshelf. [6] The first swing echoed through the entire library, and several readers looked up from their books. [7] The second swing was even louder, and three readers covered their ears. [8] Ari looked at the startled faces and said, “Wow, it is so peaceful in here.” [9] Ms. Reyes hurried over from the front desk and asked who was making all of the terrible noise. [10] Pia lowered the hammer, and the shiny red sign leaned crookedly against the wall. [11] By the time the sign was finally hung, nobody in the nook could read in peace. [12] The nook was louder than it had ever been.
Bo reads the story. What did Pia expect the sign to do?
- Make the nook noisy, because the hammer would echo through the library.
- Keep the nook quiet, because people would whisper once they saw it.
- Win a prize, because the red letters would impress the librarian.
- Hold up the bookshelf, because the nail would be long and strong.
The Quiet Sign (original story)
[1] The reading nook at Maple School had one problem: it was supposed to be the quietest corner of the library, but it was always noisy. [2] Pia, the nook's volunteer helper, decided that one enormous sign would solve the problem completely. [3] “Once people see QUIET PLEASE in tall red letters, they will whisper,” Pia told Ari. [4] Pia painted the sign during lunch and felt sure that the nook would finally be peaceful.
[5] The next morning, Pia brought a hammer and a long nail to hang the sign above the bookshelf. [6] The first swing echoed through the entire library, and several readers looked up from their books. [7] The second swing was even louder, and three readers covered their ears. [8] Ari looked at the startled faces and said, “Wow, it is so peaceful in here.” [9] Ms. Reyes hurried over from the front desk and asked who was making all of the terrible noise. [10] Pia lowered the hammer, and the shiny red sign leaned crookedly against the wall. [11] By the time the sign was finally hung, nobody in the nook could read in peace. [12] The nook was louder than it had ever been.
Type card: situational irony = what happens is the opposite of what was expected. Dramatic irony = the reader knows something a character does not. Verbal irony = a speaker says the opposite of what is meant.
Esme looks at the ending, where a sign meant to bring quiet makes the nook loud. Which kind of irony is that?
- No irony: the loud ending is just an accident with a hammer.
- Dramatic irony: the reader knows the hammer will be loud, but Pia does not.
- Verbal irony: Pia says one thing about the sign and means the opposite when talking to Ari.
- Situational irony: a plan for quiet ends in noise, the opposite of what Pia expected.
The Quiet Sign (original story)
[1] The reading nook at Maple School had one problem: it was supposed to be the quietest corner of the library, but it was always noisy. [2] Pia, the nook's volunteer helper, decided that one enormous sign would solve the problem completely. [3] “Once people see QUIET PLEASE in tall red letters, they will whisper,” Pia told Ari. [4] Pia painted the sign during lunch and felt sure that the nook would finally be peaceful.
[5] The next morning, Pia brought a hammer and a long nail to hang the sign above the bookshelf. [6] The first swing echoed through the entire library, and several readers looked up from their books. [7] The second swing was even louder, and three readers covered their ears. [8] Ari looked at the startled faces and said, “Wow, it is so peaceful in here.” [9] Ms. Reyes hurried over from the front desk and asked who was making all of the terrible noise. [10] Pia lowered the hammer, and the shiny red sign leaned crookedly against the wall. [11] By the time the sign was finally hung, nobody in the nook could read in peace. [12] The nook was louder than it had ever been.
Jun reads Ari's words in sentence [8]. Who knows that Ari means the opposite of what Ari says?
- No one, because Ari is describing the room honestly.
- Only Ari, because the other readers think the nook is quiet.
- Only the reader, because the narrator explains what Ari really means.
- Everyone in the nook, because they can all hear the hammering.
The Quiet Sign (original story)
[1] The reading nook at Maple School had one problem: it was supposed to be the quietest corner of the library, but it was always noisy. [2] Pia, the nook's volunteer helper, decided that one enormous sign would solve the problem completely. [3] “Once people see QUIET PLEASE in tall red letters, they will whisper,” Pia told Ari. [4] Pia painted the sign during lunch and felt sure that the nook would finally be peaceful.
[5] The next morning, Pia brought a hammer and a long nail to hang the sign above the bookshelf. [6] The first swing echoed through the entire library, and several readers looked up from their books. [7] The second swing was even louder, and three readers covered their ears. [8] Ari looked at the startled faces and said, “Wow, it is so peaceful in here.” [9] Ms. Reyes hurried over from the front desk and asked who was making all of the terrible noise. [10] Pia lowered the hammer, and the shiny red sign leaned crookedly against the wall. [11] By the time the sign was finally hung, nobody in the nook could read in peace. [12] The nook was louder than it had ever been.
Type card: situational irony = what happens is the opposite of what was expected. Dramatic irony = the reader knows something a character does not. Verbal irony = a speaker says the opposite of what is meant.
Kira reads Ari's line in sentence [8]: “Wow, it is so peaceful in here.” Which kind of irony is that?
- Verbal irony: Ari says peaceful, but the loud nook shows Ari means the opposite.
- Situational irony: Ari's plan ends in the opposite of what Ari expected.
- Dramatic irony: the reader knows the nook is loud, but Ari does not, since Ari is far away.
- No irony: Ari is simply describing how the library feels.
The Quiet Sign (original story)
[1] The reading nook at Maple School had one problem: it was supposed to be the quietest corner of the library, but it was always noisy. [2] Pia, the nook's volunteer helper, decided that one enormous sign would solve the problem completely. [3] “Once people see QUIET PLEASE in tall red letters, they will whisper,” Pia told Ari. [4] Pia painted the sign during lunch and felt sure that the nook would finally be peaceful.
[5] The next morning, Pia brought a hammer and a long nail to hang the sign above the bookshelf. [6] The first swing echoed through the entire library, and several readers looked up from their books. [7] The second swing was even louder, and three readers covered their ears. [8] Ari looked at the startled faces and said, “Wow, it is so peaceful in here.” [9] Ms. Reyes hurried over from the front desk and asked who was making all of the terrible noise. [10] Pia lowered the hammer, and the shiny red sign leaned crookedly against the wall. [11] By the time the sign was finally hung, nobody in the nook could read in peace. [12] The nook was louder than it had ever been.
Luz wants the sentence that shows what Pia expected to happen. Which sentence is it?
- Sentence [6], where the first swing echoes through the library.
- Sentence [9], where Ms. Reyes asks who is making the noise.
- Sentence [1], where the reading nook is described as noisy.
- Sentence [3], where Pia says people will whisper after reading the sign.
Milo asks if the ending of the story is dramatic irony. What is true?
- Yes: the reader knows the hammer will be loud, but Pia does not.
- No: the narrator tells the reader nothing that Pia does not already know.
- Yes: Ms. Reyes knows about the noise at the front desk before Pia does.
- No: it is verbal irony, because the sign says QUIET PLEASE.
The Supply Closet (original story)
[1] Bo had a surprise for Tala's birthday: a set of new paintbrushes wrapped in bright blue paper. [2] The art room was open during the lunch hour, and Bo needed a perfect hiding place before the birthday party at three o'clock. [3] Bo slipped the gift onto the top shelf of the supply closet and shut the door. [4] “Tala never goes in the supply closet,” Bo whispered to the empty room. [5] “This is the safest spot in the whole school.”
[6] At that same moment, Mr. Ortiz was standing in the hallway with Tala. [7] The art teacher had just noticed that the classroom had completely run out of paper towels. [8] “Tala, could you grab a roll from the supply closet?” Mr. Ortiz asked. [9] Tala agreed and started down the hall, whistling a cheerful tune and swinging both arms. [10] Bo, humming happily, was already skipping toward the cafeteria for lunch. [11] Tala reached the art room door and put a hand on the knob.
Type card: situational irony = what happens is the opposite of what was expected. Dramatic irony = the reader knows something a character does not. Verbal irony = a speaker says the opposite of what is meant.
Esme thinks about sentences [4] and [5], where Bo is sure the closet is safe. Which kind of irony is that?
- Verbal irony: Bo says the closet is safe but means that it is unsafe.
- No irony: Bo is quietly whispering a plan to an empty room.
- Dramatic irony: the reader knows Tala is heading to the closet, but Bo does not.
- Situational irony: Bo's hiding place causes the opposite of what Bo planned.
The Supply Closet (original story)
[1] Bo had a surprise for Tala's birthday: a set of new paintbrushes wrapped in bright blue paper. [2] The art room was open during the lunch hour, and Bo needed a perfect hiding place before the birthday party at three o'clock. [3] Bo slipped the gift onto the top shelf of the supply closet and shut the door. [4] “Tala never goes in the supply closet,” Bo whispered to the empty room. [5] “This is the safest spot in the whole school.”
[6] At that same moment, Mr. Ortiz was standing in the hallway with Tala. [7] The art teacher had just noticed that the classroom had completely run out of paper towels. [8] “Tala, could you grab a roll from the supply closet?” Mr. Ortiz asked. [9] Tala agreed and started down the hall, whistling a cheerful tune and swinging both arms. [10] Bo, humming happily, was already skipping toward the cafeteria for lunch. [11] Tala reached the art room door and put a hand on the knob.
Jun compares what each person knows. Who knows both that the gift is in the closet and that Tala is heading there?
- Mr. Ortiz: the art teacher sent Tala and knows the gift is inside.
- Tala: Tala was asked to go to the closet and has seen the gift.
- Bo and the reader: Bo hid the gift and also knows Tala is heading there.
- The reader: the narrator shows both the hiding place and the errand.
The Supply Closet (original story)
[1] Bo had a surprise for Tala's birthday: a set of new paintbrushes wrapped in bright blue paper. [2] The art room was open during the lunch hour, and Bo needed a perfect hiding place before the birthday party at three o'clock. [3] Bo slipped the gift onto the top shelf of the supply closet and shut the door. [4] “Tala never goes in the supply closet,” Bo whispered to the empty room. [5] “This is the safest spot in the whole school.”
[6] At that same moment, Mr. Ortiz was standing in the hallway with Tala. [7] The art teacher had just noticed that the classroom had completely run out of paper towels. [8] “Tala, could you grab a roll from the supply closet?” Mr. Ortiz asked. [9] Tala agreed and started down the hall, whistling a cheerful tune and swinging both arms. [10] Bo, humming happily, was already skipping toward the cafeteria for lunch. [11] Tala reached the art room door and put a hand on the knob.
Type card: situational irony = what happens is the opposite of what was expected. Dramatic irony = the reader knows something a character does not. Verbal irony = a speaker says the opposite of what is meant.
Luz reads sentence [9], where Tala whistles on the way to the closet. Which kind of irony is that?
- Verbal irony: Tala whistles a happy tune but means the opposite.
- Situational irony: Tala expects an empty closet and finds a gift instead.
- Dramatic irony: the reader knows a gift waits in the closet, but Tala does not.
- No irony: Tala is happy to be helping Mr. Ortiz.
The Supply Closet (original story)
[1] Bo had a surprise for Tala's birthday: a set of new paintbrushes wrapped in bright blue paper. [2] The art room was open during the lunch hour, and Bo needed a perfect hiding place before the birthday party at three o'clock. [3] Bo slipped the gift onto the top shelf of the supply closet and shut the door. [4] “Tala never goes in the supply closet,” Bo whispered to the empty room. [5] “This is the safest spot in the whole school.”
[6] At that same moment, Mr. Ortiz was standing in the hallway with Tala. [7] The art teacher had just noticed that the classroom had completely run out of paper towels. [8] “Tala, could you grab a roll from the supply closet?” Mr. Ortiz asked. [9] Tala agreed and started down the hall, whistling a cheerful tune and swinging both arms. [10] Bo, humming happily, was already skipping toward the cafeteria for lunch. [11] Tala reached the art room door and put a hand on the knob.
Noah reads the last sentence. Does Tala know about the gift when Tala puts a hand on the knob?
- Yes: Bo whispered the hiding place to Tala.
- Yes: Mr. Ortiz told Tala about the gift in the hallway.
- No: only the reader knows the gift is in the closet.
- No: but Bo knows Tala is coming to the closet.