Understanding Irony for 10-Year-Olds

Irony is when something happens that is surprising or the opposite of what you expect. For example, if a fire station burns down, that's ironic because you would think a place that helps put out fires wouldn't catch on fire itself. There are three main types of irony:

• Verbal Irony: This is when someone says something but means the opposite. For example, if it's raining heavily and someone says, 'What a beautiful day!' that's verbal irony.
• Situational Irony: This is when what happens is different from what you expect. Like the fire station example.
• Dramatic Irony: This happens when the audience knows something that the characters do not. For instance, in a movie, if the hero is about to walk into a trap but doesn't know it, the viewers know, which creates tension.

So, irony can be funny or surprising, and it helps make stories more interesting!