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Question

Feature
1 Janelle ran the half-block from the subway station to the office. Thank you very much, subway, Janelle thought. Thanks for picking today, of all days, to get stuck for twenty-six minutes. That was very considerate of you. Thanks for picking the very day we have a new supervisor coming to work, someone I really want to impress.

2 She had risen before daylight that morning, planning to arrive to work even earlier than usual. She had planned to be at her desk, already hard at work, when the new supervisor arrived for the day. And now here she was, prompt, predictable Janelle, running late for the first time in her life.

3 Janelle entered the building and hurried to the elevator. A small crowd stood waiting for it. No, she decided; too slow. She would take the stairs, all sixteen floors of them. There was no time to waste.

4 By the time Janelle reached her floor, she was out of breath. She sprinted to her desk and threw herself into her chair.

5 Her coworker Mark leaned over from the next desk.

6 “Hi, Janelle,” he said. “Everything okay? I’ve never known you to be even a minute late.”

7 “I’m fine,” she said, busying herself with her computer. “Has the new supervisor come around yet?”

8 “The new supervisor?” Mark asked. “You mean the one starting next Monday?”

9 “Next Monday?” asked Janelle. “You mean, a week from today?”

10 “Yes,” said Mark. “It’s right here on the calendar.” He peered at Janelle. “You didn’t think it was today, did you?”

11 “Oh, no,” said Janelle. “Of course not. I would never make such a silly mistake.”

Question
Use the story to answer the question.

Which sentences are examples of irony?

(2 points)
Irony Not irony
Janelle ran the half-block from the subway station to the office.

Thanks for picking today, of all days, to get stuck for twenty-six minutes.

“Has the new supervisor come around yet?”

“I would never make such a silly mistake.”

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Answer 1

The sentences that are examples of irony in the story are:

Irony:

• "Thanks for picking today, of all days, to get stuck for twenty-six minutes." (This expresses frustration that the subway chose that particular day to malfunction when Janelle was counting on timeliness.)
• “I would never make such a silly mistake.” (This is ironic because Janelle did, in fact, make a silly mistake by thinking the supervisor was starting that day.)

Not irony:

• Janelle ran the half-block from the subway station to the office.
• “Has the new supervisor come around yet?”

These two statements reflect straightforward actions and questions and do not convey irony.