Writing humorously
I can identify and use a range of technique for creating humour.
Writing humorously
I can identify and use a range of technique for creating humour.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- When we satirise something, we use humour to criticise it.
- Humorous writing involves carefully deploying specific writing techniques.
- Techniques for humorous writing include irony, parody, bathos and hyperbole.
- A how to article can be structured in the form of a list or a step-by-step guide.
- When planning your humorous writing, it is important to identify the techniques you will use as well as the ideas.
Keywords
Satire - use of humour or exaggeration to criticise or mock social practices or ideas
Hyperbole - exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally
Irony - a form of deliberate mockery in which one says the opposite of what is obviously true
Bathos - a sudden change from a beautiful or important subject to a silly or very ordinary one
To parody - to copy the style of someone or something in a humorous way
Common misconception
Students sometimes think that that some people are just naturally funny and that being funny can't be taught.
Explain that humour is a skill that can be developed and practised by using words and phrases deliberately.
Equipment
You will need a copy of ‘How to look busy while doing absolutely nothing’ which can be found in the additional materials.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
where the intended meaning is opposite to what is actually being said
the use of humour to criticise and expose flaws in society
a sudden drop from the serious to the trivial
a literary technique involving exaggerated statements
imitation of a particular style or genre, made funny by exaggeration