Being honest, but kind
Don't sneeze all over my desk!
Could you please cover your mouth before you sneeze?
At the family dinner, a cousin says "Oh, is there gravy?" What does this mean?
(They would like some gravy.)
They raised their eyebrows.
They were surprised.
They get upset when the other student answers a question correctly.
Everyone likes to be right every now and then. It is polite to congratulate the classmate.
A classmate arrived late for class, and is having a bad day. The teacher reminds them that there is a pop quiz. The classmate says "Great that's exactly what I need." Is this sarcasm?
Yes, they were using sarcasm. It's actually the opposite, they didn't need more stress at that time.
Stop bugging me! Go away!!
Sorry, I'm busy. Can I talk to you another time?
The teacher is having the students pick a movie to watch during the afternoon. One classmate says, "That movie is so long. I fell asleep in the movie theater when I saw it."
(They probably don't want to watch that movie again.)
They slouched in their chair.
They are not very alert and attentive.
They are looking at their computer and don't turn to look at the teacher when they are talking.
They look like they don't care what the teacher is saying, and this is disrespectful and not polite.
The teacher tells the students that they need to pay attention in class or they will miss the important parts of the lesson. Two students are talking and not paying attention. When they get their tests back, the teacher says, "what a surprise." Is this sarcasm.
Yes, the teacher is not surprised that they students did poorly on the test because they were not paying attention to the lesson.
This spaghetti is ice cold!
Would you mind if I heat my plate?
"He could be less talkative."
(He talks too much.)
Their hands are full and they are walking quickly.
They are busy and/or might need help carrying things.
They spoke for a long while without any pauses.
They were not letting anyone else talk. It is polite to leave space for others to talk or to ask questions to bring them into the conversation.
A mother was struggling to bring the groceries inside, when the door shut in front of them. She calls out "Thanks for the help!" Is this sarcasm?
Yes, they needed someone to lend them a hand.
I hate vegetables!
Vegetables aren't my favorite.
"Horror flicks are not my favorite."
(They are not interested in watching or talking about horror flicks.) A "flick" is another word for movie.
They squint their eyes in response to something.
They are questioning someone or something.
They were rushing to get into the class and bumped into someone going through the door.
It would be polite to stop and let the other person go first.
They shot a basketball at the hoop and missed. They said, "That was a really bad shot." Is this sarcasm?
No, they were not being sarcastic. They really do think it was a bad shot.
Your desk is a disaster!
You could make a light joke, if the person isn't upset, like: "Did a tornado come through when I wasn't looking?!" If they are upset, it is probably best to not say anything.
"Florida is okay."
(They don't like Florida that much.)
They shrugged their shoulders.
They were saying that they do not know or they don't care.
They raise their hand during the teacher's lesson to tell them about a TV show that they love.
They are not staying on topic. They can talk about their favorite tv show when they have a break.
A classmate gets to school and notices that their snack was crushed by the books in their book bag. They say, "I did a brilliant job packing my book bag this morning." Is this sarcasm?
Yes! They are being sarcastic. They wish they packed their bag so the snack wasn't crushed.