We have an expression in English that is “laughter is the best medicine.” This expression is often used to remind a person who is sad or sick or suffering to try and find something, even something very small, to be happy or smile. This isn’t just a saying either, researchers have show that humor, smiling, and laughter actually do helps people who are sick relieve stress and heal.

So, if laughter is the best medicine, let’s all get a little healthier by looking at some jokes!

There are many kinds of jokes in English. There are ones that create humor out of ethnic or cultural stereotypes, ones that make humor out of the silly or stupid actions of others, religious jokes, self-deprecating jokes, etc., but I want to introduce you to three very common types of jokes in English. These types of jokes are called: the knock-knock joke, the light bulb joke, and the chicken crossing the road joke.

You may not find the examples I give of these jokes (below) all that funny, but let me assure you jokes like these are very common in America.  There are whole websites with lists and lists of these types of jokes! Before introducing you to these three types of jokes let me first tell you what a “punch line” is. A punch line is the final sentence of a joke that provides the humor for the joke. It is what makes the joke funny.

Let’s start with, the knock-knock joke:

Format:
A: Knock-knock.
B: Who’s there?
A: ________________
B: ________________ who?
A: (the punch line)

Example:
A: Knock-knock.

B: Who’s there?

A: Doris.

B: Doris who?

A: The Doris [i.e. “door is”] locked, that’s why I’m knocking!

The light bulb joke:
The light bulb joke always asks a question about a certain type of person or group of people, and the answer to the question is the punch line with stereotype information about that group of people.

Format:
Q: How many _________ does it take to change a light bulb?
A: (the punch line)

Example:
Q: How many graduate students does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Only one, but it may take him five or more years to do it.

The chicken crossing the road joke:
I don’t really know how these jokes got started, and in general, I don’t think they are really that funny (my young nephews would disagree though). None-the-less there are a whole lot of these chicken crossing the road jokes out there.

Format:
Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?
A: (the punch line)

Example:
Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?
A: To prove to the possum it could actually be done!