Question 5 • CMS 2026-2027 English III CREDIT RECOVERY
Read the excerpt from Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms . The major was a little man with upturned mustaches. He had been in the war in Libya and wore two wound-stripes. He said that if the thing went well he would see that I was decorated. I said I hoped it would go well but that he was too kind. I asked him if there was a big dugout where the drivers could stay and he sent a soldier to show me. I went with him and found the dugout, which was very good. The drivers were pleased with it and I left them there. What effect does Hemingway’s limited use of adjectives have?
Answer
A
It makes the narrator seem powerless and insincere.
B
It slows down the narration by interrupting the action.
C
It makes the few descriptive words he does use more vivid and forceful.
D
It prevents the readers from filling in the details with their own experiences.
Explanation
Hemingway uses few adjectives, so the descriptive details he includes—such as the major’s “upturned mustaches” and the “very good” dugout—stand out. This makes those few descriptive words more vivid and forceful rather than slowing down the action. The correct choice is “It makes the few descriptive words he does use more vivid and forceful.”
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