Question

E town I lived in before Smalltown didn't have any recycling. I was a lot

unger when we lived there, but I understood that the people there just
dn't care about the environment. Looking back, I realize that my old
mmunity was poorer than Smalltown. Poor people don't care about the
vironment. They have bigger day-to-day things to worry about, so it's
rd to get them involved in environmental programs that really matter.
he author says, "We have recycling, of course." What meaning is implied by
ding the words "of course" to this simple sentence?

Answer 1

The author's use of the phrase "of course" implies a sense of expectation or assumption that the community in Smalltown has recycling. The author is likely assuming that it is a common and expected feature of a community and therefore adding "of course" emphasizes that it is not surprising or unexpected that Smalltown has recycling.

The author's use of this phrase may also suggest that the author views having recycling as a basic necessity for a community, and that it is a given that any community should have it. By using "of course", the author conveys a sense of superiority or a belief that Smalltown is better than the previous town the author lived in.