Question

Read the entry from an English usage guide. Some grammarians object to the use of the word anxious to mean "eager," claiming its use should be restricted to "worried." However, anxious has been used to mean "eager" for at least 450 years. This historical usage lends strong support to the view that "eager" can be considered a correct meaning of anxious. Based on the entry above, which sentence contains a disputed use of the word anxious?

A. Confident in her training and ability, she was anxious to begin the race.
B. He had skipped many days of practice, so he was anxious about his performance.
C.Though this was hardly his first craft fair, he was anxious that his quilted bow ties would not sell.
D. Despite her many years as a professional actor, she always felt a bit anxious at the beginning of a show.

Answer 1

The disputed use of the word anxious is found in sentence A, where it is used to convey eagerness rather than worry.

Step-by-step explanation:

The disputed use of the word anxious in this English usage guide entry is found in sentence A: Confident in her training and ability, she was anxious to begin the race. Some grammarians argue that anxious should only be used to mean 'worried,' not 'eager.' However, historical usage of anxious to mean 'eager' dates back at least 450 years, which supports the idea that it can be considered a correct meaning. In this sentence, the word anxious is used to indicate eagerness rather than worry.