Question

(1) Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories told by pilgrims who are journeying to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket at Canterbury. (2) Such pilgrimages were common in the Middle Ages. (3) They often served to bring people from different backgrounds together. (4) Chaucer's pilgrims, who form such a heterogeneous group, include representative medieval social classes, but they are also presented as real people with real biographies. (5) Chaucer's pilgrims are introduced to the reader in "The Prologue" of The Canterbury Tales. (6) By describing people from all walks of life, the narrator of "The Prologue" paints a picture of fourteenth-century England. (7) The Canterbury Tales displays the entire range of medieval society: the nobility, clergy, learned professions, skilled workers, tradesmen, and laborers. (8) Each pilgrim represents a group. (9) Perhaps that is why the narrator does not refer to them by their names. (10) He instead identifies the pilgrims by their class, like the Knight; or by their occupation, like the Merchant; or by their situation in life, like the Wife of Bath. (11) The first pilgrim the narrator introduces is the Knight. (12) The treatment of this nobleman is a good example of how the narrator combines the general and the particular. (13) He starts by describing the Knight as a "worthy" man. (14) This quality might seem ordinary to a modern reader. (15) One modern translation renders this term as "excellent" and another as "most distinguished." (16) Some of the other qualities the narrator attributes to the Knight, such as chivalry, are also indefinite to a modern reader.(17) But the narrator doesn't stop with these rather generic qualities; he also presents the Knight as an individual. (18) This nobleman becomes much more than a mere fact of social history. (19) The narrator describes the Knight's military career in very specific detail. (20) He mentions all the foreign places where the Knight has fought, both near and far, such as Spain, Egypt, Turkey, and Russia. (21) The narrator also depicts him fighting fiercely in tournaments, which were a knight's dangerous recreation, and in which the Knight "always killed his foe." (22) However, despite all his soldiering, this tough, deadly fighter has remained as "meek as a maiden." (23) In this way, the Knight becomes more than a mere role model for chivalrous behavior. (24) He starts to exist as a real person with a full biography.

Question
Choose the best way to revise the syntax of sentences 23 and 24 using parallel structure.
Select one:
a. In this way, the Knight becomes more than a mere role model for chivalrous behavior, but starts to exist as a real person with a full biography.
b. In this way, the Knight becomes more than a mere role model for chivalrous behavior. He starts to exist. He is a real person with a full biography.
c. In this way, the Knight becomes more than a mere role model for chivalrous behavior, and starts to exist as a real person. He has a full biography.
d. In this way, the Knight becomes more than a mere role model for chivalrous behavior. He starts to exist as a real person. He has a full biography.

Answer 1

The best revision for syntactical parallel structure is option 'd', which clearly distinguishes the Knight's qualities through separate but structurally similar sentences. This portrays the Knight as both a symbol of medieval values and a unique individual. The correct option is d. In this way, the Knight becomes more than a mere role model for chivalrous behavior. He starts to exist as a real person. He has a full biography.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question focuses on selecting a revision for sentences 23 and 24 in a passage that best incorporates parallel structure. The best revision that uses parallel structure is option 'd', which maintains symmetry in sentence construction.

This option divides the qualities of the Knight into separate sentences, each beginning with 'He', thus providing a clear and structurally balanced description. In the context of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the Knight is depicted not simply as an embodiment of medieval society and chivalry, but as a fleshed-out character with a comprehensive biography.

In the Middle Ages, concepts such as chivalric culture, knighthood, and the ethos of courtly love played significant roles in the literature and societal structure. These elements can be seen in the complex portrayal of the Knight in Chaucer's work.

The best way to revise the syntax of sentences 23 and 24 using parallel structure is option c. In this way, the Knight becomes more than a mere role model for chivalrous behavior, and starts to exist as a real person. He has a full biography.

The correct option is d. In this way, the Knight becomes more than a mere role model for chivalrous behavior. He starts to exist as a real person. He has a full biography.