Question

Read the following excerpt from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Then, answer the question that follows.

We arrived at Baltimore early on Sunday morning, landing at
Smith's Wharf, not far from Bowley's Wharf. We had on board the
sloop a large flock of sheep; and after aiding in driving them to
the slaughterhouse of Mr. Curtis on Louden Slater's Hill, I was
conducted by Rich, one of the hands belonging on board of the
sloop, to my new home in Alliciana Street, near Mr. Gardner's
ship-yard, on Fells Point.

In this passage, which technique does Douglass use to vary his sentence structure to make his writing more interesting for his reader?

A. He includes interesting punctuation in each sentence.
B. He starts each sentence with the same word.
C. He switches the order of words in his sentences.
D. He uses a mix of long and short sentences.

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

In this passage, Douglass uses a mix of long and short sentences to vary his sentence structure and make his writing more interesting for his reader. Therefore, the correct option is D.

The first sentence is relatively long, with multiple clauses, providing details about the arrival at Baltimore. The second sentence is shorter, more direct, and focuses on the sheep and their destination. The third sentence is a bit longer and more complex, introducing a new character, Rich, and detailing Douglass's introduction to his new home. This alternating of sentence length and structure keeps the reader engaged and makes the passage more dynamic.