Poor writers often express mundane

Answer choices

1. A

   Too Strong (volume dial)18% picked this

   the simpler the style, the better

   Volume Dial phrasings like "the more x, the more y" are basically the strongest form of language, because they travel infinitely in both directions. According to this answer, "A rose is red" is better writing than "A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet", because the former is simpler. This takes simplicity too far. The paragraph told us not to write in a complicated way just to hide that we have nothing interesting to say. But we can still be complicated if we're saying something interesting.

   18%
2. B

   Too Strong (not worth writing for)0% picked this

   inattentive readers are not worth writing

   This is a very extreme takeaway. We're just dismissing an entire segment of the reading audience? And why that segment? If we wanted to write in this pretentious fake-smart way they're describing, then we want inattentive readers, because they're the ones we can fool.

   0%
3. C

   Too Strong: only0% picked this

   only the most talented writers can successfully adopt a

   This might seem somewhat tempting. The paragraph was describing writers who were covering up for their mediocrity by writing in a complex style. But the paragraph wasn't talking about talented / not talented, in regards to using a complex writing style. The paragraph was talking about have something interesting to say / don't have something interesting to say, in regards to using a complex writing style. This answer is saying that if you're not in the uppermost echelon of most-talented writers, you can never successfully pull off a complex style. Too extreme.

   0%
4. D

   Correct81% picked this

   a writing style should not be more complex than the

   Why this is right

   This is the most moderately-worded answer available. It's not all or nothing. It's adjustable. If a good principle for writers is that we shouldn't let our style be more complex than our ideas, then we would avoid doing the pretentious fake-smart thing we were warned about in the paragraph. Mundane ideas are simple, in the sense that mundane means "commonplace, ordinary". While 'simple' isn't a perfect synonym for those words in many contexts, when it comes to ideas, someone who says mundane stuff isn't interesting or insightful. They're basic.

   Skill tested: Most Supported · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   81%
5. E

   Too Strong: the only1% picked this

   alert readers are the only readers who are sensitive to

   This extreme claim is not only too strong to be attractive, it's actually somewhat contradicted by the passage. Inattentive readers (not-alert) also seem to be sensitive to writing style. After all, they may be impressed by a fancy writing style.

   1%