Question

Read these sentences.

The night watchman was a tall, slender man.

The night watchman was a tall, gaunt man.

How are the meanings of these two sentences different?

A)The second sentence implies that the night watchman is frail and untrustworthy; the first implies that he is physically robust and honest.

B)The second sentence implies that the night watchman is stressed and underfed; the first implies that he is gracefully lean.

C)The second sentence implies that the night watchman is slim and healthy; the first implies that his height makes him appear sickly.

D)The second sentence implies that the night watchman is thin but strong; the first implies that he is willowy and weak.

Answer 1

Answer:

C

Explanation:

"Gaunt" means thin and sickly. "Slender" is a very good word and describes someone in a positive way.

Answer 2

Answer:

B) The second sentence implies that the night watchman is stressed and underfed; the first implies that he is gracefully lean.

Explanation:

While the adjective "slender" makes reference to the man's physique, meaning that he has a healthy weight and the characteristics of a slim person, the adjective "gaunt" refers to the deplorable conditions in which the man is. By being "gaunt", he looks malnourished and is probably in an inadecuate pysichological condition.