Question

. . . yet it may gratify curiosity to inform it, that the English Dictionary was written with little assistance of the learned, and without any patronage of the great; not in the soft obscurities of retirement, or under the shelter of academick bowers, but amidst inconvenience and distraction, in sickness and in sorrow.
–Preface to A Dictionary of the English
Language,
Samuel Johnson
According to the passage, what distinguishes Johnson’s dictionary from others?
It was the first dictionary to be produced by a group of scholars at a university.
It was written almost single-handedly, with little financial or scholarly support.
It was written by an author who was both curious and learned.
It was the first dictionary to include definitions of simple, everyday words

Answer 1

It was written almost single-handedly, with little financial or scholarly support.

Explanation: The passage says it was produced "with little assistance of the learned" and "without any patronage of the great," and not in academic retirement but "amidst inconvenience and distraction," indicating little outside help or support.