Question

The thunderstorm poured buckets of rain onto the dry brown grass. The grass, once parched as a desert wanderer, was now soaking wet. Jenelle grinned as she watched raindrops sliding down the window. Her reaction was one of glee because everything was thriving again. The land was no longer thirsty after this transaction with nature.


Questions
What effect do the connotations of the words “parched” and “thriving” have on the tone of this text?


They make Jenelle’s happiness seem foolish.


They make the effect of the rainfall seem minimal.


They make the difference between the dry grass and the wet grass seem more dramatic.


They make the tone of the text unclear because the two words have different connotations.

Answer 1

They make the difference between the dry grass and the wet grass seem more dramatic.

"Parched" emphasizes severe dryness, while "thriving" emphasizes vigorous growth; the contrast heightens the change caused by the rain.