Question

Elizabethans do not understand infection and contagion as we do. It is not that they are completely ignorant as to how illnesses spread—physicians believe they know perfectly well—it is rather that their understanding is very different from ours.

–The Time Traveler’s Guide to Elizabethan England,
Ian Mortimer

Which statement best describes the effect of the words we and our?

It allows the reader to feel superior to Elizabethans.
It creates a personal connection by grouping the reader and the author together.
It creates an argumentative structure.
It persuades the reader to learn more about medicine.

Answer 1

It creates a personal connection by grouping the reader and the author together.

Using "we" and "our" includes the reader with the author’s modern perspective, making the comparison feel shared rather than distant.