There was something unknowable about her smile. Try as I might, I couldn’t figure out what she was thinking.

Which revision would introduce an allusion to make the description more vivid?

(1 point)
Responses

add “in a million years” after “Try as I might, I couldn’t figure out”

add “like a mysterious old song” after “smile”

replace “Try as I might, I couldn’t figure out” with “Even with the skills of Sherlock himself, I couldn’t have figured out”

replace “smile” with “Mona Lisa smile”

1 answer

The best revision to introduce an allusion and make the description more vivid is to replace “smile” with “Mona Lisa smile.” This adds a well-known reference that evokes imagery and a sense of mystery associated with the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa.