Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Pedantic
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This one-word substitution question focuses on a stylistic term frequently used in literary criticism and description of writing styles. Examiners use such questions to test whether you can match a descriptive phrase with the exact word used by teachers and critics when discussing how authors present their knowledge.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Pedantic describes a style of speaking or writing where the person is more interested in showing off detailed or narrow learning than in clear and interesting communication. A pedantic writer often includes unnecessary details, heavy technical terms, and minor points simply to display scholarship. Verbose only means using too many words, ornate means richly decorated or flowery, and pompous means arrogant or self important. Pedantic is therefore the most accurate term for a knowledge showing style.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine a critic writing, "The article is so pedantic that lay readers will find it difficult to follow". This sentence suggests that the writer has overloaded the text with scholarly details. It matches the idea of making a display of knowledge. Replacing pedantic with verbose changes the focus from unnecessary detail to mere wordiness, which is not exact. This simple comparison helps confirm that pedantic is the correct choice.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
Students often confuse pedantic with verbose because both can make a text hard to read. The key difference is that pedantic carries the idea of narrow, showy scholarship, while verbose is mainly about length. When you see a phrase about display of knowledge, pedantic should come to mind first.
Final Answer:
The correct one-word term for "a style in which a writer makes a display of his knowledge" is Pedantic.
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