Question

read the excerpt from \a review of the past legal season.\

it has been a great season; the supreme court played to capacity all year and the municipal courts turned them away. there has been the usual number of failures, of course, but on the whole, there has been an extraordinary number of hits. as usual, the legal profession has gone in heavily for farce and slapstick comedy. there seems to be a growing tendency each year on the part of the courts to cater to the tastes of the tired businessman. a seasoned trial - goer put it rather neatly: \theres enough sadness in the theatre,\ he said. \when i go to court i want to be amused.\

what can be inferred about how the author uses language in this excerpt?

• the author uses informal language to lighten up a serious topic.
• the author uses critical language to persuade his audience.
• the author uses negative language to make an opinion.
• the author uses ironic language to prove a comedic point

Explanation:

The excerpt frames the legal system (a serious topic) with casual, playful language: it refers to court cases as "hits" and "failures," mentions "slapstick comedy" in courts, and uses a trial-goer's quip about wanting amusement at court. This informal tone softens the serious subject of the legal system. The language is not primarily critical, negative, or ironic—it is lighthearted to make the serious topic approachable.

Answer:

The author uses informal language to lighten up a serious topic.