Question

read the passage.
the rain came out of nowhere. it was just a few sprinkles at first. the droplets grew larger with each passing minute. soon, there were more of them. they grew to the size of marbles. liz quickened her step. she hadnt planned for the rain. there were mud puddles everywhere. mud splashed up her ankles. mud soaked into her shoes. mud squished between her toes. she might as well have been barefoot.
which best describes the use of syntax as an element of style in this passage?

• parallel sentence structure emphasizes the large amount of mud.
• varied sentence structure emphasizes the changing weather conditions.
• complex sentences reflect lizs difficulty in navigating the mud.
• unusual word order reflects lizs discomfort with the weather.

Explanation:

The passage uses short, simple sentences of slightly varying structures to track the rain's progression (from sprinkles to large droplets) and the resulting mud issues. There is no parallel structure focused on mud, no complex sentences, and no unusual word order. The varied short sentences mirror the gradual, changing weather and its effects.

Answer:

Varied sentence structure emphasizes the changing weather conditions.