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Literary passages · Question 15 of 305

Why does Kipling repeat the pattern "Presently the ...

Question 15

MediumOriginal question

In the beginning of years, when the world was so new and all, and the Animals were just beginning to work for Man, there was a Camel, and he lived in the middle of a Howling Desert because he did not want to work; and besides, he was a Howler himself. So he ate sticks and thorns and and milkweed and prickles, most ‘ ; and when anybody spoke to him he said ‘Humph!’ Just ‘Humph!’ and no more.

the Horse came to him on Monday morning, with a saddle on his back and a bit in his mouth, and said, ‘Camel, O Camel, come out and trot like the rest of us.’

‘Humph!’ said the Camel; and the Horse went away and told the Man.

Presently the Dog came to him, with a stick in his mouth, and said, ‘Camel, O Camel, come and fetch and carry like the rest of us.’

‘Humph!’ said the Camel; and the Dog went away and told the Man.

Presently the Ox came to him, with the on his neck and said, ‘Camel, O Camel, come and plough like the rest of us.’

‘Humph!’ said the Camel; and the Ox went away and told the Man.

At the end of the day the Man called the Horse and the Dog and the Ox together, and said, ‘Three, O Three, I’m very sorry for you (with the world so new-and-all); but that Humph-thing in the Desert can’t work, or he would have been here by now, so I am going to leave him alone, and you must work double-time to make up for it.’

Why does Kipling repeat the pattern "Presently the ... came to him ... 'Humph!' said the Camel" three times?

Options for question 15

Show the answer and explanation
CorrectNot quiteAnswer C

Correct answer: C

Explanation

  1. Repetition is common in stories told aloud to children. Each visit ends the same way, which stresses how stubborn the Camel is.

Worth noting

The repetition is deliberate storytelling, not a lack of ideas.

Concept
Understanding the purpose of repetition
Typical time
45 s
Your time
—
The rule this testsThe writer's tone and purpose
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Ten questions from Literary passages, at your own pace.

Practise this chapter →

Ten questions from Literary passages, at your own pace.