What did Puritans use as a model for their writing?

• A. The Bible
• B. Classical Greek texts
• C. Legal codes of England
• D. Ornate liturgy

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is that Puritan writing was modeled on sacred scripture. Puritans aimed to imitate the authority, clarity, and moral urgency of the Bible in their prose and sermons. They favored a plain, direct style that reflected biblical cadence and parallelism, often quoting or paraphrasing Scripture to shape arguments and exhort readers toward piety. This reliance on Scripture as the guiding model gave their writing its distinctive, admonishing tone and aim.

The other options don’t fit as well because Classical Greek texts were not the primary model for Puritan prose, even though classical learning existed in the colonies. Writing from Puritan circles prioritized Bible-derived language over ornate or classical forms. Legal codes of England influenced social structure more than stylistic writing, and ornate liturgy ran counter to Puritan preferences for plain worship and straightforward, exhortative language.