What did the Puritans' plain writing style stress?

• A. They wrote ornate prose
• B. They used ambiguous language
• C. Clarity of expression and avoidance of complicated figures of speech
• D. They valued humor

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that Puritans valued straight, unembellished expression in writing. Their plain style aimed for clear communication and deliberately avoided ornate language or elaborate figures of speech. This meant using straightforward sentence structure, precise word choice, and a earnest, serious tone so that religious messages would be easily understood and morally instructive.

Context helps: Puritans connected truth with humility before God, so they favored writing that mirrors biblical clarity—direct, practical, and accessible to ordinary readers. By steering away from rhetorical flourish and ambiguity, they kept the focus on the message itself rather than the display of language.

That’s why the correct interpretation is that their writing emphasized clarity of expression and avoidance of complicated figures of speech. Ornate prose, ambiguity, or humor would run counter to their aims and thus don’t fit how they approached writing.