In which sentence does the underlined word have the most negative connotation?
A.
Three years later, Carlos and his men returned from the long journey.
B.
Three years later, Carlos and his men returned from the grueling journey.
C.
Three years later, Carlos and his men returned from the brief journey.
D.
Three years later, Carlos and his men returned from the painless journey.
B. Three years later, Carlos and his men returned from the grueling journey.
The sentence in which the underlined word has the most negative connotation is B. "Three years later, Carlos and his men returned from the grueling journey."
To determine which sentence has the underlined word with the most negative connotation, we need to analyze the choices.
Looking at sentence A, the underlined word is "long." While the word "long" doesn't inherently have a negative connotation, it is necessary to consider the context. In this case, returning from a long journey could indicate a challenging or difficult experience.
In sentence B, the underlined word is "grueling." "Grueling" has a strong negative connotation, suggesting that the journey was extremely exhausting, demanding, or unpleasant.
In sentence C, the underlined word is "brief." "Brief" typically doesn't carry a negative connotation and instead implies a short duration, which might not be negative in this context.
In sentence D, the underlined word is "painless." "Painless" signifies the absence of pain or discomfort, and thus has a positive connotation rather than a negative one.
Based on this analysis, sentence B ("Three years later, Carlos and his men returned from the grueling journey") has the underlined word with the most negative connotation, as "grueling" suggests a very challenging or arduous experience.