Select the correct text in the passage.
Examine the usage of the words bequeath and posterity in this excerpt from Thomas Paine's Common Sense. Then complete the sentences that follow.
The authority of Great Britain over this continent, is a form of government, which sooner or later must have an end: And a serious mind can draw no true pleasure by looking forward, under the painful and positive conviction that what he calls "the present constitution" is merely temporary. As parents, we can have no joy, knowing that this government is not sufficiently lasting to ensure any thing which we may bequeath to posterity.
According to Paine, the government of Great Britain will bequeath
to the colonists.
He also implies that the posterity
.
According to Paine, the government of Great Britain will bequeath nothing to the colonists.
He also implies that the posterity will not have anything ensured for them by this temporary government.
According to the passage from Thomas Paine's Common Sense, the correct text is:
According to Paine, the government of Great Britain will bequeath "nothing" to the colonists.
He also implies that the posterity "will not benefit" from the current government.
To arrive at these answers, you need to carefully read the given passage and understand the meanings of the words bequeath and posterity. Bequeath means to pass on or transmit something as a legacy or inheritance, while posterity refers to future generations or descendants. In the passage, Paine states that the present government is temporary and will not endure. This implies that the government of Great Britain will not pass on anything valuable or lasting to the colonists as a legacy. Additionally, Paine suggests that the posterity will not benefit from this government, meaning that future generations will not be positively impacted by it.
Your responses don't make any sense.
1. Look up "bequeath" and "posterity" at www.dictionary.com
2. Decide what each of these words means IN THE CONTEXT you have been given.
3. THEN write your responses, using the definitions you found, not the original words themselves.