Research Workshop: Writing an Argumentative Essay — Cumulative exam
Question 12 • ALT ENG 11 S2 Common Core ELA 11 2014 - ELA3011 B-CR
Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue."Lately, I’ve been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as “broken” or “fractured” English. But I wince when I say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no other way to describe it other than “broken,” as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. What can be inferred from the excerpt?
Answer
A
Tan is embarrassed by the nonstandard form of English that her mother speaks.
B
Tan believes that nonstandard forms of English are legitimate languages in their own right.
C
Tan wishes that she did not have to think about the English that her mother speaks.
D
Tan is angry that people are not taught nonstandard English languages in school.
Explanation
Tan winces at calling her mother’s English “broken” because the word makes it sound damaged or incomplete. This suggests she questions the idea that nonstandard English is inferior and recognizes it as a valid way of communicating. Choice B, that nonstandard forms of English are legitimate languages in their own right, best fits this view.
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