The smiling mother: inference versus literal reading
A candidate is answering Question 4 on an unseen prose passage. The passage describes a 14-year-old boy, Arun, watching his mother count coins at the kitchen table before the school term. In one paragraph the writer says: 'She smiled as she pushed the notes across the table, but her thumb stayed on the edge of the pile as though it had been glued there.' Question 4 asks: 'What does this sentence suggest about the mother's feelings?' The candidate writes: 'She is happy because she is giving her son money for school.' The mark scheme awards two marks for inference about mixed feelings or reluctance, not simple happiness. The candidate must decide whether to keep the answer, add to it, or replace it. The passage also mentions that the mother sold a gold bangle the week before and that she has been checking prices at the market.
1. Explain what the quoted sentence suggests about the mother's feelings, and identify two details in the sentence that support your reading.
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The sentence suggests mixed feelings: willingness to give the money and reluctance to lose it. The clause 'She smiled as she pushed the notes across the table' shows generosity and an attempt to reassure Arun. The 'but' turns the sentence: 'her thumb stayed on the edge of the pile' shows physical hesitation, and the simile 'as though it had been glued there' implies she cannot easily let the money go. A strong answer links both sides instead of choosing one. It should also note that the smile may be performed to hide worry, because the sentence contrasts the smile with the thumb.
2. The candidate's answer earns little credit. Rewrite it as a two-sentence answer that would earn both marks, and explain why the original is insufficient.
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Rewrite: 'The mother is willing to give Arun the school money, as she smiles and pushes the notes towards him, but she is also reluctant: her thumb stays on the pile as if glued there. Her smile seems to hide the cost of giving it.' Why the original fails: 'She is happy' picks up the smile but ignores the 'but' and the thumb. It treats one clue as the whole meaning and does not infer mixed feelings. The rewrite covers both clues and uses the simile to explain the reluctance.
3. How could the detail about the gold bangle be used in a later answer about the mother's sacrifice? Write one sentence that integrates it without retelling the whole passage.
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The bangle should be used as evidence for sacrifice, not retold as a separate event. Example: 'Her sacrifice is clear because she had sold her gold bangle the week before, yet she still smiles as she pushes the school money towards Arun.' This sentence links the earlier detail to the inference about hidden cost without summarising the whole passage. It also explains why the smile may be forced, which strengthens the reading of mixed feelings.