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Question
Validate John Updike’s open-ended title, ‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy?’.
Solution
The story title is a question that suggests agreeing with Jo, who believes in justice for the skunk, or the father, who believes that mothers cannot err. Both seem right.
The author leaves it open-ended for the reader to allow flexibility and creative insight.
Notes
Guidance:
The question requires an opinion from the learner in favour of leaving the title open-ended (‘validate’)
Content -
Award 1 mark for identification of the title as a question that could have varying answers + likely purpose of the writer.
Award ½ mark for either aspect.
Expression -
1 mark when both given aspects are included.
✓ Answer organised effectively
✓ The language used needs to display justification
½ mark when either aspect is missing.
Deduct ½ mark from the overall score if the error density is high (more than a total of 2 spellings and grammatical errors).
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