Question

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?
Tan is embarrassed by the nonstandard form of English that her mother speaks.
Tan believes that nonstandard forms of English are legitimate languages in their own right.
Tan wishes that she did not have to think about the English that her mother speaks.
Tan is angry that people are not taught nonstandard English languages in school.

Answer 1

Answer: Tan is embarrassed by the nonstandard form of English that her mother speaks.

Explanation: She says she “winces” when calling it “broken” and that it has “always bothered” her she can think of no other term—language that indicates discomfort or embarrassment. The other choices are not directly supported: while she objects to the term “broken,” the passage doesn’t explicitly claim she believes nonstandard Englishes are separate legitimate languages, nor that she wishes not to think about it or is angry about schooling.