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 best supports the inference that Tan believes nonstandard English is no less valid than standard English?
Answer
A
Tan winces when she describes her mother’s English as “broken.”
B
Tan’s education in the US makes it difficult for her to understand her mother.
C
Tan has trouble thinking of descriptive words when she is writing.
D
Tan spends a lot of time thinking about her mother’s “fractured” English.
Explanation
Tan says she winces when she calls her mother’s English “broken” because the word makes it sound damaged or incomplete. This shows she questions the idea that nonstandard English is inferior and believes it should not be treated as less valid. The other choices do not directly express that judgment about the value of nonstandard English.
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