Language, notation and formulas

6.4 Mark another St Ives' question

Now pretend your are the tutor marking a rather briefer response to the St Ives' riddle.

Example 17: St Ives

As I was going to St Ives

I met a man with seven wives.

Each wife had seven sacks.

Each sack had seven cats.

Each cat had seven kits.

Kits, cats, sacks and wives

How many were going to St Ives?

(a) Write down the people I met. [2]
(b) Find the number of wives, sacks, cats and kits. [4]
(c) Show that the number of kits is 74. [4]
(d) What is the answer to the riddle? [2]

Sample Solution B to Example 17

Click on ‘Reveal answer’ to se the tutor's marking.

Notice that the tutor suggests a clearer way of displaying the results. Solution A's method is also clearer. You will notice that the student lost marks for not really ‘showing’ that there were 74 kits, even though he or she probably understood this; the marks are for giving good, convincing reasoning.