What should the supper cost?
Source A: Let people choose what they contribute — an original community-supper volunteer proposal
Our community supper aims to bring neighbours together, including people who may hesitate over the cost of a meal out. I propose letting guests choose what they contribute instead of charging one fixed price. Some could give more and others less, without being placed in separate categories at the door. The meal would remain the same shared occasion.
A suggested contribution could explain the ordinary cost without becoming a demand. We should describe what the money supports, including ingredients and the work needed to run the evening. Someone choosing to contribute more would then understand what the extra amount helps provide, rather than imagine they are buying a better seat or a different kind of welcome.
Privacy matters. Please do not ask people to announce a reason for their contribution while others wait behind them. A quiet, clearly explained arrangement would make the choice more genuine. Volunteers should know what to say if somebody asks, and no guest should receive a warmer greeting because a larger amount was noticed.
I recognise that the organisers need to plan. Good intentions do not pay for every ingredient, and we cannot assume extra contributions will always balance smaller ones. Begin with an event whose costs and support we understand, then review the result before promising a permanent scheme. Ask whether people felt able to attend and whether the process was clear, alongside examining the total received. The aim is not to create an impressive story about generosity from one evening. It is to discover whether a dependable shared meal can make room for different circumstances without turning those circumstances into the main conversation at the entrance.
Source B: A choice can still feel like a test — an original response from an event organiser
I support making the supper accessible, but choosing a contribution may create uncertainty for some people. A guest can spend more time wondering what amount looks acceptable than they would deciding whether a clear price fits. The suggested figure might be understood as the actual price, while somebody giving less still feels they are asking for an exception nobody has quite explained.
The collection method will shape that experience. An open bowl which makes each contribution visible may undermine the promise of privacy. A volunteer saying give whatever you like can sound generous without answering a person's practical question. We need wording which explains the arrangement clearly and consistently, including what happens if a guest cannot contribute on the day.
Planning also deserves a concrete answer. The committee should know which costs must be covered and what support has actually been agreed. A successful total from one unusually generous visitor would not show that the next supper can operate on the same basis. Nor would attendance alone reveal whether people felt comfortable with the contribution process.
I would compare several possible arrangements, including a fixed price with a clearly explained supported option, before choosing a small trial. Each approach can work badly if its terms are vague or its collection makes people feel judged. Ask guests privately about understanding and comfort, and ask volunteers what questions arose. Keep the welcome separate from the amount contributed. The most inclusive label will not help if the ordinary person arriving with a friend cannot tell what they are being asked to do. A dependable supper needs both a workable plan behind the meal and an understandable invitation in front of it.
Write a report to the supper committee evaluating flexible contributions and recommending how the event should be organised.
Use your own words and base your response on both sources. In your response:
Write about 250 to 350 words. Up to 10 marks are available for reading and up to 25 marks for writing.
60 exam-style questions on CIE IGCSE English Language 5.2.3 Question 1(b) directed writing task. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.