demusic1-10, Exercise 1: Testing a national claim

Model answer (one possible choice: "Britain is the home of pop music"; check each point):

1. Who says so? Critics, broadcasters and tourism bodies, especially around the 1960s and again in the 1990s. Status: claimed, with the sources varying.
2. Which music? Beat groups, Britpop and chart acts; folk, brass band and classical traditions are less counted. Status: claimed.
3. Which border? Mostly England, with Liverpool and London to the fore, plus a Scottish, Welsh and Irish side. Status: partly documented.
4. What came before? American blues, rock and roll and soul, which many British musicians openly copied. Status: documented in musicians' own accounts.
5. What was done with it? Used in advertising and for national self-image, for example the 2012 Olympic ceremony (check). Status: documented.
6. Evidence? Chart records and sales figures support the scale of success, while "home of" is a judgment, not a measurable fact. Status: mixed.

The method works because it separates the measurable part (sales and charts) from the story (home of).