1. The club will ( perform ) at the school festival next month.

2. The club will *play* at the school festival next month.
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Thank you for your help in many ways.
The correct word for the blank in Sentence 1 (in the reading text) is 'perform'.
However, a student wrote 'play' instead of 'perform'.
The point for 'perform' is two. How would give a point for 'play' in this case?

If the club is a musical group, as in a band or chamber ensemble, etc., we might say they will play, as in playing their instruments. Perform is preferred, though. No points if it's the drama club.

The club is a dance club. They have been practicing dance moves including hip-hop moves.

Do you mean if the club is a dance club, no points are given to the students who wrote 'play' in the sentence?

To give a point for the student who wrote 'play' instead of 'perform' in this case, you can consider the following:

1. Context: Check if the word 'play' works in the given sentence in terms of its meaning and usage. In this case, since the sentence is about a club's participation in a school festival, both 'perform' and 'play' can be considered appropriate options.

2. Synonyms: Identify if 'play' can be considered a synonym of 'perform'. In this case, both words can indicate the act of showcasing or presenting something, so 'play' can be considered a valid alternative to 'perform'.

3. Grading Scale: Decide on a grading scale that considers the proximity of the chosen word to the correct word. For example, you can assign 1 point for selecting a synonym or closely related term to the correct word, such as 'play', and 2 points for using the exact word, 'perform'. You may adjust the scale based on the difficulty level or the classroom grading policy.

Ultimately, the decision on how to award points for using 'play' instead of 'perform' should be based on the specific grading criteria and instructions provided by the teacher.