Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Two main changes pushed rural households into proto-industrial work:

1. Loss of common lands: Open fields were disappearing and commons were being enclosed. Cottagers and poor peasants had earlier depended on common lands to gather firewood, berries, vegetables, hay, and straw. Enclosures cut off this survival resource.

1. Insufficient land: Many peasants held tiny plots that could not provide work for all family members. Income from cultivation was shrinking.

So when merchants offered advances to produce goods, peasants eagerly agreed — they could stay in the countryside, continue farming, supplement falling agricultural income, and make fuller use of family labour.

Source: Chapter 4, Section 1 — Before the Industrial Revolution / Proto-Industrialisation

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The examiner expects two clear causes tied directly to the passage: enclosure of commons (loss of free resources) and tiny, insufficient landholdings. Then a brief link showing why proto-industrial work was attractive (stay in countryside + supplement income + use family labour). Avoid generic statements about poverty — anchor your points to the specific textbook details about commons and enclosure. The "eagerly agreed" phrasing from the source is worth echoing to show comprehension.