Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

The evidence reveals that industrialisation in Britain was much slower and more uneven than commonly assumed. Since less than 20% of the workforce was in advanced industrial sectors, the majority still worked in traditional crafts and domestic industries. Steam engines were adopted very slowly due to high costs, frequent breakdowns, and industrialists' caution. Traditional sectors like food processing, pottery, furniture making, and glass work continued to grow through small innovations, not mechanisation. The typical mid-nineteenth century worker remained a craftsperson or labourer, not a machine operator. Thus, industrialisation was gradual, partial, and coexisted with older methods of production.

Source: Chapter 4, Section 1.2 – The Pace of Industrial Change

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• The examiner wants you to show understanding that industrialisation ≠ rapid, total factory takeover.
• Three key points to hit: (1) majority workforce in traditional sectors, (2) steam engines slow to spread, (3) traditional industries adapted through small innovations.
• Avoid vague statements — use specific evidence from the passage (e.g., "321 steam engines in all England at the start of the 19th century").
• The concluding line tying it together shows analytical thinking, which earns full marks.