Tom's mom says she will pay him to help clean. She gives him pennies when he's all done. What did Tom do to earn this money?
- Tom earned money by helping his mom with cleaning work (correct answer)
- Tom earned money by waiting patiently for his mom
- Tom earned money by asking his mom nicely for pennies
- Tom earned money by finding pennies on the floor
Explanation: When you see a story problem about earning money, look carefully at what the person did right before they received the payment. This helps you understand the connection between work and reward. In this story, Tom's mom tells him she will pay him to help clean, and then she gives him pennies "when he's all done." The key phrase is "when he's all done" - this shows that Tom completed the cleaning work his mom asked him to do. The money was payment for finishing that job. Choice A is correct because it directly connects Tom's payment to the work he did. His mom promised to pay him for helping with cleaning, and that's exactly what happened - he earned the money by doing the cleaning work. Choice B is wrong because simply waiting patiently doesn't involve doing any work. Tom's mom specifically said she would pay him "to help clean," not just to wait around. Choice C is incorrect because asking nicely for money isn't the same as earning it through work. The story shows his mom offered to pay him for a job, not that he requested money. Choice D doesn't match the story either. Tom didn't find pennies lying around - his mom deliberately gave them to him as payment after he finished the cleaning task she assigned. Remember this pattern: when someone promises payment "for" doing something, and then gives that payment "when" the task is finished, the person earned the money by completing the work. Look for these connecting words in money problems.