Description of performance levels; writing (adapted by Paltridge from IELTS test [Paltridge

1992])

Levels Overall Ideas & Accuracy Fluency Appropriateness Intelligibility

arguement
Beginne Nonwrit
r er.
Cannot
write in
English
at all.
Element Intermit Evidence Very Isolated Use of language Can convey
ary tent of few limited words or (including only very
writer. ideas with grasp of short layout) simple
Very no lexical, stock minimally meaning.
difficult apparent grammati phrases appropriate to Concentration
to developme cal, and only. text type, and constant
follow. nt. Little relational Very function, and verification
apparent patterns. short communicative necessary on
coherence Little text. goal. the part of the
to the text. grasp of reader.
conventio
ns
punctuati
on and
spelling
and use
of
cohesive
devices.
Intermed Limited Limited Limited Texts Use of language Can convey
iate writer. range of grasp of may be generally basic
Rather ideas lexical, simple, appropriate to meanings,
difficult expressed. grammati showing function, text although with
to Developm cal, and little type, and some
follow. ent may be relation develop communicative difficulty.
restrited patterns ment. goal within a
and often and use Limited limited range of
incomplete of structures text types.
or unclear. cohesive and Layout
Informatio devices. vocabula generally
n is not Weakness ry. Little appropriate to
arranged es in subtlety text type.
coherently. punctuati and
on and/or flexibalit
spelling. y.
Grammar items and their sequence in first-year English course (from Axbey 1997)

Present verb be
Subject Pronouns
Possessive adjectives
Indefinite article: a/an
Plural nouns: -s, -ies, -es
Prepositions: from, in, near, at, with, there
is/are
Countable nouns with some and any
Definite article: the
Plural nouns: Irregular
Demonstrative pronouns: this/that/
these/those
Adjectives
Has/have got
Present simple
Object pronouns
Whose? How often?
Enough
Can/cannot
Like+noun/ like+Gerund
Adverb of frequency
And so on.