Testing

Grammar
Jonathan Magdalena
What are we trying to MEASURE?
English grammar is chiefly a system of
syntax, that decides
the order and
patterns in which
words are arranged
into sentences. (Close, 1982)



Why should we test grammar?
Linguistic or communicative competence?

Structures or functions?

Usage or use?

Prescriptive or descriptive?
How should we test grammar?
Separated from skills?

Discrete point or integrative items?

Focus on grammar or meaning?

What are the most common test formats for
testing grammar?
RECOGNITION
Multiple choice items (Liu, 121)
Error-recognition items (Liu, 129)
True/False (Baxter, 35)
Pairing and matching items
Cloze/Modified Cloze (Hughes, 144)





What are the most common test formats for
testing grammar?
Production
Completion items (Hughes, 143)
Transformation items (Liu, 131)
Paraphrase (Hughes, 143)
Rearrangement
Editing
Combination and addition items
Items involving the changing of words
When should we go for grammar
recognition?
When
More material needs to be covered.
You want to test different levels of
learning.
You have little time for scoring.
You are not interested in evaluating
how well a test taker can formulate a
correct answer.
You have a large number of test takers.
When should we go for grammar
production?
When
You want to evaluate a persons ability
to formulate a correct answer.
You have more time to score the items
You want to test a persons ability to
apply concepts and information to a
new situation.
You have a clear idea of the aspects
and concepts that should be tested.
True/False
Is this sentences true or false?
He works from Monday to Friday
Does not demonstrate broader knowledge
Difficult to construct in higher levels
Encourages guessing due to 50/50 chance
Difficult to test attitudes toward learning

Multiple Choice
John usually ______from Monday to Friday
a. works b. worked c. has worked d. is working
They can be tricky or too picky
Difficult to test attitudes towards learning
Knowledge is limited to options provided
Difficult to construct at higher levels
Encourages guessing (25% chance)
More than one option may be possible
All options must be grammatically possible


Gap-Filling
John usually ______(work) from Monday to Friday
They must be part of a broader context
More than one option may be possible
First gap may be offered as a sample
Difficult to test attitudes towards learning
Knowledge is limited to options provided
Limitations result in negative backwash
Focus should be on the aspect assessed.


Cloze/C-test
John ______ works ______Monday ______Friday
Tests students understanding of the
whole language
More than one option may be possible
First letter may be offered as a sample
Difficult to test attitudes towards learning
Some words may be impossible to guess
Can test students IQ rather than
language proficiency
Difficult for some students (bias)


Sentence Building
Friday/usually/to/John/Monday/work
Tests recognition and/or production
More than one option may be possible
Capital letters and punctuation may
interfere in the production of the answer
Difficult to test attitudes towards learning
Some context may be added
Can test students IQ rather than
language proficiency
Difficult for some students (bias)


Sentence Transformation
John is a doctor. He ______________ (work)
More than one option may be possible
Clues will limit the answers
Difficult to test attitudes towards learning
Some context may be added
Instructions are essential
Few aspects might be assessed (passive,
reported, comparatives, conditionals)



Correction/Editing
John usually working from Monday to Friday
Tests recognition of mistakes
Can also test production through
corrections
More than one correction may be possible
Mistakes must be grammatically possible
Good backwash
Context is essential


Five characteristics to measure
communicative grammar
1. The test must provide more context than
only a single sentence.
2. The test taker should understand what
the communicative purpose of the task is.
3. He or she should also know who the
intended audience is.
4. He or she must have to focus on meaning
and not form to answer correctly.
5. Recognize is not sufficient. The test
taker must be able to produce
grammatical responses.

(R. Dickins)
Therefore
Have the test taker say or write
something of discourse length in
order to perform some
communicative task for a known
audience.

What is said or written must make
sense.
Split Sentences
Write out some sentences, and then
cut each sentence in half. Place the
two halves in two separate columns
and ask students to find the
matching half.
Students abilities in combing
sentences
Grammar knowledge to all forms of
the sentences
Examples
If you eat that
If you touch the
dog
If you steal my
boyfriend
If you go out now
If you dont leave
If you dont book
a ticket
youll be sick
itll bite you
Ill never speak
to you again
youll get
soaked
Ill call the police
youll be lucky
to get a seat

Sentences from pictures
Hand out a sheet of pictures. Ask
students to come out sentences from
the pictures or ask them to tell a
story.
Enough grammar knowledge to make
sentences by students.
Accuracy
Memory Test
Give limited time for students to see
the picture. Ask them to describe
the picture without seeing it.
Testing students ability of making
sentences.(enough grammar
knowledge)
Accuracy
The transformation of students
sentences
Picture Dictation
A student try to describe the picture
to other students who havent seen it.
Testing if a student can make
sentences which can help him/her
communicate well.
Accuracy
Strip Story
Give students a text from a strip
story. Ask them to find the order
and resolve the problem from the
story.
See if students can find the time
order from the tenses of the
sentences.
Accuracy
Miming an action
Ask students to role play in a limited
situation.
Through acting, it can test students
ability of thinking of lines. (which
may contains different tenses.)
Accuracy
Growing Stories
Story-building activities
Students ability of making sentences
with different tenses
Questionnaires
Turn what have taught in class into a
questionnaire. Get students to
survey each other. (does not contain
fully-written-out questions.)
It can see if students totally
understand what have learned in
class. Also it can see if students can
use it well.