Chapter 4: Tests of grammar & usage pot

Chapter 4:

Tests of grammar & usage
Heaton, J.B. (1988). Writing English Language Tests. Longman


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2.
3.
4.
5.
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7.
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9.
10.

multiple - choice items
error recognition items
rearrange items
completion items
transformation items
items involving the changing of words
‘broken sentence’ items
pairing and matching items
combination items
addition items


1. Multiple - choice items


the incomplete statement type with a choice of
four or five options



Seven types of multiple – choice items in the
textbook; however, item types 2 & 3 are
preferable because the options do not interrupt the
flow of meaning in the sentence: these items
present the entire sentence so that it can be read
at a glance. (read page 34 – 39)


Constructing multiple choice items




Use samples of students own written work to provide
the basis for the test items.
Constructors of classroom tests and school achievement
tests should take advantage of the types of errors made
by students in their free composition and open-ended
answers to questions.


2. Constructing error recognition
multiple-choice items




Type 1: Each sentence contains 4 words or
phrases underlined, marked A, B, C and D. Select
the underlined word or phrase which is incorrect
or unacceptable. (TOEIC &TOEFL)
Type 2: Each sentence is divided into 4 parts by
slashes (//). Each part is marked by A, B, C and
D. This item type allows test writer to test errors
caused by omission. In practice, this method
doesn’t work well. (page 40)


3. Constructing rearrangement items
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



taking several forms, the first of which to consider 
the multiple - choice type.
useful to change from a multiple-choice item format to
a format involving some actual writing
Ss  unscrambling sentences and writing out each
sentence, putting the words in their correct order


4. Constructing completion items









Careful constructed completion items  useful means of
testing a student’s ability to produce acceptable and
appropriate forms of language
These items measure production rather than recognition,
testing the ability to insert the most appropriate words in
selected blanks in sentences.
The words selected for omission: grammatical or
functional words (e.g. preposition, articles….); content
words selected in a reading or vocabulary test.
Completion items cannot be machine marked.


5. Constructing transformation items




extremely useful for testing ability to produce structure
in the target language and helping to provide balance
when included in tests containing multiple choice items.
It can measure some of the skills tested in composition
writing.

6. Constructing items involving the
changing of words


This type of item is useful for testing the
student’s ability to use correct tenses and
verb forms.


7. Constructing ‘broken sentence’
items




testing the student’s ability to write full sentences from
a series of words and phrases, so it does not allow the
test writer to concentrate exclusively on testing those
particular grammatical features practiced in the
classroom.
When setting this item, the instructions should be clear.
One or two examples should be provided.


8. Constructing pairing and matching
items






Usually consisting of a short conversation: e.g. a
stimulus in the form of a statement or question followed
by a response often in the form of a statement
Used to test ability to select appropriate responses to
stimuli which would be presented orally in normal
everyday situations
Useful for testing students’ sensitivity to appropriacy
and their awareness of the functions of the language
rather than the knowledge of grammar


9. Constructing combination
& addition items


These objective type items have long been
used in past tests. They should be used
sparingly as they involve largely mechanical
responses.