Multiple-choice Error-recognition items Kinds of Grammar Test

denote only those formal modes of assessment that are officially scheduled, with clearly delimited time on task and strict limitations on available guidance. Grammar test are designed to measure student proficiency in matters ranging from inflections bottles-bottles, bake-baked to syntax. Syntax involves the relationship of words in a sentence, including matters such a word order, use of negative, question forms, and connectives. 22 Test of grammar and usage are intended to measure the respondent’s ability to recognize grammatical forms and manipulate the structures through objectives tests and subjective tests. 23

2. Kinds of Grammar Test

Grammar test on the high school and college levels have usually concentrated on matters of style and diction appropriate for rather formal written English. There are ten types of grammar test, here they are :

a. Multiple-choice

items The type of multiple-choice item favored by many constructors of grammar tests is the incomplete statement type, with a choice of four or five options. E.g. Tom ought not to ……… me your secret, but he did. A. tell B. having told C. be telling D. have told

b. Error-recognition items

Each sentence contains four words or phrases underlined, marked A, B, C, and D. select the underlined word or phrase which is incorrect or unacceptable. E.g. 1. I’m worried that you’ll be angry to me. A B C D 22 Harold S Madsen, Techniques in Testing, Hongkong; Oxford University Press, 1983 23 J.B. Heaton, Writing English Language Test, New York: Longman, 1988 c. Rearrangement items Rearrangement items can take several forms, the first of which to consider here will be the multiple-choice type. E.g. 1. ‘Won’t I need a coat?’ Well, You know how …. A. it B. today C. warm D. is d. Completion items E.g. Put a, the, or some in each blank only where necessary. If You think that no word should be placed in the blank, put a cross x there. 1. Can You see …… sun shining through the clouds? 2. I saw your uncle ….. day before yesterday. 3. What have you been doing since I saw you …. last summer? e. Transformation items The transformation items is extremely useful for testing ability to produce structures in the target language and helps to provide a balance when included in tests containing multiple-choice items. E.g. Rewrite each of the following sentences in another way, beginning each new sentence with the words given. Make any changes that are necessary but do not change the general meaning of sentence. 1. I haven’t written to you for a long time it’s a long time …………………………………. 2. In sunny weather I often go for walk When the weather ……………………………… f. 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. 1. Verb : tenses, etc Researchers 1 to convince that a drug 1 …………. They 2 to test can improve the memory 2 …………. and that it 3 to be the forerunner 3 …………. of other drugs which eventually 4 …………. 4 to improve mental ability.

g. ‘Broken sentence’ items