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ED 398 256 TM 025 209

AUTHOR Kitao, S. Kathleen; Kitao, Kenji

TITLE Testing Grammar.
PUB DATE [963
NOTE 6p.
PUB TYPE Guides Non-Classroom Use (055) Reports
Descriptive (141)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.

DESCRIPTORS *English (Second Language); Foreign Countries;
*Grammar; Language Proficiency; *Language Tests;
Language Usage; Maltiple Choice Tests; Scoring;
*Second Language Learning; *Test Construction; Theory
Practice Relationship
IDENTIFIERS Error Detection; Relevance (Personal); Sentence
Completion Test; Word Order

ABSTRACT
The testing of grammar is one of the mainstays of
language testing, since it can be argued that a basic knowledge of
grammar underlies the ability to use language to express meaning. The
most common way of testing grammatical knowledge is the
multiple-choice test, and the most common multiple-choice item is one
in which the student selects a word to complete the sentence
correctly. Students can also be asked to select ale correct response
to an utterance or to choose the most equivalent statement. Error
correction items are also useful in testing grammar. A traditional
way to test knowledge of word order is to present alternative word
orders and ask the student to select the best. Understanding of
appropriate sentence order can be tested in the same way. Still
another type of grammar test item uses transformations in which the
test taker constructs new sentences that have the same meaning as the
original sentence. Sentence combining exercises also play a part in
grammar testing. While the testing of grammar is limited in that it
does not guarantee that the test taker can use the grammatical
knowledge in real communication, it is sometimes necessary and
useful. In constructing a grammar test, the teacher must consider the
ease of marking, the degree of control, and the degree of realism.
(SLD)

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Points of view or opinions stated in this

Testing Grammar TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
official OERI position or policy.

S. Kathleen Kitao Doshisha Women's College Kyoto, Japan

Kenji Kitao Doshisha University Kyoto, Japan

The testing of grammar is one of the mainstays of language testing.

While such tests test the ability to either recognize or produce correct
grammar and usage, they do not test the ability to use the language to
express meaning. However, it can be argued that a basic knowledge of
grammar underlies the ability to use language to express meaning, and so
grammar tests do have an important part to play in language programs.

Types of Tests

Multiple Choice Tests

Probably t e most common way of testing grammatical knowledge is
the multiple choice test. These tests have the advantage of being easy to
grade and being able to cover a lot of grammatical points quickly.

The most common type of multiple choice grammatical item is one in

which the test maker gives the testee a sentence with a blank and four or
five choices of a word or phrase which completes the sentence correctly.
For example,

Because my mother was sick, I to go home last week.

a) had
b) have
c) has
d) hadn't

To give slightly more context, this type of question sometimes makes

use of a short dialogue, with one person saying something and the other
person responding.

A way of testing short mswers and responses is to give the testees and
utterance, and have them decide which of four or five utterances is an
appropriate response. This can be either a test of comprehension or a test
of grammar. For example,

BEST COPY AVAIIABLE

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"I think that tuition is much too high here."
a) I do so.
b) Do I so.
c) I so do.
d) So do I.

Another way to test grammatical knowledge using multiple choice

items is to give testees a sentence and ask them to choose which of four or
five alternatives has the same meaning.

"The school should have expelled him."

a) The school didn't expel him, which was wrong.
b) The school expelled him, because it was necessary.
c) The school might have expelled him, if it had known.
d) The school will probably expel him in the near future.

Again this is a test of reading comprehension as well as grammar, but

in order to understand the meaning of the sentence, the reader does have to
understand the grammar.

The test maker must fmd a balance between giving enough context and
giving too much. One way to give more context and make the language
more natural is to give the items in the form of a short reading passage
rather than individual sentences. This gives the testees more context and,
if the passage is chosen carefully, is also much more interesting than
reading individual, uncontextualized sentences. However, it may be more
difficult to test a range of grammatical points, since the grammatical points
are restricted by the content of the passage.

A variation on this idea is to use a piece of prose written by a non-

native English speaker. This is particularly useful for making a grammar
test for testees who are all of the same language group, since the errors
made by the writer can be used as distracters.

Error Correction

Error correction items are also useful for testing grammar. An error
correction item is one in which the testee is given a sentence with an error.
Four words or phrases in the sentence marked with letters, and the testee
needs to decide which of the words or phrases has the error. For example,
Most of students believe that they should be getting better grades
A
than they are.

The teacher may also mix in some sentences that have no errors, and
students are required to indicate that there is no error. In addition, the
students might be required to correct the error. Errors from students' actual
writing are a good source of ideas for this type of exercise.

Items to Test Knowledge of Word/Sentence Order

Other types of items can be used to test testees' knowledge of word
order. The traditional way is to present the testee with four alternative
word orders. For example,

I wonder how she knows

a) how it costs much.
b) how much it costs.
c) it costs how much.
d) it how much costs.

Another possibility is to give testees the four words and ask them to put
the words in order. For example,

I wonder how she knows

A. how B. it C. much D. costs / / / / /

This can also be done in a way that actually requires the writer to do some
writing. For example,

I wonder how she knows

how / it /much / costs

Understanding of appropriate sentence order can also be tested in a

similar way by giving testees several sentences and asking them to put
them in order. This type of test tests knowledge of references, cohesive
devices, etc.

Completion Items
Completion items are items in which the testees are asked to fill in
blanks in sentences.
For example,

Give the book to woman in the blue dress.

For the purpose of a grammar test, the words which fit in the blanks
should be function words, such as articles and prepositions. (Completion
items intended to test reading ability or vocabulary knowledge, in contrast,
use content words.) The advantage of completion items is that they test
production, not just recognition. The disadvantage is that they need to be
marked by hand and there will be some cases where the marker needs to
make judgements about whether a response is correct. It is not always
easy to write items for with there is only one possible answer. Using a
piece of continuous prose rather than disconnected sentences is one way of
cutting down on possible different interpretations of what goes into a
particular blank, but it is probably impossible to entirely eliminate the
possibility of different answers.

Also, it is possible to require a phrase instead of a word in each blank.

However, while this method presents a more realistic situation, it does
become more difficult to mark. While it is probably not realistic for large-
scale testing situations, it is something that is useful for classroom teachers
who want to help their students develop an ability to produce appropriate
grammatical forms in context.

Transformation Items
Another type of grammar item makes use of transformations. In this
type of item, testees are given a sentence and the first few words of
another sentence to change the original sentence without changing the
meaning. For example,

1. Jim hasn't been home in a long time.

It's been a long time

2. I don't need to go to the grocery store this week.

It isn't

3. It is difficult to study when it is so noisy.

Studying

There are variations on these this type of item in which the word which
starts the transformed sentence is underlined, or the testee is given one
word to use in the new sentence. For example,

5
I don't need to go to the grocery store this week. (necessary)

Again, this type of test is difficult to grade because the teacher has to
be aware of the variety of possible answers. Another problem is that it
does not in any way test the testees' knowledge of when each of the
possible transformations would be most appropriate. For example, the
testee might be perfectly able to transform an active sentence to a passive
sentence but not know when to use passive rather than active. However, it
is useful still sometimes a useful test of grammatical knowledge.

Word Changing Items

Another type of item is one in which the testees are given a sentence
and a word which they need to fit into the sentence by changing the form
of the word. For example,

1. I have never to Australia. (be)

2. I will be with you . (moment)

This type of grammar test item tests students' knowledge of different

word forms and how they are used in sentences.

Sentence Combining Exercises

Sentence combining exercises can play a part in testing grammar as
well as its more traditional use as part of composition testing and training.
For example, testees might be instructed to combine the following
sentences using a relative pronoun.

I met a man.
The man went to the same high school I did.

(I met a man who went to the same high school I did.)

Summary

While the testing of grammatical knowledge is limitedit does nJt

necessarily indicate whether the testee can use the grammatical knowledge
in a communicative situation--it is sometimes necessary and useful. When
considering the testing of grammar, the teacher has to make decisions
about such factors as ease of marking, the degree of control, and the
degree of realism.