TESTING GRAMMAR
Created by :
1 1. Ericha Pramodya
2. Adib Wirawan Aulia
OUT LINE OF THIS TOPIC
Definition of Testing Grammar
The Important of Testing Grammar
The Objective of Testing Grammar
Types of Testing Grammar
Techniques of Testing Grammar
Scoring
Definition of Testing Grammar
“The grammar of a language is the set of rules that govern its structure. Grammar
determines how word are arranged to form meaningful units.”
Coghil.C and Magendanz S. (2003:xvi)
“The rules that show how words are combined, arranged or
changed to show certain kinds of meaning” Swan.M (2005:xix)
“Reference to the mechanism according to which language works when it is used to
communicate with other people, . . . . Grammar is a mechanism for putting words together,
but we have said little about aound of meaning.” Greenbaum and Leech (1982:3)
The important of Testing Grammar
Students : √ Tests can help sudents to create positive attitude toward the class
√ Tests can help students to master the language
Teacher : √ can help teacher to diagnose the students understanding and
evaluate the teaching.
The Objective of Testing Grammar
Grammar tests are designed to measure student proficiency in matters
ranging from inflection (bottle-bottled, bake-baked) in syntax.
Harold. S (1983:35)
Types of Testing Grammar
The type of test has distinguished by the purpose of the test. The
types of test are language aptitude test, proficiency test, placement
test, diagnostic test and achievement test. Brown (2003: 43)
1. Language aptitude is not very common test. This test is designed to
measure capacity or general ability to learn a foreign language.
2. Proficiency is designed to measure people’s ability in language regardless of
any training thay they ever had. The examples of this test are TOEFL and IELTS.
Types of Testing Grammar
3. Placement test is a test in order to place student into a particular level section
of language curriculum school.
4. Diagnostic test is designed to diagnose specified aspect of a language. A test in
pronunciation for example, might diagnose the phonological features of language.
5. Achievement test is related directly to classroom lesson, unit, or even total
curriculum.
Techniques of Testing Grammar
There are four techniques of testing Grammar based on Huges (2003: 174):
Gap filling, paraphrase, completion and multiple choice which the three first are
production while multiple choice just recognition.
1. Gap filling
Ideally, gap filling should have just one correct response.
For example:
To improve their ability in grammar, they … to study more. (have)
Two possible correct responses may be used in this test.
For example :
Cats … life in the wild may have a better immune system. (that, which)
Techniques of Testing Grammar
2. Paraphrase
Paraphrase require the students to write a sentence equivalent in the meaning to one
that is given in order to restrict the grammatical structure being tested.
For example: 1. Testing passive, past continuous form
Teachers asks the students when the bell is ringing
When the bell is ringing, the students………(were asked by the teacher)
Techniques of Testing Grammar
3. Completion
Completion technique can be used test variety structure. The students are asked to complete the sentence.
The steeps of this technique are select the grammar points that need to be tested, provide an appropriate
context and write good instructions.
Three basic types of simple completion:
1.Option form
The simple completion form most easily resembles the multiple-choice form problem with only two options.
Directions: Complete the following sentences with “do” and ”make”.
He…….. a lot of money.
I always………. my best.
2.Inflection form
Inflection forms can be simple comparisons or tenses questions.
He is the ….. (tall) person in this class
She …..(do) the test
3.Free response
This tests form illustrate how the common language terminology can occasionally be used.
Example: Add a question tag in these sentences!
Helmet was indecisive,…..? (wasn’t)
Anne gives illustration in the class, …? (doesn’t she?)
Advantages of Completion
Easer to prepare than multiple choice.
Give the measuring productive skill.
Less incorrect grammatical form.
Provide a sensitive measure of achievement.
Disadvantage of Completion
More time to correct than multiple choice.
Occasionally student can unexpectedly avoid
the structure in test
Techniques of Testing Grammar
4. Multiple choice
In this test consist of incomplete sentence that is followed by four multiple choice to
completing the sentence.
The simple example :
She is …… her breakfast
a. eaten b. eating c. eat d. eats
Teacher have to do many steps before make the test. The steeps are:
choose the grammar points that needed, prepare the right kind of sentence context in
grammar structure, select three logical distractor and prepare clear the simple
instruction.
Advantages of Multiple choice
• Scoring is easy and reliable
• Impossible for student to avoid the grammar point being
evaluated.
• A sensitive of measure of achievement.
Disadvantages of Multiple Choice
Preparing good test is not easy.
Student is easy to cheat.
Student doesn’t appear to reproduce the language.
It can give negative influence if it used exclusively.
Scoring
Gap filling and multiple choice items are easy to score because we don’t
think more about the reward point as different answer. The different
answer automatically be incorrect. Further, to scoring other types of test
we have to attention of item that is to be clear about what each item is
testing, and to reward points for that only. There should be an element
such as subject, verb etc the point has available in the each item.
References
Brown, H.D (2003). Language Assessment Principle and Classroom Practice
Harold S. Madsen (1983). Techniques in testing. New York: Oxford University Press.
Hughes A. (2003). Testing for language teachers ( 2nd ed). Cambridge :Cambridge University Press
Leech, Goefffry. (1982). English Grammar for Today. London. The Macmillan Press.
Coghil, Jeffry. (2003). English Grammar. New York: Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Swan, Micheal (2005). Practical English Usage 3rd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
QUESTIONS….
1. What is the goal of testing grammar
2. Please mention the techniques of testing grammar!
