Where have you been, my little cat?

SEMINAR 2.

Testing grammar and vocabulary

1. Evaluating different formats. There are examples of some item formats suggested in language testing handbooks. What are the advantages/limitations of these item formats?

Points to consider:

· whether recognition or production is required;

· difficulty of construction;

· difficulty and reliability of marking;

· any other comments.

1. Sentence completion

1.1 I hope you don’t mind if I smoke. (free response)

1.2 Insert ‘a’ or ‘the’

Adinosaur is extinct. (choice from options)

1.3 He (sing)sang at yesterday’s concert. (supplying correct form of the specified verb)

2. Sentence combination

2.1 Ann did her homework. Then she went swimming.

After doing her homework Ann went swimming. (conjunction is given)

2.2 That lemon meringue pie is hard to resist. I’m on a strict diet. (no conjunction is given)Although hhat lemon meringue pie is hard to resist I’m on a strict diet.

3. Addition

YET Haven’t you seen this film?Haven’t you seen this film yet?

4. Ordering

4.1 at / poor / look / that / woman / oldLook at that poor old woman.

4.2 I had seen immediately reminded me Albert’s face

A B C

in a zoo of a silly monkey

D E

Correct order: C, B, E, A, D.

5. Rewriting

Rewrite in reported speech:

“I think you’re wonderful,” she said.She said that I was wonderful.

6. Correction

Correct the grammar Is that the man which lives next door to you?Is that the man who lives next door to you?

7. Transformation

I don’t think it’s necessary for you to stay any longer.

I don’t think you need to stay any longer.

8. Gap-filling (selected deletions)

In the United States , 30 million people have successfully kicked the habit of1964, and only one of three Americans now smoke.

2. Evaluating different test tasks. Do and analyse the tests given below along the following guidelines:

· what aspect it checks;

· whether it checks recognition or production;

· whether it is possible to check it against the key (objective scoring);

· what level of test takers it is for;

· any other comments.

A. Study the table below.

Unskilled Wages in Shillings per Month: 1903-1912

	TANGA	LUSHOTO	DAR ES SALAAM
1903	12/65	18/-	14/65
1906	13/10	16/-	14/65
1907	14/65	20/-	14/65
1912	18/-	16/-	14/75

Instruction. For each space in the passage below choose the item which best explains the information in the table. You may use an item from the list as many times as you want, and you do not have to use all the items. Do not add any unnecessary words.

From 1903 to 1912 unskilled wages 1)rosesteadily in Tanga, 2)whereas in Lushoto there was considerable fluctuation. Workers in Lushoto earned more than in other districts until 1912, when their wages 3)dropped from 20 to 16 shillings a month; however their wages 4)were still 5)higher than in Dar es Salaam. In 1912 workers in Tanga 6)were the 7)most paid, although in previous years their earnings had been 8)lowerthan in other regions. By 1912, wages in Dar es Salaam 9)rose by only 10 cents, and in this year workers 10)were paid only 14/75; 11)consequentlythey were the 12) lowest paid.

LIST of WORDS

was because most lower

were consequently high lowest

rose however higher low

dropped than highest increased

paid whereas when had increased

had paid

B. INITIAL GRAMMAR TEST

1. “Let’s go for a coffee some time.”

“Good idea! What ….. after the lecture?”

a. shall you do

b. b. you doing

c. you do

D. are you doing

2. “We ….. to his lecture yesterday”.

A. went

b. have gone

c. are gone

d. go

3. “It’s highly inflammable, so you …. Better be careful”.

A. had

b. would

c. should

d. must

4. “… you need some help with the experiment, just tell me”.

a. Will

b. Do

c. Would

D. Should

5. We wrote down the results which were …… during the practical.

A. observed

b. happened

c. occurred

d. arrived

6. The lecturer informed …….

a. his decision to us.

B. us of his decision.

c. his decision for us.

d. us his decision.

7. “I am used ……. late at night”.

a. work

b. that I work

C. to working

d. I work

C. Make all changes and additions necessary to produce from the following sets of words and phrases sentences which together make a complete letter. Note carefully from the example what kind of alterations need to be made. Write each sentence in the space provided.

Example.I/wonder/why you/not/reply/last letter.

Answer. I was wondering why you had not replied to my last letter.

Dear Sir.

I/very surprised/letter/I receive/you this morning.

a)I was very surprised with the letter I had received from you this morning.

In it/say/I not pay/book/send/one month ago.

B In it it was said that I hadn’t payed for the book send one month ago.

You say/I/send/money immediately.

c) You said I had sent the money immediately.

In fact/I return/book/you/same day/receive.

d)In fact I didn’t return the book the same day I had received it.

I not return/ because/not want.

e)I didn’t return it because I didn’t want to.

But because/book/poor condition/several torn pages.

f) But because the book was in poor condition and had several torn pages.

I send/letter/that time/ask you/send/perfect copy/same book.

g) I sent you the letter that time to ask you to send me a perfect copy of the same book.

I hope/you do that and/not have/write/you again/this matter.

h) I hope you will do that and I won’t have to write you again on this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Samuel Johnson

D. Read the rhyme below.

1. Where are you going my little cats?