Holistic Writing Scale - TOEFL Writing Test

SEMINAR 5. Testing writing

Types of writing tests. Writing tests can be divided into three groups according to the stage of writing. Match each type (1-14) with the group.

Types of tests:

1. Testing microskills (spelling, punctuation, capitalization).

2. Sentence expansion (adding adjectives, adverbs, phrases and clauses)

3. Writing notes.

4. Dictation (different kinds)

5. Writing summaries

6. Coping (Making sentences with the help of the substitution table)

7. Building a paragraph from its outline (topical sentence)

8. Sentence combining (Indicate cause, result, addition. Use but, therefore, and etc.)

9. Writing advertisements

10. Gap filling

11. Writing letters (different kinds)

12. Writing after some cues (pictures, notes, diagrams, texts)

13. Sentence reduction (cue words used)

14. Writing essays

	Groups (stages of writing)	Types of tests
A.	PRE-WRITING
B.	GUIDED WRITING
C.	FREE WRITING

2. Test formats for testing writing. Fill in the table.

TEST FORMAT	PROS	CONS
Dictation
Guided writing Using pictures, notes, diagrams as some input of information
Summary Read the text and summarise it in 20 lines.
Note taking Read (listen to) the text and write notes
Follow up writing Read the letter and write a reply or Read the beginning of the story and write its possible continuation.
Essay questions Write about a day when everything went wrong

3. Analysing writing test tasks. Use the following guidelines:

· Test type/ test group

· Level of testees, their characteristics

· Communicative value of the test

· Quality of the rubric

· Test layout

· Other comments

Test 1. Question 1 (20 marks)

Today Greven is a small European town with about 3000 inhabitants. The maps show three stages in its development.

1.1 Describe Greven in the Middle Ages.

1.2 Outline the development of Greven since the Middle Ages.

Do not use the same information in 1.1 and 1.2. Write about a page to a page and a half all together. Write your answer on pages 2 and 3 of your answer book.

Test 2.

You are advised to spend 10 minutes on this section.

Begin your answer to the question on a fresh sheet of paper.

1. You work as a secretary in a printing firm. While your manager was away, you received two telephone calls which you recorded in note form as shown below.

Write the telephone conversation between you and your manager, Encik Hasmuri, in which you relay the two messages above.

Test 3.

Richard wrote to the manager of the travel agency that arranged his holiday, but his letter was very inexact. Read his letter and the travel agency manager’s notes, and write the letter Richard should have written.

Test 4.

Test 5.

MAIDAN

capital city

important industrial and commercial centre for S.E. Asia

population: 0,5 million

Formerly a small fishing port and centre for pearl diving

Since 1960 - rapid expansion of industrial zone in N. Maidan

new housing built for workers in residential area in S.Maidan

large modern port with increased trade

major exports: timber, electrical goods

major imports: oil, steel chemicals

market gardens in W.Maidan supply growing demand for fresh fruit and vegetables

old centre of city – unchanged for 200 years

picturesque old buildings - a major tourist attraction

narrow, winding streets

major roads in and cut of Maidan pass through old city

constant traffic jams

CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT

In assessing this writing, I will be asking myself the following questions:

1) Have you done the writing task I asked you to do?

2) Have you written a substantial, relevant and adequately developed report?

3) Have you made the reader's task easy by organising and sequencing the ideas well?

4) Have you provided signposts to enable the reader to follow the organization and argument easily?

5) Have you linked the ideas together?

6) Have you chosen vocabulary that makes your meaning clear?

7) Is the text grammatically accurate?

8) Are there spelling and punctuation problems?

9) Isyour handwriting easy to read and is the report tidy?

10) Have you used diagrams and maps appropriately?

TEST OF EXPOSITORY AND ACADEMIC WRITING SKILLS

The Republic of Manan is a small Asian country in the Indian Ocean with a rapidly expanding industrial economy. Maidan, the capital, has also expanded very quickly and is now a very busy industrial and commercial city with heavy traffic congestion in the centre.

YOUR WRITING TASK

The following three proposals have been put forward as possible solutions to Maidan’s traffic problem.

1. The construction of a north-south motorway and flyover to link the industrial zone with the new housing.

2. The construction of a ring road to link the industrial zone with the new housing.

3. The provision of a cheap ferry boat service for workers from the south to the industrial zone in the north.

As one of Maidan’s urban planners, you have been instructed to write a report for the City council. In this report you must explain the nature of the problem, consider the advantages and disadvantages of weach proposal and finally recommend the solution that you think will best deal with Maidan’s traffic problem.

Use any relevant information from the factsheet and the map of Maidan and its surrounding in your report.

The first 45 minutes of the test has been set as brainstorming time, during which you can discuss the writing task and the urban planning problem with your fellow students before you begin to write your report.

You may use dictionaries and grammar references during the writing test.

PLEASE DOUBLE SPACE YOUR TEXT.

DON’T FORGET TO GIVE YOUR REPORT A TITLE.

WRITE YOUR FINAL DRAFT IN PEN.

5. Evaluating mark schemes.Match descriptors (A –F) with corresponding bands (from 0 to 5) which go up to make a general impression mark scheme.

A Some attempt at task but lack of expansion and/or notable omissions/irrelevancies. Noticeable lifting of language from the input, often inappropriately. Errors sometimes obscure communication and/or language is too elementary for this level. Content not clearly organised. Would have a negative effect on target reader.

B Sufficientlynatural, errors only when more complex language attempted. Some evidence of range of vocabulary and structure. Good realisation of task, only minor omissions. Attention paid to organisation and cohesion; register usually appropriate.

Positive effect on target readerachieved.

C(a) Fewer than 50 words per question.

or (b) Totally illegible work.

or (c) Total irrelevance ( often a previously prepared answer to a different question).

D Either (a) task reasonably achieved, accuracy of language satisfactory and adequate range of vocabulary and range of structures or (b) an ambitious attempt at the task, causing a number of non-impeding errors, but a good range of vocabulary and structure demonstrated. There may be minor omissions, but content clearly organised. Would achieve the required effect on target reader.

E Minimal errors: resourceful, controlled and natural use of language, showing good range of vocabulary and structure. Task fully completed, with good use of cohesive devices, consistently appropriate register. No relevant omissions.

N.B. Not necessarily a flawless performance.

Very positive effect on target reader.

F Serious lack of control and/or frequent basic errors. Narrow range of language. Inadequate attempt at task. Very negative effect on target reader.

Band	Band 0	Band 1	Band 2	Band 3	Band 4	Band 5
Descriptor

Holistic Writing Scale - TOEFL Writing Test

6 An essay at this level

.effectively addresses the writing task
.is well-organised and well-developed
.uses clearly appropriate details to support a thesis or illustrate ideas
.displays consistent facility in use of language
demonstrates syntactic variety and appropriate word choice though it may have occasional errors

5 An essay at this level

may address some parts of the task more effectively than others
is generally well organised and developed
uses details to support a thesis or illustrate an idea
displays facility in the use of language
demonstrates some syntactic variety and appropriate word choice, though it will probably have occasional errors

4 An essay at this level

addresses the writing topic adequately but may slight parts of the task
is adequately organised and developed
uses some details to support a thesis or illustrate an idea
demonstrates adequate but possible inconsistent facility with syntax and usage
may contain some errors that occasionally obscure meaning

3 An essay at this level may reveal one or more of the following weaknesses:

· inadequate organization or development

· inappropriate or insufficient details to support or illustrate generalizations

· a noticeably inappropriate choice of word or words forms

· an accumulation of errors in sentence structure and/or usage

2 An essay at this level is seriously flawed by oneor more of the following weaknesses:

serious disorganization or underdevelopment
little or no detail or irrelevant specifics
serious and frequent errors in sentence structure or usage
serious problems with focus

1 An essay at this level may

be incoherent
be undeveloped
contain severe and persistent writing errors

0 A paper is rated 0 if it

· contains no response, merely copies the topic, is off-topic,

· is written in a foreign language,

· consists of only keystroke characters.

6. Assessing samples of writing. Read the tasks below and samples of students’ writing. Assess them according to any of the above given scales.

Instruction. Choose one of the following writing tasks. Your answer should follow exactly the instructions given. Write approximately 250 words.

You have seen the following announcement of a competition on your college noticeboard and have decided to enter. Write your competition entry.

TRAVEL TO AUSTRALIA FOR FREE! We are offering students the chance to win a free place at our school. Any students interested in taking up this opportunity should write, in English, to our school, stating what particularly appeals to them about Australia and how they think they will benefit from their studies there. We will choose the best entry and offer the winner six week’s free English study plus accommodation and return air fare. Prestige School of English, P O Box 942, Perth, Western Australia

This is an extract from a letter which you receive from the World Opinion Organisation. Write your report.

We are carrying out an international survey on families around the world and the importance of family relationships. Please write us a report for our survey outlining the typical family situation in your country and suggestions how you think the situation might change in the future.

You have been asked to write an information leaflet for visitors to your company. You should give a brief history of the company, describe its main activities and plans for the future and mention any other points that you think are important.

Write the text for theleaflet.

Samples of student writing

Competition entry

AUSTRALIA, A DIFFERENT WAY OF LIFE

First of all Australia seems to be one of the ideal place to live on earth.

This country offers a huge varieties of wild and weird animals such as the Kangourou and the koala.

Who has never dreamt to study in a country with a warm and welcoming climate.

Farthermore the Australia has been choose to be the next Olympic country. It shows, beyond the shadow of a doubt that Australia is a fair country.

But, above all, what can lead to believe that studying in such a country is benefit is the kindness and the good spirit state of the people.

All this point make me want to study in Australia.

Report

THE FAMILY IN FRANCE

Nowadays, in France, the average number of children is two per family, whereas elderly people used to have five or six sisters and brothers or even more when they were young, at least in my region: Brittany, where children were useful in farms as they were growing up.

More and more people divorce, and afterwards remain single, live with someone, or get married another time. If they have children, these live generally with their mother but it occurs more and more that they live with their father. That is probably due to this trend that there are less and less weddings. Young people prefer living with a mate without marrying him or her, or if they marry, they do it later than their parents who used to do it around the age of 20. That is why they usually have their first child later than their parents.

Grand-parents are still important in French families, but when they get older, they do not usually come and live in their children’s place as before. They are healthy enough to live alone or they go to residences for old people. Children sometimes live in towns further from their parents’ place than before, but their place is still the one where we like to stay at the week-ends or the holidays.

Unfortunately, I think that this trend of living further from their parents than before will get worse in the years to come, because of the unemployment rate. Indeed even if young people tend to live longer in their parents’ house, they have to search a job not only in their town but sometimes in the whole country, and when they find one, they leave, even abroad sometimes, because it is so hard to get something!

I think that the average number of children will remain the same or will decrease, as people have their children older and perhaps do not want to give birth to future unemployed people.

Finally, I think that the number of divorces, and people who live together but unmarried, will increase.

AN INFORMATION LEAFLET:

PICKY

A warm welcome to Picky, the world’s biggest producer of tooth-picks.

The company was founded in 1637 by a man called David Picky. David Picky was a sailor and on one of his many travels he saw that the natives were picking their teethe with some old bone. Picky got an idea and started to work on it as soon as he reached Dover. He started his own factory and now we are the largest exporter of tooth-picks.

Our main export is the ordinary toothpick made from wood. We produce about 117 milion picks per day and we make about one million picks from one tree. Than we also have the most luxorious of the picks and that’s the one we named ‘The Queen’, which is made from solid gold. Since gold is a soft metal, we have to spray it with a special mixture that makes it hard and resistant. The mixture is of course secret and it is only our window cleaner who knows the ingredients.

Here at Picky we also have the biggest mould, nowhere at present is there a bigger one. In the mould we can make up to 1000 picks at a time, by squeezing bits and pieces of wood. The process is very delecat, so our workers needs to wear silk gloves. When the tooth-picks are packed in to boxes the workers must make sure that all the tooth-picks in the same box have the same colour. It would have a davestating effect to our reputation if one of our boxes contained a slightly darker or lighter coloured pick than the others in the box.

We hope you have enjoyed your visit at Picky and do not forget to pick up your own sample from the reception.

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