To test different writing tasks. (each stage requires different types of evaluation)

To test different applications of writing. (e.g. reports, note taking, personal needs,…etc)

To test many different factors that can be evaluated. (e.g. mechanism, vocabulary, grammar, content ,style, organizations, …etc)

1) Sentence combininge.g.“He likes ice cream but he won’t eat any.Combine sentences using connective.

e.g. Some people come late. They will not get good seats. (that)

It should be done this way because combining sentences requires internal changes in the grammar.

2) Sentence expansionStudents should add words, such as

adjectives or adverbs.e.g.The ( ) man hurried ( ) to the ( ) horse.

3) Sentence reductionProvide a cue to the students.e.g.He told us about a man who had a

wooden leg. (with)

4)CopyingIt makes students aware of the extended

context and mechanism.(check page 104)

5) Oral clozeCombine dictation with selected cloze using

high frequency deletion. - Difficult content words and grammar are

not covered, yet can beginning.(Check page 105)

Easy to construct

Suitable for students with limited ability

in English.

Almost objective tests.

It does not measure the actual writing skill.

Not easy to be corrected.

This kind of tests measure the students abilities to handle controlled or direct writing tasks.

This can be done by asking the students to ;a) change a text.b) OutlineC) dictation

This will include mechanism (i.e. spelling, punctuation, and capitalization) , unity, and organization.

Spelling:It can be tested orally, or through multiple-

choice arrangement.e.g. In each of the following groups of four

words, one word is spelled incorrectly. Find this word and underline it.

a. Believe b. all right c. because d. marige

Punctuation and spellingIt can be tested through unpunctuated

sentences or through multiple choice sentences.

e.g.Q. Re-write the following sentences with

the appropriate punctuation.

on december 25 1980 doctor adams died in an automobile accident nevertheless his kind deeds will live on for a long time

e.g.2

Q.2. the following sentences contain errors in mechanics, but no spelling errors. Find the part of the sentence where the mistake occurs, then circle the letter of that part.

We sent for / a repairman to take/ a look at A B Cthe / telephone. In the office where I work.

D*

UnityA teacher should use a good unified

paragraph, then add a sentence that is unrelated. Students will have to find sentence(s) that don’t fit. (check example on page.107)

OrganizationThe teacher should use a well-organized

paragraph with clear transition words. Then, s/he can scramble the sentences and the students have to put the sentences back to their original order. (check example on page.108)

This kind of questions is popular

because the students do not have to

supply the subject matter; it is there

already. Moreover,, there are built-in

grammatical structure that help the

students.

Artificial paragrapha) Sentences will change as directed. The

focus here is on the grammatical accuracy of the rewritten work.(Check the example on page.108)

b) Changing passive statements into active.

c) The use of a dialog. The students should change the dialog into a narrative using direct quotations.

d) The students should make a specific grammatical change. For example, change the passage from the present continuous to the past, or from singular to plural.

Provide an outline for controlled content and grammar

e.g.Q. Write a paragraph using the following

outlineI / buy/ new white swimsuit/ I for get/

bring/ I / mad/ Becky/ mother / take/ we/shop/ Monday night/ I find/ pretty blue/ not expensive./ I start/ pay/ wallet/ gone/I / borrow/ money/Becky/mother/i/ certainly/ upset

Write a paragraph beginning with a specific topic sentence. They are asked to consider the following sentences as well.

e.g.Q. Write a paragraph about this topic

sentence “Several things have contributed to my being an educated person”. Make use of the following sentences.

- I have lived in ………………….- I have traveled in …………………- I have read ………………

Provide questions.

e.g.Q.1. Write a paragraph of about seventy-

five words describing a store or business that you know very well. Base your paragraph on answers to the following questions.

- What is it called?- When did it start to do business?- How many employees does it have?- What do employees have to do ?- ….etc etc

Quick and easy to construct.

It require an active rather than passive responses, so it gives the appearance of being an effective measure of writing.

It is a good start for those who can not start writing on their own.

Some types can be time consuming (like the paragraph outline questions).

Sometimes, it is difficult to be scored with real consistency (like the paragraph outline questions).

Cloze test and dictation can be used to test writing as well.

Dictation

Many teachers know this technique but

few handle it properly. It gives good

information about the student’s

language ability if it has been prepared,

presented and scored right.

Preparing a dictation test1) Choose a story or an article that is not

too difficult.

Selection from the reader used in class. The length depends on whether it is used

alone or with other language measurement.

It should be unified and well-organized. Passages with much quoted material

should be avoided unless the teacher is measuring punctuation.

Passages with a lot of names, dates and numbers should be avoided as well.

2) Decide where the pauses should be.

Pausing every seven or eight words is a good idea.

The teacher should mark his/her passage in advance before the test.

Administering the dictation test.

Giving practice dictation during regular

classes is a good idea to prepare the

students in advance.

The teacher should make sure everyone has

lined paper and pens.

The teacher can write on the board some of

the unusual names or expression which may

confuse the students.

Explain the scoring procedure in advance.

The dictation will be read aloud THREE times.

The First Time: no pauses, students must not

write anything, they have to listen carefully.

The Second Time: pauses after seven or eight

words as previously marked, students can

write what they have heard, no repetition,,

make sure the pauses are long enough so

everyone has time to write down what they’ve

heard.

The Third Time: no pauses, at normal speed to

provide opportunity for proofreading, and no

repetition.

Scoring the dictation test For an accurate, fast, reliable scoring,

deduct one point for each error ( omitting words, adding words, inverted word order, grammatical errors, etc).

- First time misspelled words, repeated misspelled words. ???

- Ignore punctuation and spelling for beginners unless the teacher wants to test mechanics.

It measure general proficiency in

English.

It is easy to prepare

It can be scored with good consistency.

It is harder to cheat in a dictation test.

It is difficult to use for diagnostic

purposes.

It is not helpful to measure short term

progress.

It is not easy to correct.

Few teachers give ask their students to write without giving them specific topic. However, this is Not advisable at all. A clear and detailed guidelines for writing should be provided to the students.

WHY?

Different skills can be used to write

different types of essays.

The teachers need to make sure they are

testing what they have taught.

The teachers need to make sure that all

students are performing the same task to

make a fair comparison between them.

Guidelines for writing tasks.

The aim of a test for the upper-intermediate

to advance levels is to evaluate the

effectiveness of the total composition

including, accuracy, organization, socially

appropriate language, appropriate selection

of supporting details…etc.

We need to make sure that the grammatical

forms needed is suitable for the target

students. For example, a topic like “How to

use a pay phone” will require the students to

use imperative.

It is a good idea if we guide the content

of what the students write. This can be

done through the following strategies;

a)Using a picture/ series of pictures

b)Providing charts, tables or diagrams.

c) Providing a situation.

Evaluating the students’ writing

Though there are many factors and

abilities that can be measure in the

writing, limiting these abilities is a good

idea. WHY?

- It leads to more accurate, and

consistent scoring.

- It speeds up the grading process.

- It is a way to avoid discouraging

the students.

There are TWO ways to evaluate a piece of writing; analytical, and holistic.

The analytical method. It attempts to evaluate separately the

various components of a piece of writing. One way to do it is by using “points-off”

method. In this method students will lose points or fractions of grade for errors that occur in their writing. Such errors may include errors in capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar, organization, vocabulary choice.

This can be done in several ways.Some teachers may do it as ; 1-2 errors = one unit off (100-95)3-5 errors = two units off (95-90)

Other teachers may do it as;Mechanics …………………………. 20%Vocabulary choice ………………20%Grammar and usage …………...30%Organization…………………………30%

Total 100%

Sometimes there is a big difference between what the students try to convey and his/her mastery of the language. To encourage the students, some teachers give “split grade”.

e.g.B+ / D

B+ = quality of the contentD = accuracy of the language use.

Limitation of the analytical method. Sometimes it is difficult to weight each

error and each area.

The Holistic Method.

It focuses on communication.

It ignores mechanical errors.

It measure how well this paper

communicate.

There is a need to develop a ‘feeling’ for

grading.

It is one of the best ways to evaluate the

complex communicative act of writing.

It is a sound measurement of the overall

writing ability.

It has a good effect on instruction.

It is difficult to cheat in the free-writing

items.

Grading may lack objectivity and

consistency.

It is time consuming to grade.