Writing test

There are many kinds of writing test. The reason for this is fairly simple; A wide variety of writing
tasks thet we engage in. for one thing, there are usually distinct stges of instruction in writing, such as
pre writing, guided writing and free writing. Test variety also stems from the various applications of
writing.

Limited response

Techniques for evalueting pre-writing

Growing out of grammar instruction are pre writing activities such as sentence combining,
exoansion or contraction of sentence elements, copying, and oral cloze. These are only a few of the
techniquis that can be employed at this stage. The example that follow illustrate each of these five
procedures.

1. Sentence combining, a common pre-writing task. Takes many form. We will look at just two of
them: combining by adding a connective and combining by putting one sentence inside the
other. When combining sentences by adding a connective, student can demonstrate their
understanding of what various connetives mean. For example: he likes ice cream _ he won’t eat
any
2. Sentence expansion is another kind of pre-writing evaluation. This can involve simply adding
word such asadjectives and adverb. Or it can require adding phrases and clauses. Example: the(
)man hurried ( ) to her ( ) horse. Answer: old-out-frightened
3. Sentence reduction, still another procedure used in evaluating pre-writing proficiency often
provides a cue word ( as in the following examples ) to show how to begin the new phrase: he
told us about a man who had a wooden leg. (with)
( answer: he told us about a man with a wooden leg )
4. Copying ( sometime) can make students more eware of extended discourse and also of
mechanics (especially punctuation and spelling). One type copying task uses an early audio
lingual technique, substitusion table:
Yesterdey, friends
Last week, one of my teachers asked me to help
Recently, brothers
5. Oral cloze combines dictation with selected cloze using high frequency delection. Difficult
content word or grammar not coveed yet can be left intact. Here is part of an oral cloze test. The
student hears the text at the left. He reads the part at the right. At each pause, he fill in the
missing word. Slashes indicate where pauses would come, for the student to write in the missing
words.
For example:
(students hear this) students read this
Have you ever heard of have you ever heard of
Angel falls? it’s the angel fals?_ the
 Highest waterfall in the highest waterfall _ the
World, deep in the world deep in _
Jungles of venezuela jungles _ venezuela
Few people/have ever _ people ever
Seen/ angels falls _ angles falls

Among the limited-response technique is the task of simply changing question to statements, thus
“writing” a paragraph. Several multiple-choice items are introduced to east mechanics ( such as spelling
and capitalization). Eazy dictation passages can be given on material such as dialogs that students are
already familiar with. Picture can also be used to cue the writing of short, easy pharagraphs. For
illustration of these procedures, see the following section on guided and dictation.

Guded writing

One way is to make certain kinds of changes in a story (text manipulation). Testing specialized skills
areas often evaluated in writing classes include mechanics and larger elements such as unity and
organiztion. Mechanics covers such things as spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. An old but still
aceptable way of checking spelling is to dictate problem words orally. Another way to check spelling is to
use multiple choce arragment: the other three are spelled correctly. Find which word is spelled wrongly,
then cycle the letter of that word.

a. Believe b. all right c. because *d. mariage

Changing a passage

One technique begins with an artificial paragraph. When the sentences are changed as directed, we
have a properly written story. Evaluation concentrates on the grammatical accuracy of the rewritten
account. In the example bellow, the student cues are at the left. At the right we she what see the
student writes.

(Artificial text) (student guided-writing test)

Is it twelve o’clock noon ? Is it twelve o’clock noon.

Is elizabeth sitting in a Is elizabeth sitting in a

Comfortable ble seat ? Comfortable ble seat.

Throught the window Throught the window

Beside her does the see Beside her does the see

Blu sky and sometimes Blu sky and sometimes

White clouds far below? White clouds far below…

The student paragraph might read

I bought a new white swimwuit, and then I forgot to bring it. I was really mad. But becky’s mother
took us shopping Monday night, and I found a pretty blue one. It was not very expensive. I started to pay
for it, and my wallet was gone! I borrowed some money from Becky’s mother, but I was certainly upset.

Dictation

Another guided-writing test is dictation. You can get good results from a dictation if you follow the
steps listed below.

Preparing a dictation test

First, choose a story or article that isn’t too difficult for your students. You can pick a selection from the
reader on a slightly lower level. The length of the dictation depend on whether it is used alone or with
other language measures if it’s part of a largest test, you can use a dictation 75 to 100 words long. If it’s
used by itself, you will want a passage about 125 to 200 words long ( these are of course rather general
guidelines). Then, you read it at a normal speed, while the students just listen. The next you read the
passage phrase by phrase, pausing long enough to allow students to write down what they have heard.
The last is that you again read at a normal speed, and students check their work.

Administering the dictation test

To help students do their best, be sure they know how to take a dictation you can help assure that
they do by giving a pract ce dictation during the regular class period. When administaring dictation as a
test, make sure everyone has lined paper and something to write with. Write out on the blackboard any
unusual name or expression from the dictation passage that you thing could possibly confuse your
student. It is also helpful to explain the scoring procedure, if you have not done this earlier. Then tell
them that the dictation will be read aloud three times.

Free writing

Few teachers have students write without giving them a specific topic. We have to provide clear
and rather detailed guidelines for writing-even for advanced student.

Guidelines for writing task

At upper-intermediate to advanced levels the aim in a writing test is generally to evaluate the
effectiveness of the total composition including sentence-level accuracy, large rhetorical matters such as
unity, coherence, and organization, as well as effectiveness in conveying ideas to the intended audience-
including socially appropriate language and appropriate selection of supporting details.

It is also good test practice to guide the content of what students write. Rarely are we interested in
testing creativity ingenuity or logic. Guiding the content frees us to look at essentials. One simple way to
do this is to use picture. A travel poster or an advertisement from a magazine can be useful for
descriptive writing. A series of pictures can provide guidance for a narrative paragraph.

Evaluation student writing

One reason to evaluate only a few factors at one time is that doing so helps us grade ournpapers
more accurately and consistently. Another reason is to speed up our essay grading. A third reason for
limiting the number of factors to be evaluated id to avoid unnecessary discouragement of our student.
This latter point deserves elaboration.

The analysis approach is points are given for acceptable work in each of several areas. Conside the
following criteria:

Mechanics 20%

Vocabulary 20%

Grammar and usage 30%

Organization 30%

Total 100%