The document discusses testing grammar and vocabulary in language assessments. It provides examples of different item types for assessing these areas, including multiple choice, gap filling, and picture-based tasks. Specific techniques are described, such as using context clues rather than direct definitions, and considering frequency and usefulness of lexical items. Both recognition and production abilities can be tested. Guidance is given on issues like avoiding penalizing missing morphological markers and focusing grading on the structure intended to be assessed.

1. Daniel F. Cali O.

2. 1. Grammar
1.1 Why test grammar?
1.2 Specifications
1.3 Sampling
1.4 Items
1.5 Scoring
2. Vocabulary
2.1 Why test vocabulary?
2.2 Specifications
2.3 Items
2.4 Testing production ability

4. Past Present

5. Past Present

6. “[…] gramatical ability, or
rather, the lack of it, sets
limits to what can be
achieved in the way of
skills performance.”
Existing gaps in students'
gramatical repertoires…

7. Achievement
tests
• Straightforward
Placement
tests
• All the structures
Proficiency
tests

8. Specific
structures
Most
important
structures

9. Corpus based examples…

10. Techniques
Gap filling
Paraphrase
Multiple
choice
Completion
Production Production
Production
Recognition

11. • Idea:
One correct answer!
Examples:

12. • 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New
York. My sister lives there and she bought
me a plane ticket for my birthday.
• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!
• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for
me. I ______ (go) with you!
• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious.
We______ (buy) one!
• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy.
I ____ (help) you carry them.
• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit)
my family.
• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it
______ (rain).
• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon
as I arrive home!
• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have
decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.
Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

13. • 1. Next summer, I am going to travel to
New York. My sister lives there and she
bought me a plane ticket for my birthday.
• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!
• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for
me. I ______ (go) with you!
• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious.
We______ (buy) one!
• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy.
I ____ (help) you carry them.
• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit)
my family.
• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it
______ (rain).
• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon
as I arrive home!
• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have
decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.
Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

14. • 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New
York. My sister lives there and she bought
me a plane ticket for my birthday.
• 2. It's getting cold. I will take my coat!
• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for
me. I ______ (go) with you!
• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious.
We______ (buy) one!
• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy.
I ____ (help) you carry them.
• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit)
my family.
• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it
______ (rain).
• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon
as I arrive home!
• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have
decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.
Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

15. • 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New
York. My sister lives there and she bought
me a plane ticket for my birthday.
• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!
• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for
me. I will go with you!
• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious.
We______ (buy) one!
• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy.
I ____ (help) you carry them.
• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit)
my family.
• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it
______ (rain).
• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon
as I arrive home!
• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have
decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.
Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

16. • 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New
York. My sister lives there and she bought
me a plane ticket for my birthday.
• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!
• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for
me. I ______ (go) with you!
• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious. We
will buy one!
• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy.
I ____ (help) you carry them.
• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit)
my family.
• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it
______ (rain).
• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon
as I arrive home!
• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have
decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.
Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

17. • 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New
York. My sister lives there and she bought
me a plane ticket for my birthday.
• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!
• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for
me. I ______ (go) with you!
• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious.
We______ (buy) one!
• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy.
I will help you carry them.
• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit)
my family.
• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it
______ (rain).
• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon
as I arrive home!
• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have
decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.
Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

18. • 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New
York. My sister lives there and she bought
me a plane ticket for my birthday.
• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!
• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for
me. I ______ (go) with you!
• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious.
We______ (buy) one!
• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy.
I ____ (help) you carry them.
• 6. What are you going to do tomorrow? I
am going to visit to my family.
• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it
______ (rain).
• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon
as I arrive home!
• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have
decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.
Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

19. • 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New
York. My sister lives there and she bought
me a plane ticket for my birthday.
• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!
• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for
me. I ______ (go) with you!
• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious.
We______ (buy) one!
• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy.
I ____ (help) you carry them.
• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit)
my family.
• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it is
going to rain.
• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon
as I arrive home!
• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have
decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.
Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

20. • 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New
York. My sister lives there and she bought
me a plane ticket for my birthday.
• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!
• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for
me. I ______ (go) with you!
• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious.
We______ (buy) one!
• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy.
I ____ (help) you carry them.
• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit)
my family.
• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it
______ (rain).
• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I will phone you as soon as I
arrive home!
• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have
decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.
Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

21. • 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New
York. My sister lives there and she bought
me a plane ticket for my birthday.
• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!
• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for
me. I ______ (go) with you!
• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious.
We______ (buy) one!
• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy.
I ____ (help) you carry them.
• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit)
my family.
• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it
______ (rain).
• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon
as I arrive home!
• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have
decided that we are going to buy a new car.
Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

22. • Two answers:
Meaning has to be the same.
Example:
I bought a new house ___________ is old but it is nice.
Which/that

23. • There can be just a gap or there can be a prompt for each gap, as inthe following
example:

24. Example:
Testing passive, past simple form.
• It was too late when I found out that my uncle sold the bicycle.
• It was too late when I found out that the bicycle __________.
“It is helpful to give part of the paraphrase to
restrict the students to the grammatical structure
being tested.”

25. It allows the tester to elicit
specific structures.

26. • Context!
Examples:

27. 1) They ________________ be away.
A) May
B) Can
2) You ________________ be right.
A) Might
B) Can
3) The exam ________________ be
easy.
A) Might
B) Can
4) It ________________ be true about
a sauropod dinosaur living in Lake Telé
in the Congo.
A) Can
B) Can´t
Source:
http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.may3.i.htm

28. 1) They ________________ be away for
the weekend but I'm not sure.
A) May
B) Can
2) You ________________ be right but
I'm going to check anyway.
A) Might
B) Can
3) The exam ________________ be easy.
You never know.
A) Might
B) Can
4) It ________________ be true about a
sauropod dinosaur living in Lake Telé in
the Congo. It's impossible.
A) Can
B) Can´t
Source:
http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.may3.i.htm

29. 1) They ________________ be away for
the weekend but I'm not sure.
A) May
B) Can
2) You ________________ be right but
I'm going to check anyway.
A) Might
B) Can
3) The exam ________________ be easy.
You never know.
A) Might
B) Can
4) It ________________ be true about a
sauropod dinosaur living in Lake Telé in
the Congo. It's impossible.
A) Can
B) Can´t
Source:
http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.may3.i.htm

30. 1) They ________________ be away for
the weekend but I'm not sure.
A) May
B) Can
2) You ________________ be right but
I'm going to check anyway.
A) Might
B) Can
3) The exam ________________ be easy.
You never know.
A) Might
B) Can
4) It ________________ be true about a
sauropod dinosaur living in Lake Telé in
the Congo. It's impossible.
A) Can
B) Can´t
Source:
http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.may3.i.htm

31. 1) They ________________ be away for
the weekend but I'm not sure.
A) May
B) Can
2) You ________________ be right but
I'm going to check anyway.
A) Might
B) Can
3) The exam ________________ be easy.
You never know.
A) Might
B) Can
4) It ________________ be true about a
sauropod dinosaur living in Lake Telé in
the Congo. It's impossible.
A) Can
B) Can´t
Source:
http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.may3.i.htm

32. • A candidate should not be penalised for a missing third person –s
when the item is testing relative pronouns.
• In other words: Grade what you are supposed to grade!
(Feedback!)

34. • Achievement tests: washback effect!
• Placement tests: lexical items as a prerequisite…

35. • Achievement tests: washback effect!
• Placement tests: lexical items as a prerequisite…

37. • Achievement tests:
Add all the new items!
• Placement tests:
Frequency!

38. Frequency Usefulness Sampling

39. • Testing recognition ability:
Multiple choice questions:
Recognize synonyms
Recognize definitions
Recognize appropiate word for context

40. Choose an alternative (a, b, c or d)
• Gleam
a. b. c. d.
gather shine welcone clean

41. • Loathe means:
Dislike intensely
Become seriously ill
Search carefully
Look very angry
• Bill is someone I loathe:
Like very much
Dislike intensely
Respect
Fear

42. • Context, rather than a definition or synonym:
Example:
The strong wind _________ the man's efforts to put up the tent.
a. Disabled
b. Hampered
c. Deranged
d. Regaled

43. • Testing production ability:
Pictures
Definitions
Gap filling

44. • Examples:

45. Write down the name of the picture:
_______________________________________

46. Write down the name of the picture:
_______________________________________

47. CROWDED!

49. IS THIS FOOD…?

50. EMPTY!

51. RELAXED!

52. SOFT!

54. • This may work for a range of lexical items:
• __________ is the second of the year.
• __________ is frozen water.

55. http://www.educaplay.com/es/recursoseducativos/1242724/vocabulary.htm

56. • One or more sentences with a single word missing:
Because of the snow, the football match was _______ until the
following weekend.
Because of the snow, the football match was p - - - - - - - - until the
following weekend.