[Bestplus] Language Complexity vs. Grammar

[Kevin O'Connor]

Hi All,

	I am wondering about something: testers who have worked with tests that reflect a grammar-structured curriculum often wonder where grammar fits in with the BEST Plus.  Of course, Language Complexity would be the most likely area; it is not all about grammar, but grammar is involved when we look for subordination, etc.

But there was a specific follow-up question that I wanted to double-check.  Suppose a learner gives an answer that is perhaps something like "he buy food in the supermarket  He like to go to supermarket THROUGH his car, FOR he can carry all the food back home".

This answer is:

1)- made up of several sentences
2)- uses a prepositional phrase 
3)- Attempts to use a subordinate clause ("For" instead of "because").

However, the phrase is badly worded- clearly it is an attempt to answer using a preposition and a dependent clause (elements of a 3), but it is not a "Well-formed sentence" (which scores a 2); 

Should this be given a 1 or a 2?  Do we weight the ATTEMPTED but flawed complexity of the sentences or do we look mostly at what is grammatically sound in the answer?

I thought that it should be a 1, because they are not "Well-formed sentences" but I promised to ask the List.

Any thoughts?

Kevin O'Connor
Assessment Specialist
Framingham Adult ESL
508-626-4282