Hi Len,
Paul's well-stated message speaks to this type of testing in general. In defense of the CAHSEE, it requires that students write an essay, so it isn't purely a collection of decontextualized sentences. However, the approach to the teaching of grammar inherent in these types of questions, combined with the misinformation that they contain raised my hackles:
Item #1: The Alaskan rivers are clear and sparkling in summer however; they are frozen in winter.
Solution: This is a run-on sentence No it isn't. two sentences run together without punctuation I guess the semi-colon doesn't count as punctuation. between them and needs to be fixed. "However" is a conjunction No it isn't. that needs to be set off by commas Not always. In fact, it won't be set off by commas when corrected. It would be possible to put in a period and a capital H on however. But that is not one of the choices. You dont join two complete thoughts that are equally important Importance relative to each other isn't an issue. Neither is "two complete thoughts." with commas or colons. You can most certainly join "two complete thoughts" with a colon EX: I go to Alaska every year for one reason: I love to fish for salmon.
Item #2:
The frightened pilot's face was ashen as he gingerly lowered the plane onto the Smiths' private __________ that time was running out for his ailing friend.
A. runway: he knew
B. runway, he knew
C. runway. He knew
D. runway but he knew
There are two perfectly acceptable answers here: A and C. I can also construe a very reasonable context that would make D acceptable.
Solutions: Read this one out loud, inserting the missing words. Reading out loud won't help at all. In spoken English, there is no difference between sentence boundaries and clausal boundaries, so students won't "hear" anything wrong with any of the resulting sentences. How many sentences do you have? Do you have one complete thought or two complete thoughts? Here we go with "complete thoughts" again. This is a very squishy concept--I can count several "complete thoughts" here. How do you end a sentence? How do you begin a new sentence? You know this, dont you? Only one of these answers includes a period and a capital letter.
This post is already long enough, so I will end here. Contact me off the listserv if you want to continue this discussion--I could go on and on . . . .
John
([log in to unmask])
-----Original Message-----
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar on behalf of Len Wyatt
Sent: Wed 8/18/2004 3:11 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc:
Subject: Re: CAHSEE
Could you please explain to me further what is wrong with the questions? I think I am missing something. This is the kind of question (with a slight variation in the format) that my students frequently face on the BC Provincial Exams.
Len Wyatt
-----Original Message-----
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Crow, John T
Sent: August 17, 2004 2:12 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: CAHSEE
California has passed a law requiring high school students pass a standardized exam in order to graduate--the CAlifornia High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). Here are two seriously flawed sample questions from the study guide for the so-called Writing Conventions Strand (http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/elaguide.asp). Need I say more??
John
Released CAHSEE question
The Alaskan rivers are clear and sparkling in summer however; they are frozen in winter.
A. in summer, however they are frozen in winter.
B. in summer; however, they are frozen in winter.
C. in summer: however they are frozen in winter.
D. Leave as is.
Solution
This is a run-on sentencetwo sentences run together without punctuation between themand needs to be fixed. "However" is a conjunction that needs to be set off by commas. It would be possible to put in a period and a capital H on however. But that is not one of the choices. You dont join two complete thoughts that are equally important with commas or colons. The preceding sentence joins two complete thoughts that could be separated into two sentences. What punctuation mark joins the two thoughts into one sentence? A semicolon joins them. The correct answer is B. (WC 10.1.1)
Released CAHSEE question
The frightened pilot's face was ashen as he gingerly lowered the plane onto the Smiths' private __________ that time was running out for his ailing friend.
A. runway: he knew
B. runway, he knew
C. runway. He knew
D. runway but he knew
Solution
Read this one out loud, inserting the missing words. How many sentences do you have? Do you have one complete thought or two complete thoughts? How do you end a sentence? How do you begin a new sentence? You know this, dont you? Only one of these answers includes a period and a capital letter. The correct answer is C. (WC 10.1.1)
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