ACCESS ACCESS Grammar and Language Structure 2

Question 1

In ACCESS reading and writing tasks, what does 'cohesion' in a written response refer to?

Accepted Answer

The use of linking words and pronouns to connect ideas clearly across sentences

Answer

Correct spelling of academic vocabulary

Answer

Writing only one paragraph per response

Answer

Matching every sentence to a specific grammar rule

Question 2

Why do ACCESS prompts at higher proficiency levels often use the passive voice in directions (e.g., 'the book was written by...')?

Accepted Answer

To expose ELLs to academic register and grammatical structures common in formal English texts

Answer

To confuse lower-level students

Answer

Because passive voice is simpler than active voice

Answer

To test whether students can convert passive to active voice

Question 3

Which type of error is most commonly associated with ELLs at ACCESS Level 2 in their writing?

Accepted Answer

Omission of articles (a, an, the) and incorrect preposition use

Answer

Overuse of subordinate clauses

Answer

Excessive use of formal academic vocabulary

Answer

Writing overly long complex paragraphs

Question 4

On ACCESS writing tasks, what does it mean when a rubric criterion references 'syntactic complexity'?

Accepted Answer

The variety and sophistication of sentence structures used

Answer

The number of words per sentence

Answer

Whether the student writes in cursive or print

Answer

The correct use of punctuation marks

Question 5

What is the function of a 'discourse connector' in English writing, as evaluated on ACCESS?

Accepted Answer

A word or phrase that signals relationships between ideas, such as 'however,' 'therefore,' or 'in contrast'

Answer

A punctuation mark between two sentences

Answer

A vocabulary word with Greek or Latin roots

Answer

A grammatical rule about noun placement

Question 6

When ACCESS writing prompts ask students to 'compare and contrast,' which grammatical structures are most useful for ELLs to demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

Comparative adjectives, conjunctions like 'while/whereas,' and parallel structure

Answer

Imperative sentences and commands

Answer

Only simple present tense statements

Answer

Interrogative sentences and rhetorical questions