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

Cohesion refers to how well a text holds together through devices like transition words, pronouns, and repetition that connect sentences and ideas.

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

The passive voice is common in academic texts, and including it in higher-level ACCESS prompts reflects the grammatical demands of academic English that proficient ELLs need to understand.

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

Beginning ELLs at Level 2 frequently omit articles and misuse prepositions because these small grammatical words do not have direct equivalents in many other languages.

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

Syntactic complexity on ACCESS rubrics refers to a student's ability to use varied and sophisticated sentence structures, including compound, complex, and embedded clauses.

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

Discourse connectors are transitional words or phrases that signal logical relationships between ideas, helping readers follow the organization and argument of a text.

(ACCESS) Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners Practice Test

(ACCESS) Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners Practice Test

ACCESS ACCESS Grammar and Language Structure 2