What is actually being tested by NAPLAN?

In the Year 7, 2008 paper, item 49 asked which sentence had the correct punctuation. The choices were:

• The man, got out of the car before it burst into flames and ran away.
• The man got out of the car before, it burst into flames and ran away.
• The man got out of the car, before it burst into flames, and ran away.
• The man, got out of the car, before it burst into flames, and ran away.

None of these sentences is correct. The first sentence is incorrect because the subject of a sentence cannot be separated from the verb by a comma. The second sentence is incorrect because “before” is a subordinating conjunction that begins its own clause (i.e. before it burst into flames), so the comma after the word “before” is wrong. The last sentence is incorrect because the predicate (i.e. got out of the car) in the independent clause (i.e. the man got out of the car) is corralled with commas, which means that the phrase could be removed from the sentence, leaving the subject without a verb.

It will be argued that the third sentence is correct. This cannot be the case because the reason the man got out of the car is predicated on the adverbial clause of time (i.e. before it burst into flames). Therefore, if the adverbial clause is corralled with commas, it suggests that the clause is not important for the meaning of the sentence. On the contrary, it is! “The man got out of the car” is an independent clause. “Before it burst into flames” is a dependent clause (dependent on the independent clause). “The man (implied) ran away” is an independent clause. The correct answer is “The man got out of the car before it burst into flames, and ran away”. This is a good example of a compound- complex sentence (i.e. an independent clause plus a dependent clause separated with a comma from the second independent clause).

What is the question testing? How would teachers approach it?

In the Year 9, 2009 paper, item 31 tested a non-restrictive clause, as follows:

Q. Where do the two missing commas (,) go? A. The computers_which were donated_ by local businesses_are located_in the library.

This item gives the answer away by advising that the commas are missing and nominating four possible places where they could be inserted. How does this demonstrate the student’s understanding of this point of grammar? How would a teacher teach it?

The sceptic will argue that language is dynamic and that those who strongly encourage correct usage are pedants who place more emphasis on the mechanics than on the message.

Our response to that argument is threefold. First, a mastery of the mechanics of English means the freedom to concentrate on meaning and message. As one teacher ruefully commented to us recently, “Every day we ask the students to produce pieces of written work - narratives, expositions and so on, but we don’t give them the skills to actually do that, and so many of them just give up”.

Second, by virtue of their contract, teachers, like doctors and other professionals, are accountable.

Third, adults who choose to ignore correct usage must be prepared to defend their choices. Those who insist on expressions such as “Between you and I ...”, for example, must explain how this sets an appropriate example to their students.

According to the NAPLAN authorities, “the tests provide valuable diagnostic information about each student, and support the ability to focus teaching on areas of need”. Given that the next round of NAPLAN tests will be conducted in May of this year, we believe it is fair to question whether the tests are intended as learning tools or as measuring instruments only.