ENGL 220 Test Out

ENGL 220 Test-out Information

The Class

ENGL/LING 220 offers an overview of grammatical structures and functions, looking at how to analyze units of language from morphemes, words, and phrases, up to simple clauses and complex sentences. While it briefly discusses rhetorical grammar and appropriate register, it is not a remedial, English composition, or ESL course. ENGL/LING 220 is a compulsory class in many undergraduate programs in the English Department: English, English Education, Linguistics, and Technical Communication. It is also a prerequisite for several English Department graduate programs: the MA in Teaching English as a Second Language/Applied Linguistics (TESL/AL), the Graduate Certificate in TESL/TEFL (on-campus and online versions), and the PhD in Applied Linguistics and Technology. It is also a pre-req for ENGL/LING 537.

The Test-Out

The option to test out of ENGL/LING 220 is available to graduate students only.

Testing out of ENGL/LING 220 shows that a student’s current knowledge of English grammar surpasses or is equal to the material taught in the course. The test-out lasts an hour and consists of 40 multiple-choice questions requiring the identification of language forms and functions, parts of speech, tenses, and the roles of different phrase, clause, and sentence constituents. No credit is earned for passing the test-out, and it cannot be used to make up for a grade previously received in the class, and can only be taken one time.

Before You Take the Test-Out

We do not provide study guides for the test-out. We recommend one of the following textbooks, which have been used for ENGL/LING 220: Kolln and Funk’s Understanding English Grammar (Longman 2011, 9th Ed), or Altenberg and Vago’s English Grammar: Understanding the Basics (Cambridge, 2010). The terms and analyses for some forms and functions may be slightly different from those in other textbooks, e.g. ‘subject predicatives’ in the Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English (Biber et al. 2002) are called ‘subject complements’ in Kolln and Funk; ‘copular’ verbs are divided into ‘be’ and ‘link’ verbs; ‘-ed’ participles are called ‘-en’ forms; ‘noun complement clauses’ are analyzed as ‘appositive nominals’, and so on. However, if you understand the meanings of these terms, you should be well-prepared for the test-out.

Taking the Test-Out

The test-out can be taken only once. It is offered in March and October at a date arranged between the test-out coordinator and those registered for the exam. The test-out coordinator sends a message to all graduate students in early October/March announcing that semester’s test-out. The test-out is hosted on the Canvas online learning environment and must be taken at the location announced by the test-out coordinator (typically Ross 312 depending on availability). There is no fee for taking the test-out.

After Taking the Test-Out

Test-out scores are visible on completion of the test. The pass mark is 82%. No feedback is available on individual student performance. The English Department Graduate Studies office and student advisors will be notified of the test-out results. Students who do not pass the test must take ENGL/LING 220 to meet the requirement.

To book a test-out place, contact Dr Bethany Gray 355 Ross Hall

Email: begray@iastate.edu