The development of methods for assessing verb usage in written language at grades eight and twelve
Date
1984
Authors
Russell, John Charles
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Abstract
This study intends to investigate how verb usage affects the quality of written language at Grades 8 and 12. Instrumentation measuring verb frequency, verb maturity, verb form, verb function and verb intensity is developed from existing verb and semantic theory.
The sampling technique used for the study was the collection of fictional narrative writing from Grade 8 and Grade 12 students in the Cowichan and Lake Cowichan School Districts, British Columbia. Teachers labelled individual writing samples as written by either low or high achievers in written expression. Three judges, using an holistic rating scale, determined the communicative quality of individual samples.
The independent variables of grade and ability were related to the dependent variables of verb frequency, verb maturity, verb form (finite), verb form (non-finite), verb form (errors), verb function (dynamic), verb function (stative), verb intensity (basic), and verb intensity (extended). Applied to these variables were a multivariate analysis of variance and a stepwise multiple linear regression.
The MANOVA indicated significant mean differences for verb frequency (grade and ability), non-finite verb forms (grade and ability), verb errors (ability) and extended verb intensity (grade). The regression analysis indicated the following significant predictors of writing quality: verb frequency (Grades 8 and 12), verb maturity (Grade 12), and non-finite verb forms (Grade 12). Verb intensity (basic), verb form (finite), verb function (dynamic) and verb function (stative) yielded no significant results.
This study suggests that there are certain developmental verb usage trends, that verb usage affects the quality of students' written language and that instrumentation, effective in varying degrees, can be developed to measure verb usage.
The study concludes with a verb theory applicable to secondary language instruction. This theory combines the results of the study with existing research. It recommends that the teacher be aware of students' prior knowledge of verbs, that the teacher understand the English verb system itself, that verb learning is an acquisitional process and that a verb-oriented composition course will be of value to students.
The research conducted for this thesis was done in collaboration with Miss Susan Pye. All tables and appendices used herein likewise appear in Miss Pye's study.