Match the item to the purpose
| Purpose | Best item types |
|---|---|
| Check a grammar form | Gap-fill with verb in brackets, MCQ in context, transformation |
| Check meaning or use | MCQ with context, choose the best response, T/F about meaning |
| Check vocabulary | Gap-fill in a sentence, matching to definitions, odd one out, collocation MCQ |
| Check reading/listening | MCQ or T/F on a text; short-answer |
| Quick review (exit ticket, warmer) | 3-5 items mixed |
Multiple-choice items
- Test one point; the stem gives enough context that only one option is correct.
- 3-4 options; 3 well-made options work as well as 4.
- Distractors come from real learner errors (goed, I am agree, more better) or plausible confusions.
- Options are grammatically consistent with the stem and similar in length and style.
- No "all of the above" / "none of the above"; no options that overlap.
- Put repeated words in the stem, not in every option.
- Avoid negative stems; if needed, write NOT in capitals.
- Vary the position of the key (shuffled by
quiz_build.py). - Check for "two right answers" in some varieties of English (have got / have; at the weekend / on the weekend) and say which variety the quiz uses.
| Flawed | Problem | Better |
|---|---|---|
| I ___ to Paris. A) went B) have been C) go D) was going | Several answers correct without context | I ___ to Paris last summer. A) go B) went C) have gone D) was going |
| She is ___ . A) happy B) happily C) happiness D) the happiest girl in the class who always smiles | Key position fine but D is long and odd | All options single words |
| Which is not a fruit? | Negative, unmarked | Which is NOT a fruit? (or ask "Which is a vegetable?") |
Gap-fill items
- One gap per sentence for grammar; the sentence context must fix the answer (time markers, clues).
- Give the base form in brackets when testing form: She ___ (live) here since 2010.
- List all acceptable answers in the key (has lived / 's lived).
- Avoid gaps where any word fits (I ___ coffee - like, drink, want, hate...).
True/false items
- Statements clearly true or false; no "sometimes"; avoid absolutes like "always/never" as cues.
- About half true and half false.
- For reading, paraphrase the text instead of copying it.
Quiz composition
| Element | Guide |
|---|---|
| Length | 8-15 items for a class quiz; 3-5 for an exit ticket |
| Balance | Spread items across the points taught; quiz_build.py samples topics evenly |
| Order | Easy to hard, or by section (grammar, vocabulary, reading) |
| Instructions | One per section, with an example |
| Answer key | Answers with short explanations that teach |
| Versions | Different seeds for parallel versions (--seed) |
After the quiz
- Look at items most of the class got wrong: was it the teaching or the item?
- Re-teach the point; reuse a different item on it later.
- Keep a bank and tag items by topic and level so quizzes can be rebuilt quickly.
academic-english-eap-course-planner
Plan English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses: pre-sessional, in-sessional, foundation, IELTS preparation and discipline-specific EAP, with syllabus strands (academic reading, lecture listening and note-taking, essay and report writing, paraphrase, summary and synthesis, referencing and plagiarism, seminars and presentations, academic vocabulary, critical thinking), a 10-week pre-sessional outline, exit assessment, IELTS-CEFR alignment and academic style (formality, hedging, cohesion, reporting verbs). Estimates study hours and weeks to close an IELTS gap from overall or per-skill scores (IELTS rounding, minimum per skill, priority skills, feasibility before a deadline), and checks learner texts for contractions, informal words with academic alternatives, unhedged claims, 'you', And/But/So starts, rhetorical questions and missing citations.
actfl-proficiency-curriculum-mapper
Map world language curricula to the ACTFL framework: proficiency levels (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior, Distinguished with sublevels), functions, contexts, text types and accuracy, proficiency vs performance, the three modes of communication (interpretive, interpersonal, presentational), the 5 Cs World-Readiness Standards, backward-designed thematic units with Integrated Performance Assessments, typical programme targets and FSI time estimates. Looks up approximate ACTFL-CEFR-ILR equivalences with what each level can do, and checks a unit map for missing modes, rehearsed skits mislabelled as interpersonal, translation or word lists as interpretive tasks, and units without an integrated performance assessment.
adult-literacy-esl-lesson-builder
Build lessons for adult ESL learners who are developing literacy (LESLLA learners: pre-literate, non-literate, semi-literate, literate in a non-Roman script): learner profiles and sensitive initial assessment, principles (oral language first, known to new, systematic phonics with adult-relevant text, repetition, classroom skills, respect for experience), a lesson routine (oral warm-up, review, new grapheme, blending, segmenting, decodable text, writing, functional literacy, Language Experience Approach), a phonics sequence for adults, sight words, functional literacy targets (forms, signs, medicine labels) and portfolio assessment. Checks whether a reading text is decodable with the letter-sound patterns and sight words taught so far, catching untaught digraphs, listing non-decodable words with the untaught part, and suggesting the most useful next patterns.
authentic-material-lesson-adapter
Turn authentic material (news articles, podcasts, videos, songs, menus, timetables, adverts, social media posts, forms, infographics) into language lessons by grading the task rather than the text. Selects texts for interest, relevance, exploitability, coverage, cultural load and rights; finds the 4-6 words to pre-teach, words to gloss on the page and words learners can ignore, plus names and cultural references to explain, with reading time by level; and builds a lesson shape (lead-in, pre-teach, gist or scanning, graded detail task, language focus on chunks and register, response) with task ideas per material type and level from A1 to C1. Covers copyright, fair dealing and fair use, Creative Commons and attribution.
can-do-statement-writer
Write and review can-do statements for language courses, units, lessons and learner self-assessment, CEFR or NCSSFL-ACTFL style: action (observable verb) + text or situation + level-specific conditions, learner ('I can') and descriptor ('Can') versions, progressions of one activity from A1 to C1, and coverage of reception, production, interaction and mediation. Includes a verb bank by mode and level and condition and text-type banks. Lints statements for teacher-centred phrasing, knowledge instead of use (learn, know, understand the passive), missing context, two skills in one statement, vague quality words, grammar items as outcomes, overlong statements and missing modes in a set.
cefr-aligned-syllabus-builder
Build language course syllabuses aligned to the CEFR (A1-C2, plus levels, Companion Volume 2020): entry and exit levels, guided learning hours and course length (with an L1-distance adjustment), syllabus type (topic, functional-notional, task-based, skills-based, multi-strand), unit-by-unit can-do outcomes, grammar from a core inventory by level, vocabulary, functions, pronunciation, balance of reception, production, interaction and mediation, recycling and assessment points. Checks a syllabus for units without can-do statements, core grammar for the level not covered, items above the course level, skills missing from most units and units with no vocabulary or functions.