A curious misunderstanding which is sometimes encountered comes from assuming that the sentence must be constructed entirely of the three words given. If it appears that the subject is stumbling over this difficulty, we explain: “The three words must be put with some other words so that all of them together will make a sentence.”

Nothing is said about hurrying, but if a sentence is not given within one minute the rule is to count that part of the test a failure and to proceed to the next trio of words.

Give only one trial for each part of the test.

Do not specially caution the child to avoid giving more than one sentence, as this is implied in the formula used and should be understood.

Scoring. The test is passed if two of the three sentences are satisfactory. In order to be satisfactory a sentence must fulfill the following requirements: (1) It must either be a simple sentence, or, if compound, must not contain more than two distinct ideas; and (2) it must not express an absurdity.

Slight changes in one or more of the key words are disregarded, as river for rivers, etc.

The scoring is difficult enough to justify rather extensive illustration.

(a) Boy, ball, river

Satisfactory. An analysis of 128 satisfactory responses gave the following classification:—

  1. Simple sentence containing a simple subject and a simple predicate; as: “The boy threw his ball into the river.” “The boy lost his ball in the river.” “The boy’s ball fell into the river.” “The boy swam into the river after his ball,” etc. This group contains 76 per cent of the correct responses.
  2. A sentence with a simple subject and a compound predicate; as: “A boy went to the river and took his ball with him.” About 8 per cent of all were of this type.
  3. A complex sentence containing a relative clause (2 per cent only); as: “The boy ran after his ball which was rolling toward the river.”
  4. A compound sentence containing two independent clauses (about 14 per cent); as: “The boy had a ball and he lost it in the river.”

Unsatisfactory. The failures fall into four chief groups:—

  1. Sentences with three clauses (or else three separate sentences).
  2. Sentences containing an absurdity.
  3. Sentences which omit one of the key words.
  4. Silence, due ordinarily to inability to comprehend the task.

Group 1 includes 78 per cent of the failures; group 2, about 12 per cent; and group 3 and 4 about 5 per cent each. Samples of group 1 are: “There was a boy, and he bought a ball, and it fell into the river.” “I saw a boy, and he had a ball, and he was playing by the river.” Illustration of an absurd sentence, “The boy was swimming in the river and he was playing ball.”

(b) Work, money, men

Satisfactory:—

  1. Sentence with a simple subject and simple predicate (including 75 per cent of 116 satisfactory responses); as: “Men work for their money.” “Men get money for their work,” etc.
  2. A complex sentence with a relative clause (12 per cent of correct answers); as: “Men who work earn much money.” “It is easy for men to earn money if they are willing to work,” etc.
  3. A compound sentence with two independent, coördinate clauses (13 per cent); as: “Men work and they earn money.” “Some men have money and they do not work.”

Unsatisfactory:—

  1. Three clauses; as: “I know a man and he has money, and he works at the store.”
  2. Sentences which are absurd or meaningless; as: “Men work with their money.”
  3. Omission of one of the words.
  4. Inability to respond.

(c) Desert, rivers, lakes

Satisfactory:—

  1. Sentences with a simple subject and a simple predicate (including 84 per cent of 126 correct answers); as: “There are no rivers or lakes in the desert.” “The desert has one river and one lake,” etc.
  2. A complex sentence with a relative clause (only 2 per cent); as: “In the desert there was a river which flowed into a lake.”
  3. A compound sentence with two independent, coördinate clauses (11 per cent); as: “We went to the desert, and it had no rivers or lakes.”
  4. A compound, complex sentence (3 per cent of all); as: “There was a desert, and near by there was a river that emptied into a lake.”

Unsatisfactory:—

  1. Sentences with three clauses (40 per cent of all failures); as: “A desert is dry, rivers are long, lakes are rough.”
  2. Sentences containing an absurdity (12 per cent of the failures): as: “a desert is dry, rivers are long, lakes are filled with swimming boys.” “The lake went through the desert and the river.” “There was a desert and rivers and lakes in the forest.” “The desert is full of rivers and lakes.”
  3. Omission of one of the words (40 per cent of the failures).
  4. Inability to respond (8 per cent).

  1. Simple sentence containing a simple subject and a simple predicate; as: “The boy threw his ball into the river.” “The boy lost his ball in the river.” “The boy’s ball fell into the river.” “The boy swam into the river after his ball,” etc. This group contains 76 per cent of the correct responses.
  2. A sentence with a simple subject and a compound predicate; as: “A boy went to the river and took his ball with him.” About 8 per cent of all were of this type.
  3. A complex sentence containing a relative clause (2 per cent only); as: “The boy ran after his ball which was rolling toward the river.”
  4. A compound sentence containing two independent clauses (about 14 per cent); as: “The boy had a ball and he lost it in the river.”
  1. Sentences with three clauses (or else three separate sentences).
  2. Sentences containing an absurdity.
  3. Sentences which omit one of the key words.
  4. Silence, due ordinarily to inability to comprehend the task.