Grammar or use of English is a sub skill in the language learning process and it is of high importance as a basis in the correctness of the production of the language . Reading , writing , listening and speaking are skill that has to be developed in themselves . the distinction that has to be made here is that between tests of skill and subskills or between discrete point and integrative tests . “In discrete point exam , each item tests something very specific such as a preposition or a vocabulary item . Integrative tests are those like dictation that combine various language subskills much the way we do when we communicate in real life. ”
In many language tests , testing is limited to the subskills of grammar and vocabulary . Baxter (1997) explains this tendency saying .we substitute the skill that is difficult to teach with one that is easy to teach. While the rules for skills are not very clear , We do have some very good rules for grammar and vocabulary which makes them easier to teach …so we sometimes believe we are teaching or testing a skill , when really we are practicing or testing grammar or vocabulary .
This idea that by testing grammar we can be satisfied that the student knows the language or that a knowledge of grammar will ensure proficiency in language skills is erroneous . I recommend tests in which there is less attention paid to specific structure points or lexicon than to the total communicative effect of an utterance.
Knowledge of the rules in isolation , recognition of a given phenomenon in the way a language is structured is an excellent way to learn about the language but does not ensure a good performance in its actual use.