Synonymic versus Verbatim Scoring of the Cloze Procedure
Michael C. McKenna · The Journal of Reading · 1976
in reading at the University of Missouri, Columbia. ■ Since the introduction of the cloze procedure as a means of measuring readability (Taylor, 1953), uncertainty has persisted over how best to score results. The preferred method has been to accept verbatim responses only, with no allowance for synonymous answers or for stylistic deviations. The principal justification for this policy has been ease in scoring. Permitting synonyms and other sensible responses involves the often difficult distinction between what should be counted and what should not. For most cloze tests, it is highly probable that different scorers will produce different scores. The central issue is whether