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TOEFL Structure 1-60 (Autosaved)
TOEFL Structure 1-60 (Autosaved)
Written Expression
Type of Questions in Section 2
Structure and written expression
1. Sentence Completion
2. Error Recognition
40 Questions = 25 mins
General Strategies
was terrific.
Characteristics of a Clause
there + to be + subject
There are many books about Phyllis Wheatley today.
There was a big storm yesterday.
In these clauses the verb “to be” and the subject must agree on
person.
SKILL 4: BE CAREFUL WITH PRESENT PARTICIPLES
(Adjectives):
Do not confuse them with present progressive:
Indirect/embedded/polite questions:
Where is the bank?
Could you tell me where the bank is?
Does he work here?
Do you know if he works here?
Noun clauses answer the question “What…?” and can be substituted by “it”.
SKILL 9: USE NOUN CLAUSE CONNECTORS CORRECTLY
Adjective clauses, like all other clauses, need to have at least a subject and a verb.
Adjectiveclauses go immediately after the noun they are describing, so they can appear in
the middle or end of the sentence.
Adjective connectors: Who (people), whom (people/object and after
prepositions), which (things), that (people or things, but cannot be
used after prepositions or when the adjective clause is between
commas), where (places), whose (possessive).
Clauses with a ‘be’ form: Omit the connector and the form of
‘be’:
The girl (that is) sitting over there is my sister.
The car (which was) bought by my father is a racing car.
The house (that is) on sale is very old.
We can also change the position of the adjective clause and put it
at the beginning of the sentence.
Cannot be reduced:
Once you arrive, you can start the exam.
Can be reduced:
Once the exercises are answered, they are checked by the
teacher.
Once answered, the exercises are checked by the teacher.
Adverb clauses of cause cannot be reduced:
as, because, inasmuch as, now that, since
Skills 15-19: Subject and verb inverted
Yes/No questions:
With verb “to be” Are you a teacher?
V S
With other verbs: Did you go to the beach?
Aux. S V
Information questions:
With verb “to be” Where are you?
QW V S
With other verbs: What did you do?
QW A S V
2) Subject and Verb inverted after place expressions: When we
have place words or expressions at the beginning of a clause we
have to invert the normal order of subject + verb.
With verb “to be”: Here is the book you lent me.
V S
Around the corner is Sam’s house.
V S
With other verbs:
Nowhere have I seen such beautiful weather.
A S V
.
2) Make verbs agree after expressions of quantity:
all/most/some/half of the.
Singular count noun: All of the book was interesting
Plural count noun All of the books were interesting
Non-count nouns All of the information was
interesting.
3) When we have structures where we have to invert the normal
order of subject + verb we have to be careful to make the verb
agree with the subject. Remember this inversion is applied in
questions, after expressions of place, after negative or almost
negative words, in conditional clauses without “if”, and after
comparisons. After these structures the order is:
With verb “to be”: verb + subject
With other verbs: aux. + subject + verb
Never is she late to class.
Should Mary eat candy, she must brush her teeth.
In the first drawer is the book you are looking for.
How many times have your parents warned you to be careful?
* Source: http://www.evergreen.edu/writingcenter/handouts/grammar/parallel.pdf
Skill 27-29: Form Comparatives
and Superlatives Correctly
After any form of be: am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being the verb can
be in:
Present participle: for progressive tenses:
I am playing. He is playing. I was playing.
We were playing. I have been playing. I had been playing.
After modals or modal like expressions use the base form of the
verb: can, could, shall, should, will, would, must, ought to, be
able to, be supposed to, have to, had better.
You can work with us.
He should study a lot more.
They must finish the project.
I would help you, If I had time.
SKILL 33: KNOW WHEN TO USE THE
PAST WITH THE PRESENT
If you see a sentence with one verb in the past and one
verb in the present, the sentence is probably incorrect
because it doesn´t make any sense:
Present Have + Past Past up to Not with a Sue has lived in L.A. for
perfect Participle now past tense ** 10 years.
Past Had + Past Before Not with a Sue had lived in L.A. for
perfect Participle past up to present 10 years when she
past tense moved to San Diego
**Except when the time expression since is part of the sentence, see skill 35.
SKILL 35: USE THE CORRECT TENSE WITH TIME
EXPRESSIONS
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE PAST PRESENT PERFECT
Adverb clause simple in 1990, ago, last since 1990, for… already,
past tense: when, before, year, yesterday, lately, just, yet, recently, so
until, since, etc. far, many times, ever,
never, still
SKILL 36: USE THE CORRECT TENSE WITH WILL
AND WOULD
NOTE: When would is used to make polite requests, it is used with the present tense:
“I would like to have a cup of coffee please”.
SKILL 37- 38: USE THE CORRECT
FORM OF THE PASSIVE
Active Voice: The subject does the action.
The man bought the books.
Subject Verb Object
It should be:
He has seen many foreign films.
He didn’t have much fun at the movies.
Many nouns in English have irregular plurals; the irregular forms that are the
most problematic are plural forms that do not end in S.
In this example the plural criteria looks singular because it does not end in S.
However, criteria is a plural noun, so the singular verb was used is incorrect.
The verb should be in the plural form were used.
IRREGULAR PLURALS
SUBJECT OBJECT
I Me
You You
He Him
She Her
It It
We Us
They Them
POSSESSIVE POSSESSIVE
ADJECTIVES PRONOUNS
My Mine
Your Yours
His His
Her Hers
Its -
Our Ours
Their Theirs
Must be accompanied by Cannot be accompanied
noun by a noun
Skill 45: CHECK PRONOUN
REFERENCE FOR AGREEMENT
After we check that the subject and object pronouns and the
possessives are used correctly, we should also check each of
these pronouns and possessives for agreement.
PRONOUN AGREEMENT
1. Be sure that every pronoun and possessive agrees with
the noun it refers to.
2. You generally check back in the sentence for agreement
ADVERBS An adverb can appear in many positions. It cannot be used between a verb
and its object.
Here the adjective “important” should come before the noun information,
this is because important describes information.
-LY ADJECTIVES
costly likely daily quarterly northerly
In the first example, cleans is the verb of the sentence. In the second
example, cleaning is a verbal adjective describing woman. In the third
example, cleaned is a verbal adjective describing car.
The cleaning* car… is not correct because a car cannot do the action
of cleaning. (active)
The cleaned* woman… is not correct because a woman cannot receive
SKILL 51: USE –ED AND -ING ADJECTIVES
CORRECTLY
¨A or An (versus) THE¨
A or An:
1. Use it when there are many, and you don´t know which one it
is.
2. Use it when there are many, and you don´t care which one it is.
Tom will bring a book tomorow. (any book)
THE:
1. Use it when it is the only one.
2. Use it when there are many, and you and your listener
know which one it is.
Prepositions
Example
1. Verb + Preposition
depend on lead to
2. Adjective/Participle + Preposition
surprised at famous for
3. Noun + Preposition
example of possibility of
4. Other Combinations with Prepositions
as a result of in addition to
5. Prepositions of Time and Place
on May 16 in Washington
6. Prepositions in Common Expressions
at present in general
VERB + PREPOSITION
account for contribute to insist on plan on
believe in depend on lead to rely on
belong to detach from obtain from result in
confined to fight for overcome by withdraw from
ADJECTIVE/PARTICIPLE + PREPOSITION
accustomed to different from necessary for responsible for
afraid of expert at opossed to successful in
based on free from possible for surprised at
compared to famous for related to typical of
NOUN + PREPOSITION
cause of equivalent of influence on result of
cost of evidence of need for use of
danger of example of possibility of solution to
effect on increase in reason for supply of
OTHER COMBINATIONS WITH PREPOSITIONS
according to in the process of
as a consequence of in view of
as a result of on account of
because of on behalf of
by means of on the basis of
in addition to prior to
in spite of with the exception of
in terms of with the purpose of
PREPOSITIONS IN COMMON EXPRESSIONS
at times by land/sea/air
at present by far
at first/last by chance
at the moment by accident
by day/night
in common on fire
in general on the other hand
in existence on the whole
in the future/past on purpose
in theory on land
PREPOSITIONS OF TIME AND PLACE
Prepositions of Time
at time of day (at 8 a.m.)
noon, night midnight
in parts of the day (in the
morning/evening/afternoon)
month (in July)
season (in the fall)
year (in 1980)
decade (in the 1980s)
century (in the nineteenth century)
on days of the week (on Monday)
dates (on March 20)
for/since duration of time (for three days)
point in time (since March 20)
from . . . to from beginning time . . . to ending (from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m.)
PREPOSITIONS OF TIME AND PLACE
Prepositions of Place
at address (at 200 Main Street)
on street/road/avenue (on Kings Road)
in building (in the drugstore)
city (in Los Angeles)
state (in California)
country (in Japan)
continent (in Africa)
from . . . to from beginning point . . . to ending
point (from Alaska to California)
Skill 56-57: Problems with Prepositions
http://www.epcc.edu/ftp/Homes/tracyvm/dovsmake.html
Skill 59: Distinguish like, alike,
unlike, and dislike
As you see like and alike are adjectives that have similar
meaning.