#1: Run-on Sentences

Run-on sentences are a common issue, especially when you’re nervous and trying to fit in as
many words as possible. As a result, many TOEFL test-takers have essays and Speaking
responses filled with run-on sentences. Not only are run-on sentences grammatically
incorrect, but they can also make it hard for graders to understand what you’re trying
to say. So, read these tips for avoiding run-on sentences, and during the TOEFL, remember
to pause every now and then during the Speaking and Writing sections to make sure you’re
not incorrectly stringing a bunch of sentences together.

A run-on sentence happens when two or more independent clauses are incorrectly
combined into one sentence. Each sentence should have one subject and one verb unless
multiple clauses have been correctly combined. There are several ways to properly
combine multiple independent clauses:
 Separate the clauses with a semi-colon.
 Separate the clauses with a semi-colon and a linking word such
as therefore, thus, however, consequently, furthermore, also,
and nevertheless.
 Separate the clauses with a comma and a coordinating
conjunction such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.
 You can also use a period to separate the clauses.

Ex. Madeleine went to the store she found a pair of shoes she really liked.
Above is a run-on sentence. Below are correct versions of it.
 Madeleine went to the store; she found a pair of shoes she really
liked.
 Madeleine went to the store; consequently, she found a pair of
shoes she really liked.
 Madeleine went to the store, and she found a pair of shoes she
really liked.
 Madeleine went to the store. She found a pair of shoes she really
liked.
Quiz

Select the grammatically correct sentences from the options below.

1. I asked Chad not to go to the party, but he didn’t listen to me.

2. Erika bought some ice cream it’s her favorite flavor.
3. I went to the baseball game and caught a fly ball.
4. When you stop by Claire’s house be sure to check out her new pool it’s very big.
5. The dog rolled in the mud, and then he decided to take a nap.

#2: Use Present (Not Future) Tense After Time Clauses

Another common mistake many English learners make is using the word “will” when it’s not
needed. This is especially common during Speaking responses, when you don’t have as much
time to think about what you’re going to say compared to Writing.

Do not use “will” to refer to the future in time clauses. Time clauses are typically those
that being with a time expression, such as when, as, as soon as, while, after, until, and before.
Use present tense, not future tense, with time clauses which simply means removing the
“will” from the sentence.

 Ex. As soon as the dishes are done, you can go out and play. (Not “as soon as the
dishes will be done”)
 Ex. After the movie ends, head back to class. (Not “after the movie will end”)
 Ex. While I mow the lawn, my brother will be trimming the trees. (Not “while I will
be mowing the lawn”)

Quiz

Decide if the following sentences are correct or not.

1. I will go to the beach after it stops raining.

2. As soon as I will graduate, I’ll get a job.
3. No matter what I say, my parents will not let me dye my hair.
4. Until your chores will be done, you can’t play video games.
5. You will get your groceries while I will shop for clothes.
Answers: Sentences 1 and 3 are correct.

#3: Defined vs. Undefined Articles

Articles are little words that can cause English learners a lot of problems. “A” is the
indefinite article that is used in front of general or undefined nouns. (If the noun begins
with a vowel, “an” is used.)

“The” is the definite article used for people, places, or things that are “defined” for the
speaker. When you use “the” in front of a noun, you’re referring to a specific object that you
know.

Here are the main times when you should use “the” as an article:
#1: With a specific or defined object.
 Ex. The school’s soccer field was in need of upgrades.
#2: If it’s something that has been mentioned before.
 Ex. The restaurant you recommended was great.
#3: With superlatives.
 Ex. This is the best score you’ve ever gotten on a test.
#4: With ordinal numbers.
 Ex. The café is the second building on the right.
 
Quiz

Insert the correct article in the blanks.

1. I really want to go to ____ movie theater my brother told me about.
2. I need to buy ____ updated lock for the door.
3. Michael made ____ worst cake I’ve ever tasted.
4. ___ duck on the left is diving for food.
5. I see ___ duck in the pond.
 
Answers: 1: the, 2: an, 3: the, 4: the, 5: a
#4: Could, Should, and Would

These three words sound very similar to each other, but they each have their own specific
meaning and aren’t interchangeable.

Could: Used to describe things you were able to do in the past, describe future possibilities,
and make polite requests.
 Ex. Before I got sick, I could run five miles without stopping.
 Ex. If you practice every day, you could win the spelling bee.
 Ex. Could I have some dessert?

Should: Used to give advice.

 Ex. You should rest before exercising again.
 Ex. I would quit my job if I won the lottery.
 Ex. Would you like some dessert?

Would: Used to describe what you’d do in unlikely situations. Also used to offer something
politely.

Quiz

Insert could, should, or would into each blank.

1. My doctor said I ______ eat more vegetables.
2. If I were president, I ______ make college free for everyone.
3. ______ you like the check, sir?
4. Before I got married, I _______ stay out every night if I wanted to.
5. I _____ make dinner if you’d like to take a nap.
 
Answers: 1: should, 2: would, 3: would, 4: could, 5: could

#5: Adjective Order

If you’re describing something with a lot of adjectives, you need to make sure those
adjectives come in the proper order, or it will sound strange to English speakers. For
example, “ten small dogs” sounds correct, while “small ten dogs” will sound odd to anyone
listening to or reading those words.

The order adjectives normally follow is

 #1: Quantity/number
 #2: Quality (such as “good” or “bad”)
  #3: Size
 #4: Shape
  #5: Age
 #6: Color
 #7: Nationality
 #8: Material

Ex. The seven big old black cows walked through the field.
Ex. The tall Canadian woman was waiting outside the shop.

Ex. The best lace dresses are sold here.

Quiz

Put the adjectives in the proper order

1. Cats: young, brown, tiny

2. Socks: old, two, wool
3. Beers: Irish, four, small

Answers: 1: tiny young brown cats, 2: two old wool socks, 3: four small Irish beers

#6: Their, There, and They’re

These three words sound exactly the same, but you’ll use each under very different
circumstances. Master when you should use each word so you can show off your grammar
skills by using them properly on your TOEFL essays.
There: Used to indicate a place that is not here. It can also be used to state something.
 Ex. Put the dessert over there.
 Ex. There are two new movie theaters in town.
Their: A possessive adjective, like his, her, your, or my. It indicates possession.
 Ex. This is their new office.
 Ex. Put it next to their mail.
They’re: A contraction of “they are”
 Ex. They’re going to be 15 minutes late.
 Ex. They’re the people you want to talk to.
 
Quiz
Insert the proper form of there/their/they’re into each blank
1. Do you think _____ going to be on time?
2. The school supplies aisle is over _____.
3. _____ brownies won first place in the baking competition.
4. _____ is the line for the concert.
5. It’s none of my business what _____ house cost.
 

Answers: 1: they’re, 2: there, 3: their, 4: there, 5: their

#7: Me vs. Myself

Many people, both native English speakers and those learning the language, make the
mistake of overusing “myself” because they think it sounds more polite and intelligent. In
many of these cases, you should actually just use “me.”

 Ex. Can you get a taxi for John and me? (NOT “Can you get a
taxi for John and myself?”)
“Me” is an object pronoun, which means it refers to the person the verb’s action is being
done to.
 Ex. He didn’t ask me if I wanted fries with my burger.
 Ex. My teacher wants me to give a speech in class.
“Myself” is a reflexive pronoun, which means you should generally only use it in a
sentence that also includes “I”. Use it only when you’d also use other reflexive pronouns
like “herself” or “himself.”
 Ex. I made the entire dinner by myself.
 Ex. I let myself sleep in this morning.
 
Quiz

Insert “me” or “myself” in the blanks below.

1. Please pass the plate to _____.

2. She gave _____ $20 for cleaning her car.
3. I swore I wouldn’t let ______down.
4. I think I was too hard on ______.
5. Don’t forget to take _____along when you go to the store.
 

Answers: 1: me, 2: me, 3: myself, 4: myself, 5: me

#8: Than vs. Then

Just one little letter makes a big difference between these two words. You’ll likely use both in
your essays and Speaking responses, so be sure to know when they should be used. People
often use “then” when they should be using “than” so watch out for that mistake.

Than: Used to compare things.

 Ex. Melissa got a higher score than Kevin did.
 Ex. I’d rather read a book than go swimming.
·Then: Used to indicate one thing following another thing in time.
 Ex. If you finished step one, then move on to step two.
 Ex. We’re going to read a book then go swimming.
 

Quiz

Insert “than” or “then” into the blanks.

1. She wants to go for a run more ____ I do.

2. I’ll wash the dishes, _____ you can dry them.
3. I think playing defense is harder _____ playing offense.
4. The first balloon flew higher _____ the second one did.
5. Once you’ve finished your homework, _____ you can play.
 

Answers: 1: than, 2: then, 3: than, 4: than, 5: then

#9: Irregular Plural Forms

In English, to make most nouns plural, you simply add an ‘s’ to the end of the
word; however, you likely know that there are dozens of exceptions to this rule. Keeping
track of all these irregular plural forms can be tricky, but they’re important to learn because
including words like “childrens” or “womans” in your essays or Speaking responses will be
glaring mistakes the graders will surely notice.

Below is a chart with some of the most common irregular plural forms you might use in
your TOEFL responses.

Singular Form Plural Form

Child Children
Curriculum Curricula
Fish Fish
Foot Feet
Half Halves
Man Men
Mouse Mice
Syllabus Syllabi
Thesis Theses
Woman Women

Quiz

Enter the correct plural form of the noun in parentheses.

1. How many ________ did your grandparents have? (child)

2. Be sure to keep track of all the ________ you get on the first day of class. (syllabus)
3. Do you think a lot of _______ will be at the party? (woman)
4. My neighbor’s pond has many ______ in it. (fish)
5. My sunflower plant grew two ______ this month. (foot)

Answers: 1: children, 2: syllabi, 3: women, 4: fish, 5: feet

#10: Your vs. You’re

This is a rule than many native English speakers struggle with, but that doesn’t mean they’ll
let you get away with it on the TOEFL. Like there/their/they’re in rule #6, “your” and
“you’re” are homonyms, which means they sound the same but are spelled differently
and have different meanings. This means you’ll need to be careful to use the correct form
on the Writing section.

“Your” indicates possession, and it’s used for something belonging to you.

 Ex. Your dress is so pretty.

 Ex. Do you mind if I copy your homework?

“You’re” is short for “you are”.

 You’re so pretty.
 You’re going to be late for the party.

Quiz

Fill in the correct form of “your” or “you’re.”

1.      Do you think _____ brother will like this gift?

2.      _____ horse will definitely win this race.
3. If ______ going to the store, can you buy some milk?
4. I’ll bring the tools to _____ house tomorrow morning.
5.  _____ not going outside if you don’t wear a hat!
 

Answers: 1: your, 2: your, 3: you’re, 4: your, 5: you’re

#11: Showing Possession With Apostrophes

In English, an apostrophe plus an ‘s’ is used to show possession. If you want to talk about the
dog that John owns, you refer to it as “John’s dog.”
To indicate something that belongs to one person, put the apostrophe before the ‘s’.

 Ex. The boy’s game. (The game belongs to one boy.)

To indicate something that belongs to more than one person, put the apostrophe after
the ‘s’.
 Ex. The boys’ game. (The game belongs to more than one boy.)

Do not use apostrophes with possessive pronouns like hers, his, its, mine, my, our, ours, their,

or theirs. These words are already possessive and don’t need an apostrophe.
This is especially important to remember with ‘its’. Many people confuse ‘its’ and ‘it’s’.
‘Its’ is a possessive pronoun while ‘it’s’ stands for ‘it is.”

 Ex. The house has a leak in its roof.

 Ex. It’s going to be very hot today.

Also, apostrophes are never used to make a word plural.
 Ex. The three kids went to the park. (NOT “The three kid’s went to the park.”)
 
Quiz
Insert the proper form of the word in parentheses, adding an apostrophe if needed.
1. The _____ forgot their lunches at home. (girls)
2. The plate has a crack down ____ middle. (its)
3. I brought my ______ fishing rod to the lake yesterday. (father)
4. This is your room, and this is _____. (ours)
5. The _____ clothes were washed away before they could get them. (boys)
 
Answers: 1: girls, 2: its, 3: father’s, 4: ours, 5: boys’