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Tips and Strategies On Structure and Written Expression

The document provides general strategies for the structure and written expression sections of the TOEFL test. Some key points include: 1) Familiarize yourself with the directions before the test as they are always the same. 2) For structure, questions 1-5 and 16-20 will be easiest, while 11-15 and 36-40 will be hardest. Save more time for the easier questions. 3) For written expression, look for errors in the underlined parts and check if sentences have subjects and verbs. Familiarize yourself with common error types. Manage your time carefully.

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Shantal Polit
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
188 views

Tips and Strategies On Structure and Written Expression

The document provides general strategies for the structure and written expression sections of the TOEFL test. Some key points include: 1) Familiarize yourself with the directions before the test as they are always the same. 2) For structure, questions 1-5 and 16-20 will be easiest, while 11-15 and 36-40 will be hardest. Save more time for the easier questions. 3) For written expression, look for errors in the underlined parts and check if sentences have subjects and verbs. Familiarize yourself with common error types. Manage your time carefully.

Uploaded by

Shantal Polit
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tips and Strategies on

Structure &
Written Expression

[email protected]
Structure &
Written Expression
General Strategies:

1. Be familiar with the directions.


The directions on every TOEFL test are the same.

Dont spend time reading the directions


carefully when you take the test.
Be completely familiar with the directions
before the day of the test.
2. Begin with questions 1 through 15

Anticipate that questions 1 through 5 will be the


easiest.
Anticipate that questions 11 through 15 will
be the most difficult.
Do not spend too much time on questions 11
through 15
There will be easier questions that come
later.
3. Continue with questions 16 through 40

Anticipate that questions 16 through 20 will


be the easiest.
Anticipate that questions 36 through 40 will
be the most difficult.

Do not spend too much time on questions 36


through 40.
4. If you have time, return to questions 11
through 15
Spend extra time on questions 11 through 15
only after you spend all the time that you
want on the easier questions.
5. Altogether there are 40 Qs in 25 minutes

That means one item is anwered in 1.6 min.

6. Never leave any questions blank on your


answer sheet.
Even if you are not sure of the correct
respose, you should answer the question.
There is no penalty for guessing.
Structure

Sentence
Completion
Skills (1-10)
Adjective Clause Subjects
Connectors/
and
Subjects Objects of
Verbs
Prepositions
Adjective
Clause
Connectors Present
Structure Participles
Noun Clause
Connectors/ Past
Subjects Participles

Adverb Clause
Coordinate
Noun Clause
Connectors Connectors
Connectors
Structure

General Strategies:

1. Study the sentence


Determine what is needed to complete the
sentence correctly.
2. Study each answer based on how well it
completes the sentence
Eliminate answers that do not complete the
sentence correctly.
Structure

3. Do not try to eliminate incorrect answers


by looking only at the answers
The incorrect answers are generally incorrect only
when used to complete the sentence.

4. Never leave any answers blank


5. Do not spend too much time on the
Structure questions
Be sure to leave adequate time for the
Written Expression questions.
Structure

6. Questions in Structure have some patterns


which are tested regularly.
7. Time is essential here.
Written
Expression

Error
Identification
Agreement after
Skills 11-18 prepositional Agreement after
phrases expressions of
quantity
Base form
verbs after Agreement
modals after certain
Written words
Expression
Present
participles/past Parallel structure
participles after with coordinate
be conjunctions

Past participle Parallel structure


after have with paired
conjunctions
Skills 19-25 Singular and
plural nouns
Adjectives
after Countable
linking and
verbs uncountable
Written nouns
Expression
Adjectives
and Subject and
adverbs object
prounouns

Pronoun
reference Possessives
Written
Expression

General Strategies:

1. Do not pay attention to the directions


(because they are all the same)

2. Look at the underlined word or groups of words


Spot which of the four answer choices is not
correct.
Written
Expression

3. If you have been unable to find the error by


looking only at the four underlined expressions,
then read the complete sentence.
Pay attention that a sentence must have a subject
and a verb (predicate).
4. Questions in Written Expression have some
patterns which are tested regularly.
5. Time is essential.
6. Never leave any answers blank.
Practice
Discussion
retards
1. Refrigerating meats ................ the spread of
S (singular) V
bacteria. Missing verb

only the whale is


2. Throughout the animal kingdom, .............................

bigger than the elephant.

Missing Subject
and verb
that
3. The fact ............ money orders can usually be

easily cashed has made them a popular form of

payment.
Missing adjective
clause connectors

4. The first article of the US Constitution gives


S (singular) V

the power to pass laws.


Congress ...............
Obj of preposition
5. Electrical disturbances on Earth are frequently
S (plural) V
passive
by
X
caused with storms on the surface of the sun.
his
X
6. Inventor Granville Woods received him first patent

on January 3, 1884, for a steam boiler furnace.

Possessives
deficiency

X
7. A deficient of folic acid is rarely found in humans

because the vitamin is contained in a wide variety

Noun
of foods.

8. The gopher digs with the big strong claws of its two
feet
X
front foot and with its overchanging front teeth.

Plural Noun
9. An internationally famous ballerina, Maria Tallchief

demonstrated that the quality of ballet in North


singular

X
America could equal those of the ballet in Europe.
that Pronoun
Reference
10. As two nuclei move closer together, their mutual
larger
electrostatic potential energy becomes more large X
and more positive. comparatives
Reference

Phillips, Deborah. (2003). Longman Preparation


Course for the TOEFL TEST. New York. Pearson
Education.
THANK YOU

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