Strategies of Structure and Written Expression for TOEFL

 Strategy of Structure

1. First study the sentence.
    Your purpose is to determine what is needed to complete the sentence correctly.

2. Then study each answer based on how well it completes the sentence.
     Eliminate answers that do not complete the sentence correctly.

3. Do not try to eliminate incorrect answers by looking only at the answers.
    The incorrect answers are generally correct by themselves. The incorrect answers are generally incorrect only when used to complete the sentence.

4. Never leave any answers blank.
    Be sure to answer each question even if you are unsure of the correct response.

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


The ten problems or  skills are:

1. Problem with  Subject and Verbs

2. Problem with  Objects of Prepositions

3. Problem with Present Participles

4. Problem with Past Participles

5. Problem with Coordinate Connectors

6. Problem with  Adverb Clause Connectors

7. Problem with Noun Clause Connectors

8. Problem with Noun Clause Connectors/Subjects

9. Problem with Adjective Clause Connectors

10. Problem with Adjective Clause Connectors/Subject

Strategies of Written Expression

1. First look at the underlined word or groups of words.

    You want to see if you can spot which of the four answer choices is not correct.

2. If you have been unable to find the error by looking only at the four underlined expressions, then read the complete sentence. 

    Often an underlined expression is incorrect because of something in another part of the sentence. 

3. Never leave any answers blank.

    Be sure to answer each question even if you are unsure of the correct response.

 The 15 Skills are:

1. Agreement after prepositional phrase
2. Agreement after expression of Quantity
3. Agreement after Certain Words
4. Parallel Structure with Coordinate Connectors
5. Parallel Structure with paired conjunction
6. Problem with past participle
7. Problem with present participle and past participle
8.  Problem with Modals
9. Problem with Singular and Plural nouns
10. Problem with Countable and Uncountable Nouns
11. Subject and Object Pronoun
12. Problem with Possessive
13. Pronouns References
14. Adjective and Adverb
15. Adjective after Linking Verb

Look at the following examples:

EXAMPLE QUESTIONS

A. Structure

  

1. During the Daytona 500, the lead car ___________, leaving the others far behind.

A. forwarded rapidly

B. advanced rapidly

C. advanced forward rapidly

D. advanced in a rapidly manner

Answer : B

  

2. Geysers have often been compared to volcanoes _______ they both emit hot liquids from below the Earth's surface.

A. due to

B. because

C. in spite of

D. regardless of

Answer : B

3. During the early period of ocean navigation, ________ any need for sophisticated instruments and techniques.

A. so that hardly

B. where there hardly was

C. hardly was

D. there was hardly

Answer : D

4. The North Pole___________ a latitude of 90 degrees north.

A. it has

B. is having

C. which is having

D. has

Answer : D

5. The city of Beverly Hills is surrounded on ________ the city of Los Angeles.

A. its sides

B. the sides are

C. it is the side of

D. all sides by

Answer : D

6. ________ greyhound, can achieve speeds up to thirty-six miles per hour.

A. The

B. The fastest

C. The fastest dog

D. The fastest dog, the

Answer : B

7. Marmots spend their time foraging among meadow plants and flowers or ________ on rocky cliffs.

A. gets sun

B. sunning

C. the sun

D. sunny

Answer : C

8. The greenhouse effect occurs ________ heat radiated from the Sun.

A. when does the Earth’s atmosphere trap

B. does the Earth’s atmosphere trap

C. when the Earth’s atmosphere traps

D. the Earth’s atmosphere traps

Answer : C

9. The Rose Bowl, ________ place on New Year’s Day, is the oldest postseason collegiate football game in the United States.

A. takes

B. it takes

C. which takes

D. took

Answer : A

10. Experiments ________ represent a giant step into the medicine of the future.

A. using gene therapy

B. use gene therapy

C. they use

D. gene therapy uses

Answer : A

11. ________ off the Hawaiian coastline are living, others are dead.

A. While some types of coral reefs

B. Some types of coral reefs

C. There are many types of coral reefs

D. Coral reefs

Answer : B

12. Nimbostratus clouds are thick, dark gray clouds ________ forecast rain.

A. what

B. which

C. what they

D. which they

Answer : C

13. Some economists now suggest that home equity loans are merely a new trap to push consumers beyond ________.

A. they can afford

B. they can afford it

C. what is affordable

D. able to afford

Answer : A

14. People who reverse the letters of words ________ to read suffer from dyslexia.

A. when trying

B. if they tried

C. when tried

D. if he tries

Answer : A

15. Featured at the Henry Ford Museum ________ of antique cars dating from 1865.

A. is an exhibit

B. an exhibit

C. an exhibit is

D. which is an exhibit

Answer : D

Written Expression

Directions: In questions 5–10, each sentence has four underlined words or phrases. The four underlined parts of the sentence are marked A, B, C and D. Identify the one underlined word or phrase that must be changed in order for the sentence to be correct. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen.

Look at the following examples:

The sentence should read, "Guppies are sometimes called rainbow fish because of the males' bright colors." Therefore, you should choose answer A.

The sentence should read, "Serving several terms in Congress, Shirley Chisholm became an important United States politician." Therefore, you should choose answer B.

Now begin work on the questions.

Practice Questions

Answer Key for TOEFL ITP Structure and Written Expression

1. A
2. B
3. B
4. A
5. C
6. A
7. A
8. C
9. D
10. D