TIPS & TRICKS - Paper & Computer Based TOEFL

               Parts of TOEFL                                                                                                                                

Deborah Philips - Pearson Longman

  1.  Listening

Part A

Part C

Part B

2. Written & Structure

Structure

Written expression

3. Reading

Easy, Medium, Hard Passage

LISTENING

Listening Part A

-Part A

• Focus on the last line.
• Avoid similar sound.
• Choose synonym.
• Who, What, & Where.
• Negative expression, Negative - Positive, Positive - Negative.
• Almost Negative = Positive.
• Expression of agreement, uncertainty, suggestion & emphatic.
• Contrary result.
• Idioms.
• Focus on the last line

You may skip the first line of the dialogue but pay more attention to the last line

Examples :

(woman)    : Are you enjoying your coffee?
(man)      : It tastes extremely bitter this morning!
(narrator) :  WHAT DOES THE MAN MEAN?

- The key word is always on the last line

TASTES EXTREMELY BITTER.

Also Read These

Are we Mentally Challenged? | The World Doesn't End Yet | Read It and You May Cry | The Secret of India | Type and Earn Dollar | English and Technology | Tips and Trick of TOEFL Test | English Under Subconsciousness | Can You Avoid a Mistake? | Pronunciation vs Grammar | Psycho Revolution | Technology For Teaching and Learning English

Avoid similar sound

Similar sound is used to distract listener’s concentration.

Example :

(woman)     : Are you enjoying your coffee?
(man)       : It tastes extremely bitter this morning!
(narrator)  : WHAT DOES THE MAN MEAN?

1. The coffee is much BETTER this morning
2. The coffee TASTES EXTREMELY good.
3. The coffee isn’t very good.
4. This morning he DEFINITELY wants some coffee

The answer is C due to its same meaning.

Choose Synonym

Similar sound will distract listener’s concentration which eventually drag you to choose the option that sounds like the keyword. Therefore, choose Synonym as the best answer.

Example :

(woman)     : Are you enjoying your coffee?

(man)       : It tastes extremely bitter this  morning!

(narrator)  : WHAT DOES THE MAN MEAN?

1. The coffee is much better this morning
2. The coffee tastes extremely good.
3. The coffee ISN’T VERY GOOD.
4. This morning he definitely wants some coffee

The answer is C due to its same meaning.

Who, What, & Where

Who might be speaking?, What is being discussed?, Where might the conversation take place?

Example  :

(woman)    : Excuse me,  may I get a copy of this book?

(man)      : I’m sorry, but this title is sold out.

(narrator) : WHERE DOES THIS CONVERSATION PROBABLY TAKE PLACE?

Tips : assess What are discussed, Who might be speaking, and Where they have the conversation.

Negative Expression

Watch out for negative expressions. It may be double negative which means positive; sick equals to not well and vice versa.

Example :

(man)      : How was the physics exam?

(Woman)    : It WASN’T quite as BAD as the last one.

(narrator) : WHAT DOES THE WOMAN SAY ABOUT THE PHYSICS EXAM?

It’s double negative!  Wasn’t bad = good

Almost Negative

Hardly, Nearly, Barely, Almost, Seldom are grouped as Almost negative word. “Almost negative” expressions always denote

Example :

(woman) : How did your speech go?

(man)   : It could have been better.

(Woman) : Did the professor say anything to you?

(man)   : She said that she could BARELY hear what I said.

Barely Hear = The professor would’ve heard the man if only the he had spoken more clearly.

Expression of Agreement, Uncertainty, suggestion & Emphatic

You might not be familiar with the expression below. Be sure, you know them now.

Example :

1. Aren’t they, though?, So am I, Couldn’t agree more = agree.
2. Why don’t you, Let’s… = suggestion.
3. Not as far as I can tell = uncertainty.
4. As far as I know = Certainty.
5. We DON”T have = emphatic. Emphatic has contrary result to its expression..

Contrary result

These words mentioned below have contrary result

Example :

1. Wish
2. If  …Had, …would have….
3. If I Were…, would…

I wish I could come = I cannot come

If I had a car, I Would leave this town = I don’t have car

Idioms

You need to learn them by heart.

Example :

1. Get ahead = Achieve Success.
2. All in the same boat = all in the same situation.
3. Cut down = reduce.
4. Strike while the iron is hot = take the opportunity.
5. Come down with something = feeling sick.
6. Let sleeping dog lie = leaving it alone.
7. Brush it off = forget about…and keep trying…
8. Head and shoulder above = the best.
9. Get along together = work well together.
10. Off the hook = no longer responsible.

Listening Part B & C

1. ·         Tips & Tricks :
2. ·         Anticipate the topic.
3. ·         Anticipate the question.
4. ·         Listening and reading the answer at once.
5. ·         Take note for any number, name, and place mentioned.

Structure

• ·         One Clause & Multiple Clauses.
• ·         Reduced Clause.
• ·         Inverted subject.
• ·         Clause

  1. Identify the subject and the verb in a sentence.

2. Determine whether the subject is singular or plural.
3. Watch out for these traps :

-          Phrase between commas. (appositive)

-          Object after preposition before verb.

Example :

1. The girl who is wearing red skirt is my sister. The girl who is wearing red skirt  =Subject, is = Verb, my sister= Adverb.
2. Men are meant to be women leader. Men = Plural, Man – singular.
3. My Friend, Rudy, likes to travel around the world. Rudy = Appositive
4. A school among three cities has been chosen. A school = subject, among = preposition, three cities = object

Reduced Clause

Reduced clause mostly comes from Adjective Clause & Adverb Clause.

Formula :

1. You may reduce subject and be-verb of the sentence.

2. If there is verb 1 or 2, you may omit the subject but the verb must be changed into verb-ing.

3. If there is verb 3, you may omit the subject, the be-verb, and let the verb 3 stay.             

Example ;

1. Although he is rather unwell, the speaker take part in the seminar.

   Although rather unwell, the speaker take part in the seminar.
2. The woman who is waving to us is the tour guide.
    The woman waving to us is the tour guide.

3. The letter which was written last week arrived today.
    The letter written last week arrived today.

Inverted Subject

Inverting subject is putting subject after verb instead.

Example :

1. Here is the book.
2. There are the cars.
3. Nowhere have I seen such beautiful girl.
4. In the closet are the clothes that you want.
5. Around the corner is Sam’s house.
6. Not once did I miss a question.
7. Never Has Mr. Jones taken a vacation.
8. At no time can woman talk on the phone.
9. Hardly ever does he take time off.
10. Only once did the manager issue overtime paychecks.

Written Expression

1. Noun & Pronoun.
2. Subject Verb agreement.
3. Parallel structure.
4. Comparative & Superlative.
5. Passive Verb.
6. Adjective & Adverb.
7. Article.
8. Preposition.
9. Usage.

Noun & Pronoun

Noun

      Example :

    Many teachers and STUDENT have work hard.

STUDENT is supposed to be STUDENTS

Pronoun

      Example :

Rani and Roni are clever students but THEM don’t like to study.

THEM is supposed to be THEY.

Subject Verb Agreement

Example :
1.       Every student in all schools ARE obliged to wear uniform.

    EVERY = Singular.

    So that IS is the best answer.

2.   Not very much of the earth’s surface land ARE covered by glaciers. 

    MUCH = Singular.

    So that IS is the best answer.

3.       Nothing HAVE replaced his idea.

    NOTHING = singular.

    So that HAS is the best answer.

Parallel

1.       EITHER the teacher OR the students LIKE math.

    EITHER …..OR

   Students are plural so that LIKE without S

2.       EITHER the teachers OR the student LIKES math

    EITHER …..OR

    Student is singular so that LIKE with S =LIKES

3.       I like NOT ONLY Math BUT ALSO English

    NOT ONLY noun BUT ALSO noun

4.       I NOT ONLY throw the ball BUT ALSO kick it.

    NOT ONLY verb BUT ALSO verb

5.       That multitalented man are able  to DO MAGIC, TEACH, and BECOME athlete.

    You may not write DO MAGIC, TEACHING, and BECOME….

    It should be parallel. Verb 1, Verb 1, Verb 1.

Comparative & Superlative

Example :

1.       Between Europe and Asia is the Caspian Sea, Which is known as the world’s MOST BIG lake.

    MOST BIG is supposed to be BIGGEST

2.       Of all students in the school, Rony is BETTER.

    BETTER is supposed to be THE BEST.

3.       He is MORE FRIENDLY than her.

Exceptional words

Friendly , friendlier, the Friendliest.

Exceptional words
of Comparative

The rules regarding comparison of adjectives state that monosyllabic adjectives (old, young, green etc.) and the following disyllabic adjectives form their comparative and superlative forms with endings (er, est):
1. Adjectives ending in ow:

narrow, narrower, the narrowest.

2. Adjectives ending in er:

clever, cleverer, the cleverest

3. Adjectives ending in a consonant + le:

humble, humbler, the humblest

4. Adjectives ending in y:

happy, happier, the happiest
..

Examples :

1. Early, Earlier, the Earliest.
2. Good, better, the Best.
3. Bad, Worse, The Worst.
4. Far, further/farther, the furthest/farthest.
5. Fun, More Fun, the Most Fun.
6. Funny, Funnier, the Funniest.
7. tidier - tidiest / more tidy - most tidy
8. gentler - gentlest / more gentle - most gentle
9. Handsomer / more Handsome, Handsomest / The Most Handsome
10. Oftener / More Often, Oftenest / The Most Often
11. Commoner / More Common, Commonest / The Most Common

Passive Verb

Passive Verb or mostly known as Passive Voice is based on this formula.

TO BE + VERB 3

Example ;

1.       The book WAS TAKING by him.

WAS TAKEN is the correct answer.

2.       Cancer CAN BLOCKED by some traditional medicine.

CAN BE BLOCKED is the correct answer

Problems in Adjectives & Adverbs

Example :

1. Venus is the GODDESS ROMAN of love.supposed to be ROMAN GODDESS.

2. Where they have been COMMON used for more than 500 years.Supposed to be  COMMONLY.

Article

A, An, & The. “A” & “An” are used for indefinite noun, “A” is used for a noun SOUNDING vowels & “An” is used for a noun SOUNDING consonant. “The” is used for a noun which is definite & for both noun SOUNDING vowel & consonant.

They are sometimes misused and missing in the sentence.

Examples :

1. She has been waiting for A HOUR.It’s supposed to be AN HOUR
2. A tuxedo dinner JACKETS made their debut in the autumn hall. 

        The singular article A is used with the plural noun JACKETS

Problem with Preposition

Preposition : in, on, at, before, after, from, for, of, etc

Examples :

1. In the spring, many algae breed rapidly AS A RESULT abundant food.
   It’s supposed to be RESULT OF.
2. Any animal that is MADE UP IN more than one cell but has no backbone is invertebrate.
   It’s Supposed to be MADE UP OF MORE…..

USAGE

It’s all about how to use everything in a proper way.

Examples :

1. Rendy won marathon championship in 1997 and then won OTHER in 2002.
   It’s supposed to be ANOTHER.

2. She was very angry at her servant, when MAKING the DISHES, broke many plates.
    DO is the proper word to come before DISHES instead of MAKING. Do the dishes.

Reading

• Easy,
• Medium,
• Hard Passage
• Read the questions, afterwards the passage
• First Passage is important!
• Main Idea is sometimes inductive or deductive
• Skimming, Scanning
• Take Your Time