Use your time wisely. The TOEFL is a timed test. You must work very quickly and efficiently to finish all of the questions in the time you are allowed. The skill strategy practice in this course will help you learn to budget your time on each section of the TOEFL. In addition, you should bring a watch to the TOEFL so that you can keep track of your time.
Do NOT read the instructions to each TOEFL section. The test instructions used in the mock examination you will have at the end of this course are exactly the same as the ones used on the TOEFL. You should become familiar with these instructions. If you are familiar with them before you take the TOEFL, you do NOT have to read them when you begin the test. Instead, when permitted, you can move immediately to the test questions and begin working.
If you do NOT know the answer to a question, GUESS. This is a very important strategy to use when taking the TOEFL. There is no penalty for guessing. You have a twenty-five percent chance of guessing the correct answer to each question. Unmarkes answers will be coutned as wrong and will lower your score.
Mark your answer sheet very carefully. To prevent marking answers in teh wrong order, you should follow up place on your answer sheet with one finger. Check to see that the number next to this finger is the same as the number of the question you are looking at in your test booklet. When you choose your answer, fill in the circle completely with a Number 2 or HB pencil. If you need to change an answer, erase it completely, and mark you new answer.
Do not write in your test booklet. You are not allowed to make any marks on your TOEFL test book dureing the test.
The night before the TOEFL, relax. Do NOT try to do any serious studying the night before the test. This will only make you nervous and tired. The night before the TOEFL, it is a good idea to relax and go to bed early. Then you will be at your best for the test.
It is a good idea to eat something substantial before the TOEFL. The TOEFL is a long exam, and having something to eat beforehand can help you focus and concentrate on the test.
Arrive at the test centeer ahead of time. If you are late for a TOEFL, you will not be allowed to take it.
SECTION ONE: Listening Comprehension.
The purpose of Section One of the TOEFL is to ts your understanding of spoken North American English. Vocabulary, spoken structures, and English sounds and intonation are tested. For the most part, topics used in this section are informal and conversational. Some general academic topics are used in the short lecture segments of this section. Even in these tipics, however, the language is not as formal as that used in written English.
Section One contains 50 questions. These questions and the information necessary to answer them are played for you. Only the answer choices for the questions are printed in the TOEFL test booklet. All Section One questions are spoken only one time. You are allowed 12 seconds to answer each question.
GENERAL STRATEGIES FOR SECTION ONE
- Be familiar with Section One instructions before you take the official TOEFL. Then, during the test, you do not have to listen to all of the instructions. Listen only long enough to familiarize yourself with the voices on the audio. Be sure you can hear the audio loudly and clearly. DO NOT turn the page to look ahead at another page while the instructions for SectionOne are being read.
- Listen carefully for meaning in the mini-dialogues, longer conversations, and talks. Concentrate on trying to understand the overall meaning.
- Use your time wisely. You have only 12 seconds to answer each question in Section One of the test.
LISTENING COMPREHENSION PART A: Mini-Dialogues
The Part A questions in Section One of the TOEFL measure your ability to understand mini-dialogues between two people, as well as to understand and respond to spoken questions about each short dialogue. Each mini-dialogue in this section is two lines long and involves two speakers. The seconed speaker in mini-dialgoues gives important information. A third person asks a question about what whas said. You hear each dialogue and the question about it just ONE time.
After you hear the question, you have 12 seconds to read four answer choices and decide which one is the best answer to the question you heard. There are 30 mini-dialogues and 30 questions in Part A.
Model
You would hear:
(Man) M: this view is really something else!
(Woman) W: I’ll say!
(Question) Q: What does the woman mean?
You would read:
(A) She has something to say.
(B) She agrees with the man.
(C) She wants to see something else.
(D) She thinks it’s time to review something else.
[You would have 12 seconds to answer]
Try yourself
What would you answer to the Model and why? Try to figure out the strategy and reasons why you chose the answer and the reasons why you did not choose the other ones. Then check the answers and explanation provided below.
Answer and Explanation
In this mini-dialogue and question, several things are being tested. The man uses the idiom something else to express his enthusiasm for the view. I’ll say, the response of the woman, functions to show her agreement with the man about his opinion.
Answer (A) contains a different meaning of say, and does not describe what the woman means.
Answer (C) contains see, which sounds like say. It also contains something else used to mean another thing. This is not the idiomatic meaning of something else.
Answer (D) contains review, which sounds like view, and again uses something else in its literal (non-idiomatic) meaning.
Answer (B) is the correct answer to this question because it restates the function of the woman’s response even though it sounds the least like the mini-dialogue.
Mini-Dialogues Strategies
- Be careful of vocabulary, sounds, spoken structures, and intonation and stress in dialogues and questions.
- Listen carefully to the second speaker. The second speaker in each mini-dialogue always gives important information. The correct answer to Part A questions is often contained in the second speaker’s sentence.
- Determine the situation in the dialogue. Try to determine who is speaking and where the speakers are having their conversation.
- Determine the topic of the dialogue. Try to determine what the speakers are talking about.
- Determine the language functions in the dialogue. Try to determine the function of the language being used by the speakers. A function of the language could be agree, disagree, ask for clarification, ask for permission, etc.
- Guess if you don’t know the answer to a question: choose the answer that sounds LEAST like the dialogue. This answer is often the correct answer. BUT NEVER SKIP OR LEAVE A QUESTION WITHOUT AN ANSWER, IN THE LISTENING SECTION YOU WONT HAVE EXTRA TIME TO MARK YOUR ANSWERS IN YOUR ANSWER SHEET.
- Use extra time between questions to look ahead at the answer choices. Try to predict what the question types might be for each dialogue.
LISTENING COMPREHENSION PARTS B AND C: Longer Conversations and Short Talks
The questions in Part B and C in Section One of the TOEFL measure your ability to understand longer passages of spoken English. Part B contains longer dialogues between men and women. Part C contains lectures or talks given by one person, either a man or a woman. Part B usually contains two conversations. Part C usually contains three talks.
The topics of the passages in Part B and C are often about college life. Part B conversations often involve two students talking acout a class, a professor, or some aspect of college life. The talks in Part C frequently discuss classroom procedures and assignments or are short lectures in a general academic area, such as science, history, psychology, or anthropology. No previous knowledge of any of the topics is necessary to do well on this part of the TOEFL.
Although most of the topics for Parts B and C are college related, some are daily life topics. These include such things as conversations in grocery stores or apartments, and talks by tour guides and sport coaches.
Each passage in Parts B and C is between 100 and 300 words long and lasts an average of one to two minutes. In some countries you are not allowed to take notes while listening to the spoken passages, pay special attention to the proctor to avoid being penalised if it is not allowed in your country or exam version. Each passage and the questions about it are spoken only ONCE.
Special note:
Each passage in Parts B and C begins with a short spoken introduction. You will hear an introduction such as, “Questions 36 to 40. Listen to a conversation between two students.“. These introduction sgive you valuable information about the passage you are going to hear. Notice that in this short introduction you find out: (1) who the speakers are; and (2) how many questions will be asked about the converstion. Sometimes even more information is provided in the introductions. For example, you might hear an introduction like the following: “Questions 36 to 40. Listen to a talk given by a tennis coach at a college“. Notice that in this short introduction you find out: (1) that there will be 5 questions about the talk; (2) who will give the talk; and (3) where the talk will take place. Because you can learn so much valuable information from the short introductory statments, it is extremely important that you listen to them carefully.
After each passage in Parts B and C, you will hear several questions about it. After each question, you will have 12 seconds to read four answer choices and choose the one that answers the spoken question. Together, Parts B and C in Section One of the TOEFL contain 20 questions.
Model Short Talk
You would hear:
Questions 1 to 6. Listen to the following talk:
Last week we talked about the Declaration of Independence. Today I’d like to discuss the United States Constitution. The Constitution is the basic instrument of American government and the supreme law of the land. It was completed in Septemer of 1787, and was officially adopted by the American people in 1789. For over two centuries, it has guided our government and provided the basis for political stability, economic growth, and social progress. It is the oldest written constitution currently being used in any nation of the world. The Constitution owes its long life and its lasting influence to its magnificent simplicity and flexibility. Originally designed to provide a framework for governing thirteen very different former colonies, its basic elements were so carefully conceived that it still serves well the needs of all Americans.
You would hear:
1. What is the main topic of this talk?
You would read:
(A) The founding of the thirteen colonies.
(B) The Declaration of Independence.
(C) The American Constitution.
(D) Economic growth.
You would hear:
2. Where does this talk most likely take place?
You would read:
(A) In a United States history class.
(B) In a science class.
(C) In a library.
(D) In the school cafeteria.
You would hear:
3. According to the speaker, what is the supreme law of the land?
You would read:
(A) The people of the United States
(B) The Constitution
(C) The government
(D) The Declaration of Independence.
You would hear:
4. When was the Constitution officially adopted?
You would read:
(A) In 1787
(B) In 1887
(C) In 1789
(D) In 1813
You would hear:
5. According to the speaker, why has the United States Constitution lasted so long?
You would read:
(A) Because it was designed for the thirteen colonies
(B) Because it is simple and flexible.
(C) Because it is the basic instrument of American government.
(D) Because it is being used in many nations.
You would hear:
6. How does the speaker probably feel about the Constitution?
You would read:
(A) He would like to have a copy of the Constitution.
(B) He is afraid that the Constitution will not last much longer.
(C) He is critical of the Constitution.
(D) He admires the Constitution.
Try yourself
What would you answer to the Model and why? Try to figure out the strategy and reasons why you chose the answer and the reasons why you did not choose the other ones. Then check the answers and explanation provided below.
Answers and Explanation
The introductory statement for this part C passage tells you that you will answer six questions about this talk.
Question 1 is a main idea question. The answer to this question is given at the beginning of the talk, in the second sentence. Answer (C) is the correct answer to this question because it restates teh main idea of the talk in a title. The answers to main idea questions are often given at the beginning of the passages in Parts B and C of the Listeining Section of the TOEFL.
Question 2 is an inference question about the situation in which the talk takes place. Although the location of the talk is not directly mentioned, it is an academic talk about an aspect of Uniited States history. Therefore, we can assume that it would take place in an American history class. Answer (A) is the correct answer to this question because it implies where the talk will take place.
Question 3. is a fact question which asks about a direct statement made by the speaker. Answer (B) is the corrrect answer to this question.
Question 4 is another fact question which asks for a detail given by the speaker after the information mentioned in Question 3. Fact questions are always asked in the order that the information is given in the passage. To answer this question, you need to remember an important date mentioned in the passage. Answer (C) is the correct answer to this question.
Question 5 is a third fact question. It asks about a direct statement made by the speaker after the information asked for in Question 4. Answer (B) is the correct answer to this question.
Question 6 is an inference question. It asks about the feelings or the attitude of the speaker. The speaker does not tell us directly how she/he feels about the Constitution. However, there are clues to her/his feelings in the passage. Magnificent simplicity and flexibility and serves well are positive expressions which tell us the speaker probably admires the Constitution. Answer (D) is the correct answer to this question because it implies the speaker’s attitude about the topic.
Strategies for longer conversations and short talks
- Listen carefully to the short introduction given before each passage. From this introduction, you can learn how many questions you will answer about the passage. The introduction can also give you information about the situation and topic of the passage: who, where and what.
- Quickly determine the situation and the topic of the passage. This information is often at the beginning of a passage. You should listen carefully to the beginning of each passage.
- Listen carefully for facts and details. Details such as places, dates, names and times are tested in Parts B and C of the TOEFL
- Questions about facts and details occur in the same order that you hear them in the passage. Many TOEFL test-takers find it helpful to read along with the answer choices while listening to the passage. You can practice this strategy with practice exercises. Only use this strategy if it works for you. If it distracts you from understanding a passage, DO NOT use it.
- Guess if you don’t know the answer to a question. Choose the answer that sounds the MOST like the passage. In this part of the TOEFL, this is often the correct answer to the question. This strategy is different from the guessing strategy for Part A. You will need to change your guessing approach for Parts B and C. NEVER SKIP OR LEAVE A QUESTION WITHOUT AN ANSWER, IN THE LISTENING SECTION YOU WONT HAVE EXTRA TIME TO MARK YOUR ANSWERS IN YOUR ANSWER SHEET.
- Use extra time between questions to look ahead at the answer choices. Try to predict questions.
SECTION TWO: Structure and Written Expression
The purpose of Section Two of the TOEFL is to test your knowledge of the structure of standard written English. The language tested in this section is mostly formal, not conversational. Many of the sentence topics used in this section are of a general academic nature. The vocabulary used in Section Two questions is similar to the vocabulary used in TOEFL Three, Reading Comprehension.
GENERAL STRATEGIES FOR SECTION TWO
- Be familiar with Section Two instructions before you teake the actual TOEFL. Then, during the test, you do not need to read the instructions. Move immediately to the first question and begin working.
- Use your time wisely. You have only about 35 seconds to complete each question in this section.
- Try to identify the grammar point being tested in each question you read. You can often discover the correct answer right away if you do this.
STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION: QUESTION TYPES
Section Two contains 40 questions. You have 25 minutes to answer all the questions. There are two parts in this section of the TOEFL. Each part has a different type of question.
Structure (15 questions)
You choose the correct sentence completions.
Written Expression (25 questions)
You choose the incorrect sentence segments
Structure Questions.
The Structure questions in Section Two of the TOEFL meadure your understanding of basic grammar. There are 15 incomplete sentences in this part of th test. Four possible completions are provided in the answer choices for each of the sentences. You must choose the one correct answer that completes the sentence.
Model.
______ Americans like movies is a well-known fact.
(A) Most
(B) That most
(C) Some
(D) Because
Try yourself
What is needed in this sentence? It is missing the subject
What would you answer to the Model and why? Try to figure out the strategy and reasons why you chose the answer and the reasons why you did not choose the other ones. Then check the answers and explanation provided below.
Answer and Explanation
In this sample question, the subject is being tested. The verb is complete. However, the subject of this sentence, which is a noun clause, is incomplete. You should look for a word to complete this subject. Amswer (B) is the correct answer to the question because it completes the subject.
Strategies for Structure Questions
- Read the whole sentence before you choose your answer. In the model, answer choices (A) and (C) sound correct if you only read the first part of the sentence. You must consider the entire sentence before choosing your answer.
- Do not look for ungrammatical segments in the answer choices. Most of the answer choices are grammatically correct by themselves. They only become incorrect when they are put into the sentence.
- Ask yourself “What is needed in this sentence?”. Then, look for the answer choice that completes the sentence. If you cannot immediately identify what is needed, follow the following steps:
a. Locate the subject and the verb of the main clause. If the subject or verb is missing or incomplete, look for it in the answer choices. If the two sentence parts are not missing or complete, proceed to Step B
b. Look for the object or the complement of the sentence. If the object or complement is needed but is missing or incomplete, look for it in the answer choices. If one these parts is not needed or is not missing, proceed to Step C
c. Look for a subordinate clause. If a subordinate clause is needed and if it is missing a subject, a verb, or a clause marker, look for the missing part in the answer choices. If none of these sentence parts is missing, proceed to Step D.
Look for a phrase. If there is a modifying phrase, and if any part of these phrase is missing, look for it in the answer choices.
Written Expression Questions
The Written Expression Questions in Section Two of the TOEFL measure your understanding of the grammar of written English. There are 25 sentences in this part of the test. Each Sentence has four underlined segments and you must choose the one incorrect segment.
Model
Mining (A) is the most (B)importantest industry (C)in (D)this state.
Try yourself
What is wrong with this sentence? The form of the adjective.
What would you answer to the Model and why? Try to figure out the strategy and reasons why you chose the answer and the reasons why you did not choose the other ones. Then check the answers and explanation provided below.
Answer and Explanation
In this question, the correct formation of superlative adjectives is being tested. Importantest is not a word in English. Answer (B) is the correct answer to the question because importantest is incorrect. Correction: important.
Model
Tomorrow we (A)went to (B)the store to buy (C)some new (D)furniture.
Try yourself
What is wrong with this sentence? The verb tense.
What would you answer to the Model and why? Try to figure out the strategy and reasons why you chose the answer and the reasons why you did not choose the other ones. Then check the answers and explanation provided below.
Answer and Explanation
In this sentence, the tense of the verb is being tested. The past tense went does not agree with the time marker tomorrow. Answer (A) is the correct answer to the question because went is incorrect. Correction: are going/ will go/are going to go
Strategies for Written Expression Questions
- Ask yourself, “What is wrong with this sentence?” In this part of the test, you are looking for the incorrect part of a sentence. This is a very different task from the task in the Structure questions. You must remember to quickly change your approach when you begin the Written Expression part of the test.
- QUICKLY scan the four underlined segments to find what is wrong. One of these segments may be incorrect on its own, as in the first model above. If none of the choices is incorrect on its own, proceed to the following strategy:
- Read the entire sentence. Compare the underlined segments to other parts of the sentence. Most of the incorrect segments in this section are wrong because of their relationship to other parts of the sentence, as in the second model above.
- Do not waste time looking for errors that are not underlined. All errors occur in the underlined segments of the sentences.
- Do not waste time thinking about how to correct the incorrect segment of the sentence. Once you locate the incorrect segment, mark it on you answer sheet and move on.
SECTION THREE: Reading Comprehension
The purpose of Section Three of the TOEFL is to test your knowledge of the meanings and uses of words in written English and your ability to understand a variety of reading materials. The reading topics in Section Three are taken from general and formal English. For the most part, informal and conversational language is not tested in this section. The questions based on the reading passages will not require you to have outside knowledge of the topics. YOur knowledge of some of the words as they are used in the context of the passage is also tested.
General Strategies for Section Three
- Be familiar with Section Three instructions before you take the actual TOEFL test. Then, during the test, do not read the instructions. Move immediately to the first question and begin working.
- Use your time wisely. You have 55 minutes to complete the Reading Comprehension section of the TOEFL. There are 5 or 6 reading passages. You should spend 7-10 minuteson each passage and the questions about it.
- Remember to change your overall approach. In Section Three Reading Comprehension you must select the correct answer. This is different from the Written Expression questions, where you are asked to identify the mistake.
Reading Comprehension
The purpose of the Reading Comprehension Section of the TOEFL is to measure your ability to read quickly and understand a variety of short reading passages
The topic of the reading passages in Section Three of the TOEFL, are often academic in nature. Popular topics are the physical sciences (biology, physics, geology), American history (events and people), business, art and dance, literature, medicine, and the social sciences ( sociology and psychology). Other topics for reading passages are general information about people and places in the United States. Whatever the topic, the style of the reading passages is formal English and they are written to give information appropriate for a first-year college student.
The question about the reading passages can all be answered using information in the passages themselves. Outside knowledge of the subject matter is not necessary. Most of the questions about the Reading Comprehension passages test your understanding of the topic and main ideas of the passage, as well as supporting details. Some questions ask you to make inferences based on the passage. A few questions ask you to relate the information in the passage to an outside situation. The TOEFL also asks you about specific words in the reading passages. These questions test the meaning of the word only within the context of the passage.
The biggest factor in the Reading Comprehension Section of the TOEFL is time. You should spend no more than 7-10 minutes on each passage and its questions.
Success in the Reading Comprehension Section will also depend on your knowledge of English vocabulary. In this section of the TOEFL, knowing the meaning of formal and academic words in English will help you to understand better the meaning of the reading passages.
NOTE: The meaning of specific words within the context of the reading passage is tested in the Reading Comprehension Section of the TOEFL. Because words have multiple meanings, you must be careful to choose the correct answer based on the context of the reading passage.
Remember:
*Reading passages on the TOEFL are written in formal English and are general and academic in nature.
*Reading quickly with comprehension is the key to being successful on the Reading Comprehension Section of the TOEFL.
*A large vocabulary in English is very important for success on Reading Comprehension Section of the TOEFL.