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TOEFL Comprehension TBIA09©

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A. TOEFL Insight

TOEFL test is a test to measure English proficiency of nonnative speaker of English. It is

required primarily by English-language colleges and universities.

Types of TOEFL test:

1) PBT (Paper Based Test)

2) CBT (Computer Based Test)

3) IBT (Internet Based Test)

The paper version (PBT) has the following sections:

1) Listening Comprehension 50 questions 35 minutes

2)

Structure and Written Expression 40 questions 25 minutes

3) Reading Comprehension 50 questions 55 minutes

4) Test of Written English (optional) 1 essay 30 minutes

The computer version (CBT) has the following sections:

1)

Listening 30-50 questions 40-60 minutes

2) Structure 20-25 questions 15-20 minutes

3) Reading 44-60 questions 70-90 minutes

4)

Writing 1 essay 30 minutes

The score of PBT TOEFL is ranging from 310 to 677 while CBT is ranging from 0 to

300.

Tips to improve your TOEFL score:

1) Improve your knowledge of English Language Skills

2) Understand the test-taking strategy

3) Be familiar with TOEFL test

4)

Practice more5) Pray

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International

- Institutional

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TOEFL like/prediction




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B. Structure and Written Expression

1.

Subject Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement is when the subject of the sentence correctly matches the verb

in number.

If the subject of the sentence is singular, then the verb must be singular

If the subject of the sentence is plural, then the verb must be plural

“s” on a verb usually indicates that a verb is singular

“s” on a noun usually indicates that a verb is plural

a) Subject and verb separated by prepositional phrases

When a prepositional phrase comes between the subject and the verb, be sure

that the verb agrees with the subject.

be careful to locate the true subject of the sentence. Subject and verbs are

underlined in the following examples.

- One of the boys is missing.

- The paintings by Pedro Reiss are bold and commanding.

- The president, along with three members of his Cabinet, returned to

Washington today.

b) Singular pronoun required singular verb

everyone someone anyone none (each/every)+noun

everybody somebody anybody nobody either

everything something anything nothing neither

-

Everyone wants to be a winner

- Each of the managers wants her own phone line.

Each / every comes before singular subjects joined by “and” required

singular verb : Each teacher and student has a facebook account.

c) Plural pronoun required plural verb

both few many several

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Both of her ex-boyfriends are attending the wedding.

d) Some pronoun can be singular or plural pronouns, depending on their use.

all most some half any

Subject can be plural or singular depending on what follows the preposition

of

-

All of the ice cream is gone.

- All of the students are gone.

e) If two nouns or pronouns are joined by “and”, they need a plural verb.

-

Omar and Ali drive to work on most days.

f) If two singular nouns or pronouns are joined by “or” or “nor”, they need a

singular verb.

- On most days, Omar or Ali drives to work.

g) If one plural and one singular subject are joined by “or” or “nor”, the verb

agrees with the closest subject.

- Neither the teacher nor the students like the textbook.

-

Either the readers or the writer likes the textbook.

h) Subject verb agreement after inverted verb

After :

question words,

negative expression,

place expression,

condition without if,

and comparison,

the verb agrees with subjects, which may be after verb.

- (In front of the museum) was the school I worked on.

- What is your name ?

i) Some nouns (clothes and tools) are always plural in form and also take plural

verb




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Clothes : pants, sunglasses, jeans, trousers,

Tools : scissors, pliers

Example : - The sunglasses are on the red table.

j) Some nouns are always singular in form and also take singular verb

Disease, academic subject, abstract noun, names or titles of book and movies

Example : English is my favorite subject.

k) Expression stating amount of time, weight, volume, money are plural in form

but take a singular verb.

Example : Three hundred dollars is enough for a new notebook.

l) Noun for nationality, if it refers to language, it needs singular verb, if it

refers to the people of the country, it needs plural verb.

Example :

English is widely used by people all over the world.

The English are discipline.

m) Collective noun are usually take singular verb, but it can also be plural if it

functioning independently.

(class, faculty, club, family, police, committee, etc.)

Example : - This club has a valuable history.

n) “ A number” takes plural verb, “The number” takes singular verb.

Example : A number of people are attacking the office now.

TOEFL Exercise (Subject-verb agreement) :




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2.

Pronoun

Pronouns are words that take the place of a noun or another pronoun. The nounsrepresented by pronouns are called antecedents. Just as subjects and verbs must agree

in number, pronouns and antecedents need to agree in number. If the antecedent is

singular, the pronoun is singular; if the antecedent is plural, the pronoun is plural.

a) Indefinite pronouns (pronouns that don’t refer to a specific person) like each,

either, neither, anybody, anyone, everybody, everyone, no one, nobody, one,

somebody, and someone always require singular pronouns.

- Each of the boys wore his favorite costume.

- Neither of the tenants could find her copy of the lease.

b) If two singular nouns or pronouns are joined by and, use a plural pronoun.

- When Grandma and Grandpa visit, they always bring presents.

c) If two singular nouns or pronouns are joined by or, use a singular pronoun.

-

Remember to give Sophie or Jane her application.

d) If a singular and a plural noun or pronoun are joined by or, the pronoun agrees

with the closest noun or pronoun it represents.

- The coach or players will explain their game strategy.

-

The players or the coach will explain his game strategy

TOEFL Exercise :

1. The answer is D because the pronoun should be “is” (refers to cyclone)

2.

The answer is B

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3.

SubordinationSubordination is the insertion of subordinate (dependent) clause into main clause

through the use of subordinating conjunctions.

a) Be careful of appositives

An appositive is a noun that comes before or after another noun and has the same

meaning.

Example : Bambang Pamungkas, the best player in ISL, got a golden ball.

b) Use coordinate connectors correctly

When we have 2 independent clauses in the sentence, we need coordinate

conjunction such as and, but, or, so and yet, and also coma.

Example : Ahmad is studying, and his brother was sleeping.

c) Use adverb connectors correctly

Adverb time Adverb cause

after as soon as once when as now that

as before Since whenever because since

as long as by the time until while inasmuch as

Abu did not go to school because he was sick yesterday.

When I was studying, my father came.

Other connectors such as contrast, condition, manner and place has the same

structure as time and cause.

d) Use noun clause connectors correctly

A noun clause is a clause that functions as a noun. It is used in sentence as either

an object of a verb, an object of a preposition, or a subject of a sentence.

Noun clause connectors

who what whenever whether how

which that whatever if when

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whichever where whoever why

As object of verb I know how to use this device.

As object of preposition He is interested in whatever you do.

As subject of sentence That you do not come is not important for me.

e) Use adjective clause connectors correctly

An adjective clause is a clause that describes a noun. It is located directly after

noun.

Adjective clause connectors

who (for people) which (for things) that (for things or pople)

Whom (for people) Whose (possessive)

Modify object I am still looking for the material which is relevant

for them.

Modify subject A man whose shoes was lost is standing in front of

the door.

f) Use reduced adjective clause correctly

- In the reduced form, the connectors and also the be-verb is omitted.

- If there is no be-verb, we need to change the verb into the – ing form.

-

Only reduce an adj clause if the connectors are directly followed by verb.

-

If an adjective clause is set off with commas, the reduced clause can be moved

to the front of the sentence.

- Example :

The woman who is teaching the children is my sister.

Reduced : The woman teaching the children is my sister.

Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, which is used for grand final match, is located in

Jakarta.

- Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, used for grand final match, is located in

Jakarta.




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Used for grand final match, Gelora Bung Karno Stadium is located in

Jakarta

g) Use reduced adverb clause correctly

-

To reduce adverb clause, omit the subject and be-verb from the adverb

clause.

- If there is no verb, omit the subject and change the verb to the ing-form.

-

Not all adverb connectors can be reduced, only passive verb can be

reduced.

Reduced adverb clauses

time condition contrast Place Manner

Reduces in

active

after if although

before unless though

since whether

while

Reduced in

passive

once if although where as

until unless though wherever

when whenever

whenever

Example :

Although he is not selected for the team, he attends all of the games as fans.

-

Although not selected for the team, he attends all of the games as

fans.

TOEFL exercise (subordination) :




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4.

Parallel structureWe can achieve parallel structure by making the forms of words as similar as possible.

a) Parallel structure with coordinate conjunction

Coordinate conjunction (and,but,or) can join together equal expressions.

2 nouns joined by coordinate conjunction

We can use the car or the motorcycle.

2 verbs joined by coordinate conjunction

We are studying and playing together. 2 adjectives joined by coordinate conjunction

Her performance is interesting and empowering.

2 phrases joined by coordinate conjunction

You can choose this one or that one.

2 clauses joined by coordinate conjunction

Rahman likes reading and his brother likes writing.

b) Parallel structure with paired conjunction

But…and, not only… but also, neither…nor, either…or

Example :

You can go either by bus or by train.

He has not only good intelligence but also good performance.

c) Parallel structure with comparison

more…than less…than similar….to

-er…than as…as the same…as

Example :

The information that I got is similar to the information that you told.

Our striker is taller than their goalkeeper.

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TOEFL Exercise :




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5.

Inversion

a)

Inverted subject and verb with question words

What, where,when,who,why,how

- When the question word introduces a question, the subject and the verb are

inverted.

-

When the question word connects two clauses, the subject and the verb that

follow are not inverted.

- Example :

1.

Only the pilot can tell you how far the plane can go on one tank of fuel.2. How can new students get information about library?

3. How long has it been since you arrived in the Magelang?

b) Inverted subject and verb with place expression

- Using “here, there, nowhere” or prepositional phrase expressing place.

- We can invert the subject and the verb after prepositional phrases that express

place as long as it is necessary to complete the sentence.

- Example :

1. Here are the areas that we need discover.

2.

Nowhere has he founded sophisticated tools.

3. Around the corner are the offices that you are trying to find.

c) Inverted subject and verb with negatives

When negative expression appears in front of a subject and verb, the subject and

the verb are inverted.

no not never neither nor seldom

barely hardly only rarely scarcely

Example :

1. No sooner has she hung up the phone than it rang again.

2. Hardly ever did the goalkeeper touch the ball.

3. The police did not arrive in time to save the victim, neither did the

paramedic.

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d) Inverted subject and verb with negatives conditionals

This can occur when the helping verb in the conditional clause is had, should, or

were, and the conditional connector if is omitted.

Example :

1. The report would have been accepted, if more care had been taken in

checking its accuracy.

-The report would have been accepted, had more care been taken in

checking its accuracy.

e) Inverted subject and verb with negatives comparisons

Example :

1. Indonesia National Team has more spirit than Spain National Team.

2.

Indonesia National Team has more spirit than Spain National Team has.

3. Indonesia National Team has more spirit than has Spain National Team.

4. We were more prepared than the other performers were.

5. We were more prepared than were the other performers.

TOEFL Exercise :




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C. Reading skills

1.

Scanning

Scanning is looking through a text to find keywords and phrases that are likely to

indicate the specific information that you are seeking, then reading just this piece

of the text. In another word, we search for specific information that may be

somewhere a text. When you scan, your goal is to find just the information you

want. When you’ve found it, you’re finished reading.

In TOEFL test, this strategy (scanning) will be useful especially when we face

reading comprehension question types such as :

Directly and indirectly answered detail questions

Pronoun questions

Transition questions

Vocabulary questions

Where-in-the passage questions

Before we read the passage, make sure that we have understood what the question

is about, we can get the keywords by using scanning technique.

Example :

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We can answer questions number 7 and 8 by using scanning strategy,

First, we need to get the key word from each question, the key word of question no. 7

is Atlantic city, and number 8 is Parker Brother.

Second, we need to scan the passage in order to find the key words or a related idea.

Third, we need to read carefully the sentence where the key word take place,

And the last, we look for the answer which is related to that sentence. (7. The

sentence is “Atlantic city, the site of numerous pre-depression vacation”, 8. The

sentence is “Darrow made first games by hand and sold them locally until Parker

Brothers purchased the rights to monopoly in 1935 and….mass production”, so the

answer is B.




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2.

Skimming

Skimming : quickly running one’s eyes across a whole text ( an essay, article, or

chapter) to get the gist (point) of it. The reader goes through the text extremely

quickly. The purpose of skimming is simply to see what a text is about. The

reader skims in order to satisfy a very general curiosity about a text.

In TOEFL test, skimming will be useful especially when we face reading

comprehension question types such as :

Main idea questions

Stated detail questions

Example :

Firstly, we need to read and skim first line of each paragraph.

Secondly, we look for common idea or theme from first line.

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Thirdly, we need to skim the passage to make sure that we have really found the topic or the

gist of the text.

3.

Clustering

• If you read one word at a time, both your reading speed and comprehension

will suffer.

• Clustering is looking at groups of words that form phrases or clauses at a

glance.• Learning to read in clusters is not natural for your eyes to do. It takes regular

practice.

How to Cluster:

• Select some light reading and read it as fast as you can.

• Look at two or more words at a time, grouping them into phrases or

clauses.

• Reread the material at your normal speed to see what you missed the first

time.

• Try a second reading selection. Cluster and then reread to find out what you

missed in this selection.

• When you can read in clusters without missing much the first time, your

speed has increased.

Example: Look at all the words in clusters of two or more words at a time.

At one time /in the Orient, /nearly every peasant hut /held its own loom./The family members

/took turns weaving/an Oriental rug, /with nearly 300 hand-tied knots /per square inch, /took

over a year /to complete. /Today /most oriental rugs /come from huge workshops /where

masters give instructions /that the weavers follow. /This method /steps up production /but

reduces creativity /in design./Mass production /of Oriental rugs /makes an antique, /worn-

looking rug /all the more valuable.

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4. Previewing

• Previewing allows you to read quickly to grasp an

overall view of lengthy, heavy reading such as reports

and nonfiction books.

• After previewing, you can then decide which parts of

the material you need to read more closely.

How to Preview:

• Read the first two paragraphs of your reading material.

• Next read only the first sentence of each of the following paragraphs.

• Then read the last two paragraphs entirely.

Example :

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References

Cosby, Bill. “ How to Read Faster .” Power of the Printed Word. New York: International

Paper Company, 1987.Miami-Dade learning assistance. study skills handouts

Learning Express, TOEFL Exam Essentials, New York: 2004

Phillips, Deborah, Longman Complete Course for TOEFL Test: Preparation for The

Computer and Paper Test , New York :Addison-Wesley Longman, 2001\

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