AND WRITTEN EXPRESSIONS

Time : 25 minutes
Questions : 40 numbers

There are two types of questions in the Structure and Written Expressions:
1. Structure ( questions 1 – 15 )
15 sentences in which part of the sentence has been replaced with a blank. Each is
followed by 4 choices. You must choose the answer that completes the sentence in a
grammatically correct way.
2. Written Expressions ( questions 16 – 40 )
25 sentences in which 4 words or groups of words have been underlined. You must
choose the underlined word or group of words that is not correct.

Strategies for the Structure questions:

1. First study the sentence to determine what is needed to complete the sentence correctly.
2. Study each answer based on how well it completes the sentence.
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.

Strategies for the the Written Expressions questions:

1. First look at the underlined word or groups of words to see if you can find 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.

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SKILL 1: SUBJECTS AND VERBS

SUBJECT AND VERBS

A sentence in English must have at least one subject and one verb. The first thing you
should do as you read a sentence in the structure section of the TOEFL test is to find the
subject and the verb.

Example 1
was ringing continuously for hours.
(A) Loudly
(B) In the morning
(C) The phone
(D) The belts

Example 2
Newspapers every morning and every evening.
(A) delivery
(B) are delivered
(C) on time
(D) regularly

Example 3
The plane landing at the airport in five minutes.
(A) it is
(B) is really is
(C) is descending
(D) will be

EXERCISE 1: Identify the subject and the verb in each of the following sentences. Then
indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

I_ 1. My best friend always helpful with problems.

C_ 2. The bus schedule has changed since last week.

3. Accidentally dropped the glass on the floor.

4. The customer paying the clerk for the clothes.

5. The professor handed the syllabus to the students.

6. Each day practiced the piano for hours.

7. The basketball player tossed the ball into the hoop.

8. The new student in the class very talkative and friendly.

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 9. Walking with the children to school.

10. The whales headed south for the winter.

SKILL 2: OBJECTS OF PREPOSITIONS

OBJECTS OF PREPOSITIONS
A preposition ( in, at, of, to, by, behind, on, etc) is followed by a noun or pronoun that is called
an object of preposition. If a word is an object of preposition, it is not the subject.

The trip (to the island) (on Saturday) will last (for three hours).

The underlined words are the objects of prepositions.

Example
To Mike was a big surprise.
(A) really
(B) the party
(C) funny
(D) when

EXERCISE 2: Each of the following sentences contains one or more prepositional phrases.
Identify the prepositional phrases that come before the verb. Then indicate if the sentences are
correct (C) or incorrect (I)

C_ 1. The name of the baby in the crib is Jack.

I_ 2. By the next meeting of the class need to turn in the papers.

3. The directions to the exercise on page twenty unclear.

4. Because of the heavy rain throughout the night, the walkways are
muddy.
5. During the week eat lunch in the school cafeteria.

6. In the morning after the concert was tired.

7. In the summer the trip to the mountains is our favorite trip.

8. In a box on the top shelf of the cabinet in the hallway of the house.

9. With her purse in her hand ran through the door.

10. At 1:00 in the morning the alarm clock on the table beside the bed rang.

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EXERCISE (Skills 1-2): Identify the subjects, verbs and prepositional phrases. Then indicate if
the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I)

1. During the meeting in the office discussed the schedule.

2. The doctor gave the patient a prescription.

3. The tall evergreen trees along the road.

4. The watch in the jewelry box needs a new battery.

5. Pleasantly greets everyone in all the offices every morning.

6. In the office of the building across the street from the park on the corner.

7. The dishes in the sink really need to be washed as soon as possible.

8. In a moment of worry about the problem with the cash in the account.

9. The plane from New York circling the airport.

10. On a regular basis the plants in the boxes under the window in the kitchen are watered
and fed.

TOEFL EXERCISE (Skills 1-2): Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best
completes the sentence.
1. Mark Twain the years after the 4. In 1867, Alaska from the Russians
Civil War the “Gilded Age.” for $7.2 million.
(A) called (A) purchased the United States
(B) calling (B) to purchase the United States
(C) he called (C) the United States’ purchase of
(D) his calls (D) the United States purchased

2. Early toes instead of hooves on 5. Between 1725 and 1750, New England
their feet. witnessed an increase in the
(A) horses specialization of .
(B) had horses (A) occupations
(C) horses had (B) occupies
(D) horses having (C) they occupied
(D) it occupied them
3. grow close to the ground in the
short Arctic summer. 6. The large carotid artery to the main
(A) Above tundra plants parts of the brain.
(B) Tundra plants (A) carrying blood
(C) Tundra plants are found (B) blood is carried
(D) For tundra plants (C) carries blood
(D) blood carries

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7. radio as the first practical system 9. The two biggest resort Arkansas are
of wireless telegraphy. Hot Springs and Eureka Springs.
(A) Marconi’s development (A) in
(B) The development by Marconi (B) towns in
(C) Developing Marconi (C) towns are
(D) Marconi developed (D) towns are in

8. In 1975, the first successful space probe 10. NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space
to beginning to send information Center control center for the
back to Earth. Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space
(A) Venus flights.
(B) Venus the (A) it was at the
(C) Venus was (B) it was the
(D) Venus it was (C) was the
(D) the

SKILL 3: PRESENT PARTICIPLES

PRESENT PARTICIPLES
A present participle is the –ing form of the verb.
The present participle can be either (1) part of the verb or (2) an adjective.
It is a part of the verb when it is accompanied by some form of the verb be (am, is, are, was,
were, be, been )
It is an adjective when it is not accompanied by some form of the verb be.

The train is arriving at the station now. The train arriving at the station now is an hour late.
verb adjective

Example:
The film appearing at the local theater is my favorite.
(A) now
(B) is
(C) it
(D) was

EXERCISE 3: Each of the following sentences contains one or more present participles.
Identify the present participles and label them as adjectives or verbs. Then indicate if the
sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I)

C_ 1. The crying baby needs to be picked up.

I_ 2. The clothes are lying on the floor should go into the washing machine.

3. The waitress bringing the steaming soup to the waiting diners.

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 4. Most of the striking workers are walking the picket line.

5. For her birthday, the child is getting a talking doll.

6. The setting sun creating a rainbow of colors in the sky.

7. The ship is sailing to Mexico is leaving tonight.

8. The letters needing immediate answers are on the desk.

9. The boring class just ending a few minutes ago.

10. The fast- moving clouds are bringing freezing rain to the area.

SKILL 4: PAST PARTICIPLES

PAST PARTICIPLES
A past participle often ends in –d or -ed, but there are also many irregular past participles.
For many verbs, including –d or –ed verbs, the simple past and the past participle are the
same and can be easily confused. The –ed form of the verb can be (1) the simple past,
(2) the past participle of a verb, or (3) an adjective.

The past participle can be either (1) part of the verb or (2) an
adjective
It is a part of the verb when it is accompanied by some form of the verb be (am, is, are, was,
were, be, been, being ) and have ( have, has, had, having)
It is an adjective when it is not accompanied by some form of the verb be and have.

The mailman has left a letter in the mailbox.

verb

The classes were taught by Professor Smith.

verb

The letter left in the mailbox was for me.

adjective

The classes taught by Professor Smith were very interesting.

Adjective

Example :
The bread baked this morning smelled delicious.
(A) has
(B) was
(C) it
(D) just

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EXERCISE 4: Each of the following sentences contains one or more past participles. Identify
the past participles and label them as adjectives or verbs. Then indicate if the sentences are
correct (C) or incorrect (I)

I_ 1. The food is served in this restaurant is delicious.

C_ 2. The plane landed on the deserted runway.

3. The unexpected guests arrived just at dinnertime.

4. The courses are listed in the catalogue are required courses.

5. The teacher found the lost exam.

6. The small apartment very crowded and disorganized.

7. The photographs developed yesterday showed Sam and his friends,

8. The locked drawer contained the unworn jewels.

9. The tree was blown over in the storm was cut into logs.

10. The students registered in this course are listed on that sheet of paper.

EXERCISE (Skills 3-4): Identify the present and past participles and label them as adjectives
or verbs. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I)

1. Our hosts are serving drinks on the tiled patio.

2. The tired woman taking a much-needed map.

3. The letters were sent on Monday arrived on Wednesday.

4. The winners deserved the big prize.

5. The plants are growing in the garden need a lot of water.

6. The shining stars lit up the darkened sky.

7. The driver rapidly increased the speed of the racing car.

8. The excited children trying to build a snowman in the falling snow.

9. The students are completing the course will graduate in June.

10. The dissatisfied customer is returning the broken toaster to the store.

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TOEFL EXERCISE (Skills 3-4): Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best
completes the sentence.
1. The first appeared during the last 6. Robert F. Lee the Confederate
period of the dinosaurs’ reign. Army to General Grant in 1865 at the
(A) flowers are plants Appomattox Courthouse.
(B) plants have flowers (A) surrendered
(C) plants flowers (B) he surrendered
(D) flowering plants (C) surrendering
(D) surrender
2. The earliest medicines from plants
of various sorts. 7. The primary gland, the brain,
(A) obtaining releases hormones to control other
(B) they obtained glands.
(C) were obtained (A) found below
(D) they were obtained (B) it is found below
(C) its foundation below
3. Simple sails were made from canvas (D) finds itself below
over a frame.
(A) a stretch 8. At around two years of age, many
(B) stretched children regularly produce sentences
(C) was stretched three or four words.
(D) it was stretched (A) are containing
(B) containing
4. Pluto’s moon Charon in a (C) contain
slightly (D) contains
elliptical path around the planet.
(A) moving 9. Multinational companies it
(B) is moving increasingly important to employ
(C) it was moving internationally acceptable brand names.
(D) in its movement (A) finding
(B) are finding
5. Techniques of breath control form an (C) they find
essential part of any program to (D) they are finding
improve the voice.
(A) it trains 10. The cornea is located under the
(B) train conjunctiva, on of the eye.
(C) trains (A) the part is exposed
(D) training (B) exposed the part
(C) the exposed part
(D) exposes the part

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