TOEFL TIPS

LISTENING COMPREHENSION
 GENERAL STRATEGIES
 Be familiar with the directions.
 Listen carefully to the conversations and
talks.
 Know where the easier and more difficult
questions are generally found.
 Never leave any answers blank on your
answer sheet.
 Use any remaining time to look ahead at
the answers to the questions that follows.
 THE LISTENING PART A QUESTIONS
STRATEGIES FOR THE LISTENING PART A
QUESTIONS

1. As you listen to each short conversation,

focus on the second line of the
conversations.
2. Keep in mind that the correct answer is
probably a restatement of key word or idea
in the second line of the conversation.
3. Keep in mind that certain structures and
expressions are tested regularly in
Listening Part A. Look at these structures
and expressions:
 Structures (passive, negatives, wishes,
conditions
 Functional expressions (agreement,
uncertainty, suggestion, surprise)
 Idiomatic expressions (two-part verb, three-
part verbs, idioms)
4. Keep in mind that these questions
generally progress from easy to
difficult.
5. Read the answers and choose the
best answer to each questions
6. Even if you do not understand the complete
conversations, you can find the correct
answer.
 If you only understood a few words or ideas in
the second line, choose the answer that
contains a restatement of those words or
ideas.
 If you did not understand anything at all in the
second line of the conversation, choose the
answer that sounds the most different from
you heard.
 Never choose an answer because it sounds
like what you heard in the conversations.
 STRATEGIES
Skill 1: FOCUS ON THE SECOND LINE

 The second line of the conversation probably

contains the answer to the question.
 Listen to the first line of the conversation. If
you understand it, that’s good. If you don’t
understand it, don’t worry because it probably
does not contain the answer.
 Be ready to focus on the second line of the
conversation because it probably contains the
answer. Repeat the second line in your mind as
you read through the answer in the text.
 Skill 2: CHOOSE ANSWERS WITH SYNONYMS
1. As you listen to the second line of the
conversation, focus on key words in that
line.
2. If you see any synonyms for the key words
in a particular answer, then you have
probably found the correct answer.
 Skill 3: AVOID SIMILAR SOUNDS
1. Identify key words in the second line of the
conversation.
2. Identify words in the answers that contain
similar sounds, and do not choose these
answers.
 Skill 4: DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT
WHO, WHAT, WHERE
It is common for you to be asked to
draw one of the following conclusions
in Listening Part A
1. WHO is probably talking?
2. WHAT will she probably do next?
3. WHERE does the conversation
probably take place?
 Skill 5: LISTEN WHO & WHAT IN
PASSIVE
1. If the conversation contains a passive
statement, the answer to the question
is often an active statement.
2. If the conversation contains an active
statement, the answer to the question
is often a passive statement
 Skill 6: LISTEN WHO & WHAT WITH
MULTIPLE NOUNS
When there are multiple nouns in a
sentence, it is common for the
answers to confuse which noun does
 Skill 7: LISTEN FOR NEGATIVE
EXPRESSION
TYPES OF NEGATIVE EXPRESSION

Expression Example Correct Answer

Regular negatives: Tom is not sad about Not sad = happy

not or n’t the result

Other negatives: Nobody arrived on Nobody ... On time =

nobody, none, time. Sal never works late
nothing, never hard Never works hard =
lazy

Negative prefixes: The patient was Insane = not sane =

un-, in-, dis- insane crazy
 Skill 8: LISTEN FOR “ALMOST
NEGATIVE” EXPRESSION
COMMON “ALMOST NEGATIVE” EXPRESSION
Meaning Expression Example
Almost none Hardly, barely, scarcely, There is hardly any
only food in the
refrigerator.
Almost never Rarely, seldom He rarely drives to
work
 Skill 9: LISTEN FOR NEGATIVE WITH
COMPARATIVE
COMPARATIVES WITH NEGATIVES
Comparative Example Meaning
more No one is more beautiful than She is the most
she is beautiful
-er He couldn’t be happier He is extremely happy
 Skill 11: LISTEN FOR EXPRESSIONS OF
AGREEMENTEXPRESSION OF AGREEMENT
Agreement with positive Agreement with negative
statements statements
So do I Neither do I
Me, too I don’t either
I’ll say!
Isn’t it!
You can say that again

 Skill 12: LISTEN FOR EXPRESSIONS OF

UNCERTAINTY &OF
EXPRESSIONS SUGGESTION
UNCERTAINTY & SUGGESTION
Uncertainty Suggestion
...isn’t it ? (tag) Why not ... ?
As far as I know Let’s ....
As far as I can tell
 Skill 13: LISTEN FOR EMPHATIC
EXPRESSION OF SURPRISE
EXPRESSION OF EMPHATIC SURPRISE
Verb Emphatic form Example Meaning
Be Be, with Then, he is I thought he
emphasis here! was not here

Modal Modal, with I thought you

emphasis Then, you can could not go
go!
Present tense Do(es), with I thought you
emphasis Then, you do did not play
play tennis! tennis
Past tense Did, with
emphasis Then, she did I thought she
read it had not read it
Perfect tense Have, with
emphasis Then, he has I thought he had
gone there not gone there
 Skill 14: LISTEN FOR WISHES
KEY INFORMATION ABOUT WISHES
Point Example Meaning
an affirmative wish I wish I had time to help = no time to help
implies a negative
reality

a negative wish I wish I did not have = time to help

implies an affirmative time to help
reality
a past tense verb I wish he were at home = is not at home
implies a present
reality

a past perfect tense I wish he had been at = was not at home

implies a past reality home
  Skill 15: LISTEN FOR UNTRUE
CONDITION
KEY INFORMATION ABOUT UNTRUE CONDITION

Point Example Meaning

an affirmative If she were at home, = not at home

condition implies a she could do it
negative reality
a negative condition If she weren’t at = at home
implies an affirmative home, she could do it
reality

a past tense implies If I had money, I = do not have money

a present reality would buy it.
a past perfect verb If I had money, I = did not have money
implies a past reality would have bought it

 Had can be used Had I had money, I = did not have money
without if would have bought it
 Skill 16: LISTEN FOR IDIOMS
• Called off = cancelled
• Burning the candle = doing too much
• Piece of cake = easy
• It’s all in a day’s work = a whole day to
do the job
• A pin drop = very quiet
 THE LISTENING PART B
QUESTIONS
 Part B of the LC section of the TOEFL test consists
of two long conversations, each followed by a
number of questions.
 The conversations are often about some aspect
of school life ( how difficult a class is, how to
write a research paper, how to register for a
course). The conversations can also be about
topics currently in the news in the US
(desalination of the water supply, recycling of
used products, damage from a storm or some
other type of natural phenomenon)
 SRTATEGIES FOR THE
LISTENING PART B QUESTIONS

1. If you have time, preview the answers

to the Listening Part B questions. While
you are looking at the answers, you
should try to do the following:
 Anticipate the topics of the
conversations you will hear.
 Anticipate the questions for each of
the groups of answers
2. Listen carefully to the first line of the
conversation. The first line of the
conversation often contains the main
idea, subject, or topic of the
conversation, and you will often be
asked to answer such questions.
3. As you listen to the conversation, draw
conclusions about the situation of the
conversation: who is talking, where the
conversation takes place, or when it
takes place. You will often asked to make
such inferences about the conversation.
4. As you listen to the conversation,
follow along with the answers in your
test book and try to determine the
correct answers. Detail questions are
generally answered in order in the
conversation, and the answers often
sound the same as what is said in the
recording.
5. You should guess even if you are not
sure.
6. Use any remaining time to look ahead
at the answers to the questions that
follow.
 THE LISTENING PART C
QUESTIONS
 Part C of the LC section of the TOEFL test
consists of three talks, each followed by
a number of questions.
 Like the questions in the Part B, the talks
are often about some aspect of school
life or topics currently in the news. It is
also very common for talks to be
shortened versions of lectures from
courses taught in American colleges and
universities.
 SPECIFIC STRATEGIES
 BEFORE LISTENING
 Anticipate the topic: are the
conversation about some aspect of
school life, social issue, or a trip
someone is planning
 WHILE LISTENING
 Determine the Topic
 Think about the topic (subject) or main
idea
 DRAW CONCLUSIONS
ABOUT WHO, WHAT, WHEN,
WHERE
 Who is talking?
 When does the conversation probably
take place?
 Where does the conversation probably
take place
 What is the source of information for
the conversation?
 LISTEN FOR ANSWERS IN
ORDER
 You can just listen to the conversation
(and ignore the answer)
 You can follow along with the answers
while you listen
 STRATEGIES FOR THE
LISTENING PART C QUESTIONS

1. If you have time, preview the answers

to the Listening Part B questions. While
you are looking at the answers, you
should try to do the following:
 Anticipate the topics of the conversations
you will hear.
 Anticipate the questions for each of the
groups of answers
2. Listen carefully to the first line of the
talks. The first line of the talk often
contains the main idea, subject, or topic
of the talk, and you will often be asked to
answer such questions.

3. As you listen to the talk, draw

conclusions about the situation of the talk:
who is talking, where or when the talk
takes place, which course this lecture
might be given. You will often asked to
make such inferences about the talk.
4. As you listen to the talk, follow
along with the answers in your
test book and try to determine
the correct answers. Detail
questions are generally
answered in order in the talk,
and the answers often sound the
same as what is said in the
recording.
5. You should guess even if you
are not sure.
6. Use any remaining time to look
 SPESIFIC STRATEGIES
 BEFORE LISTENING
 ANTICIPATE THE TOPIC: Are the talks
about American history, literature, or
some aspect of school life?
 ANTICIPATE THE QUESTIONS: How long
does (something) last?
 WHILE LISTENING
 DETERMINE THE TOPIC: thinking about the
topic (subject) or main idea for the talk
 DRAW THE CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHO,
WHAT, WHEN, WHERE
 WHO is talking?
 WHEN does the talk probably take place?
 WHERE does the talk probably take place?
 WHAT course is the talk concerned with?
 WHAT is the source of information for the
talk?
ACTIVITY