ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: some examples on the old Toefl practice test

Mister Micawber — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:29:43 GMT

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Well then, it is unclear as to what you are supposed to do with these sentences. This is how I would correct them:

1) An increasing number of office workers use computers as a part of their daily routine.

2) People who live in small towns tend to be more warm and friendly / warmer and friendlier / warmer and more friendly than people who live in big cities.

3) Before bridges were built, all transport across rivers in the US was by ferryboat.

4) Should you go out today, please don't forget to lock the door.

Nothing else is wrong with them.

Re: some examples on the old Toefl practice test

Belly — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:57:14 GMT

There was a typo: setence 3 was instead of were. But these are exact sentences in the explanation division of the book (means the correct version), and no underline

Re: some examples on the old Toefl practice test

Belly — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:54:46 GMT

there was a typo in sentence 3. it should be was instead of were. There was no words underlined. Those are the sentences come from the real Acro book in the explanation division.

Re: some examples on the old Toefl practice test

Mister Micawber — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:03:12 GMT

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Which words are underlined by the test maker in the sentences?

Re: some examples on the old Toefl practice test

Belly — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:39:43 GMT

1) Which is?

I've checked. And it is the impeccable version of the one in my practice test

I wonder because the sentence seems to violate the rule of English grammar. Why don't we just replace more warm and friendly with warmer and friendlier?

3) Which is?

Re: some examples on the old Toefl practice test

Mister Micawber — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:11:58 GMT

1) An increasing number of office workers use computer as daily rountine

What do you think about the structure of the sentence?-- I cannot judge. You have made several typing mistakes, I think, and have not indicated the answer options.

2)People who live in small towns tend to be more warm and friendly than people who live in big cities.

Are we supposed to replace warmer and friendlier here?-- You have not indicated the answer options, but there is nothing wrong with the sentence

3) Before bridges were built, all transport across rivers in the US were by ferryboat

I believed it was a misprint but it is not. However, the structure of the whole sentence sounds clumsy to me -- The sentence is fine except for Subject-Verb agreement in the main clause.

4) SHould you go out to day, please__ forget to lock the door. a) not to b) don't

I know b was right. But anybody know any situation that a can also be used-- Not in this structure in native English.
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some examples on the old Toefl practice test

Belly — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:23:27 GMT

These are some examples I found on the old Toefl practice test ( I'm not going to take this take, just skim through grammar in order to be sure for other exams)

1) An increasing number of office workers use computer as daily rountine

What do you think about the structure of the sentence? It sounds awkward to me.

Are we supposed to replace increasing with increased since I only saw increased in the entry of Oxford dictionary but not increasing. Do they have differences?

2)People who live in small towns tend to be more warm and friendly than people who live in big cities.

Are we supposed to replace warmer and friendlier here?

And by the way, how should we link a short adj with a long adj using and:

ex: They are nicer and more beautiful

or are we supposed to use the sentence's way?

3) Before bridges were built, all transport across rivers in the US were by ferryboat

I believed it was a misprint but it is not. However, the structure of the whole sentence sounds clumsy to me

4) SHould you go out to day, please__ forget to lock the door

a) not to

b) don't

I know b was right. But anybody know any situation that a can also be used?