Search results for 'tag:TOEFL tag:Grammar' matching tags 'TOEFL' and 'Grammar'

Re: How can I pass TOEFL test???

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:22:28 GMT

The TOEFL has four sections: reading, speaking, listening, writing.

The best advice: study grammar! It's true that there is no grammar section, but the TOEFL tests your grammar in other ways. For example, if you don't understand the grammar in the listening or reading, you won't be able to answer the questions correctly. This really is a tricky test!

For the speaking, I recommend focusing on pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, and stress. The key is how well you are understood, not necessarily how well you speak.

For the writing, focus on essay structure and find a native speaker to correct your essays. Also, time yourself when you write an essay Here's a good website for practicing: http://www.cz-training.com/toefl/practice.html

For reading, don't just read a lot of books and newspapers in English. Always have a dictionary by your side so you can look up every word you don't completely understand. Take notes, and pay attention to the grammar. Just sitting and reading the newspaper for fun is next to useless.

For listening, find a transcript for a TV show you like. (You can get some here: http://www.twiztv.com/scripts/) Then watch the TV show with the transcript. Make notes and pay attention to how words are linked together in English. Again, if you sit down, turn off you brain, and watch TV or listen to the radio, it's almost useless.

Hope this helps!

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?

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?

Need advice to improve my writing style

Musicgold — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:11:10 GMT

Hi,

I am a non-native English speaker and need some tips on improving my professional writing style. My job involves writing analysis of various economic and financial events and my career growth is in jeopardy as my writing style is not as professional as my English speaking colleagues.

To explain you about my level of English writing, I have easily passed exams like TOEFL and IELTS, and comfortable with different grammar rules.

My problem is I get stuck with sentences which I have never constructed before. I donât understand how to explain a situation in sentences that are easy to understand but donât sound awkward.

As for my efforts to improve my writing, I have tried two methods:
1. Writing a page on some topic everyday.
2. Noting down unfamiliar sentence constructions in whatever I read.

The problem I found with the first method is the review of what I write. I donât know anybody who can review my writing for me everyday.

With respect to the second method, I have collected 70-80 pages of unfamiliar/ new sentence constructions so far ( in a Word document). However, I donât know how to leverage this database. I canât read all of it in one setting, and just use the collection to look up for examples.

Could you please suggest me some methods that can help me in improving my professional writing?

Thanks,

MG.

Re: Please help Urgent - Letter to Human Resource

noob_plz_dun_laugh — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:56:13 GMT

This is a classic case of a non-English speaker unfamiliar with the idioms of the English language. Of course, this is entirely not your fault because it is not your first language. Instead of correcting this letter, I suggest you improve on your overall usage of vocabulary in the English language. Reading English books such as novels, prep books for TOEFL, idioms, grammar will help as well as watching English movies as well.

One tip I would like to let you know. In the English society, "communication skills" are very important. What does "communication skills" mean? It means how to express your deepest emotions, interests, and objectives in the most boring and unemotional way possible so that your target audience does not think you're an emotional nutcase.

If you're looking for an increased pay, you may say things such as "My performance has been held steady by the support of this organization and your continued support in the future will reinforce the confidence I have in my abilities. Thus, I feel that being a valuable asset to the organization may entitle me to the same benefits as the other workers that have made the growth of the organization possible."

Good luck buddy.

Get TESOL certified world-wide with IEERA

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 13:52:20 GMT

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The course provides practical training through teaching demonstrations, lesson planning and analysis, and practice teaching and feedback. Participants develop skills in teaching, speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar and culture. The course begins with a brief look at second language acquisition through the experience of being a learner. Participants then examine specific teaching areas each day, which they apply in their daily practice teaching of adult ESOL learners. Participants gain skills in analysis through examining their lessons with IEERA teacher trainers.

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The IEERA International TESOL Certification Program focuses on three main areas:

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Participants examine the theory and practice of planning, teaching, grammar, culture, and assessing lessons in the four skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) through experiential activities, teaching demonstrations, discussions, lesson planning, materials development and readings.

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Please Check My Essay for TOEFL

yellow-submarine — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:14:03 GMT

Hello.ãI'm a Japanese man, and I am planning to study abroad. This is my first time to post my essay here.

I would be most grateful if you could point out and correct errors of grammar, expression, logic, and so on, in my essay.

I wrote this essay for TOEFL, so please take it into account. (At the last exam, I scored 18 out of 30 in the writing section.)

"Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other peoplerefer to prepare and eat food at home. Which do you prefer?

Use pecific reasons and examples to support your answer."

When considering the place to eat food, some people like to eat out at restaurants,while others prefer to eat at home. I support the latter idea, for it is more economical. My answer is based on the following two points.

ãFirstly, we can cut cost for diet by preparing by ourselves. In general, dishes at restaurant are more expensive than those cooked at home. Various costs such as maintenance cost and labor cost are required to serve dishes at restaurants, and these inevitable factors make the price higher. On the other hand, when preparing food at home, we can compare supermarkets to pursue and purchase more inexpensive materials such as vegetables and meat. Moreover, we donât need to pay such maintenance cost and labor cost. Therefore, it is more economical to prepare and eat at home.

ãNext, we can limit our expenditure for seeing a doctor. If we continue to eat out, the risk of diabetes or other diseases become higher, for foods served at restaurants tends to be contained with a lot of salt and fat. We feel delicious when we eat oily food. Restaurants try to serve delicious food. Then, it is unhealthy to eat out. Therefore, if we eat at home and keep ourselves healthy, we can keep down medical care cost. Furthermore, we can choose materials by our own, which enable us to choose safer ones. Thus, by preparing and eating at home, we can keep ourselves healthy, and can cut cost for medical care.

ãIn conclusion, if we prepare and eat food at home, it is more economical because we can make a selection of more reasonable foods, and we can keep down cost for seeing a doctor. In Japan, the number of children has decreased, and the number of elderly people has increased. It will be difficult to support the cost for medical by a small working population. Then, Japanese people should try to decrease the cost.

Re: Teacher's opinion about TOELF?

Mister Micawber — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 06:18:04 GMT

Hi. I teach TOEFL preparation, and many of my students take the test.

How do you see TOEFL?-- I see it as a necessity for many non-English-speaking students who wish to attend American univeristies.

Does it cover all the essential?-- No language aptitude tests cover all the essentials.

Do the results tell enough of one's ability to use academic English efficent in studying field? -- Not necessarily; it is just a hint of capability.

Do you think there's some other way to tell better about the skills of a student?-- Long in-depth personal interviews together with a reading test would be better.

What do the scores tell? -- They tell whether the test-taker has test-taking skills and some English training.

Can the student rely on the received scores?-- Test results are more consistent at lower levels; higher level scores for a single test-taker tend to fluctuate with the specific reading passage topics.

Well, I'm also having difficulties in comparing TOEFL scores by countries, but I don't seem to find any kind of information. Nor do I find much about the average scores in general.-- It is difficult to compare between countries because the sorts of ways in which English is learnt vary so widely. In Japan, the grammar is learnt very well in secondary school but learners have virtually no opportunities for communication. In other countries, English is learnt more from tourists and on the street. I doubt an 'average score' would tell us much of value.

Re: tense in reported speech

Heidita — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:54:59 GMT

Yoong Liat wrote:

The teacher said, "The world is round."

In reported speech, it would be The teacher said that the world is round.

One of my English usage books says it can be reported as The teacher said that the world was round. ( was consistent with said in tense)

What do you think? Other books give only the 'is' version.

Hi Yoong, here we talk about "universal truths" as it were. So, I would also consider only the present tense possible.

Neverless, I wouldn't think so if the sentence was: He said: My brother is an idiot. Is this supposed to be a universal truth or a moment of anger? I don't think, just like in the original sentence of this post, that in a sentence like "He said: Muy brother is honest." we can talk about a universal truth.

Both in Spanish and in Germa the same "problem" exist. In German reported speech should be reported in subjunctive mode, which most of the people completely ignore. It is normally reported in idicative mode. However, in an exam, this would not be accepted. The same here, in my opinion and in my experience.

I have checked a grammar book (Thompson and Mrtinet), and several on-line, and they state explicitly that present becomes past, except for universal truths.

The rule stated one of the "Toefl" pages:

We do not change the tense of verbs in Direct Speech if they make a statement which is always true or if the action is still continuing and a change of tense would give the wrong meaning.

(http://www.myenglishgrammar.com/english/lesson-5-indirect-speech.html)

Re: tense in reported speech

Kooyeen — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:36:00 GMT

Hoa Thai wrote:
Yoong Liat wrote:
You're right. In an exam, it is advisable to use a verb in the past tense. However, in fact, if the marker is knowlegeable, he will not mark the answer as wrong.

Hi Yoong Liat,

I agree. I have had a chance to discuss this issue with many English teachers, friends of mine. Once they see the explanation, many of them think hard on multiple-choice examinations that might cause confusion / raise debatable issues.

Hi,
I just wanted to say that I don't agree at all. I really don't think there is anything wrong with using the present tense, so I think telling learners to avoid the present in reported speech on exams is quite misleading. They might think there's some weird grammar rule to remember.

What did she just say? Did she say her name is Kelly?

I wonder what kind of teacher would consider that incorrect on a TOEFL.
This is just my opinion.