Tips and Tricks of TOEFL

TOEFL : Test of English as a Foreign Language It is a test to measure the level of English proficiency for non-native speakers of English. It is required primarily by colleges or universities, government agencies, or scholarship programs.

Preparing for the TOEFL test:

It is better to take TOEFL Preparation class before taking the test. Begin your TOEFL studies as soon as you decide to take the exam. Study on a regular basis. All English practice are useful and helpful. Work carefully through the exercise in preparation for the TOEFL test. Practice budgeting your time.

The test currently has the following sections:

Listening comprehension: to demonstrate nonnative speakers ability in understanding spoken English (50 questions: 40 minutes) Structure and written expression: to demonstrate their ability in recognizing grammatically correct English (40 questions: 25 minutes) Reading comprehension: to demonstrate their ability in understanding written English (50 questions: 55 minutes)

Listening Comprehension Section

There are three parts of Listening Comprehension section: 1. Part A: consists of 30 short dialogues, each followed by a questions. 2. Part B: consists of 2 long conversations, each followed by a number of questions. 3. Part C: consists of three long talks, each followed by a number of questions.

GENERAL STRATEGIES FOR LISTENING COMPREHENSION

Be familiar with the direction: the direction on every paper test are same, so it is not necessary to spend time reading the directions. Listen carefully to the passages: you will hear the recording only once. Know where the easier and the more difficult questions are generally found: the questions generally progress from easy to difficult. Be familiar with the pacing of the test: 12 seconds between each question. Never leave any answer blank for there is no penalty for the wrong answer. Use any remaining time to look ahead at the answers to the following questions.

SPECIFIC STRATEGIES FOR LISTENING COMPREHENSION PART A:

1. FOCUS ON THE LAST LINE The short dialogues involve conversations between two people, usually the answer of the question found in the last line of the dialogue, for example: On the recording, you will hear: Man : Billy really made a big mistake this time. Woman : Yes, he forgot to turn in his research paper. Narrator : What does the woman say about Billy? In your test book, you read: A. It was the first time he made a mistake. B. He forgot to write his paper. C. He turned in the paper in the wrong place. D. He didnt remember to submit his assignment.

 2. Choose answers with synonyms Often the correct answer in a short dialogue is an answer that contains synonyms (words with similar meaning but different sounds) for key words in the conversation, for example: On the recording, you hear: Woman : Why is Barbara feeling so happy? Man : She just started working in a real estate agency. Narrator : What does the man say about Barbara? In your test book, you read: A. She always liked her work in real estate. B. She began a new job. C. She just bought some real estate. D. She bought a real estate agency.

 3. Avoid similar sounds Often the incorrect answers in the short dialogues are answers that contain words with similar sounds but very different meanings from what you hear on the recording, for example: Man : Why couldnt Mark come with us? Woman : He was searching for a new apartment. Narrator : What does the woman say about Mark? In your test book, you read: A. He was in the department office. B. He was looking for a place for live. C. He was working on his research project D. He had an appointment at church.

 4. Draw conclusions about who, what, where In this type of question, the answer is not clearly stated, instead you must draw a conclusion based on clues given in the dialogue, for examples: @On the recording, you hear: Woman : Can you tell me what assignments I missed when I was absent from your class? Man : You missed one homework and a quiz. Narrator : Who is the man? In your test book, you read: A. A newspaper editor. B. A police officer. C. A teacher. D. A student.

5. Listen for who and what in passives It is sometimes difficult to understand who or what is doing the action in passive sentence. This problem is often tested in the short dialogues, for example: On the recording, you hear: Man : Did Sally go to the bank this morning? Woman : Yes, she did. She got a new checking account. Narrator : What does the woman imply? In your test book, you read: A. Sally wrote several checks. B. Sally wanted to check up on the bank. C. A new checking account was opened. D. Sally checked on the balance in her account.

 6. Listen for who and what with multiple nouns When there is more than one noun in a sentence of the dialogues, it is common for the answers to confuse which noun does what, for example: On the recording, you hear: Man : Do you know who is in the band now? Woman: I heard that Mara replaced Robert in the band. Narrator: What does the woman say about the band? In your test book, you read: A. Robert became a new member of the band. B. Robert took Maras place in the band. C. Mara didnt have a place in the band. D. Mara took Roberts place in the band.

7. Listen for negative expressions Negative expressions are very common in the short dialogues, and the most common kind of correct response to a negative statement is a positive statement containing a word with an opposite meaning, for example: On the recording, you hear: Man : How did they get to their grandmothers house in Maine in only five hours. Woman : They didnt drive slowly on the trip to Maine. Narrator: What does the woman say about the trip? In the test book, you read: A. They drove rather quickly. B. They couldnt have driven more slowly. C. They wanted to travel slowly to Maine. D. They didnt drive to Maine.

 8. Listen for double negative expressions It is possible for two negative ideas to appear in one sentence, and the result can be quite confusing, for example: On the recording, you hear: Man : I cant believe the news that I heard about the concert. Woman : Well, it isnt impossible for the concert to take place. Narrator : What does the woman say about the concert. In your test book, you read: A. Theres no possibility that the concert will take place. B. The concert will definitely not take place. C. The concert might take place. D. The concert cant take place.

 9. Listen to Negatives with Comparatives Negatives can be used with comparatives in the short dialogues of the TOEFL test. A sentence with a negative and a comparative has a superlative or very strong meaning, for example: On the recording, you hear: Woman : What do you think of the new student in math class? Man : No one is more intelligent than she is. Narrator : What does the man say about the new student? In your test book, you read: A. She is not very smart. B. He is smarter than she is. C. Other students are smarter than she is. D. She is the smartest student in the class.

 10. Listen for expressions of agreement Expressions of agreement are common in the short dialogues, so you should become familiar with them. The following example shows agreement with a positive statement: On the recording, you hear: Man : I think that the hypothesis is indefensible. Woman : So do I. Narrator : What does the woman mean? In your test book, you read: A. She is unsure about the hypothesis. B. The hippopotamus is behind the fence. C. She thinks that the hypothesis can be defended. D. She agrees with the man.

 11. Listen to expression of uncertainty and suggestion, for example: Man : Do you know anything about the final exam in physics? Woman : Its going to be rather difficult, isnt it? Narrator : What does the woman mean? In your test book, you read: A. The exam is not going to be too difficult. B. Shes positive that its going to be hard. C. She thinks that it might be hard. D. She has no idea about the exam.

The following chart lists common expressions that show uncertainty and suggestion: Expressions of uncertainty and suggestion Uncertainty: ..isnt it (tag)? As far as I know. As far as I can tell. Suggestion: Why not.. Lets. ....
.

 12. Listen for wishes Conversations about wishes can appear in the short dialogues. The important idea to remember about wishes is that the opposite of wishes is true, for example: On the recording you hear: Woman : Its too bad that you have to stay here and work during the school break. Man : I really wish I could go with you and the others to Palm Springs. Narrator : What does the man mean? In your test book, you read: A. Maybe he will go with the others on the trip. B. He is unable to go on the trip. C. Hes unhappy to be going on the trip. D. Hes going on the trip, but not with the others.

KEY INFORMATION ABOUT WISHES

Point 1. An affirmative wish implies a negative reality. 2. A negative wish implies an affirmative reality. 1. A past tense verb implies a present reality. 2. A past perfect tense verb implies a past reality. Example I wish I had time to help. Meaning = no time to help

I wish I did not have time to help. I wish he were at home. (remember that were is used instead of was in wishes/ untrue condition) I wish he had been at home.

= there is time to help = is not at home

=was not at home

 13. Listen to untrue condition The important idea to remember about the untrue conditions is that the opposite of the condition is true, for example: On the recording, you hear: Man : Do you think that youll be able to go to the party? Woman : If I had time, I would go. Narrator : What does the woman say about the party? In your test book, you read: A. Maybe shell go. B. She has time, so shell go. C. She is going even if she doesnt have time. D. Its impossible to go.

KEY INFORMATION ABOUT UNTRUE CONDITIONS

Point 1. An affirmative condition implies a negative reality. 2. A negative condition implies an affirmative reality. 1. A past tense implies a present reality. 2. A past perfect verb implies a past reality. 1. Had can be used without if. Example 1. If she were here, she could do it. Meaning = not here

2. If she werent here, she = here could do it. 1. If I had money, I would buy it. 2. If I had had money, I would have bought it. 1. Had I had money, I would have bought it. = do no have money = did not have money = did not have money

 14. Listen to the phrasal-verbs. Questions involving phrasal-verbs can be difficult for students because the addition of the article changes the meaning, for example: On the recording, you hear: Man : What time does the meeting start? Woman : Didnt you hear that it was called off by the director? Narrator : What does the woman say about the meeting. In your test book, you read: A. The director called a meeting. B. The director phoned her about the meeting. C. The director called the meeting to order. D. The director cancelled the meeting.

 15. Listen to idioms Idioms questions can be difficult for students because they seem to be describing one situation when they are really describing a different situation, for example: On the recording, you hear: Man : Tom is a full-time student and is holding down a full-time job. Woman : Hes really burning the candle at both ends. Narrator: What does the woman say about Tom? In your test book, you hear: A. Hes lighting the candle. B. Hes holding the candle at the top and the bottom. C. Hes doing too much. D. Hes working as a firefighter.

STRATEGIES FOR LISTENING COMPREHENSION PART B AND C:

A. If you have time, preview the answer to the questions of part B; while you are looking at the answer, you should try to do the following: 1. Anticipate the topics of the conversation you will hear. 2. Anticipate the question for each of the groups of answer. B. Listen carefully to the first line of the conversation; the first line of the conversation often contains the main idea, subject, or topics of the conversation. C. As you listen to the conversation, draw the conclusions about the situation of the conversation: who is talking, where nor when the conversation takes place. D. As you listen to the conversation, follow along with the answers in your test book and try to determine the correct answers. E. You should guess even if you arent sure. Never leave any answer blank. F. Use any remaining time to look ahead at the answers to the following questions.