toeic structure

GRAMMAR

1

NOUN 1 Countable Noun >< Uncountable Noun

Singular Plural without a/an/ -s

a /an/the

Regular Irregular

Noun –s/ es

Note 1

2

a means/series/species – means ..a child – childrena foot – feeta tooth – teetha louse – lice

a person – people a goose – geese

a mouse – micea man – mena woman – womenon ox - oxena fish - fisha carp – carpa cod – coda salmon – salmona deer – deera sheep - sheepa crisis – crises

a thesis – thesesa diagnosis - diagnosesa hypothesis – hypothesesa parenthesis - parentheses an axis - axesan oasis - oasesa phenomenon – phenomenaa criterion - criteriaa memorandum – memorandaa curriculum – curriculaa bacterium - bacteriaa syllabus – syllabia cactus – cactia fungus – fungia stimulus – stimulia radius – radiian appendix – appendicesan index – indices

Note 2: Twelve nouns ending in f or fe drop the f or fe and ad ves

3

a calf - calves

a half - halves

a knife - knives

a leaf - leaves

a life – lives

a loaf - loaves

-self - -selves

a sheaf - sheaves

a shelf - shelves

a thief - thieves

a wife - wives

a wolf –wolves

But:

a hoof – hooves/hoofs a roof – roofs a cliff – cliffs

a safe – safes a handkerchief – handkerchiefs a belief- beliefs

NOUN 2: Compound Nouns1. Normally the last word is made plural

boyfriends

travel agents

shop windows

hitch-hikers

traffic wardens

river banks

city streets

corner shops

street markets

spring flowers

November fogs

church bells

college libraries

driving licenses

2. But when man and woman is prefixed both parts are made plural

men drivers women drivers

3. The first word is made plural with compounds formed of verb + er or compounds

composed of noun + preposition + noun

lookers-on runners-up sisters-in-law

NOUN 3: Quantifiers1. Many/several/various/numerous/diverse >< Much

2. A number of/numbers of >< An amount of/amounts of

3. (A) few >< (A) little

4. Fewer/ the fewest >< Less/ the least

NOUN 4: Numbers1. a /two/three… hundred/thousand/million/billion/trillion + Noun

2. hundreds/thousands/millions/billions + OF + Noun

3. Compound adjectives

A three-year-old boy

A 16,000-page book

4. one/two/three percent (no –s) of Noun ; but a/the percentage of Noun

VERB(1) Subject _ Verb Agreement

(2) Tenses

(3) Active >< Passive

Transitive V + Obj V + No Object /Prepositional phrase (by, in, with…)

(4) Form

a. After modal verb + Bare inf (can, could, may, might, shall, should, must, will,

would, would rather, had better, have to, ought to, be to, be supposed to)

V- ing ( active/ continuous tenses)

b. After ‘be’

P. P (passive)

c. After ‘have’ + P. P (perfect tenses)

d. Gerund >< Infinitive

e. Finite Verb >< Participle ( Present Participle >< Past participle)

PARALLEL STRUCTURE

1. ,

2. and

3. but

4. or

5. either …or

6. neither… nor

7. not only… but also

8. both … and

9. rather than

10. whether … or

11. as well as

PRONOUN

1. Pronoun/Noun Agreement they >< it/he/she/we

their >< its/his/her/our

them>< it/him/her/us

themselves><itself/himself/herself/ourselves

who/whom>< which

that (of ) >< those (of) (plural)

2. Which type?

a. Subjective Pronouns (I/You/He/She/It/ We/You/They)

- Subject of a Verb

- After ‘Be’

b. Objective Pronouns (me/you/him/her/it/us/you/them)

- Object of a Verb

- Object of a Preposition

c. Possessive Adjectives (my/your/his/her/its/our/your/their)

- Before a Noun

- Before a Gerund : We are surprised by their nesting in such harsh

conditions

d. Possessive Pronouns (mine/yours/his/hers/ours/yours/theirs)

e. Reflexive Pro

(myself/yourself/himself/herself/itself/ourselves/yourselves/themselves)

3. Wrong spelling ( hisself/ theirselves/ ourself/ themself)

4. The >< Possessive Adjective

Ex: His snake is a reptile.

He devoted the life to science.

5. Double subject/object

Ex: Black Island in Long Island Sound it is surrounded by cold, dangerous waters.

6. Unnecessary relative pronoun >< Necessary relative pronoun

Ex: Certain types of turtles that may live as long as 100 years.

The woman lives next door is too nosy.

WORD FORM

1. Adjectives

a. Before nouns

Ex: an important meeting

b. After ‘be’ and other linking verbs

- be/become

- look/seem/appear/sound

- taste/feel/smell

- stay/remain ( = continue to be)

- turn/get/grow/go (= become)

- prove/find

Ex: She looks angry.

c. Some adjectives end in –ly: friendly/costly/cowardly/lovely/lively/

lonely/likely/ugly/early/monthly/weekly/daily/hourly/nightly/year

ly/quarterly/timely/scholarly/womanly/manly/motherly/fatherly/

kindly

2. Adverbs

a. Modify verbs: Ex: Ann eagerly accepted the challenge.

b. Modify adjectives Ex: Ted seemed extremely curious about that topic.

c. Modify participles Ex: A rapidly changing situation / A brightly colored dress.

d. Modify prepositions/ clause markers: soon after / immediately after/ long before/

shortly before

e. Modify adverbs: Ex: The accident occurred incredibly quickly.

f. Modify the whole sentence

- general >< generally

- basic >< basically

- particular >< particularly

- possible >< possibly

- probable >< probably

- usual >< usually

- original >< originally - innate >< innately

Ex: Generally, I like my class

3. Note

a. fast (adj) fast (adv)

b. long (adj) long (adv)

c. hard (adj) hard >< hardly

d. high (adj) high >< highly (figurative meaning)

e. early (adj) early (adv)

f. good (adj) well (adv)

VERB NOUN ADJECTIVE VERB NOUN ADJECTIVE

Differ Difference Different Restrict Restriction Restrictive

Invent Invention Inventive Cultivate Culture Cultural

Compete Competition Competitive Agriculture Agricultural

Fertilize Fertilizer/fertility Fertile Empower Power Powerful

Decide Decision Decisive Importance Important

Prohibit Prohibition Prohibitive Significance Significant

Prevent Prevention Preventive Analyze Analysis Analytical

Beautify Beauty Beautiful Familiarize Familiarity Familiar

Originate Origin Original Popularize Popularity Popular

Emphasize Emphasis Emphatic Classify Classification Classifiable

Glorify Glory Glorious Categorize category Categorical

Mystify Mystery Mysterious Absent Absence Absent

Socialize Society Social Interest Interest Interesting

Generalize Generalization General Bore Boredom Boring

Simplify Simplicity Simple Fascinate Fascination Fascinating

Free Freedom Free Produce Production Productive

Construct Construction Constructive Necessitate Necessity Necessary

Live Life Live/living Collect Collection Collective

FIELD PERSON FIELD PERSON FIELD PERSON

Music Musician Surgery Surgeon Dentistry Dentist

Poetry Poet Architecture Architect Engineering Engineer

Administration Administrator Farming Farmer Finance Financier

Photography Photographer Biology Biologist Physics Physicist

Athletics Athlete Theory Theorist Science Scientist

Philosophy Philosopher Chemistry Chemist Invention Inventor

Creation Creator Politics Politician Crime/criminology Criminal

Law Lawyer Humor Humorist Mathematics mathematician

History Historian Biography Biographer Manufacture Manufacturer

Editing Editor Writing Writer Acting Actor/actress

Magic Magician Geography Geographe

r

Collection Collector

Forecast Forecaster Hunting Hunter Employment Employee/er

Training Trainer Dance Dancer Competition Competitor

Contest Contestant Beauty Beautician Labor Laborer

Discovery Discoverer Carpentry Carpenter

NOUN VERB ADJECTIVE NOUN VERB ADJECTIVE

Strength Strengthen Strong Heat Heat Hot

Hardness Harden Hard Light Lighten Light

Softness Soften Soft Brightness Brighten Bright/brilliant

Depth Deepen Deep Thickness Thicken Thick

Ripeness Ripen Ripe Richness Enrich Rich

Solidity Solidify Solid Humidity Humidify Humid

Length Lengthen Long Flatness/flat Flatten Flat

Shortness Shorten Short Height Heighten High

Weight Weigh Weighty/weightless Darkness/dark Darken Dark

Blackness Blacken Black White/whiteness Whiten White

Fat Fatten Fat Largeness Enlarge Large

Nouns: hearing/sight/smell/taste/touch

Verbs: hear/see/smell/taste/touch

WORD CHOICE

1. Wrong choice of MAKE or DO

1) MAKE an agreement/ an announcement/ an attempt/an effort/ a

decision/a discovery/ an offer/a profit/ a promise/ advances in/ a

comparison/ a contribution/ a distinction/ a forecast/ a law/ a point/ an

investment/ a plan/ a prediction/ a sound/ noise/use of/ a choice/ a

loan/an appointment

2) MAKE UP OF (= be composed of ); MAKE UP (= compose)

3) DO an assignment/the dishes/ the washing-up/the shopping/ the

ironing/the cooking/a favor/homework/the laundry/ a paper//research/

a job/ one’s work/ business with/ justice to/ wrong/ a kindness/one’s

duty/harm/one’s best/a service/damage/ wonder

2. Wrong choice of like/ alike/like or as

1) Like/Unlike A, B + Verb

2) A, like/unlike B, + Verb

3) A is like/unlike B

4) A and B are alike

5) Like + Noun Ex: My results were much like Paul’s

6) As + Subject +Verb Ex: I did my experiment just as Paul did

7) As + Noun (=in the role of)

8) serve as/ function as/ use sth as/ be used as/ be thought of as/ be

referred to as

9) regard/consider/name/choose/elect/select/designate/appoint/

declare/nominate/proclaim/announce s.o/sth (as) s.o/sth

3. Wrong choice of so, such, too

4. Wrong choice of because or because of; although or in spite

of /despite; when/while or during

5. Wrong choice of ANOTHER or OTHER

Adverb clause markers + S+ V Preposition + Noun/NP

because because of/ due to/ on account of

although/though/even though in spite of/ despite

when/while/as during

1) so + adjective/adverb + that Subject + Verb

2) so + many/few + Noun (c) that Subject + Verb

+ much/little + Noun (u) that Subject + Verb

3) so + adjective + a/an + Noun (c, singular) that Subject + Verb

4) such + (a/an) + Noun that Subject + Verb

5) too adjective + (for someone) + to do something

6) enough + noun +( for someone) to do something

7) adjective/adverb + enough + (for someone) to do something

Another Other

Adjective another + Noun (singular) other + Noun (plural)

Determiner (the, some, any,

every, one, no) + other + Noun

(sing )

Pronoun another (an additional one)

Ex: Give me another.

the other/the others

Ex: Of the two teachers, one is

experienced, and the other is not.

Note: each other / one another

from one … to another

6. Other word form problems

BE CAREFUL WITH THESE PAIRS OF WORDS

1) no + noun >< not … any

2) no longer >< not … any longer/any more

3) most + Noun

most of the Noun

almost all of the Noun/ almost no + Noun/almost every + Noun

the most +adj/adv (superlative)

4) almost + quantifier/adjective/adverb (Word Order)

5) twice (adjective) >< double (verb)

Note: be twice as… as…

6) earliest >< soonest

7) one /two/three…percent of >< a /the percentage of

8) after >< afterward (adv = after that )

9) ago >< before

10) tell so that >< say that/say to so that

Note: tell a story/a lie/lies/the truth/ a secret

11)hardly ever >< never

12)hard/hardly

13)and/but/or

14)be alive >< live + Noun

15)old > < of age

16)near (=close to) >< nearly (=almost)

17)some + Noun >< somewhat + adjective

18)affect so/sth >< effect of sth on so/sth

19)already (adv) >< be all ready ( adjective)

20)among (3 or more) >< between ( 2)

21)and (conjunction) >< also (adverb)

22)beside (=next to) >< besides (= in addition)

23)costume (=clothing) >< custom (traditional practice)

24)farther/further (distance) >< further (= more)

25)formally (=officially) >< formerly (=previously)

26)hard >< hardly

27)imaginary (= not real/fictional) >< imaginative (=creative)

28)later >< latter

29)lay laid laid laying +Object (= put/place)

lie lay lain lying (= be situated/located)

lie lied lied lying (= not tell the truth)

30)loose (adj) >< lose (verb)

31)no>< not>< none

32)pass (verb) >< past (adj/noun/preposition)

Note: pass = go/come past

33)quiet (adj) >< quite (adv)

34)raise + object/ be raised (passive) >< rise (without an object)

35)set + object (=put/place) >< sit (without an object)

36)thorough (adj) >< through (adv)

37)out >< out of +Noun

38)away>< away from + Noun

39)out/in (preposition) >< outer/inner (adjective)

40)listen to >< hear

41)lone/live/sleeping + noun >< be alone/ alive/asleep

7. Redundancy

- connect together

- repeat again

- join together

- proceed forward

- advance forward

- only unique

- new innovations

- reread again

- return back

- same identical

- sufficient enough

- separated away from

- incorrect mistake

- progress forward

- important significant

- carefully cautiously

- established founded

- protect guard

- original first

- rarely seldom

- transmit send out

- single only

- around

approximately

- chief main

- such as for example

- necessary needed

Inversiona) Inversion of the verb after certain adverbs

Ex: I haven’t got a ticket. – Neither/Nor have I.

Never before had I been asked to accept a bribe.

Not only do they rob you, they smash everything too

On no account must this switch be touched

Only by shouting was he able to make himself heard.

Only in an emergency should you use this exit.

Rarely did this remedy fail

So suspicious did he become that …

So confusing was the map that we had to ask a police officer for directions.

Such is the popularity of the place that the theater is likely to be full every night.

Hardly ever On no account

Hardly … when Only by/in/ at/once/recently

In no circumstances Only in this way

Neither/nor Rarely

Never Seldom

No sooner… than Scarcely ever

Not only Scarcely …when

Nowhere (So) + adj or participles

(Such) + be + Noun

b) The subject and verb of the second clause ( not the first clause) are inverted

when the following expressions occur at the beginning of a sentence

Ex: Not until he got home did he realize that he had lost it.

Only if you study hard can you pass the final exam.

c) In written English adverb phrases introduced by preposition (down, from, in, on,

over, off, out of, round, up .etc.) can be followed by verbs indicating position

(crouch, hang, lie sit, stand, be etc.), by verbs of motion.

Ex: From the rafters hung strings of onions.

In the door way stood a man with a gun.

On a perch beside him sat a blue parrot

Over the wall came a shower of stone.

In front of the museum is a statue.

Off the coast of California lie the Channel Islands.

Ex: Across the United States, the general movement of air masses is from west to east.

d) If + Subject + auxiliary can be replaced in formal English by inversion of auxiliary

and subject with if omitted.

Ex: If I were in his shoes … = Were I in his shoes …

If you should require anything… = Should you require anything …

If he had known … = Had he known…

Not until Only if Only until

Only when Only because Only after

Note: Prepositional Phrase, S + V

Double Comparison

Note: the worse (not the worst), the less (not the least), the better (not the best)

Ex: The more he plays, the more he improves.

Incorrect Article Choice a >< an

Ex: A eclipse of the sun may be either total or partial

a/an >< without a/an (uncountable noun)

a/an >< the

Ex: Rose Bird was a first woman in the history of California to serve on the State Supreme

Court

a/an/the >< without a/an/the

Ex: Slag consists of waste material and impurities which rise to top of melted metals.

The most asteroids are beyond the orbit of the planet Mars.

the >< possessive adjectives

Ex: The Ozark Mountains of Arkansas are known for the rugged beauty

Note:

The + comparative + S + (V), the +comparative + S + (V)

- a university/ a European/ a one-parent family/a union/a unicorn/ a unique character

- an hour/ an honest man/ an honor/ an heir/ an heiress/ an MP/ an FBI

Common clause markers:

a. Time : after , as, as long as, as soon as, before, by the time, now that,

once, since, until, when, while, whenever

b. Concessions/Contrast : although, even though, though, even if,

whereas, while, despite the fact that, in spite of the fact that, except

that/however

c. Reason : as, because, since, in that, in case

d. Results : so that, so … that, such… that

e. Manner : as if, as though

f. Place : wherever

g. Conditions : if, even if, only if, provided, unless

Conjunctions : - and, but, yet, for, so, or

Conjunctive advs - besides, likewise, moreover, in addition, additionally

1. Clause marker (a) S+ V(f)

(b) Present P , S + V

(c) Past P

(d) Adjective

(,) (1) Clause marker

2. S + V + (Object) , (2) Conjunction S + V + (Object)

; (3) conjunctive adverbs ,

- however, nevertheless, on the other hand, in contrast, in spite of

this

- therefore, as a result, accordingly, consequently

- otherwise

- then, meanwhile

- similarly, correspondingly, likewise

- for example, for instance

ARTICLES

A/AN

1. Before singular countable nouns

Ex: Australia is a continent

2. To introduce a subject that has not mentioned before

Ex: I saw a tiger.

3. With certain expressions

a dozen

a couple

a/one hundred/thousand/million

a great many

a great deal

a lot of

a/one half

a/one third

a/one quarter

fifty miles an/per hour

ten kilometers an/per hour

$10 a/per day

4. With names of professions

Ex: He is an engineer. She is a doctor.

THE

1. Only one example of the thing/person or the identity of the person or thing is clear

Ex: The moon is full today.

Please open the door.

2. With certain expressions

the morning/afternoon/evening

the past/present/future

the front/back/center/top/bottom

the beginning/middle/end

the north/south/east/west

3. Before a singular noun representative of a class of things ( usually names of animals, plants,

inventions, musical instruments, and parts of the body)

Ex: The tiger is the largest cat

The heart pumps blood

The Wright brothers invented the airplane.

She plays the guitar.

4. Before ordinal number (Note: No article is used before expressions with cardinal

numbers.)

Ex: The First World War (But: World War One)

The second chapter (But: Chapter Two)

The third gate (But: Gate Three)

The seventh volume (But: Volume Seven)

5. Before decades and centuries

Ex: the 1930s the fifties the sixties

the twenty-first century the 1800s the twentieth century

6. Before superlative adjectives

Ex: The biggest island on earth is Greenland.

7. Quantifier + of + the + noun

Many/ some/all/much/most/a few/all/... of the + Noun

Note: These expressions can also be used without the phrase of the

Ex: Many books not much paper

Some water a few pictures

8. Before a group of people or a nationality

Ex: The Vietnamese are very hardworking

The Swedish are proud of their ancestors, the Vikings.

Note: No article is used before the name of a language

Ex: She learned to speak Vietnamese when she lived in Hanoi.

9. The + adjective (= people who are...)

Ex: The rich should help the poor.

10. Before a specific noun

Ex: The coffee I had this morning was Brazilian (specific)

Coffee originated in Ethiopia. (general)

The rice that I bought today is in the bag. (specific)

Rice is a staple in many countries.(general)

The trees in this park are mostly evergreens. (specific)

Trees provide shade. (general)

11. The + subject + of NP

Subject (used alone) --> no article

Adjective + Subject --> no article

Ex: The literature of the twentieth century

The history of The United States.

But: I major in literature

I study American history.

12. Before names of countries, states, cities, universities, colleges, and schools that

contain the word "of" or before countries that have a plural name or an adjective in the

name, except for Great Britain

Ex: The United States of America

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam (but: Vietnam)

The State of Florida (But: Florida)

The city of Boston ( But: Boston)

The University of Texas ( But: Boston University)

The Netherlands/ The Philippines

13. Before

a. oceans: Ex: The pacific Ocean

b. seas Ex: The Black Sea

c. gulfs Ex: The Gulf of Mexico

d. rivers Ex: The Nile

e. plural names of mountains Ex: The Appalachian Mountains (But: Mount Everest)

f. plural names of islands Ex: The Hawaiian Islands (But: Manhattan Island)

g. plural names of lakes Ex: The Great Lakes (But: Lake Michigan)

14. Before the names of ships, planes, trains and people's family names

Ex: The Titanic

The Orient Express

The Browns

GERUND AND INFINITIVE

I. VERB + TO INF

Ex: Tom wants to become a doctor.Susan pretended to sleep.David promised not to be late again.

II. VERB + OBJECT + TO INFINITIVE

afford beg expect manage pretend threatenagree care fail mean promise wantappear consent forget need refuse wisharrange decide hesitate offer seem tryask desire hope plan struggle intendattempt deserve learn prepare swear

advise challenge forbid order teach inviteallow convince force permit tell recommendask dare hire persuade urge enablebeg encourage instruct remind want leadcause expect invite require warn motivate

use

Ex: They begged us to come. I warn you not to drive so fast.

Note: advise/allow/encourage/permit/recommend (1) + object + to inf (2) + V-ing

Ex: He doesn’t allow smoking in his house He doesn’t allow anyone to smoke in his house

Nobody is allowed to smoke in his house

III. VERB + V-ING

Ex: I dislike driving long distances I can’t help worrying about it. Would you mind not smoking in this class?

IV. VERB + V-ING/ TO INFINITIVE

Ex: It began to rain/ raining Note: would like/love/prefer + to infinitive

Ex: I would like to play tennis today.

V. ADJECTIVE / PARTICIPLE+ TO INFINITIVE

Ex: Tom is anxious to see his family. It is very dangerous to drive in this weather. We are ready to leave now.

admit delay finish postpone resent missappreciate deny can’t help practice resist tolerateavoid discuss keep quit risk involvecomplete dislike mention recall stop understandconsider enjoy mind recollect suggest include

begin continue hate preferstart can’t stand love like

anxious difficult willing boringeager hard able interestingusual dangerous pleased …easy ready prepared

Note: be busy/worth + V-ing.

Ex: He is busy doing his homework. The book is worth reading.

VI. PREPOSITION + V-ING1. VERB + PREPOSITION + V-ING

Ex: John gave up smoking three years ago. I am looking forward to going back to school.

2. ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION + V-ING

Ex: She is afraid of getting married now. To gets used to getting up early.

VII. SPECIAL CASES1. STOP

He stopped smoking (He gave up smoking; he is not going to smoke any more.)He stopped to smoke (He stopped doing something in order to smoke)

2. TRY TRY + TO INF: make an effort to do something Ex: I was very tire. I tried to keep my eyes open, but I couldn’t. TRY + V-ING: do something as an experiment or test

Ex: I’ve got a terrible headache. I tried taking an aspirin, but it did not help.3. REMEMBER

REMEMBER + TO INF: You remember to do something before you do it Ex: Please remember to post the letter. (= Don’t forget to post the letter)

REMEMBER + V-ING: You remember doing something after you do it Ex: I clearly remember locking the door before I left. 4. NEED

NEED + TO INF (ACTIVE) Ex: John needs to paint the door. My friend needed to learn Spanish NEED + V-ING = NEED + TO BE DONE (PASSIVE) Ex: The grass needs cutting/ to be cut. The television needs fixing/to be fixed.

approve of succeed in think of look forward to dedicate togive up count on depend on object to commit torely on keep on put off confess toinsist on think about dream about devote to

afraid of capable of tired of be/get accustomed tointerested in successful in fond of be/get used to

5. MAKE/LET/HAVE + OBJECT + BARE INFINITIVEEx: Sad movies always make me cry. I had the mechanic repair my car. (I had my car repaired by the mechanic My parents do not let me go out late at night.

6. VERBS OF PERCEPTION + V-ING/ BARE INFINITIVE

Ex: I saw my friend running/run down the street.

7. GO + V-ING

Ex: My sister went sailing yesterday

8. TO INFINITIVE can be used after the first, the second…, the last, the only and sometimes after superlatives.Ex: She loves parties. She is always the first to come and the last to leave. He is the second man to be killed in this way.

9. TO INFINITIVE can be used after certain nouns

Ex: His ability to get on with people is his chief asset. Ex: He made an effort to stand up.

10.

see look at listen tonotice observe smellwatch hear feel

boating dancing jogging shopping swimmingGO bowling fishing climbing sightseeing

camping hiking running skatingcanoeing hunting sailing skiing

ability demand failure requestambition desire offer schemeanxiety determination plan willingnessattempt eagerness promise wishdecision effort refusal readiness

catch/find/leave + Object + V-ingspend/ waste + Time + V-inghave fun/ a good time + V-inghave trouble/difficulty + V-inghave a hard time/ difficult time + V-ing

WORD ENDINGS

A. COMMON NOUN (THING) ENDINGS1. –ism : baptism, criticism, organism, heroism, patriotism, alcoholism,

barbarism, dwarfism, parallelism

2. –nce : importance, significance, dependence, arrogance, resistance,

subsistence

3. –ness : bitterness, conceitedness, darkness, hardness, kindheartedness

4. –ion : excision, damnation, pollution, suggestion, a notion, an action,

vexation, concoction, completion.

5. –ment : abridgement, accomplishment, banishment, commencement,

embodiment, enhancement, excitement, fragment, garment, ornament, treatment

6. –(i)ty : purity, authority, dubiety, majority, superiority, humidity, cruelty,

faculty, honesty, plenty, safety, subtlety

7. –age : baggage, carriage, cartage, damage, dotage, hermitage, homage

language, luggage, marriage, passage, tillage, tonnage, vicarage, village.

8. –ship : ambassadorship, citizenship, headship, professorship, chairmanship,

fellowship, scholarship, companionship, friendship, hardship, relationship, craftsmanship, entrepreneurship, horsemanship, membership, courtship

9. –th : bath, birth, death, oath, growth, stealth, filth, health, length, strength,

truth, depth, breadth, wealth.

10. –dom : earldom, freedom, kingdom, officialdom, wisdom

11. –hood : childhood, falsehood, sisterhood, brotherhood, neighborhood,

likelihood, livelihood 12. –ure : closure, picture, scripture, legislature, nature, failure, pleasure,

treasure

13. –cy : bankruptcy, captaincy, democracy, privacy, delicacy, advocacy,

confederacy, accuracy, obstinacy, piracy, , aristocracy, expectancy,

efficiency, presidency, sufficiency, deficiency

14. –(t)ry : rivalry, ancestry, carpentry, industry, greenery, machinery, scenery,

bakery, brewery, bravery, slavery, archery

15. –logy : archaeology, geology, sociology, theology, zoology

16. –graphy : bibliography, biography

B. COMMON NOUN (PERSON) ENDINGS1. – or : actor, creator, doctor, monitor, sculptor, successor, guarantor,

conqueror, donor, governor, solicitor, tailor, visitor. bachelor

2. – er : hatter, geographer, astrologer, cottager, foreigner, Londoner,

New Yorker, northerner, villager, airliner, old-timer, sorcerer

3. – ee : employee, payee, devotee, escapee, conferee, absentee, refugee.

4. – ist : chemist, dramatist, economist, geologist; dentist, pianist, tobacconist;

Buddhist, Darwinist, idealist, Marxist, racist, optimist, pessimist

5. – ician : magician, physician, musician, electrician, beautician, politician, statistician, mathematician, mortician,

6. – ant (10%) : assistant, accountant, consultant, contestant, inhabitant

C. ADJECTIVE ENDINGS1. – ent : independent, sufficient, absent, ambivalent, ancient, apparent,

ardent

2. – ant : arrogant, expectant, important, significant , abundant, ignorant,

brilliant,

3. – ful : beautiful, graceful, powerful, grateful, forgetful, mournful,

Exceptions: handful , mouthful , spoonful are nouns

4. – ic : civic, classic, historic, artistic, economic,

5. – less : doubtless, fearless, hatless, powerless, countless, tireless, faceless,

legless, careless, helpless

6. – ive : authoritative, demonstrative, figurative, imitative, qualitative,

talkative, active, passive, comparative, possessive

7. – ous : dangerous, glorious, murderous, viscous, ferocious, hilarious, 8. – able : charitable, separable, bearable, reliable, comfortable, suitable.

9. – ible : audible, compressible, edible, horrible, terrible

10. – al : central, general, oral, colossal, tropical, tidal

Exceptions : rival, arrival, proposal, withdrawal, survival are nouns

11. – ory : mandatory, compulsory, predatory, satisfactory

Exceptions : dormitory, promontory, territory are nouns

12. – ary : arbitrary, budgetary, contrary, primary, temporary, necessary

13. – y : angry, happy, icy, messy, milky, tidy, chilly, haughty, slippery,

14. – ly : beastly, cowardly, queenly, rascally

15. – (r)ate (10%): temperate, accurate, considerate, immediate, literate

16. – ish : boorish, boyish, foolish, womanish, bookish, feverish, bluish, reddish

D. COMMON VERB ENDINGS1. – en/ en – : listen, happen, strengthen, lengthen, shorten, soften, ripen, deepen,

widen, entrust, enslave, enlighten, entangle, enlarge, encourage,

enable, enrich 2. – ate : assassinate, associate, fascinate, felicitate, hydrate, separate,

vaccinate, evacuate

3. – ize : characterize, idolize, agonize, apologize, sympathize, theorize,

authorize, extemporize, fertilize, fossilize, jeopardize, moralize,

Americanize, carbonize, oxidize

4. – ify : pacify, satisfy, petrify, solidify, horrify

E. COMMON ADVERB ENDING1. – ly : amusingly, deservedly, firstly, fully, greatly, happily, hourly, truly,

firstly, secondly

2. – wise : crosswise, lengthwise, otherwise, clockwise

3. – ways : edgeways, endways, lengthways, sideways

4. – ward : backward, homeward, inward, onward, skyward, eastward

SUBJECT – VERB AGREEMENT

A. BASIC SUBJECT – VERB AGREEMENT

1. Singular Subject + Singular Verb

2. Plural Subject + Plural Verb

Ex: My friend lives in Boston.

Growing flowers is her hobby.

My friends live in Boston.

B. SPECIAL CASES

1.

Ex: The actor and the singer are coming.

Sing Subject 1 and Sing Subject 2 + Plural Verb

Jean and David are coming back to Australia.

Note: However, phrases connected by and can be followed by singular verbs if we think of them as

making up a single item.

Ex: Meat pie and peas is Tom’s favorite at the moment

Fish and chips is my favorite food

2.

Ex: One of my friends is here.

You together with Tom are responsible for this failure.

3.

Ex: Neither John nor his friends are going to the beach

4.

Ex: There is a book on the shelf

There are three books on the shelf

5.

Ex: Here comes the Queen.

Here lie many unknown soldiers.

of in addition to with

Subject 1 + together with + Subject 2 + Verb along with as well asno less than like/ unlike

Either or + Subject 1 + + Subject 2 + Verb

Neither nor

There + be + Noun

There/ Here + Verb + Noun

6.

Ex: Each boy/ each of the boys has a gift.

Note: Each boy and each girl is to do this exercise.

7.

Ex: Everyone has his or her own idea.

8. a.

Ex: A number of refugees have been turned back at the border.

Plenty of potatoes are grown here.

None of the answers are correct.

b.

Ex: The number of books in the library has risen to over five million.

Every Noun (singular)Each + + Singular VerbEither of the Noun (plural)Neither

Everyone Something NobodyEverybody Anyone NothingEverything Anybody + Singular VerbSomeone AnythingSomebody No one

A/the majority ofA number ofA lot of + Plural Noun + Plural VerbPlenty of Some ofNone ofHalf ofNo

The number of + Plural Noun + Singular Verb

c.

Ex: All the furniture was destroyed in the fire.

9.

Ex: The team is winning. (the team as a group)

The team are going back to their homes. (meaning individual members of the

team)

10.

Ex: The pants are in the drawer.

(A pair of pants is in the drawer)

11.

Any ofNone ofThe majority ofA lot of + Uncountable Noun + Singular VerbPlenty ofAll (of)Some (of)

council company government staff Singular Verb ( if they association crowd group team are referred to as a group)audience department jury universityclass electorate orchestra faculty club enemy population choircollege family press gang Plural Verb ( if they are seencommittee firm public couple as a collection of individual)community generation school cabinet

belongings riches glassesclothes savings plierscongratulations stairs pantsearnings surroundings + Plural Verbgoods thanksoutskirts scissorsparticulars shortspremises jeans

policepeople + Plural Verbcattlepoultry

Ex: The police are looking for the missing child.

12.

Ex: Physics is difficult.

The news is alarming.

13. The titles of books, plays, movies, etc., always take a singular verb

Ex: The Los Angeles Times is on the desk.

Gulliver’s Travels is a well-known children’s book.

14. Nouns stating an amount of time, money or measurement always take a singular verb

Ex: Five minutes is not enough to do this exercise.

Thirty-five dollars is too much for this shirt.

Four -hundred miles is too much to drive in one day.

15.

Ex: The poor need help.

16.

Fluids

Solids

Gases

Particles

news measles rabiesphysics statistics diabetespolitics mathematics gymnastics + Singular Verbmumps physics athleticseconomics phonetics linguistics

The + Adjective + Plural Verb

Uncountable Noun + Singular Verb

baggage clothing equipment food fruit furnituregarbage hardware jewelry junk luggage machinerymail makeup money cash change postage

water coffee tea milk oil soupgasoline blood

ice bread butter cheese meat goldiron silver glass paper wood wool

steam air oxygen nitrogen smoke pollution

rice chalk corn dust grass hairpepper dirt salt sand flour wheat

beauty confidence courage education enjoyment funhappiness health help honesty hospitality importanceintelligence justice knowledge laughter music luckpatience peace pride progress recreation sleeptruth violence wealth …

advice information news evidence proof timespace energy homework work grammar slangvocabulary

driving swimming traveling working

baseball soccer tennis chess

weather dew fog hail heat humiditylightning rain sleet snow thunder winddarkness light sunshine electricity fire gravity

Abstraction

Activities

Naturalphenomena

Ex: Smoking is harmful to your health.

PREPOSITIONS

1. PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

A. In

century ( in the twenty-first century)

decade ( in the 1970s; in the nineties)

year (in 2007)

season ( in the summer)

month ( in July)

parts of the day ( in the morning; in the afternoon; in the evening)

the past/ future

amounts of time ( in/within an hour)

B. On

date (on September 11)

day (on Monday; on Sunday morning)

C. At

time of day (at 9:20)

night/ midnight/ noon /dawn/dusk/sunrise/sunset/the moment/the same

time/present/ first/last

D. During

During is used with periods of time

It snows a lot in Montreal during the winter

His company grew rapidly during the 1980s

During is NOT used with dates or days of the week.

E. Until

Until is used with points of time to indicate that an action continues up to that point

Helen practiced the piano until noon

They won’t arrive until tomorrow

F. From …. To/until and between … and

These phrases are used with starting points and ending points

From 1990 to/until 1993, Mr. Nolan was in charge of the sales division.

Between 1990 and 1993, Mr. Nolan was in charge of the sales division.

G. Since/ For

Since and for are generally used with a perfect tense

We've been waiting here since two o'clock.

The factory has been here since the 1970s.

We had been talking for a good half hour.

2. PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE

A. In

the world

continent (in Asia)

country ( in China)

state/province (in California; in Ontario)

in city ( in Munich)

building (in the Empire State Building)

room (in the living room)

B. On

earth (the origin of life on Earth)

street ( on Wall Street)

coast ( on the East Coast)

floor ( on the second floor)

C. At

address (at 634 Sutter Street)

building (at the museum)

home/school/college/work

D. From … to and between … and

They're building a new road between Manchester and Sheffield.

They're building a new road from Manchester to Sheffield.

3. OTHER COMMON PREPOSITION COMBINATIONS

A. In

clothes ( in a gray suit)

language ( written in Vietnamese)

book ( in the Complete Guide to TOEIC)

newspaper ( in the International Herald-Tribune)

magazine ( in Times)

department ( in the sales department)

field ( in computer science)

one’s opinion (in her opinion)

a car / a taxi (I've left my bag in the car.)

trouble (I think I'm in trouble with Dad.)

danger of (The bridge was in danger of collapsing.)

part (The failure of the project was due in part to his lack of leadership.

front of (He walked along in front of me, holding the lantern.)

the middle of (Jo was standing in the middle of the room.)

the back of (Two men were sitting in the back of the car.)

the rear (a passenger traveling in the rear of a car)

line (The kids were standing in line waiting for their teacher.)

the process of (The company is in the process of moving to new offices.)

B. On

a vehicle ( on a bus; on a train; on a plane)

foot (It takes about 30 minutes on foot, or 10 minutes by car.)

a trip (We were all going on a trip.)

business (She's in New York this week on business)

holiday (I'm away on holiday until the 1st of June.)

sale (These gloves were on sale for only $9.)

the market (Handguns are freely available on the open market)

schedule (The majority of holiday flights depart and arrive on schedule.)

time (Jack was worried about whether he'd be able to get there on time.)

(the) television/radio (Later that evening we watched it all on television again.)

the phone (Bridget's on the phone all day long.)

a farm (Joe had worked on the farm all his life.)

the other hand (I'd like to eat out, but on the other hand I want to save money.)

purpose (Fire investigators believe the fire was set on purpose.)

C. BY

By is used before a point of time to indicate the latest time. By, in this case, means “no

later than”.

I will be home by noon.

By can mean “next to”

She is standing by her friend.

By is used after passive verbs to identify the agent of the action.

This report was written by Peter.

By is used with means of transportation and communication

by car/plane/e-mail

Note: in a/my car; on a plane

Other

By chance/ hand/ far/check/credit card/ means of

D. With

With is used to express the idea of accompaniment or ownership

I went to the restaurant with Andrea.

The man with the briefcase is the vice-president.

With is also used to indicate the tool or instrument used to complete something

He opened the door with his key.

He paid for the bill with a credit car

E. Without

Without means “ not having, experiencing or showing something”; “not in the company

of someone” or “not doing the action mentioned”

They had gone two days without food.

He found the place without difficulty.

She spoke without much enthusiasm.

Don't go without me.

I don't know what I'd do without you.

The rest of the group set off without him.

Don't go out without your coat.

He left without saying goodbye.

You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs.

Suddenly and without any warning, the army opened fire.

He had gone out without his parents' permission.

F. Within

Within can mean “during a particular period of time”

We should have the test results back within 24 hours.

He fell sick and died within a matter of weeks.

Within an hour of our arrival, Caroline was starting to complain.

Within the space of a year, three of the town's factories have closed down.

Within can mean “less than a certain distance from a particular place”

The invading troops came within 50 miles of Paris.

We live within easy reach of (=close to) the shops.

Adjust the driver's seat so that all the controls are within reach (=close enough to

touch)

Within can also mean “ inside the range or limits of something”

We have to operate within a very tight budget.

Private security firms have to work strictly within the law.

You can go anywhere you want within reason (=within reasonable limits)

He finds it hard to live within his income.

G. Beyond

Beyond can mean “more or greater than a particular amount, level, or limit”

More people are choosing to work beyond retirement age.

Inflation has risen beyond the 5% level.

Such tasks are far beyond the scope of the average school kid.

Expensive luxuries that are beyond the reach of ordinary people

Beyond can be used to say that “something is impossible to do”

Scott's equipment was damaged beyond repair.

The town centre had changed beyond all recognition.

Due to circumstances beyond our control the performance has had to be cancelled.

Why Joan ever married such an idiot in the first place is beyond me.

READING COMPREHENSION

STRATEGIES

READING STRATEGIES

1. OVERVIEW QUESTIONSThe most common overview question asks about the purpose or main topic of the passage. Other

overview questions ask about the writer of the passage or the reader of the passage.

What does this article/the memo mainly discuss?

What is this form?

What is the purpose of this letter/announcement/notice…?

Why was this notice/letter written?

In what business is the writer of the passage?

What kind of business is Mr. ________ probably in?

Who issued/wrote this notice?

What is the author’s opinion of ______?

Who were these instructions written for?

Who would be most interested in the information in this announcement?

For whom is this advertisement/notice intended?

- Don’t answer the initial overview questions until you have answered the other

questions

- Usually focus on the title and the first sentence(s) of each paragraph for the

topic and main idea; also focus on the last sentence for the conclusion and a

possible restatement of the topic and main idea.

- Skim (read very quickly) the rest of the passage for the key words that will

confirm the topic and main idea.

- Read the answer choices and eliminate the distractors which may have one of

these characteristics:

a. too general

b. too specific (detailed)

c. incorrect

d. irrelevant (not mentioned)

II. DETAIL QUESTIONS

1. Information/Factual Questions often begin with the phrases “According to the

passage/the author, wh- questions...”

2. Negative Questions contain the words NOT, EXCEPT, or LEAST

- Focus on one or two key words in the question

- Scan the passage looking for the key words or related words (synonyms, word

family)

- Carefully read the sentence in which the key words occur. (You may have to

read the sentence preceding or following that sentence as well.)

- Choose the correct answer

III. REFERENCE QUESTIONS

1. --------------------------------- . A -------------------------------------

- Initial position ---> usually read the previous sentence and find the noun that the

referent replaces

2. ---------------------------------------------------------- A----------------------.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A.

- Middle/Final Position ---> usually read the whole sentence in which the referent

occurs

3. This/ That usually refer to the whole previous sentence or phrase. So, read the previous

sentence or phrase and summarize it.

4. Another ---> Look for One + Noun

5. Others ----> Look for Some/Many + Noun

6. The former/the later/ respectively

IV. VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT

1. Look for synonyms in the passage because the author may avoid repeating the

same word.

2. Look for examples- for example, for instance, such as

3. Look for contrast- but, yet, still- however, nevertheless, on the other hand,

in contrast, in spite of this- although, even though, though, even if,

whereas, while, despite the fact that, in spite of the fact that, except that

- not- rather than, instead of

4. Focus on the general context and see if context clues in the sentence or in the

sentences before or after can help you guess the meaning

- Literal Meaning >< Figurative meaningExample: * He grasped my hand firmly

* I don’t think you have quite grasped the seriousness of the situation.

V. INFERENCE QUESTIONSInference Questions usually include such words as “infer, imply, suggest, guess, probably, or

likely” or such phrases as “Why … mention?” “What …. to do next?” “Which of these ….. is

probably true?” and “ What …..probably do?”

Answer choices to inference questions require students to

1. understand what the question is asking and know where to find the answer in the

passage

2. relate the information in the answer choice to a synonym or paraphrase of information in

the passage; and

3. determine what is true and not true in the answer choices

Note : Answer choices that contain such words as always, never,

all, and only are usually NOT correct.

LISTENING STRATEGIES

PART 1: Strategies for sentences about photographs

1. Always complete each item as quickly as possible so that you can preview the photograph

for the next item. Don’t wait for the statement that says, “Now look at photograph number

______”

2. If you are previewing a photograph that involves a person or people, ask yourself these

questions

What are the people doing?

Where are they?

Who are they? (Is there a uniform or a piece of equipment or anything else that indicates

their profession or role?)

What distinguishes them? (Is there a hat, a mustache, a purse, a pair of glasses, a tie or

anything else that differentiates the people?)

What do the people’s expressions tell you? (Do they look happy? Unhappy? Excited?

Bored? Upset?)

3. If you are previewing a photograph of an object, ask yourself these questions

What is it?

What is it made of?

What is it used for?

Where is it?

4. I If you are previewing a photograph of a scene, ask yourself these questions

Where is it?

What is in the foreground (the front of the picture)?

What – if anything – is happening?

What is in the background (the distant part of the picture)?

5. Don’t mark an answer until you have heard all four choices. When you hear a choice that

you think is correct, rest your pencil on that oval on your answer sheet. If you change

your mind and hear a sentence that you think is better, move your pencil to that choice. Once

you have heard all four sentences, mark the oval that your pencil is resting on. (This technique

helps you remember which choice you think is best.)

6. Try to eliminate choices with problems in

Sound

Meaning

Sound & Meaning

7. Never leave any blanks. Always guess before going on to the next item.

8. As soon as you have finished marking the answer, stop looking at and thinking about the

photograph and move on to the next item.

PART II: Strategies for Questions/Responses

1. Identifying time

Words you might hear in the questions Words you might hear in the answers

- When did ….

- When will/ is/ is …expected, due / be… V-ing/ can

- How long- What time

- yesterday/ last/ ago/ in (month, year)/ this morning…

- at + time/ tomorrow/next/ in …/ this afternoon/ on (date)

- for/since/ over ….- at…

- When did Christopher arrive? - Last Wednesday.

- When will the advertising seminar begin?

- When is Maria’s birthday?- When was Mr. Chen born?- When will my laundry be ready?- When does Mr. Gustavson predict the

construction of the building will be finished?

- How long will this session last?- How long has the photocopying

machine been out of order?- What time does your flight leave?- What time is the news on television?

- At two o’clock sharp.

- On March 3.- In 1953.- In about two hours.- In about a month.

- For another hour, perhaps.- Since 10:00 this morning.

- At 7:30.- It’s on at 11.

2. Identifying people


- Who

- Whose

- Name/ Occupation title- A man/woman … who ….

- Possessive case (It’s + name’s)- Who will go with you on the business

trip?- Who’s the new chef at the Fontaine’s

bakery?- Who did Mrs. Martelli pick to fill the

position? - Who can deliver this memo to Mr.

Wantanabe for me?- Who’s going to pick him up at the

station? - Whose coffee cup is this on my desk?- Whose scarf is this?

- Ms. Preston

- A man who worked at the Central Pastry Shop.

- A young intern from the marketing department was chosen.

- I can do it when I’ve finished typing this letter.

- I was planning to.

- I was wondering where I left it!- It’s Fran’s.

3. Identifying a thing, an action or idea


- What …?- What kind/type of

Something (…) I don’t know

- What do you think I should wear to the party- What is the fine for overdue books?- What was that loud noise I just heard?- What kind of work does Ms. Garcia do?- What kind of novel do you like?- What’s the name of the travel agency this

- A suit and a tie.- It’s ten cents a day.- I don’t know.- She’s a computer programmer.- I prefer adventure stories.- I think it’s called All Points Travel.

company uses?- What are your total production figures for this

factory?- What do you plan to do when school is

finished?- What do you estimate your firm’s profit will

be in December?

- Over 1000 units a week.

- Work for my father.

- Optimistically speaking, about 20 percent.

4. Identifying an opinion


- How - What’s your opinion of …?- Do you think Tom will ….?- What do you think of ….?

Adjectives: great/ good/ terrific/ excellent / wonderful/ happy/ busy/ terrible/ boring…

Verbs: love/like/enjoy/prefer/believe/ Expressions: It’s a good/great idea

- How did you like that new movie?- What do you think of Scott Graham’s latest

novel?- What do you think of your new supervisor?

- I enjoyed it, but my husband didn’t.- It’s terrific.

- I don’t know her well enough to say.

5. Identifying a choice


- …. A or B?- …. prefer?- … like better?

A/B will be repeated in the answer choice

Neither one/Both, please Either one

Note: The speaker can offer a third option- Which does that artist produce more of –

paintings or sculptures?- Will you arrive in the morning or the

evening?

- Lately, she has been doing a lot of paintings.

- In the morning, I think.

- Do you want milk or sugar in your coffee?- Should I wait here at the counter or follow

you back to the warehouse?- What do you think, plain or patterned carpet

in the waiting room?- Will the conference be held here or at the

headquarters?- Should they move the file cabinet to the right

or over by the copy machine?- Shall I put this file on your desk or back in the

filing cabinet?- Can you locate the files on the merger, or

should I ask Mr. Chan to do it?

- Neither one.- Oh, come with me please.

- Either one is fine with me.

- It’s scheduled for this building.

- I think it looks good where it is.

- I’ll take it.

- I’ll have them ready for you in a minute.

6. Identifying an invitation, offer, request


- Why don’t we …?- Why don’t you…?- Don’t you want to..?- I was wondering if you’d like to ….- Let’s ….- What/How about ….?- Shouldn’t we/ Shall we …?- Would/Wouldn’t you like me to ….?- Can I…?- Couldn’t you …?

OK I’d love to! Of course Sure That sounds like fun/ That’s a good idea/

Great, … Yes, please (accept the offer) No, thanks …. (turn down the offer) Thank you, but …( turn down the offer) Sorry, I’ve already made plans/ I have other

plans. …( turn down the offer) Sorry, but ……( turn down the offer)

- Would you like to join us for a game of tennis?

- Would you like to order a calendar for next year?

- Shall we send you a reminder for your next dental appointment?

- Why don’t we go out this evening?- Why don’t we take the earlier train

home?- How about a movie when we finish up

here?- Would you mind opening you bag so I

can inspect it, sir?- Don’t you want to go to the reception

for Miss Gunther?- I was wondering if you’d like to join us

for dinner this evening?- Couldn’t you stop at the post office

today?- What about visiting the flower show over

- We’d love to – thanks!

- Thanks, but I already have one

- Yes, that would be helpful.

- Sorry, I’ve already made plans- Great, I’m exhausted.

- That’s a good idea.

- Not at all

- Sorry, but I’m not feeling well.

- Sorry, I have other plans.

- I might have time after lunch.

- Wednesday afternoon would be better for me.

the weekend?-

7. Identifying a reason


- Why To do sth Because/ Because of

Note: An implied reason ( usually a certain problem) can be given

- Why is this train running late?- Why didn’t you let us know you’d be

late?- Why did the board of directors change its

policy?- Why did the meeting begin so early?- Why didn’t Mr. Danforth bring the

situation to the attention of his supervisor?

- Why didn’t you get to work on time?- Why does Ms. Ortiz want to see the

invoices?

- I think there are mechanical problems.- I couldn’t find a phone.

- There had been too many complaints.

- Everyone was in a hurry.- He though he could handle it himself

- The traffic was terrible.- There’s a problem with the shipment.

8. Identifying a description


- What is … like?- What does ….look like?

- an adjective or adjectives

- What are your new co-workers like?- What’s the weather like here in the winter?

- They seem very pleasant- It’s cool and often rainy

9. Identifying manner or a method


- How will/can..? - By ( a means of transport …)- With …

- How will you get to work tomorrow?- How can we be sure that the order will arrive

on time?- How can I get more letterhead and

envelopes?- How do you handle inquiries?

- I’ll get my car back from the mechanic.- Express service is very reliable.

- Contact Ms. McKay in the stockroom.

- I send out this pamphlet.

10. Identifying a location


- Where…?

- How far …?

- Names of the places- Prepositions of places (in/ next to/ near/

beside/ under/ over/ on/ on top of/ at/ from/ behind/ right/ left/ downtown / at the end of…

- … minutes away/ walk/drive- … km

- Where should we meet so we can all go to the game together?

- Where are you staying ion Paris?- Where did Maria leave the Oceanview

contract?- How far would you say Conrad Park is from

here?

- Let’s meet at the stadium entrance.

- At the Grand Hotel.- She put it in Ms. Garcia’s mailbox.

- It’s about 10-minute walk.

11. Yes/No Questions & Tag Questions


- Do/Does/Did/ Have….?

- Don’t/ Doesn’t/ Didn’t …?

- Yes /No/ Not

- Have they delivered our lunch yet?

- Has the director already left?

- Didn’t anyone train the new employee to use

the copier?

- Did you ask them what time their flight would

- Yes, it’s here.

- Yes, he had an appointment.

- Mike showed him everything works.

- No, I didn’t think of it.

arrive?

- Your managing director resigned yesterday,

didn’t he?

- Wilma gets reimbursed for the cost of driving

her car to the meting, doesn’t she?

- This new product should sell well, shouldn’t

it?

- You want me to retype this document, don’t

you?

- You don’t want to start a new project this late

in the day, do you?

- Yes, it was quite a surprise.

- Yes, but she has to submit a claim form.

- Yes, it is priced fairly.

- I would appreciate it

- I still have time

Part 3: Short Conversations

I. Strategies1. Between each question is an eight-second pause. That means there are twenty-four seconds

between each conversation. You can accomplish quite a bit during this time. You need to mark

your answers for the three questions and then preview the next three questions and answer

choices. They tell you what to listen for.

2. While listening to each conversation, keep your eyes on the corresponding set of three questions

and answer choices. Don't close your eyes or look away. Try to evaluate the four choices as you

are listening.

3. Remember that distractors are sometimes mentioned in the conversations but are not answers to

the question. Don't choose an answer just because you hear a word or two from the answer in

the conversation.

4. If the correct answer is not obvious, try to eliminate answer choices that seem to be incorrect. If

more than one answer choice is left, take a guess.

5. Mark your answers as quickly as possible so that you can preview the next item.

6. Never leave any answers blank. If you are not sure, always guess.

II. Question types

A. Overview questions

B. Detail questions

C. Inference question

A. Overview Questions

Types of over view questions Question Words

1. Questions about locations Where..?

2. Questions about occupations Who…?

3. Questions about activities What …doing?

4. Questions about topic What…talking about?

1. Questions about locations

Questions Tactics Examples

Where are they?

Where are the speakers?

Where is the man/woman?

Where is the conversation

taking place?

Listen for vocabulary that is associated

with a certain location

- Terminal /carousel/check-in/departure

lounge/ gate/ hangar /run-way

Airport

- Rolls/cake/bread Bakery

- Stage/cast/scene/box office/ Theater

- Chain/ring/necklace/bracelet Jewelry

store

M: We don’t have any

reservations. Is it still

possible for us to get a

table for two?

F: You’re in luck — a party

of two just canceled their

reservations. We can

seat you in about fifteen or

twenty minutes.

- Menu/terminal/keyboard Computer

store

- Bulldozer/hard hat/crane

Construction site

- Dryer/hangars/detergent

Laundromat

- Pen/envelopes/letterhead/postcard

Post office

- Account/balance/statement /checkbook /

deposit/credit/loan/ interest rates

Bank

- Surf/towel/umbrella/wave/sunbathe

Beach

- Lawyer/judge/witness/defendant/plaintiff/

jury Courtroom

- Spectators/ cheer/ clap/ match/ player

Stadium

- Lane/driver/exit Freeway

- Suite/front desk/reservation/ room/

receptionist/room service/ housekeeper

Hotel

- Waiter/waitress/bill/menu/order/table/

seat/ reservation Restaurant

M: Great! I was worried,

but I guess this is our

lucky night!

Where are they?

A. At a theater

B. At a party

C. At an airport

D. At a restaurant

2. Questions about occupations


Who is the man/woman?

Who are they?

What is he/she?

What are they?

What is the man/woman’s

profession / occupation/jon?


with a certain occupation

- Kitchen/pot/knife Cook

- Parking tickets/law/illegal/fine

Police officer

- Class/exam/student Teacher

- Software/keyboard/monitor

Computer programmer

M1: There’s something

wrong with this switch.

Can you fix it?

M2: It’s not just the switch,

I’m afraid. This whole

building needs rewiring.

M1: But that will cost a

fortune!

- Money/deposit/withdrawal Bank

teller

- Order/tip/guests Waiter

- Runner/training/game Athlete

- Medicine/nurse/hospital/patient

Doctor

- Instrument/orchestra/note Musician

- Stage/drama/theater Actor

- Passenger/Fare/Tip Taxi driver

- Cash register/change/receipt Sales

clerk

- Newspaper/write/report/article

Journalist

- Switch/rewiring/ fix Electrician

- Pipe/sink/faucet/leak/drip/fix Plumber

- Wood/furniture/ saw/ plane/ chisels/

hammer/nail Carpenter

Who is the second

speaker?A. An electrician

B. A banker

C. An engineer

D. A jeweler

F: I want to put a new

deck on the back of my

house. Do you know

anyone who does that kind

of work?

M: Why don’t you ask

Thomas? He did a great

job repairing the wooden

stairway in my house.

F: I asked him, but he’s

working on a new

construction job.

Who is Tomas?

A. A sailor

B. A mechanic

C. A plumber

D. A carpenter

3. Questions about activities


What are they doing?

What is happening now?

What is the man doing?

What is going to happen?


with a certain activity

- Drinking coffee: cup, spoon, sugar,

cream, coffee break

- Watching a movie: film, screen,

theater, popcorn

- Going to the post office: mail, stamps,

postal clerk, letter, package

M: I’ve been waiting here

15 minutes. How often do

the buses come?

W: One stops here every

twenty minutes

M: Good, we only have

five minutes to wait, then.

- Reading a book: novel, pages, cover,

character

- Making a telephone call: number,

receiver, dial, answer, hang up

- Using a computer: keyboard, monitor,

screen, software, crash

- Ordering food at a restaurant: menu,

waiter, waitress, table, drink

- Buying clothes: suit, pants, dress, skirt,

jeans, dressing room

- Eating dinner:

- Waiting for a bus:

- Moving furniture:

- Buying a plane ticket:

- Parking a car:

- Driving a car:

What are the speakers

doing?

A. Getting on a bus

B. Waiting for a bus

C. Taking a taxi

D. Paying a fare

4. Questions about topics


What/ whom are they discussing?

What are they referring to?

What is the topic of the

conversation?

What are they talking about?

What is the conversation about?

What is the subject of the

conversation

- Listen for vocabulary that is

associated with a certain

topic.

- The answer choices will be

four plausible topics. Incorrect

answers may include details

that are mentioned in the

conversation but that are not

the main subject of the

W: Is there a dress code

at your company?

M: No, but most of the

men wear coats and

ties, and the women

wear dresses or suits.

W: Oh, it’s pretty formal

then.

conversation What are they discussing

A. A new outfit that the

woman is wearing

B. How people dress at

the man’s company

C. Where to buy

clothes for work

D. A social event that

the man attended

B. Detail Questions

Types of over view

questions

Question Words Examples

1. Questions about time When….?

How often…?

At what time…?

How long…?

When does Claudia want to go

to the play?

A. Monday

B. Wednesday

C. Thursday

D. Saturday

W1: I need to call the theater to

order tickets for Wednesday.

W2: Why don’t you see the play

over the weekend Claudia?

W1: It runs only Monday through

Thursday.

2. Questions about

reasons

Why did … happen…?

Why is the man/woman going

to…?

Why does the man/woman

want to…?

Why is the man/woman

upset/ happy/ puzzled…?

Why did … not happen?

Why does the man/woman

not want to…?

Why is Mrs. Sompong leaving?

A. To join another company

B. To start her own business

C. To enter a race

D. To have a break from

working

M: Do you hear about Mrs.

Sompong’s resignation?

W: Yes. Our competitors made

her an offer she couldn’t resist.

M: I’ll wonder if they’ll appoint

her as their new marketing

manager?

3. Questions about plans What is the man/woman

planning/going to do?

What does the man/woman

plan to do next?

What plan has been

suggested?


plan to do?

What is the woman going to do?

A. Sell the camera

B. Pay by check

C. Fill out a form

D. Write her name on the

card

M: And how would you like to

pay for the camera?

W: Could I write you a check?

M: Certainly. I’ll need some form

of identification or a major credit

card.

4. Questions about

problems

What is the matter with …?

What is the problem here?

What’s wrong with

What is the man/woman

concerned/ worried about?


problem?

What is bothering the

What is Ms. Kim worried about?

A. Whether she has enough

money for her vacation.

B. Whether she returned

the book on labor

dispute.

C. Whether the airline will

be operating or not.

man/woman? D. Whether her union will

get higher wages.

M: Are you all set for your

vacation on Friday, Ms. Kim?

W: Yes, but now I’m waiting to

see if the airline we’ve booked

our return flight on will go out

on strike that day.

M: Oh yes. I head that’s a

possibility. The company claims

it has no money to meet the

union’s demands.

5. Questions about

opinions

What does the man/ woman

think of/ about …?


opinion of …?

How does the man/woman

feel about …?

6. Questions about advice What is the man/woman’s

suggestion?


advise … to do?

What is the man/woman

suggesting?


advice?

What does Martha advise Dan

to do?

A. make a better work

schedule

B. Walk to the office

C. Turn on the lights

D. Give a shorter report

M: I’ll never get this report

finished before the weekend.

W: You’ve got to allocate your

time more carefully, Dan.

M: I guess you’re right. I’ll

probably wind up working at the

office all night again.

(See the strategies for part 2)

C. Inference Questions


What does the man/woman imply?

What is the man/woman saying

about …?

What can be said about…?

What is known about …?

What can be inferred from the

conversation?

What does the man/woman mean?

What is probably true about?

What are they likely to…?

- The answers for inference

questions are not directly stated

in the conversations. Instead you

have to draw a conclusion based

on the information that is

presented by the speakers.

- Read the question carefully and

focus on one or two key words

- Listen for key words that help

you make a logical conclusion

What are they likely to eat

out for lunch?

A. Soup

B. Salad

C. Sandwiches

D. Hamburgers

M: I’ve heard nothing but

praise for that new health

food restaurant.

W: Same here. And I’ve

got a coupon for the salad

bar – buy one, get one

free.

M: I’m always looking to

save some money. Let’s

check it out for lunch

toeic structure

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