Preparing you and your students for the TOEFL exam. For non native English Speakers - What to teach to your students.

1. Preparing you and
your Students for the
TOEFL iBT
Tips to help you or your students
succeed for the TOEFL iBT
Laura Beth Hattersley

2. OVERVIEW
What to Expect

3. TOEFL EXAM QUESTION TYPES
1. Questions regarding FACTUAL INFORMATION
Example Questions:
 Select on statement that best describes what you see in the picture.
 Which of the following is TRUE about what you hear from the lecture?
2. Questions regarding NEGATIVE FACTUAL INFORMATION
Example Questions:
 Select one statement that does NOT describe what you see in the picture.
 With regard to sharks, all of the following are true EXCEPT…
3. Questions regarding INFERENCE QUESTIONS
Example Questions:
 What does the author imply about…
 Based on the passage, it could be suggested that…
 With which of the following would the author most likely agree?

4. TOEFL EXAM QUESTION TYPES
4. Questions regarding RHETORICAL QUESTIONS
Example Questions:
 How does the author explain…
 In paragraph 1, why does the author mention…
 In the text, the author uses …. as an example of…
5. Questions regarding VOCABULARY AND REFERENCE
Example Questions:
 The word X in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to…
 The phrase X in paragraph 3 is referring to….
6. Questions regarding PROSE SUMMARY
Example Questions:
 Questions about summarizing a topic:
 Read two articles on the same topic and write a summary of each.
Explain ways they are similar and ways they are different.
 Summarize the points in the lecture. Explain how they relate to specific
points in the reading passage.

5.  TOEFL iBT Listening Materials
Conversations:
Office Hours
Service Encounters
 Lectures:
Arts
Life Science
Physical Science
Social Science
These conversations and talks are typical of those
that occur on North American university campuses

6. Writing Section of the
TOEFL iBT
 The Integrated Writing Task
1. Read a passage about an academic topic
2. Listen to a lecture related to the topic
3. Write a summary of the main points
 The Independent Writing Task
Write an essay about your opinion on an
Issue

7. Speaking Question Types
 Independent:
1. Question about a person, place,
object, or event.
2. Question about preference from
two possible actions, situations, or
opinions
 Integrated Listening/Reading/Speaking
(questions #3 & #4)
 Integrated Listening/Speaking
(questions #5 & #6)

8. Speaking Question Examples
 1. Choose a teacher you admire and
explain why you admire him or her.
Please include specific examples
and details in your explanation.
 2. Some students study for classes
individually. Others study in groups.
Which method of studying do you
think is better for students and why?

9. Example of Writing Questions
 Do you agree or disagree with the following
statement?
 Always telling the truth is the most important
consideration in any relationship. Use
specific reasons and examples to support
your answer.

10. STRATEG
Y

11. PREPARE YOUR MIND
BEFORE THE TEST
 First, concentrate on Listening,
 Structure, and Reading, instead of on
 vocabulary.
 Second, spend time preparing
 everyday for at least an hour.
 Finally, do not try to memorize
 questions from this or any other
 book.

12. ON THE TEST DATE
 Get rest, arrive early.
 Be familiar with the directions.
 Listen carefully to the conversations and
talks.
 Never leave any questions blank on your
answer sheet.
 Use any remaining time to look ahead at
the answers to the questions that follow.

13. ON THE TEST DATE
 As you listen to each short conversation, focus on the second line
of the conversation.
 Keep in mind that the correct answer is probably a restatement of
a key word or idea in the second line of the conversation.
 Keep in mind that certain structures and expressions are tested
regularly in the short dialogues.
 Answer each question even if you are not sure of the correct
response. Even if you do not understand the complete
conversation, you can find the correct answer.
 Never choose an answer because it sounds like what you heard in
the conversation.

14. As you listen to each short conversation,
focus on the second line of the
conversation.

15. Answer in the Second Line
On the recording you hear:
(man) Have you finished studying for the math test?
(Woman) Not quite
(Man) What does the woman mean?
In your test book, you read:
1. She is quite finished with her studies
2. She thinks it is quite a difficult test
3. She has a little more studying to do
4. She has not finished the main test

16. Keep in mind that the correct answer
is probably a restatement of a key word
or idea in the second line of the
conversation.

17. Restatement of the second line
 On the recording, you hear:
 (woman) Steve, is something the matter? You don’t look very
good.
 (man) Oh, I’m feeling a little sick today.
 (narrator) What does the man mean?

 In your test book, you read:
 He’s not very good-looking.
 He’s a bit ill.
 He looks worse than he feels.
 His feet are a little thick.

18. If the statement is negative,
the answer will be in positive
and If the statement is positive,
the answer will be in negative
Example Correct Answer Negative
Expression
Tom is not sad
about the result
Tom is happy
about the result
Not sad = happy
The door isn’t open The door is closed Not open = closed
Steve did not pass
the class
Steve failed the
class
Didn’t pass =
failed

19.  On the recording, you hear:
 (woman) Did you get a lot of work done at the library
 today?
 (man) I couldn’t. It wasn’t very quiet there.
 (narrator) What does the man mean?

 In your test book, you read:
 (A) The library was noisy
 (B) He got a lot done.
 (C) He couldn’t quite get to the library today.
 (D) The library’s a good place to work because it’s
 quiet.
Restatement of the second line

20.  If the recording/dialogue contains a passive
statement, the answer is often in an active
statements and
 If the recording/dialogue contains an
active statement, the answer is often in a
passive statements.

21. Example
On the recording, you hear:
(man) Is that a new chair?
(woman) Yes, we just bought it last week.
(narrator) What does the woman mean?
In your test book, you read:
(A) She brought the chair with her.
(B) The chair was lost for a week.
(C) The chair was purchased recently.
(D) She bought the last chair from the store
Restatement of the second line

22. Keep in mind that certain structures
and expressions are tested
regularly in the short dialogues.

23. Expressions of Agreement
  So do I.
  I’ll say.
  Isn’t he/ she/ it though! (Didn’t he/ Wasn’t
 she/ Hasn’t it though!)
  Me, too.
  You can say that again.
  I couldn’t agree with you more.
  You bet!
  Who wouldn’t?
  Neither do I.
  I don’t either.

24. Answer each question even if you are not sure
of the correct response.
Even if you do not understand the complete
conversation, you can find the correct answer.

25. Never choose an answer because it
sounds like what you heard in the
conversation.

26. Avoid Similar Sounds
 Example
 On the recording, you hear:
 (man) Why couldn’t 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 to live.
 (C) He was working on his research project.
 (D) He had an appointment at church.

27. WHAT IS INFERENCE?

28. WHAT IS INFERENCE?

29. APPENDIX

30. TOEFL Question Types by Content
 Attitude/Purpose: These questions types are not always easy to answer, as they are not details found specifically in the lecture or
conversation. The purpose of a lecture or conversation is its primary function, whereas the attitude of a speaker is his/her feelings,
thoughts and emotions. Remember – tone of voice is key to finding the attitude of a speaker.
 Inferences: Similar to the reading section, the listening has quite a few inference questions, which require you to come to a conclusion
about a statement not directly stated. Inference questions require a sharp eye for interpretation, often involving the words “infer” or
“imply.”
 Predictions: Prediction questions aren’t quite as common as inference questions, but they require you to determine what will more
than likely happen in the future, based on what a speaker says or doesn’t say.
 Categorizing: Also like the reading, the listening has several categorizing question, which often come at the end of a series of questions.
These types of questions often take longer to determine and requires a test-taker to filter through his/her notes. Pay close attention to
any categories, types or divisions when taking notes on the TOEFL listening section.
 Summarizing: When you encounter a summarizing question, you are asked to put a series of actions in order. This occurs through
the “drag and drop” process on the computer, so it enables you to see the sentences in order right in front of your very eyes.
 Main Idea questions: When identifying the topic or main idea of a lecture of conversation, questions along the lines of: What is the
subject of the conversation/lecture? What is the topic of the discussion/academic talk? Keep in mind these are general questions
needing general answers.
 Key facts questions: These questions are asking for particular pieces of information, as stated by the speakers. Note-taking is
essential for these types of questions, as well as a good memory!
 Paraphrase questions: Paraphrasing means saying the same thing in similar words. On the TOEFL, paraphrase questions will ask you
to choose a sentence that is most like a specific highlighted sentence within the passage.
 Variations: Definition questions, which ask you to recall the sound bites which define a word or phrase
 Chart questions: order events or steps in a process or match objects or text to categories in a chart.

31. Common Expressions (con’t)
Expressions of Disagreement
 I don’t think so
 That’s not what I think
 I can’t say I agree
 I couldn’t agree with you less
 I’m afraid I don’t agree
 Probably not
 Not necessarily
 Not really
 I’m not so sure
Expressions of Suggestion
Why...not...?
Why not...?
Let’s...

32. Vocabulary Review
 Most common prefixes
 re- (again: revoke), un- (not: untrue), in- (into or not:
insight, inert), en- (in, put into: ensnare), ex- (out:
extinguish), de- (away, from: deflect, denounce), com-
(together, with: commune), dis- (apart: dishonest), pre-
(before: predict), sub- (under: submerge)
 Most common roots
 tract (drag, pull: distract), spect (look: inspector), port
(carry: portable), dict (say: dictator), rupt (break: interrupt),
scrib (write: inscribe), cred (believe: discredit), vid (see:
evidence), aud (hear: auditorium)

33. Vocabulary Review
 Most common suffixes
 -ly (having the quality of: sweetly), -er (more:
smoother), -able/-ible (able to: deliverable),
-tion/-sion (a thing, a noun: intermission), -cle
(small: particle), -less (without: clueless), -est
(most: brightest), -ment (quality or act:
contentment), -ness (quality or act: wildness),
-arium (a place for: terrarium), -ling (small:
hatchling)

34. Must Have Words for the
TOEFL
 abandon analyze abduction ancestral abstract anesthesia accumulate animism accuracy
annex accuse anomaly acquire anticipate acquisition antipathy adapt apex addictive
apprehend adjacent arbitrary adjust arrogantly adolescent artillery advent ascertain
adversely assail advocate assess affection asset affluence assimilate aggravate associate
aggregate astrological agnostic atheist allegedly augment allegiance authority allocate
amateurish ambiguous battle amend be inclined
 berate conquest biased consciously bitterly consequence bond constraint bribery
contamination bulk contemplate burden contemptuous bureaucratic contest context
contrary candidate convey capricious convict cartel core cast corrode catastrophic counter
cause cremation cease cultivation certifiably cumbersome charismatic cure chronologically
curriculum circulate cynically civil clique coalition de facto coerce decipher cohesion
decline coincide decrepit collapse degrade collide deify combustion delinquency
commodity denominator compensate denote complex deny complication depict
component deplete compress derive concentrated descendant condemn despise confide
despondent conflict detain connotation detection
 deviant extinction devise extract devotion dilemma famine dimension fatally diminish
feasibly discretely feature discriminate fertilize disease flood dispose of fluctuated folklore
distinctly forensics distort fortify diverse fossilize divination fringe domesticate dynamic
gala gap ecclesiastical generation election grotesque elementally guilty elite mission
engender haggle enterprising haunt entrepreneurial hazardous equity hedonistic erode
hierarchy erudite hilarious eruption horror esthetically humiliation evade hypocritically
evidence hypothesize evolve exalt exclusive illiterate exotic impact expeditiously impair
exploit implant exponentially implement

35. Must Have Words for the
TOEFL
 implicate kin implicitly impoverish improvisation lease in common legitimate in the trenches
liability inaugurate longitude incentive loyal incompetent luxury indisputable industrious
inference maintenance infinitesimal manipulation inflation margin maximize inherent
meditate inheritance medium inhibit merchant inject merit innovative migration inquiry
milieu inscription minimum installation misconception integrally mobilize integrity modify
intensify intentionally interdict net intermediary nobility intervene notion intrepid nucleus
intrinsic intrusively intuitively obese invasive objectively invoke obnoxious irrigation obtain
offense oppress jointly Orwellian juxtapose overlap
 paradigm rank parallel rate ratio passion realism paternal rebel peer recede per capita
reciprocity permeate reconciliation persevere reform persist regulate perspective relic
phantom reservoir phonetic residual photosynthesis resign physical resist pious retain
piracy retrieve plunge reward policy rigor poll rite portrayal ritually potent roster
precipitation rotate predicament prejudiced prestige sacrifice prevailing safeguard
prevalent saga privileged scandal procedure scar process secular prognosis seep
proliferation seize promote self-perpetuating proportion sentiment proportionately
sequence proprietor severely prosper shame prototype shrink proximity shuttle psychic
sibling
 simulation trend skit trigger smuggle solar sole unleash solidarity unmask source spectrum
stable vanish status quo vanity stigmatize vein strategic verdict striking versus structure
vestige subsidy villainy subtly violation surveillance survive vulnerable suspect suspend
suspicious willing symbolic witness working class wound tangible terminal tolerate zeal