TOEFL Grammar Guide
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ESSENTIAL GRAM M AR FOR A HIGHER W RITING SCORE
Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
Essential Grammar for a Higher
TOEFL Writing Score
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Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing:
Introduction
Most grammar books consist of lists of rules, examples, and practice activities. They contain every single
little grammar rule. While it may be helpful to learn the difference between the simple present and
present perfect verb tense, it may be less helpful to spend 50 pages trying to construct sentences in the
past unreal and present unreal conditional. In other words, grammar books contain some useful
information and a lot of useless information.
This Grammar Guide has been designed specifically for the TOEFL Writing section. It is a collection of
grammar rules and activities that addresses many reoccurring issues for TOEFL takers. After years of
teaching TOEFL, I have found that most students do not need a grammar book. Instead, they need to
review a few specific grammar points and build their skills through exercises targeting those weaknesses.
In each section of this guide, you will rediscover an important grammar rule that is often used incorrectly
in the TOEFL. You will be exposed to real examples from past students that made these common errors.
After that, you will review the rules for each particular grammar point and how you can use it in your
writing. The link between the given grammar point and the TOEFL Writing is reiterated throughout each
chapter, so you can see how it applies to your writing. After looking at a few examples and reviewing the
rules, each section ends with exercises designed to help you implement what you have learned.
Take your time and feel free to jump around. If there is a chapter in this guide you don’t need to review, go
ahead and skip it. Use this book as a tool for you to learn more about your writing and how to improve it.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, send an email at [email protected]
See you in class :)
Josh MacPherson
Head Instructor at TST Prep
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Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
Introduction to Uncountable Nouns
Common Mistakes
First, let’s look at some common mistakes that students make when using uncountable nouns.
Can you find the mistake in each of these three sentences?
1. In the reading passage, the author discusses the benefits of using an energy from fossil
fuels.
2. The professor in the listening argues that progress of the early settlers was due to their
navigational skills.
3. When I was a younger, I saw many news on T.V. about the issue of American dependency on
automobile travel.
Rules for Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable nouns are things that cannot be quantified using numbers and are therefore never used in
plural form. On the TOEFL, the most commonly used uncountable nouns are abstract ideas, such as advice
or information. Let’s review the grammar rules for uncountable nouns using the sentence above.
RULE #1 – Indefinite Articles
Uncountable nouns never need an indefinite article: a / an. In the first sentence above, the mistake is “an
energy” because energy is not something that can be divided up and counted. It is an uncountable noun.
1. In the reading passage, the author discusses the benefits of using an energy from fossil
fuels.
Note, on the TOEFL, not all abstract ideas are uncountable, and sometimes a compound noun may include
an uncountable. For example, energy is an uncountable noun, but energy-source is a countable, compound
noun because source is countable.
RULE #2 – Definite Articles
Uncountable nouns, like countable nouns, need the definite article: the if the noun is specific and known.
In the second sentence above, progress is specific to the early settlers and is known that it was due to their
navigational skills. Therefore, the mistake in this sentence is that it should read the progress.
2. The professor in the listening argues that the progress of the early settlers was due to their
navigational skills.
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Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
Remember, any noun, whether countable or uncountable, that is modified by possessive (my, its, ours,
theirs) or demonstrative (this, that, these, those) adjectives, do not require an article.
RULE #3 – Many v. Much
In order to indicate a large quantity of uncountable nouns, we use much instead of many. Many is only
used for countable nouns. In the third sentence, news is an uncountable noun, and so the sentence should
read much news.
3. When I was a younger, I saw many much news on T.V. about the issue of American
dependency on automobile travel.
Most of the time, an alternative phrase can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns in place
of many and much, and that is: a lot of. Therefore, the third sentence is also correct with a lot of news.
3. When I was a younger, I saw many a lot of news on T.V. about the issue of American
dependency on automobile travel.
Note, some uncountable nouns end with -s, such as news or economics. This often confuses students
because plural countable nouns often end with -s.
Guiding Principles for Recognizing and Using Uncountable Nouns
Using uncountable nouns on the TOEFL can be tricky, but here are three helpful hacks for how to
determine if a noun is countable or not and how to use the noun correctly:
#1 - If you are writing about an abstract idea that cannot be counted using numbers, then you
probably have an uncountable noun so NEVER use a / an before it.
#2 – If you are writing about a specific and known noun, regardless if it countable or not, ALWAYS
use the or a possessive or demonstrative adjective before it.
#3 – If you want to refer to a large quantity of nouns, and you are not sure whether to use many or
much, INSTEAD just use the phrase a lot of before.
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Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
Practice Using Uncountable Nouns
Now, let’s practice using uncountable nouns. Here are 10 TOEFL sample independent writing questions.
Write up to three sentences per question using uncountable nouns correctly.
1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Success in life only comes through
hard work.”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Some people prefer to find information through books while others prefer to use the
internet, which do you prefer and why?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Your job has a stronger effect on
your overall happiness than your social life.”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Technology has had a negative
effect on relationships between friends and family.”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Which of the following choices do you think has the greatest impact on environmental
protection: a) governmental regulations, b) environmental awareness groups, c) individual
effort.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
6. Do you think that nutritional data should be added to restaurant menus? Provide reasons
and examples to support your opinion.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Do you agree or disagree that it is important for young people to learn some domestic skills
like cooking, sewing, and taking care of children?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Some people feel that high school students benefit from participating in organized sports,
while others feel that sports are a waste of time. Instead, students should focus on
studying. Which point of view do you agree with and explain why.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “It is more important to study math
or science than it is to study art and literature.”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. You are going to have a new roommate next semester. Which of the following qualities is
most important to you: a) cleanliness b) humorous c) politeness.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
List of 20 Popular Uncountable Nouns (on the TOEFL)
1. evidence
2. information
3. technology
4. advice
5. research
6. effort
7. improvement
8. knowledge
9. experience
10. energy
11. importance
12. news
13. progress
14. data
15. happiness
16. work
17. literature
18. time
19. money
20. future
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Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
Introduction to Articles
Common Mistakes
First, let’s look at some common mistakes that students make when using articles. Can you find the
mistake in each of these six sentences?
1. The speaker explains an evidence that debunks the author’s theory about electric cars.
2. As a computers become more advanced, people are becoming more dependent on them.
3. Society often considers child under ten to be more helpless than they really are.
4. The author claims that fire is a most important discovery made in human history
5. There are many different types of the sharks around the world.
6. There is no shortage of opinion what type of lifestyle is needed to maintain the good health.
Rules for Articles
Articles are words that signal a noun, and can be indefinite or definite. The indefinite articles: a / an indicate
a single, unspecified noun. The definite article: the indicates specific or known nouns. Let’s review these
grammar rules for articles using the sentences above.
Rules for Indefinite Articles for Unspecified Nouns
First, the rules differ for uncountable and countable nouns. Uncountable nouns are things that cannot be
quantified using numbers or divided up and counted. Uncountable nouns never need an indefinite article
(a / an). In the first sentence above, the mistake is “an evidence” because “evidence” is an uncountable noun.
1. The speaker explains an evidence that debunks the author’s theory about electric cars.
Unlike uncountable nouns, countable nouns are things that can be quantified, and they are referred in
either singular or plural form. Plural countable nouns are a group of two or more countable noun. Plural
countable nouns never need an indefinite article (a / an). In the second sentence above, the mistake is “a
computers” because “computers” is a plural countable noun.
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Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
2. As a computers become more advanced, people are becoming more dependent on them.
A singular countable noun is one quantifiable noun. The indefinite articles (a / an) must be used to refer to
an unspecified, singular countable noun. In the third sentence above, the mistake is that “a” is missing
before “child” because “child” is a singular countable noun.
3. Society often considers a child under ten to be more helpless than they really are.
Rules for Definite Articles for Specific Nouns
Unlike indefinite articles, the definite article (the) can be used with singular countable nouns, plural
countable nouns, and uncountable nouns when the noun is specifically referenced. In otherwards, “the”
means one specific noun or one specific group of nouns. Here is how the definite article is used correctly
each category of nouns:
Singular Countable Nouns The reading discusses the topic of performance-enhancing drugs.
Plural Countable Nouns To me, the best charities provide the services of my first volunteership.
Uncountable Nouns So, the advice I would give my friend is to consider all the research.
Now, let’s look at the sentences above. In the fourth sentence, the mistake is “a most important discovery“
because ”discovery“ is one singular countable noun that is being specified.
4. The author claims that fire is a the most important discovery made in human history
When the noun is uncountable or plural countable and is not specific, no article is needed. In the fifth
sentence above, the mistake is “the sharks“ because “sharks“ is a plural countable noun that is not one
specified group. Rather, all sharks around the world are being referred to.
5. There are many different types of the sharks around the world.
In the sixth sentence above the mistake is “the good health” because “good health” is an uncountable noun
that is not specific to a person or group of people. Rather good health is mentioned in general.
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Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
6. There is no shortage of opinion on what type of lifestyle is needed to maintain the good
health.
Guiding Principles for Recognizing and Using Articles
Using articles on the TOEFL can be tricky, but here are two helpful hacks to remember so you can use the
articles correctly:
#1 - Indefinite articles (a / an) are ONLY used with unspecified, singular countable nouns.
#2 – Only use the definite article (the) when there is ONE specific noun or group of nouns.
Remember: “THE” means “ONE.”
Categories of Definite Nouns Chart
“The” is commonly used with these classes of nouns. Each of these classes refer to one specific thing.
Public Places My preference is for the city park to be improved with their extra funds.
Instruments When I was a child, I practiced the violin and it taught me discipline.
Inventions and Models She elaborates that the printing press also increased literacy in Europe.
Machine Parts Additionally, hybrid-electric vehicles still use the conventional fuel engine.
Body Parts I agree that the brain is our most important bodily organ.
Species of Animals There are two reasons the tiger has become an endangered species.
Species of Plants Another surprising feature of the fly trap is its odor.
Time Periods Home life was drastically changed in the early twentieth century.
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Nouns with No Articles
No article should be used with unspecific, uncountable nouns or unspecific, plural countable nouns. Also,
no article should be used when any noun (countable or uncountable) is modified by possessive or
demonstrative adjectives.
Tense Examples
Unspecified Uncountable Nouns Deforestation is another cause of global warming.
Unspecified Plural Countable Nouns Another benefit for people to have pets is companionship.
Nouns with Possessive Adjectives Bullying was a major issue at my school growing up.
Nouns with Demonstrative Adjectives For these reasons, I disagree sports should be mandatory.
Practice Articles
Now, let’s practice using articles on the integrated and independent writing sections. First, practice
answering 5 TOEFL sample independent questions using articles correctly. Then use the words provided to
write 5 independent sentences and 5 integrated sentences.
Independent Questions
Write one sentence answering the question using articles correctly.
1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “With the popularity of the
technology that focuses on entertainment, people read fewer books than before.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. It’s important for kids to maintain a healthy lifestyle. What can parents do to make sure
their kids remain healthy.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
3. Imagine you have to give your friend some bad news, would you rather do it in a quiet,
private room or a loud public place?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Is it better to use your extra money to buy some objects like clothes or electronic products,
or is it better to use the extra money to increase your experiences like going for a vacation
or a concert?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Teenagers should work while they
go to school, so they can learn how to be more responsible.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Creating Independent Sentences
Use the words provided to create an independent sentence using articles correctly. For example:
(In my opinion/think/sharks)
In my opinion, I do think that sharks are smarter than other types of sea creatures.
1. (To me/agree/children)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. (Think/importance/sleep)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. (For me/believe/media)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. (In my opinion/feel/computers)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. (Prefer/work/outdoors)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Creating Integrated Sentences
Use the words provided to create an integrated sentence using articles correctly. For example:
(professor/disagree/research)
The professor disagrees with the lecturer because the research does not support the claim.
1. (speaker/think/evidence)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. (author/explain/facts)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. (professor/argue/information)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. (lecturer/disagree/experience)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. (writer/claim/progress)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Introduction to Conditional Sentences
Common Mistakes
First, let’s look at some common mistakes that students make when using conditional sentences. Can you
find the mistake in each of these three sentences?
1. If I were ask, I would absolutely agree that it is crucial for young children to study English.
2. If I had been in London longer, I would had saw the Royal Wedding.
3. If they start to study early, they will benefits from the extra time.
Rules for Conditional Sentences
Conditional sentences are sentences that contain two parts: 1) the condition (or if-clause) and 2) the result
of the condition. On the TOEFL, the most commonly used conditional sentences are the past real, past
unreal, and future real conditionals. Let’s review the grammar rules for each of these types of conditionals
using the sentences above.
Rules for Past Real Conditional Sentences
Past real conditionals are the type of conditional sentence you can use in your introduction paragraph on
the TOEFL because they express a general truth, in this case, your opinion. These sentences have the
following structure:
Condition Result
If I were + simple past form I would + base-form
In the first sentence above, the mistake is “ask” because the verb tense is not correct. We use the simple
past form of the verb in the condition, and only the base form in the result.
1. If I were asked, I would absolutely agree that it is crucial for young children to study English.
Note, it is correct and very common, to say "if I were" instead of "if I was," especially in written English.
Also, remember the condition can come before the result, or the result can come before the condition
when structuring the conditional sentence. Therefore, it would also be correct to say:
1. I would absolutely agree that it is crucial for young children to study English if I were asked.
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Rules for Past Unreal Conditional Sentences
Past unreal conditionals are the type of conditional sentence you can use in your body paragraphs after
giving a personal example because they express a situation that didn’t happen to you in the past, such as a
mistake or regret. These sentences have the following structure:
Condition Result
If I had + past participle form I would have + past participle form
In the second sentence above, the mistake is “had saw” because the verb tense is not correct. We use the
past participle form of the verb followed by had in the condition, and the past participle form of the verb
followed by have in the result.
2. If I had been in London longer, I would had saw have seen the Royal Wedding.
Note, the meaning of the past unreal is negative even though no negative forms are used. The meaning of
sentence two is: I was in London, but I did not stay long, so I did not see the Royal Wedding.
Rules for Future Real Conditional Sentences
Future real conditionals can be used as the second sentence in your body paragraphs to further explain
your argument or opinion with a prediction. Future real conditionals express situations that would
probably happen in the future. These sentences have the following structure:
Condition Result
If + subject + present form subject + will + base-form
In the third sentence above, the mistake is “are” because the verb tense is not correct. We use the present
form of the verb in the condition, and the base-form of the verb in the result.
3. If they start to study early, they will benefits benefit from the extra time.
On the TOEFL, this form is used to further illustrate a position, for instance, that young children should
study for the TOEFL early. Therefore, the sentence prior to this example above could be: “Studying for the
TOEFL will provide young learners with an edge over their peers.” Note, unlike the previous two types, the
subject of this conditional sentence will then depend on the topic of the question.
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Guiding Principles for Conditional Sentences
Using conditional sentences on the TOEFL can be tricky, but here are two helpful hacks for using them
correctly:
#1 – No matter which type of conditional sentence you are writing on the TOEFL, “will” and “would”
should NEVER appear in the condition (“If”) part of the sentence.
#2 – If you start your sentence with the condition (“If”), then you ALWAYS need a comma after the
condition and before the result.
Practice Using Conditional Sentences
Now, let’s practice using each of these types of conditional sentences on the corresponding paragraphs of
the TOEFL writing section. Here are 15 TOEFL sample independent writing questions. Write a conditional
sentence in response to each question.
Introduction Paragraph - Past Real Conditional Sentences
Write an introductory sentence using the past real conditional correctly.
1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “The best way to learn a foreign
language is to speak it with native speakers.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Some people like to relax when they go on vacation, while others like to go sightseeing and
do a lot of activities. Which do you prefer and why?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Video games offer benefits to
children.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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4. Your local government has decided to improve their community. Do you think they should:
a) build a public park, b) build a public library, c) build a public pool.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Would you prefer to live in the mountains, or on the beach? Provide reasons and examples
to support your response.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph - Past Unreal Conditional Sentences
Think of a specific example you would give in your answer to each question in one of the body paragraphs.
Write the sentence that would follow your specific example using the past unreal conditional correctly.
1. It's important for kids to maintain a healthy lifestyle. What can parents do to make sure
their kids remain healthy?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Some people prefer that their children have cell phones. Other parents think it's a bad idea
for their children to have a cellular phone. Which do you prefer?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Do you agree or disagree that it is important for children to learn to draw or paint?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. If you had to volunteer, would you prefer to: a) read to seniors, b) work in an animal shelter,
c) feed the homeless.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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5. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Parents should read their children’s
text messages.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph - Future Real Conditional Sentences
Think of one argument you would use in one of the body paragraphs to support your answer to the
question. Write a sentence that would further illustrate your argument using the future real conditional
correctly.
1. Do you think scientists should be given the freedom to test and experiment however they
please, or should they be limited in their experiments?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “With the popularity of the
technology that focuses on entertainment, people read fewer books than before.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. People do many different things to stay healthy. What do you think is the best way to stay
in good health? Use specific reasons and examples to support your essay.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. If you had to work on a project for school would you rather: a) work alone, b) work with
classmates, c) work with a tutor.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Your degree requires that you should choose a history course. Which of the following
courses would you prefer: a) Art history, b) Twentieth-century world history, c) Science
history.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Introduction to Compound Sentences
Common Mistakes
First, let’s look at some common mistakes that students make when using compound sentences.
Can you find the mistake in each of these sentences?
1. First, great leaders should lead by example. Secondly, they should be good communicators.
2. Because of how geographically spread out the land is, North Americans have become too
dependent on automobiles for travel, and Europeans have better developed their public
transportation systems, such as trains and buses, throughout history.
3. The author believes yeast was first used to make bread, additionally the lecturer disagrees.
4. The professor explains that the Mayans were skilled mathematicians, whereas they did not
have a proficient written language.
5. Going on trips with friends is more cost effective and more fun, since I prefer traveling with
companions.
6. The lecturer effectively casted doubt on the author’s position. He was able to rebut each of
the author’s arguments.
Rules for Conjunctions in Compound Sentences
Compound sentences are sentences that contain two related clauses combined with a conjunction. On the
TOEFL, students can increase their score by using conjunctions to create compound sentences on the
writing section, but it is important to know when to use them and how to use them correctly. Let’s review
the grammar rules for three types of conjunctions: addition, contrast, and cause and effect, using the
sentences above.
Rules for Using Conjunctions to Express Addition
Compound sentences using addition conjunctions are a combination of two independent clauses meaning
that these two sentences could stand alone on their own. Let’s look at the first sentence above. While not
grammatically incorrect, it would flow better, and score higher, using an addition conjunction to combine
the two sentences.
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1. First, great leaders should lead by example, and secondly, they should be good
communicators
Remember, compound sentences are sentences that contain two related clauses combined with a
conjunction. Additional conjunctions should not be used if the two clauses are unrelated. Let’s look
at the second sentence above. This sentence is too long, and the two independent clauses are not
related to one another. They should be two separate sentences.
2. Because of how geographically spread out the land is, North Americans have become too
dependent on automobiles for travel. and Europeans have better developed their public
transportation systems, such as trains and buses, throughout history.
Note, there are other addition conjunctions besides “and.” When writing a compound sentence to show
addition, consider these other conjunctions:
● and ● both… and
● also ● and… as well
● in addition ● not only... but also
Any of these conjunctions can be used instead of “and” and will show a more advanced level of English on
the TOEFL. Let’s look at the first above sentence again. Here is how the sentence could be written in a
more advanced way:
1. First, great leaders should not only lead by example, but also be good communicators.
Rules for Using Conjunctions to Express Contrast
Compound sentences using contrast conjunctions are a combination of two independent clauses that
have a contrasting relationship. Here are some common contrast conjunctions:
● but ● nevertheless
● yet ● on the other hand
● whereas ● although
● even though ● however
If you look at the third example sentence above, you can see that it is a compound sentence of two
independent clauses that are in contrast with one another, so ”additionally” is not correct.
3. The author believes yeast was first used to make bread, but the lecturer disagrees.
Note that not all contrasting conjunctions have the same meaning. It is important to understand and know
the meaning of the conjunction before using it. For instance, “yet,” is used in negative sentences to show a
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contrast. In the fourth sentence from above, “whereas” does not work because the second clause is a
negative contrast.
4. The professor explains that the Mayans were skilled mathematicians, yet they did not have
a proficient written language.
Rules for Using Conjunctions to Express Cause and Effect
Compound sentences using cause and effect conjunctions are a combination of two independent clauses
that have a causation or result relationship. For cause, we use:
● because ● since
● as ● so that
For effect, we use:
● so ● consequently
● therefore ● as a result
● thus ● hence
In the fifth sentence, “since” is the mistake because the first clause is the effect of the second. Therefore,
an effect conjunction, like “so,” should be used instead.
5. Going on trips with friends is more cost effective and more fun, so I prefer traveling with
companions.
In the sixth sentence, while not grammatically incorrect, these two sentences have a cause and effect
relationship. Therefore, it would flow better, and result in a higher score, to combine these sentences with
a cause and effect conjunction. One correct way to combine these sentences with a cause/effect
conjunction is:
6. The lecturer effectively casted doubt on the author’s position, since he was able to rebut
each of the author’s arguments.
Guiding Principles for Conjunctions
Using conjunctions on the TOEFL can be tricky, but here are two helpful hacks for using them correctly:
#1 – Conjunctions should only be used to make compound sentences with two RELATED clauses.
Therefore, NEVER use “and” to combine two UNRELATED independent clauses.
#2 – When using conjunctions to combine two related, independent clauses, ALWAYS use a
comma (“,”) after the first clause and before the conjunction.
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Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
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Practice Using Conjunctions in Compound Sentences
Now, let’s practice using each of these types of compound sentences on three parts of the TOEFL writing
section. There are a few ideal places where students will usually be able to insert a conjunction: 1) when
giving their opinion in the introduction of the independent question, 2) when explaining the reason why
the author or lecturer holds a certain view on the integrated question, and 3) when wrapping up the
speaker’s or their own opinion in the conclusion of either writing question. Here are 15 TOEFL sample
questions. Write at least one compound sentence answering the questions from each ideal place.
Introduction Paragraph – Independent Question
The first ideal place to insert a conjunction is when giving your opinion in the introduction of the
independent question. For example:
Everyone can be considered one of these two types of people: an “early bird” or a “night owl.” Early
birds are those who prefer to wake up early and immediately start on their work. Night owls are
those who would rather stay up late and work throughout the night. I considered myself to be an
early bird, because I prefer getting up early to start my day.
Write a compound sentence using at least one addition, contrast, or cause and effect conjunction to
answer the independent questions.
1. What holiday in your culture do you believe is most important and why?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. I Imagine you have just been given $10,000. Would you a) spend it, b) save it, or c) invest it?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: "Teenagers should work while they
go to school, so they can learn how to be more responsible."
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Is the Internet a good or bad thing for the music industry?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
5. Some people believe old people should not take risks and participate in adventurous events
as young people. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph - Integrated Questions
The second ideal place to insert a conjunction is when explaining the reason why the author or lecturer
holds a certain view in the body paragraphs on the integrated question. For example:
The author also claims that tissue cells taken from a frozen wooly mammoth found in Siberia could
be used to resurrect this ancient creature from extinction. The speaker, however, disagrees. He
says that this animal is tens of thousands of years old, so the genetic tissues could not have
survived long enough to be used for cloning today.
Write a compound sentence using at least one addition, contrast, or cause and effect conjunction on the
integrated questions. Use the information provided.
1. Professor: “Even though there has been notable progress in solar panels, they still lack the
effectiveness and stretch to replace fossil fuels. For one, solar energy is not reliable because
they depend on sunlight. Also, the equipment required for installing solar panels is
expensive.” Summarize the beliefs of the professor.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Author: “Statistics show that 40 to 50% of marriages in America end in divorce. One cause of
the high divorce rate is the growing awareness of gender inequality. As women become
more active in professional settings, they no longer need to rely on a husband for financial
support.” Summarize the opinion of the author.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Writer: “The expanding population will have terrible effects on life in the future. For one,
the population problem will cause the extinction of hundreds of species in freshwater
sources. There is a limited amount of drinkable water, and the growing population will
outpace the amount of time it takes to replenish the water sources.” Summarize the
opinion of the writer.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
4. Lecturer: “Even though the author points out some short-term benefits, deforestation has
some serious long-term consequences. First of all, deforestation displaces all the animals,
insects, and plants living in the forested area. And, more importantly, 28% of the world’s
oxygen is produced from rainforest ecosystems.” Summarize the argument of the lecturer.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Speaker: “The information in the reading about performance-enhancing drugs is misguiding.
First of all, all medication has side effects and the side effects of performance-enhancing
drugs, such as acne or mood swings, are incredibly rare.” Summarize the argument of the
speaker.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion Paragraph – Independent and Integrated Questions
The final ideal place to insert a conjunction is when wrapping up the speaker’s or your own opinion in the
conclusion of the integrated or independent questions. For example:
To sum up, I believe that researchers should have limitations to their experiments and tests. This is
because human and animal life is more important than freedom, and also because public safety is
more valuable than freedom.
Write a compound sentence using at least one addition, contrast, or cause and effect conjunction to
conclude your personal opinion to the independent question or to wrap up the speaker’s opinion from the
integrated question provided.
1. Some people prefer to buy new books while some people would like to buy used books,
what is your opinion?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Professor: “Regardless of the author’s theories, the process of bringing animals back from
extinction is actually plagued with serious problems.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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3. Do you agree or disagree that a celebrity should set a good example for young people?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. If you had to live in one area for the rest of your life, would you prefer to live in a) the city,
b) the suburbs, or c) the countryside.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Lecturer: “While the Turtle Excluder Devices sounds like a great idea they need drastic
improvement regardless of what the author in the reading may believe.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Extra Practice Using Conjunctions in Compound Sentences
Some conjunctions are more difficult to use than others but using these conjunctions can show a more
advanced understand of grammatical form and help increase your score. Create two TOEFL-like sentences
using one of these complex conjunctions:
● yet ● in fact
● both...and ● on the other hand
● not only...but also ● even though
● either ...or
1. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
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Subject-Verb Agreement
Common Mistakes
First, let’s look at some common mistakes that students make when using subject-verb agreement. Can
you find the mistake in each of these four sentences?
1. However, the lecturer completely disagree with the author’s point of view in the reading.
2. In my opinion, students should really studies math and science over music and art.
3. Invasion from colonists which spread diseases are the main cause of the fall of the Inca
Empire.
4. When I was younger, everyone were frustrated with me because I didn’t listen.
Rules for Subject-Verb Agreement
In every sentence, there is a subject and a verb. Subject-verb agreement means that the form of the
subject must match the form of the verb. Singular subjects have singular verbs; plural subjects must have
plural verbs. On the TOEFL, students will need to know how to correctly match the forms of the subjects
and verbs on the entire writing section. Let’s review the grammar rules for subject-verb agreement using
the sentences above.
Rule #1 – Integrated Question Subjects
In the integrated writing section, there are some common subjects that students will use on the TOEFL.
These are: “author, writer, lecturer, speaker, professor, the reading passage, and the listening passage.” All of
these subjects are third-person singular (he/she/it). This means that the verb used must also be
third-person singular.
In the first sentence above, “disagree“ is the mistake because “lecturer” is the third-person singular subject,
but “disagree” is not the third-person singular form of the verb.
1. However, the lecturer completely disagrees with the author’s point of view in the reading.
Remember, the third-person singular verb form almost always adds an “-s” to the verb in the present
simple form.
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Rule #2 – Indefinite Plural Noun Subjects
In both the independent and integrated sections, students will be expected to write about indefinite
nouns. When the noun is countable, it takes the plural form and does not require the indefinite article
(a/an). For example: “people, sharks, children, pets, arguments and citizens” are all indefinite, countable,
plural nouns. As the subject, all of these kinds of nouns are third-person plural (they). This means the verb
must also be third-person plural.
In the second sentence above, “studies“ is the mistake because “students” is the third-person plural subject,
but “studies” is not the third-person plural form of the verb.
2. In my opinion, students should really study math and science over music and art.
Remember, the third-person plural subject form usually adds an “-s” to the subject in the present simple
form, so the verb does not end in “-s.”
Rule #3 – Uncountable Noun Subjects
When the noun is uncountable, it does not take the plural form, and it does not require the indefinite
article (a/an). For example: “rice, news, water, research, and information” are all uncountable nouns. As the
subject, these kinds of nouns are third-person singular (he/she/it). This means the verb must be
third-person singular.
In the third sentence above, “are“ is the mistake because “invasion” is the third-person singular subject, but
“are” is not the third-person singular form of the verb.
3. Invasion from colonists which spread diseases are is the main cause of the fall of the Inca
Empire.
Remember, the third-person singular form of the verb “to be” in the present simple form is “is.”
Note, modifiers can come between the subject and the verb, like in the sentence above “from colonists and
disease,” however, the modifiers never change the tense of the verb.
Rule #4 - Indefinite Pronoun Subjects
On both the independent and integrated sections, students will be expected to write about indefinite
pronouns. Most commonly on the TOEFL, these are: “everybody, everyone, everything, anyone, anything,
someone, something, nobody, and neither.” All of these subjects are third-person singular (he/she/it). This
means that the verb used must also be third-person singular.
In the fourth sentence above, “were” is the mistake because “everyone” is the third-person singular subject,
but “were” is not the third-person singular form of the verb.
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4. When I was younger, everyone were was frustrated with me because I didn’t listen.
Remember, the third-person singular form of the verb “to be” in the simple past form is “was.”
Guiding Principles for Subject-Verb Agreement
Using the proper verb form on the TOEFL can be tricky, but here are three helpful hacks for using them
correctly:
#1 – On the integrated writing, ALWAYS use the third-person singular verb form (add “-s” to the
verb) when the subject is the author, lecturer, the reading passage, or the listening passage.
#2 – Do NOT add an “s” to indefinite plural nouns.
#3 – When the subject of a sentence, uncountable nouns and indefinite pronouns are usually
singular (add an “s”)
Practice Using Subject-Verb Agreement
Now, let’s practice using subject-verb agreement. Here are 15 TOEFL sample writing questions. Write at
least one sentence using subject-verb agreement correctly.
Integrated Questions
Use the information provided to write one sentence using subject-verb agreement correctly.
1. Author: “There is a lot of evidence to suggest that animals were much larger in the ‘early
earth period’ than they are today.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Professor: “A recent study has called into question the idea that buying a business franchise
is a good idea, as the author in the reading passage suggests.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Writer: “It is extremely dangerous and harmful for the environment to allow forest fires to
spread. Therefore, they should be deliberately suppressed.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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4. Lecturer: “Wave farms would not be an advantageous alternative to fossil fuel for many
reasons. For one, the convertors used at these farms can be as harmful to the environment
as fossil fuels.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Reading passage: “One benefit of smart cars is that they will save lives by preventing
accidents from occurring.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Independent Questions
Write one sentence answering the question using the subject-verb agreement correctly.
1. Do you think the government should legislate laws to fine people who use cell phones when
crossing roads and intersections?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Besides getting an education, what are some other reasons people attend university?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Would you prefer to work at one job your entire life or to switch jobs every five years?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Co-workers make the best friends.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Which of the following functions of smartphones are most beneficial to students: a) taking
photos, b) listening to music, or c) recording lectures.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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6. In your opinion, what kind of behavior do people do in public that you find most
inconsiderate?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Do you agree or disagree that governments should forbid violence and bad language in TV
programs?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Some people believe that with the development of technology and the Internet, libraries
will disappear, while others think libraries are always necessary. Which opinion do you
agree with?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Some people prefer sending messages while others prefer making phone calls directly.
Which do you prefer?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. Three kinds of activities will be offered on a speak day organized by the International
Student office. Which one do you prefer: a) international food fair, b) international music
festival, or c) international film festival.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
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Introduction to Verb Tenses
Common Mistakes
First, let’s look at some common mistakes that students make when using verb tenses sentences. Can you
find the mistake in each of these six sentences?
1. The professor believed that the author’s arguments lack sufficient evidence.
2. According to the lecture, the Vikings are not able to conquer Rome.
3. Another cause of global warming was the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest.
4. For me, I agree that grades encourage students to learn because they caused students to
work harder.
5. When I was child, I first learn the meaning of a good role model from my soccer coach.
6. If I had worked harder on my school project that year, I have would been the top student in
the class.
Rules for Verb Tenses
On the TOEFL, students need to know how to correctly use the right verb tense in the right context. Let’s
review the grammar rules for verb tenses on the integrated and independent writing sections using the
sentences above.
Rules for Using Verb Tenses on the Integrated Question
In the integrated writing section, there are some common mistakes students make using the simple
present and the simple past.
First, when talking about the author’s and lecturer’s opinions, and the reasons for their opinions, students
should always use the simple present. In the first sentence above, “believed“ is the mistake because it is in
the past tense.
1. The professor believeds that the author’s arguments lack sufficient evidence.
Remember, the author and lecturer are third-person singular subjects, so the third-person singular verb
form must be used. The third-person singular verb form almost always adds an “-s” to the verb in the
present simple form.
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Second, when talking about and speculating in the past, students should always use the simple past. In the
second sentence above, “are“ is the mistake because it is in the present tense.
2. According to the lecture, the Vikings are were not able to conquer Rome.
Remember, the simple past verb form for regular verbs adds an “-ed.” The simple past verb form for the
verb “to be” is “was” and “were.”
Finally, when talking about details from the passage, students should use the simple present for
contemporary issues, but the simple past for events in the past. In the third sentence above, “was“ is the
mistake because it is in the past tense.
3. Another cause of global warming was is the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest.
Here, “global warming” is an ongoing problem, so the present tense should be used.
Rules for Using Verb Tenses on the Independent Question
In the independent writing section, there are some common mistakes students make using the simple
present, the simple past, and conditionals.
First, when talking about your opinions, or the reasons for your opinions, you should always use the
simple present. In the fourth sentence above, “caused“ is the mistake because it is in the past tense.
4. For me, I agree that grades encourage students to learn because they caused students to
work harder.
Second, when talking about personal examples, students should always use the simple past. In the fifth
sentence above, “learn“ is the mistake because it is in the past tense.
5. When I was a child, I first learned the meaning of a good role model from my soccer coach.
Finally, when talking about an imaginary situation, students should use conditionals. Conditionals contain
two parts: 1) the condition and 2) the result of the condition. They are used on the TOEFL when the result
is possible and likely, or when the result is hypothetical.
Conditionals can be used in the introduction paragraph to express your opinion (past real), in the body
paragraph after a personal example to express a mistake or regret (past unreal), or as the second
sentence in your body paragraph to further explain your argument or opinion with a prediction (future
unreal). In the sixth sentence above, the mistake is “have would been” because “would” comes before “have”
+ past participle form “been.”
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6. If I had worked harder on my school project that year, I would have would been the top
student in the class.
Note, no matter which type of conditional sentence you use, “will” and “would” is always in the result part
of the sentence, not the condition (“If”) part.
Verb Tense Chart
Tense Examples
Simple Present The author explains that African lions hunt in packs.
Present Progressive Even now, scientists are searching for a cure for cancer.
Present Perfect I have considered this question before.
Present Perfect Progressive People have been wondering who discovered America for a long time.
Simple Past The early settlers looked everywhere for food.
Past Progressive During my childhood, I was studying English in Canada.
Past Perfect He had found an article on the news.
Past Perfect Progressive Research had been reading the ancient language for decades.
Simple Future I will learn more about the history of my country.
Future Progressive Everyone will be trying to understand it for years to come.
Future Perfect They will have visited every state by next year.
Future Perfect Progressive My friend will have been working for five years next Saturday.
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Time Markers Chart
Present Past Future
today yesterday tomorrow
at present in the past in the future
now ago from now
usually formerly next week/month/year
every time in the 1990s by 2030
the current period in the former period in the coming period
currently during the earlier century during the next decade
Practice Verb Tenses
Now, let’s practice using verb tenses on the integrated and independent sections. Here are 15 TOEFL
sample writing questions. Write at least one sentence using the correct verb tenses.
Integrated Questions
Use the information provided to write one sentence using the correct simple present or past tenses.
1. Writer: “There are a few competing theories as to why the Rapa Nui civilization disappeared.
One claim is that the destruction of the forest lead to mass famine”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Lecturer: “Like all alternative methods of education, the Montessori method has some
drawbacks. For one, hardly anyone speaks about the cost of redesigning one’s classroom.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Author: “Eco-certified wood products are more environmentally friendly, but American
wood companies will not adopt this practice.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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4. Speaker: “There is not enough evidence to suggest that the Anasazi people suffered from
malnutrition, as the writer suggests.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Reading passage: “There is sufficient evidence to suggest that dinosaurs were endotherms.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Listening: “Each of the author’s theories are unfounded, and in fact, the purpose of the
great houses of Chaco Canyon is still a mystery.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Independent Questions
Write one sentence answering the question using the correct simple present or past tenses.
1. Your degree requires that you should choose a history course. Which of the following
courses would you prefer: a) art history, b) twentieth-century world history, or c) science
history?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Is the Internet a good or bad thing for the music industry?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Do you agree or disagree that it is important for children to learn to draw or paint?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Celebrities should set a good
example for young people.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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5. Which of the following technological developments has made the greatest impact on
students’ lives: a) electric books, b) online classes, or c) smartphones.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Some universities expect the students to choose a major field of study when they enter the
school; while other universities wait until the second or the third year before the students
decide to choose a major field of study. Which do you prefer? Why or why not?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Conditional Sentences
Write an introductory sentence using the past real conditional correctly.
1. If you are going to choose a position in the school community during summer vacation,
which one will you choose: a) library front desk/receptionist, b) technician, c) paint a wall in
the community.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Think of a specific example you would give in your answer to the question in one of the body paragraphs.
Write the sentence that would follow your specific example using the past unreal conditional correctly.
2. Some people prefer to give their opinions immediately. Others prefer to wait and listen to
others’ opinions before giving their own. Which one do you think is better?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Think of one argument you would use in one of the body paragraphs to support your answer to the
question. Write a sentence that would further illustrate your argument using the future real conditional
correctly.
3. Do you agree or disagree with the statement that experienced doctors are better than
young doctors?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
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Introduction to Parallelism
Common Mistakes
First, let’s look at some common mistakes that students make when using parallel structures. Can you find
the mistake in each of these three sentences?
1. To be successful, a nation needs a stable government and strong economy, and a successful
nation needs socialized medicine.
2. Elementary courses in art and music are more valuable than science and math.
3. I prefer to be more active on vacation, but my friend prefers relaxing on the beach.
Rules for Parallelism
Parallelism is the use of words, phrases, or clauses according to a specific grammar structure or semantic
pattern. On the TOEFL, students can show a more advanced level of writing, and increase their score, by
using parallel structures correctly. Let’s review the general rules for parallelism using the sentences above.
RULE # 1 – Lists and Series
Lists, or series, are two or more words or phrases joined by a conjunction (and, or, or but). Lists should
always have a parallel structure.
Structure Examples
Nouns Small trees, shrubs, and grasses are the only plants that can grow in the desert.
Infinitives My mother had to choose to continue her career or to stay at home with my sister.
Gerunds Traveling abroad and experiencing other cultures are two benefits to a gap year.
Verb Phrases That is how Gandhi became infamous and inspired millions worldwide.
Adjectives The author describes African lions as fierce, strong, and fast wild cats.
Adverbs My team and I worked carefully but quickly to finish the project on time.
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While not grammatically incorrect, the first sentence above lacks parallelism. The nouns “a stable
government,” “strong economy,” and “social services” are all characteristics of a successful nation. Therefore,
“a successful nation needs” does not need to be repeated. The sentence should be written like this:
1. To be successful, a nation needs a stable government, and strong economy, and a successful
nation needs socialized medicine.
RULE #2 – Comparative Structures
When two structures are being compared using equative or comparative expressions, they should always
be parallel. Equative and comparative expressions include:
● as…as ● more…than
● -er than ● less…than
The second sentence above is not parallel, because “elementary courses in art and music“ is not parallel to
”science and math.“ The sentence should be written like this:
2. Elementary courses in art and music are more valuable than elementary courses in science
and math.
Note, demonstrative pronouns can be used in order to avoid the repetition of certain words. For example,
“those” can be used in place of “elementary courses,” and still maintain parallelism. Such as:
2. Elementary courses in art and music are more valuable than those in science and math.
RULE # 3 – Phrases and Clauses
Independent clauses and phrases should always have a parallel structure. In the third sentence above, the
clauses are not parallel. The phrase “to be more active“ is in the infinitive verb form and the phrase “relaxing
on the beach“ is in the gerund form. The sentence should be written like this:
3. I prefer to be more active on vacation, but my friend prefers to relaxing on the beach.
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Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
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Guiding Principles for Using Parallel Structures
Using parallel structures on the TOEFL can be tricky, but here are two helpful hacks to remember so you
can use parallelism correctly:
#1 – On the independent writing question, remember to CORRECTLY use parallel lists to sum up
the reasons for your opinion.
#2 - On the integrated writing question, remember to ALWAYS use the simple present when
referencing the author/speaker’s position. That way, when making comparatives, your phrases
and clauses will be parallel.
Practice Parallelism
Now, let’s practice using parallelism in the integrated and independent writing sections. First, practice
answering 5 TOEFL sample independent questions using parallel structures correctly. Then practice
summarizing the stance of the professor or writer on the integrated question using parallel lists. Finally,
practice answering 5 TOEFL sample questions using parallel comparative structures.
Independent Questions
Write your opinion and two supporting reasons for answering these independent questions.
1. Would you prefer to work at one job your entire life or to switch jobs every five years?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes, other
believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Which do you agree with?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place
would you prefer to live in?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
39
Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
4. If you had to volunteer, would you prefer to a) read to seniors, b) work in an animal shelter,
or c) feed the homeless?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Is the Internet a good or bad thing for the music industry? Provide reasons to support your
response.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Integrated Questions
Summarize the professor/writer’s stance and their supporting reasons using parallel lists. For example:
Writer - It is good for university professors to make television appearances.
Reason 1 - Audiences can be broadened
Reason 2 - Increase university publicity
The writer explains that television appearances are worthwhile for university professors
because their audience can be broadened and the university’s publicity can be increased.
1. Professor - The Sacsayhuaman was a fortress that wasn’t built for defensive purposes.
Reason 1 - The walls were not solid.
Reason 2 - No wells have been found behind the walls.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Writer - There are advantages to wave farms as an alternative energy source.
Reason 1 - Waves are constant and predictable.
Reason 2 - Wave farms don’t harm the environment.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Professor - The memoir of Chevalier de Seingalt is not a reliable record.
Reason 1 - It claims he was rich but he often borrowed money.
Reason 2 - It details his prison break which was not possible.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
40
Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
4. Writer - Animals were larger in the early earth period than they are today.
Reason 1 - They had a greater supply of oxygen.
Reason 2 - There were more plants for them to eat.
Reason 3 - The climate was warmer.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Professor - None of the author’s explanations for transient lunar phenomena are plausible.
Reason 1 - It is just a coincidence that the color changes are seen near craters.
Reason 2 - There is no evidence of dust clouds on the moon.
Reason 3 - The dates of the observations do not match the dates of the solar flares.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Comparative Structure Questions
Write one sentence using a parallel comparative structure to answer the questions. For example:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Life today is easier and more
comfortable than it was when your grandparents were children.”
In my opinion, life today is more difficult and less comfortable than it was when my
grandparents were children.
1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “If you want to succeed in business,
being outgoing and friendly is very important.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Sometimes it is better not to tell the
truth.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “In twenty years, there will be fewer
cars on the road than there are today.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
41
Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
4. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “We can learn more from people at a
higher level than us (like teachers) than from people who are at the same level as us.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “A person should never make an
important decision alone.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Extra Practice With Parallel Correlative Conjunctions
When two structures are being compared using paired, or correlative, expressions, they should always be
parallel. Correlative expressions include:
● And…as well as ● Neither…nor
● Both…and ● Not…but
● Either…or ● Not only…but also
For example:
1. I would prefer neither a swimming pool nor a public park built by the city committee.
2. Computers not only make our lives easier but also provide us with entertainment.
Let’s practice using correlative conjunctions. Write one sentence using parallel correlative conjunctions
correctly. For example:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “It is better for children to grow up
in the countryside than in a big city.”
In my opinion, children get to experience other people and cultures as well as get a better
education growing up in a big city.
42
Your Grammar Guide for the TOEFL® Writing
Essential Grammar for a Higher TOEFL Writing Score
1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Sometimes it is better not to tell the
truth.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Some people prefer to eat at restaurants. Others prefer to eat at home. Which do you prefer?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Imagine you have just been given $10,000. Would you a) spend it, b) save it, or c) invest it?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
43
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