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STRUCTURE
1ST MEETING
In this section, structure is divided into two parts.

1. Structure, consists of 15 questions. Each number has a sentence in which part of each
sentence has been replaced with a blank.
Example :
A lion _______ surrounding the forest in order to get food.
a. Run
b. Running
c. Runs
d. To run

The best answer is C.

2. Written expression, consists of 25 sentences in which four words of group of words have
been underlined. You must choose the underlined word or group of words that is not
correct.
Example :
The Spanish introduced not only horses and also cattle to the North American continent.
The answer is and, because it should be but.

A. STRUCTURE

#1 BE SURE THAT A SENTENCE HAS A SUBJECT AND A VERB

An English sentence should have a subject and a verb. The most common types of problems
that you will encounter in structure question on the TOFL test have to do with subjects and
verbs : perhaps the sentence is missing the subject or the verb or both, or perhaps the
sentence has an extra subject or verb.
Example 1 :

_________ was backed up for miles on the freeway.

(A) Yesterday
(B) In the morning
(C) Traffic
(D) Cars
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In this example you should immediately recognize that there is a verb was, but there is no
subject. Was is to be for singular noun. The best answer is (C) because traffic is singular and
it matches with the verb. (A) Yesterday is an adverb, while we need to put subject which is a
noun. (B) In the morning is adverb also. (D) Cars is a noun, but it is plural. So the best
answer is C.

Example 2 :

Engineers _______ for work on the new space program.

(A) necessary
(B) are needed
(C) hopefully
(D) next month

You must notice that the sentence has subject but does not have verb. Among the choices,
(B) are needed is the best answer because it is verb. Options, (A), (C), (D) are incorrect.

A sentence in English must have at least one subject and one verb.
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#2 BE CAREFUL OF OBECTS OF PREPOSITION

An object of a preposition is a noun, pronoun, gerund or noun clause that comes after a
preposition, such as in ,on, at, to, by, behind, by, and so on, to a form a prepositional phrase.

After this exam Tom will take a trip by boat.

preposition Object of
preposition Object of
preposition preposition

An object of a preposition can cause confusion in structure questions on the TOEFL test
because it can be mistaken for the subject of a sentence.

Example :

With his friend _______ found the movie theater.

(A) has
(B) he
(C) later
(D) when

In this example you should look first for the subject and the verb. You should notice the verb
found and also notice that there is no subject. Do not think that friend is the subject; friend is
the object of preposition with, and the noun cannot be both as a subject and an object at the
same time. Because a subject is needed in this sentence, answer (B) he, is the best answer.
Answers (A), (C), and (D) are not correct because they cannot be subject.

A preposition is followed by a noun, pronoun, gerund, or noun clause that is called

an object of the preposition. If a word is an object of a preposition, it is not the
subject.
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#3 BE CAREFUL OF PAST PARTICIPLES

Past participle can cause confusion in structure question on the TOEFL test because a past
participle can be either an adjective or a part of a verb. The past participle is the form of the verb
that appears with have or be. It often ends in –ed, but there are also many irregular past participle
inn English.

The family has purchased a television.

VERB
The poem was written by Paul.
VERB

In those two sentences past participles (purchased and written) are parts of verb because
accompanied by has and was.

A past participle is an adjective when it is not accompanied by some form of be or have.

The television purchased yesterday was expensive.

ADJECTIVE VERB
The poem written by Paul appeared in the magazine.
ADJECTIVE VERB

In those sentence, past participles mean passive but as adjectives not as verbs. Was and
appeared are the verb.
Example :
The packages ___________ mailed at the post office will arrive Monday.

(A) have
(B) were
(C) them
(D) just

The packages is the subject, will arrive is the verb, so mailed is past participle. Remember when
a sentence must have at least one subject and one verb. This sentence has a subject and a verb.
So we don’t need any subject or verb. The best answer is (D) just. (A) have makes double verbs
in that sentence, does (B) were. (C) them is incorrect because them is pronoun for object and we
don’t need it.
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A past participle often ends in –ed but there are also many irregular past participle. For
many verbs, including –ed verbs, the simple past and the past participle are the same and
can be easily confused. The –ed form of the verb can be (1) the simple past, (2) the past
participle of a verb, (3) an adjective.

1. She painted this picture.

2. She has painted this picture.
3. The picture painted by Karen is now in a museum.