Tips of TOEFL Preparation Series Part 5

Subject and Predicate Agreement

Rule 1. A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of. This is a key rule for understanding subjects. The word of is the culprit in many, perhaps most, subject-verb mistakes.

Hasty writers, speakers, readers, and listeners might miss the all-too-common mistake in the following sentence:

Incorrect: A bouquet of yellow roses lend color and fragrance to the room.

Correct: A bouquet of yellow roses lends . . . (bouquet lends, not roses lend)

Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb.

Examples:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Karina or Casey is helping today with stage decorations

Rule 3. The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.

Examples:
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.

This rule can lead to bumps in the road. For example, if I is one of two (or more) subjects, it could lead to this odd sentence:

Awkward: Neither she, my friends, nor I am going to the festival.

If possible, it's best to reword such grammatically correct but awkward sentences.

Better:
Neither she, I, nor my friends are going to the festival.
OR
She, my friends, and I are not going to the festival.

Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.

Example: A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

But note these exceptions:

Exceptions:
Breaking and entering is against the law.
The bed and breakfast was charming.

In those sentences, breaking and entering and bed and breakfast are compound nouns.
Rule 5. Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words as along with, as well as, besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not part of the subject. Ignore them and use a singular verb when the subject is singular.

Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

Rule 6. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.

Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Here are the keys.

NOTE:

The word there's, a contraction of there is, leads to bad habits in informal sentences like There's a lot of people here today, because it's easier to say "there's" than "there are." Take care never to use there's with a plural subject.
Rule 7. Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.

Examples:
Three miles is too far to walk.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
BUT
Ten dollars (i.e., dollar bills) were scattered on the floor.

Rule 8. With words that indicate portions—e.g., a lot, a majority, some, all—Rule 1 given earlier in this section is reversed, and we are guided by the noun after of. If the noun after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.

Examples:
A lot of the pie has disappeared.
A lot of the pies have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
A third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.

NOTE

In recent years, the SAT testing service has considered none to be strictly singular. However, according to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage: "Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are acceptable beyond serious criticism." When none is clearly intended to mean "not one," it is followed by a singular verb.
Rule 9. With collective nouns such as group, jury, family, audience, population, the verb might be singular or plural, depending on the writer's intent.

Examples:
All of my family has arrived OR have arrived.
Most of the jury is here OR are here.
A third of the population was not in favor OR were not in favor of the bill.

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Tips of TOEFL Preparation Test Series part 4

Appositive Phrase

What Is an Appositive Phrase?

Sebuah appositive adalah noun  atau pronoun  yang mengganti nama atau mengidentifikasi benda lain menjelaskan dengan beberapa cara. Sebuah frase appositive terdiri dari appositive dan pengubahnya

(modifiers). Appositives dapat berupa penting (restrictive) atau tidak penting (nonrestrictive).
Sebuah appositive pada dasarnya memberikan informasi yang diperlukan untuk mengidentifikasi kata benda atau kata ganti yang mendahuluinya. Tanpa appositive yang mendasar , kalimat akan terasa  tidak masuk akal. Sebaliknya, appositive unrestrictive memberikan informasi tambahan tentang kata benda atau kata ganti dalam kalimat yang maknanya sudah jelas. Ini memberi pembaca ekstra-tapi merupakan informasi yang tidak isential. appositives semacam ini harus berangkat dengan koma.

Essential Examples:

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed many buildings, including New York’s Guggenheim Museum.

(Frank Lloyd Wright is the appositive. It identifies architect.)

Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone with the Wind won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 and was made into a movie in 1939.

(Gone with the Wind is the appositive. It identifies novel.)

Author William Shakespeare wrote over 30 plays during the course of his career.

(William Shakespeare is the appositive. It identifies author.)

The newspaper The New York Times first appeared in the 1850s.

(The New York Times is the appositive. It identifies newspaper.)

Artist Georgia O’Keeffe famously painted many images of flowers.

(Georgia O’Keeffe is the appositive. It identifies artist.)

The cellist Yo-Yo Ma performs concerts all over the world.

(Yo-Yo Ma is the appositive. It identifies cellist.)

contoh contoh :

Babe Ruth, a baseball player with the New York Yankees, held the home-run record for nearly 40 years.

(A baseball player with the New York Yankees is the appositive phrase. It identifies Babe Ruth.)

During our vacation, we went snorkeling off Cozumel, an island in Mexico.

(An island in Mexico is the appositive phrase. It identifies Cozumel.)

The lindy hop, a dance style, became popular in the 1920s.

(A dance style is the appositive phrase. It identifies lindy hop.)

Sherlock Holmes, a character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, continues to appear in television shows more than 100 years after his first appearance in print.

(A character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the appositive phrase. It identifies Sherlock Holmes.)

Rio de Janeiro, a city in Brazil, is famous for its Carnival celebration.

(A city in Brazil is the appositive phrase. It identifies Rio de Janeiro.)

Frankie, the dog that lives next door, likes to go for walks in the park.

(The dog that lives next door is the appositive phrase. It identifies Frankie.)

Why Are Appositives and Appositive Phrases Important?

Apakah mereka penting atau tidak penting, appositives dan frase appositive membuat tulisan Anda lebih deskriptif dengan memberikan rincian kunci tentang seseorang, tempat, atau hal lainnya.

Contoh dalam soal soal ITP TOEFL:

1.       Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, ___ of Radcliffe College, had worked as both an educator and a naturalist.

A.      the first president

B.      was the first president

C.      she was the first president

D.      which she was the first president

2.       Oliver Ells worth, ___ of the United States Supreme Courts, was the author of the bill that established the federal court system.

A.      he was the third chief justice

B.      the third chief justice was

C.      who the third chief justice

D.      the third chief justice

3.       Mary Garden, ____the early 1900’s, was considered one of the best singing actresses of her time.

A.      a soprano was popular

B.      in a popular soprano

C.      was a popular soprano

D.      a popular soprano in

4.       Clara Bow, ___ the 1920’s, retired because she was unable to make the transition from silent firms to sound firms.

A.      a popular actress in

B.      was a popular actress in

C.      who was a popular actress in

D.      in a popular actress

5.       Charlie Parker, ___ was one of the creators of the music style called “bop”.

A.      a great jazz improviser who,

B.      to improvise great jazz,

C.      a great jazz improviser,

D.      improvised great jazz,

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Tips of TOEFL ITP Preparation series part 3

1.  

Penggunakan Participle dalam kalimat
Tips of TOEFL  ITP Preparation

Present participle, past participle, perfect participle

1) present participle

The present participle is often used when we want to express an active action.
In English we add -ing to the infinitive of the verb.

Use of the present participle

Progressive/ Continuous tense	He is reading a book.
	He was reading a book.
Gerund	Reading books is fun.
	He likes reading books.
Participle	Look at the reading boy.
	He came reading around the corner.
	He sat reading in the corner.
	I saw him reading.

2-1) past participle

The present participle is often used when we want to express a passive action.
In English we add -ed to the infinitive of regular verbs. We use the 3rd column of the table of the irregular verbs.

Use of the past participle

Perfect tenses	He has forgotten the pencil.
	He had forgotten the pencil.
Passive voice	A house is built.
	A house was built.
Participle	Look at the washed car.
	The car washed yesterday is blue.
	He had his car washed.

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2-2) Compounds with the past participle

This combination is also known as perfect participle. It is used to form an active sentence with the past participle. There is a time gap between the actions.
past participle and having

Having read the book the boy came out of the room.

One action happened after the other.

present participle

The boy came reading out of the room.

Both actions happened at the same time.

Use the words in brackets as participles in the gaps.

Example: _________ news (surprise)

 surprising news

1) a boy (wait)

2) an story (interest)

3) a car (break)

4) the pizza (forget)

5) the father (work)

6) I saw him . (go)

7) the computer (repair)

8) the students (talk)

9) fans (excite)

10) the girl next door (live)

Put in the verbs in brackets as participles present participle or past participle into the gaps.

Example: I talked to the man _______ the newspaper.

Answer: I talked to the man reading the newspaper.

1) He saw his friend (go) out with Sue.

2) The bus crashed into the blue car (drive) down the hill.

3) Peter hurt his leg (do) karate.

4) The umbrella (find) at the bus stop belongs to John Smith.

5) The people (dance) in the street are all very friendly.

6) I heard my mother (talk) on the phone.

7) My uncle always has his car (wash).

8) We stood (wait) for the taxi.

9) (look) down from the tower we saw many people walking in the streets.

10) The people drove off in a (steal) car.

Put in the verbs in brackets as Past Participle into the gaps.

Example: _______ politicians (shock)

Answer: shocked politicians

1) watches (repair)

2) computers (steal)

3) fans (fascinate)

4) students (bore)

5) boys (confuse)

6) umbrellas (forget)

7) girls (disappoint)

8) comics (swap)

9) doctors (worry)

10) queens (amuse)

Put in the verbs in brackets as Present Participle into the gaps.

Example: _______ birds (fly)

Answer: flying birds

1) dogs (bark)

2) children (play)

3) girls (scream)

4) cowboys (dance)

5) ducks (swim)

6) babies (cry)

7) water (run)

8) teachers (sing)

9) leaves (fall)

10) people (lie) Contoh Dalam Test TOEFL 1.      The first _____ appeared during the last period of the dinosaurs’ reign. (A) flowers are plants (B)  plants have flowers (C)  plants flowers (D) flowering plants 2.      The earliest medicines _____ from plants of various sorts. (A)                            obtaining (B)                             they obtained (C)                             were obtained (D)                            they were obtained 3.      Simple sails were made from canvas _____ over a frame. (A) a stretch (B)  stretched (C)  was stretched (D) it was stretched 4.      Pluto’s moon Charon _____ in a slightly elliptical path around the planet. (A)             moving (B)              is moving (C)              it was moving (D)             in its movement 5.      Techniques of breath control form an essential part of any _____ program to improve the voice. (A) it trains (B)  train (C)  trains (D) training 6.      Robert E. Lee _____ the Confederate Army to General Grant in 1865 at the Appomattox Courthouse. (A) surrendered (B)  be surrendered (C)  surrendering (D) surrender 7.      The pituitary gland, _____ the brain, releases hormones to control other glands. (A) found below (B)  it is found below (C)  its foundation below (D) fids itself below 8.      At around two years of age, many children regularly produce sentences _____        three or four words. (A) are containing (B)  containing (C)  contain (D) contains 9.   Multinational companies _____ it increasingly important to employ internationally      acceptable brand names. (A) finding (B)  are finding (C)  they finding (D) they are finding 10 The cornea is located under the conjunctiva, on _____ of the eye. (A) the part is exposed (B)  exposed the part (C)  the exposed part (D) exposes the part

Tip Preparing TOEFL Test Series part 2

Struktur Paralel

Tip preparing TOEFL test Series

Parallelism

Paralelisme adalah ketika unsur-unsur kalimat  mengulang satu sama lain karena mereka memiliki bentuk yang sama atau struktur. Mengulangi kata-kata kunci dapat berkontribusi untuk kesatuan dalam sebuah esai. Paralelisme dapat berguna dalam banyak situasi, tetapi sering kita tahu bahwa itu akan berguna ketika kita menggunakan kata-kata yang menghubungkan atau kata sambung  seperti and, but, dan or

Bentuk Dasar Parallelism

• Nonparallel: Students spend their time going to classes, studying, working, and they wish they had time for a social life.
• Parallel: Students spend their time going to classes, studying, working, and wishing for a social life.
• Nonparallel: High-school students hope for short school days, or four-day weeks would be great, too.
• Parallel: High-school students hope for short school days or four-day weeks.

Using Articles with Parallelism 

Paralelisme mengharuskan sebuah artikel (a, an, atau the) atau preposisi yang diterapkan untuk semua item dalam daftar baik yang  muncul sebelum item pertama saja atau diulang sebelum setiap item. Berikut adalah beberapa contoh dari aturan dalam penerapan:

Nonparallel: We can pay with a mark, a yen, buck, or pound.

• Parallel: We can pay with a mark, a yen, a buck, or a pound.
• Nonparallel: I went to the store on Monday, Wednesday, and on Friday.
• Parallel: I went to the store on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Prepositions in Parallelism

Beberapa kata mengharuskan kata depan tertentu mendahului mereka. Ketika kata-kata seperti itu muncul dalam struktur paralel, penting untuk memasukkan semua preposisi yang tepat, karena yang pertama mungkin tidak berlaku untuk seluruh rangkaian item. Berikut adalah beberapa contoh dari aturan dalam tindakan:

·         Nonparallel: His speech was marked by disagreement and scorn for his opponent's position.

·         Parallel: His speech was marked by disagreement with and scorn for his opponent's position.

• Nonparallel: This is a time not for words but action.
• Parallel: This is a time not for words but for action.

Correlative Expressions

ekspresi korelatif adalah kata-kata yang cenderung muncul dalam pasangan . Kalimat dengan ekspresi korelatif (both/and; not/but; not only / but also; either/or; first, second, third ...) harus menggunakan struktur paralel juga. penulisan ulang sederhana sering dapat memperbaiki kesalahan dalam jenis kalimat. Berikut adalah beberapa contoh dari aturan dalam tindakan:Nonparallel: Either you must grant her request or incur her ill will.

• Parallel: You must either grant her request or incur her ill will.
• Nonparallel: My objections are first, the injustice of the measure, and second, that it is unconstitutional.
• Parallel: My objections are first, that the measure is unjust, and second, that it is unconstitutional.    

Cotoh Soal dalam TOEFL Test

1.      Three goals of the Sierra club are to encourage environmental conservation, lobby for                                                         A                                                                                          B environmental issues in Washington, D.C and developed youth awareness of                                                                             C                D environmental concerns.  2.      Because of their size, dachshunds are less expensive to feed, ease to train, and more                 A                                                                  B                        C           congenial  than Great Danes.                  D 3.      Electronic Bulletin boards are important in the process of reviewing product performance A               which evaluates how to product operate s and recommended whether one should buy it                      B                                                                    C                                         D 4.      Certain changes in the Method of mailing packeted seeds including packaging, assembled,                      A                                                                       B                                                                C                mailing have obviated the necessity for re handling by authorities.                                                                 D