TOEFL Reading

Strategies
 Don’t read the passage! Only read the title to know what it is about, and go
immediately to the first question.
 Make sure to keep an eye on the time! Be aware of how much time you have left.
 Always read the full question and the full answer choices.

Chapter 1: Vocabulary Questions

 You need to use a new word 7 times before you remember it. Every week review
the words you learned starting from the beginning of the journal.
 Make sure that your selected word is not only a synonym to the highlighted word,
but it has the correct meaning for the context.
 And vice-versa. Any answer choice can fit into the context and make sense,
however it has also to be synonymous to the highlighted word.
 Strategy #1: Use examples given to deduce the meaning of the word.
 Strategy #2: Use transition words (although, however, on the other hand, but, in
contrast, yet, in spite of/despite, while, nevertheless, nonetheless,…) which show
that unexpected or opposing information will be included in the sentence, and we
can use these words to deduce the meaning of our vocabulary word.
 Strategy #3: Use your logic, common sense and knowledge of the word (or even
the words in the context).
 Strategy #4: Use the broader context.
 If you have never seen the word before and there are no clues, you will have to
take your best guess. Go back to the original sentence and read it with each of the
four answer choices one at a time. Sometimes, an answer will just sound right. If
all else fails, eliminate the answers that are definitely wrong to increase your
chance of getting the right answer. Do not leave any answers blank.
 Chapter 2: Factual Information Questions and Negative
Factual Information Questions
 You will know it is a factual information question if it is not asking for overall
comprehension or an inference, but asking you to find a detail from the passage
or a specific paragraph. Sometimes it helps to restate the question in your mind in
a simpler form.
 Read the question carefully and understand what it is asking you to do. Do NOT
skim the question.
 Find the keywords in the question. Then skim the reading passage to find the
same keywords or their synonyms.
 Once you have found the keywords in the paragraph, read the sentence that has
the keyword or words carefully. Most of the time, the answer to these questions
will be found close to the keyword or words.
 Gather clues. Once you have read the sentence or sentences that you think are
important, try to put the facts into your mind. Then when you look at the answer
choices, see if there is a paraphrase of the facts you have gathered.
 Read the answer choices. Remember, don’t do this first! You may become
confused by so much information. After gathering some clues, you already have
some facts to look for in the answer choices. Hopefully, you will be able to spot
the correct answer right away.
 If the answer is not clear, use the process of elimination aggressively and quickly.
Eliminate any trap answers (listed and described below), then choose the correct
answer.

Traps
 Answers that have some of the same words as the paragraph but change the
meaning or order.
 Answers that add information that is not in the original passage.
 Extreme answers containing extreme words or language (only, ever, forever, all,
always, never, has a sharp divide, ended abruptly) and bold statements. Extreme
answers are usually not correct. Most of the time (but not all the time) you should
eliminate these types of statements. If you think an extreme answer is correct, go
back and make sure the passage supports the extreme language. Verify extreme
answers are true before you choose them!
 Opposite answers: In an answer, a word can be replaced with a one of an
opposite meaning that can sound similar with the original sentence but can totally
change its meaning.
 Fused sentences: The TOEFL authors will sometimes take two sentences that do
not belong together and “fuse” them together. In other words, they will take part
of a sentence from one section of the paragraph and mix it with another
sentence.
 Word soup: The TOEFL authors will use words from the paragraph and mix them
up in a way that makes them look like the correct answer. Read all answers
carefully!
 Far away answers: Be careful of any answer choice that is not located near the
key words in the passage. These are “far away” answers and are usually traps.
 A false comparison is made: This is an extremely common TOEFL trap. An answer
choice may say “X is more common/ larger/ greater/ higher/ more important/
more closely related/ etc. than Y.” However, if you read the original passage
carefully, no comparison was actually made.
 The wrong verb is used: The TOEFL answers which are incorrect will often use the
wrong (not synonymous) verb. This is very common on TOEFL, so learn the
meaning of as many verbs as possible! Focus on the verbs in your answer.
 An answer choice is not mentioned, even if they repeat words from the passage.
 Half-true answers.

 Be aware of the use of synonyms in the correct answer. The TOEFL will usually not
use the same words in the correct response that were used in the reading.
 There are TOEFL paragraphs in which you will have to read the entire paragraph.
You can identify these because the question is very general. You WILL have to
read the whole paragraph and look for the answer. The method you should use is
to read the whole paragraph, gather clues (facts from the reading) and then look
at the answer choices.
 It is VERY IMPORTANT to be aware that sometimes a very simple answer is
correct, even if complex answers look better. The TOEFL will use complex answers
that look really good- they have a lot of information, and they contain words you
read in the passage, so they appear correct. But they mislead you, and the simpler
answer is correct!
 Be aware that the TOEFL will include answer choices that were mentioned in the
passage, but do not answer the exact question posed. In other words, they are
facts from the reading, but they do not actually answer the question. Read all
questions and answer choices very carefully. Also, incorrect answers will often
add a word or words that were not in the original.
 Be aware that the correct answer is often a paraphrase of a sentence or
sentences you saw in the reading.
 Be aware that in more recent TOEFL tests, factual information questions are
becoming a little more difficult. There are times in which the ETS expects you to
draw a conclusion from the information given in a paragraph, rather than one or
two sentences. Thus, these are more like inference questions.

NEGATIVE FACTUAL INFORMATION QUESTIONS

 Remember: The answer choices will usually paraphrase the information from the
passage. They will not be exactly the same.
 Read the question carefully and identify it as a negative factual information
question. Understand what the question is asking you to do.
 Read the answer choices. (Do NOT read the paragraph first for this question type.)
Then, skim the paragraph and check!
 Using the process of elimination, find the answer choice that is not mentioned or
is not true according to the information in the passage.
 In most questions the correct answer choice is mentioned, but as not true. A lot
of the time, the correct answer choice is one that isn’t mentioned at all.
 Be aware that sometimes in negative information questions, you must be careful
with the question choices. You might think you saw similar information from the
question choices in the passage and pass over the correct answer. Sometimes you
must READ TO UNDERSTAND.
 In addition, keep in mind the answer choices are always not in the same order as
the information in the paragraph. They could be anywhere in the paragraph.
 Some questions ask you which question is not answered in the paragraph. In this
case, look at each question and see if the answer is in the paragraph. Choose the
question that is not answered.
 Chapter 3: Inference Questions and Reference Questions
 An inference is a conclusion you draw based on evidence. It’s not a blind guess; it
is using the information you read to draw a logical conclusion.
 Read the question carefully. Understand what it is asking you to do. You will know
it is an inference question because it will contain a word like imply, infer, suggest
or inference. Identify the key words in the question.
 Look back at the paragraph indicated by the question. Starting at the beginning of
the paragraph, skim and look for keywords from the question or synonyms to the
keywords. Slow down and read those sentences carefully as well as several
sentences after the keywords. It’s important to note that you must read further
than you do for factual information questions.
 Look at your answer choices and read them carefully. Unlike factual information
questions, you can’t answer inference questions by looking for facts in the
paragraph and then checking the answer choices for similar information.
Inference questions require you to “read between the lines” to come to a
conclusion. You will have to rely more on the process of elimination, avoiding the
traps that are mentioned below. Answers to inference questions are not directly
stated. They require careful thought and analysis.

Traps
 The answer contains information beyond what is given in the passage.
 The answer “could be true”: You may be tempted to use your common sense on
these questions, but you should pick an answer that is based on evidence in the
passage. A good habit is to ask yourself, “Can I show someone else where I got
the information I used to answer this question?”
 The answer looks very appealing but is not correct: This is a common TOEFL trap.
These trap answers repeat words you saw in the passage. But remember, the
correct answer must reflect an inference, not just repeat words. Avoid these
“word soup” style of answers. Other incorrect answers may contradict
information in the passage. They also may combine information that does not
belong together. Incorrect answer choices may also add information.
 The answer contains extreme language.
 The answer has the wrong tone: When an answer choice has a different tone or
attitude than the passage, it is incorrect. For instance, the passage may be
 describing the negative impact of something, but an answer may include positive
information, or vice versa.
 The answer is not likely to be true: Some answers will be unlikely according to
common sense and logic.
 The answer makes a false comparison.
 The answer choice is the opposite of what is true.

 Quick Tip: Sometimes the correct answer to an inference question is a clever

paraphrase of a sentence you saw in the reading.
 You can sometimes use the tone or attitude the author takes to help you find the
correct answer.
 Some inference questions may have words in them that aren’t even in the
passage. You have to use your vocabulary and “read between the lines” to get the
right answer.

REFERENCE QUESTIONS
 Reference questions ask you to identify the relationship between a referent
(usually a pronoun or demonstrative such as it, he, she, they, them, this, these,
that, etc.) or a phrase such as “these insects,” and the antecedent that it is
referring to. In the TOEFL, the referents will be highlighted in gray, and you will
choose the antecedent that it refers to.
 Make sure your answer is the same in number (singular or plural) and case (first
person, second person, third person) as the highlighted antecedent.
 In your mind, substitute your choice with the highlighted word or words. Make
sure it makes sense, and that it does not break any grammar rules.
 Note that the answer to reference questions is almost always before the
highlighted word or words in the question, nevertheless sometimes there can be
exceptions.

Chapter 4: Purpose Questions

 Purpose questions in the Reading section of the TOEFL ask you why the author
included certain information.
 Note that purpose questions mention the author in the question. This is one way
to distinguish them from detail questions. There are many possible reasons for an
author to include certain information. The following examples will demonstrate
the most common purposes that information serves in the TOEFL reading and
beyond:
 To Compare: The author wants to show similarities or differences between
ideas.
 To Contrast: The author may wish to point out the differences between two
things.
 To Give Examples: The author wants to give specific examples of an idea or
thing.
 To Indicate/To Point Out: The author wants to draw the reader’s attention
to something.
 To Describe/Illustrate: The author wants to further describe or illustrate an
idea.
 To Correct: The author wants to correct an earlier claim or
misunderstanding.
 To Introduce: The author wants to introduce a new idea.
 To Cast Doubt: The author wants to cast doubt on a theory or claim.
 To Support/ Provide Evidence: The author wants to give evidence to
support or prove a claim.
 To Suggest: The author wants to suggest an idea, suggest a solution to a
problem, suggest an alternative, and so on.
 To Emphasize: The author may wish to emphasize a point. The author may
do this by using supporting details, data, a quote, or words that indicate
emphasis such as “in fact” or “as a matter of fact”, “even” and so on.
 To Explain: The author may want to explain something to the reader.
 To show, to make a point, to disprove, to note, to criticize, to admit, to
refute, to argue, to identify and so on.
 Read the question carefully and understand what it is asking you to do. Look for
the words “the author” and identify it as a purpose question. Then, identify the
keywords the question is asking you about.
 Go to the beginning of the paragraph. Read from the beginning of the paragraph
to determine its main idea or purpose. Pay special attention to the first sentence
 of the paragraph, as there is often a clue there. After you do this, it will be easier
to determine the purpose of the highlighted words or keywords, because they are
often related to the author’s purpose for the paragraph.
 Look for transition words as you read. These can be an important clue about why
the author included certain information.
 When you get to the highlighted words or keywords, slow down and read the
sentence carefully.
 Use the process of elimination aggressively. Eliminate the following traps.

Traps
 The answer choice has the correct purpose but uses an unmentioned idea.
 The answer choice distorts information from the passage: An answer choice that
uses a lot of vocabulary from the passage, but changes the meaning from the
passage in a significant way, is a trap!
 The answer choice contains extreme language.
 The answer does not reflect the author’s purpose: Of course, this is the most
common trap for purpose questions. You have to become familiar with why
authors include certain information. Are they supporting an idea? Casting doubt
on an idea? Indicating new information to the reader? Giving a specific example?
Supporting or emphasizing an idea? Reading a lot and becoming familiar with how
authors use information is an excellent way to prepare for this question type.
 The answer does not relate to the big picture or is off-topic: Some answer
choices may not be related to the main point the author is trying to make. These
should be eliminated.
 The answer choice contains incorrect information.
 The answer choice has the wrong tone: The purpose must match the tone or
attitude the author is trying to convey. For instance, if the author is giving
negative information about a topic, eliminate answers with a positive tone.
 The verb in the answer choice is incorrect: Always pay close attention to verbs.
For instance, if the answer choice says the author’s purpose is “To contradict a
previously held belief” and there is no contradiction made, this is incorrect.
 Chapter 5: Sentence Insertion Questions
 Read the question carefully and understand what it is asking you to do.
 Read the target sentence very carefully. Pay extra attention to the beginning and
the end of the target sentence, because clues are often found there.
 Determine what clues are in the target sentence.
 Consider which square would be the best place for the target sentence, and click
on it.
 Read the context again to make sure the target sentence does not come between
two sentences that belong together. This step is very important.
 Clue #1: The target sentence has a pronoun referent in it. Note that these refer to
a word in the previous sentence!
 Clue #2: The target sentence has transition words in it. These words show that the
sentence is either adding information or showing a contrast with previous
information. You can use these relationships to determine where the sentence
best fits.
 Clue #3: The information is general, or it is specific. As a general rule, information
that appears to introduce a topic or begin a new topic should be placed near the
beginning of the paragraph. Information that is more specific—that adds detail or
gives examples—goes further along in the paragraph.
 Clue #4: Consider logical flow. The target sentence should NOT interrupt the
logical flow of the paragraph. An easy way to remember this is: DO NOT BREAK UP
A HAPPY MARRIAGE. Think of two sentences that logically follow each other as a
“happy marriage”. The target sentence generally fits in places where no
connection is spotted between two sentences.
 Clue #5: There is repetition of a word, or a synonym, which links the target
sentence to the sentence before or after it.
 Clue #6: Look at both the beginning and the end of the target sentence to make
sure it fits coherently between the sentences where you put it. This relates to
something we talked about earlier, logical flow.

Chapter 6: Paraphrase Questions

 Remember, the highlighted sentences are very complex, and the correct answer
choice is often much simpler. Therefore, it may be helpful to break the sentence
 into meaningful chunks and try to simplify it in your mind or on paper. Do this
before you look at your answer choices to avoid confusion.
 The correct paraphrase MUST keep all the important information. It may contain
synonyms, change the voice from active to passive, vary the word form or
sentence structure, or omit unimportant clauses or information.
 Sometimes, the original sentence uses a metaphor, but the correct paraphrase
uses literal language.
 Paraphrases in the TOEFL usually take several similar words and combine them
into one broad term. For example, the words singer, songwriter and record
producer are changed to musician, since the word musician can include all of
those professions.

Traps
 The answer choice uses words from the original sentence but changes the
meaning: An incorrect answer choice may change a cause and effect relationship,
switch a subject with an object, change the order in which events occur, or
change the meaning in any other significant way.
 The answer does not have the same main topic/focus.
 The answer choice adds information that is not in the original or distorts the
information in some way.
 The answer choice uses the wrong verb.
 The answer choice omits important information: The answer you choose must
contain all the IMPORTANT information from the original. A correct paraphrase
may omit details, but the key information must be there. Make sure the subject
and object from the original are included in the paraphrase. It can be difficult to
tell what is important and what is not because often the correct answer does
omit unnecessary information. The biggest clue is that the correct paraphrase
will always contain the most important SUBJECT AND OBJECT from the original
sentence, although synonyms might be used.
 *Please note that the correct answer choice may omit examples that are given in
the original sentence.
 QUICK TIP #1: Omit dependent clauses before you look at the answer choices. A
dependent clause is a clause that provides an independent clause with additional
information, but cannot stand alone as a sentence.
 QUICK TIP #2: Quickly eliminate answer choices that add information that is not in
the original.
 If there are pronouns in the sentence that refer to the sentence before, read the
sentence before and consider that information.

Chapter 7: Summary and Fill in a Table Questions

 Your goal is to choose the three sentences that will build an accurate summary of
the text. If you get one wrong, you only get 1 point. If you get two wrong, you will
not be awarded any points. The correct answers will be paraphrases of
information from the text. You can put these sentences in any order you want.
 Read the topic sentence you are given in the prompt CAREFULLY. Determine the
main topic of the sentence.
 Read the answer choices you are given. One will immediately pop out as a detail
OR it will be off topic. Eliminate it.
 Begin a more careful process of elimination. Unlike most questions, you are not
looking for the right answers, you are looking for the wrong answers. Eliminate
them.
 After you have eliminated three, make sure you are satisfied with the three you
have left. Drag and drop the three you are satisfied with into the empty boxes.
They can be put in ANY order.

Traps
 The answer choice is a detail: These details will be UNIMPORTANT to the overall
passage, even though they may be mentioned in the passage. Eliminate answers
that use specific vocabulary or details from the passage but DO NOT combine
ideas to make the answer choice more important. To clarify, some correct answer
choices do contain several details but they are combined. So remember: when
several key points are combined, this is a correct answer! However, if you see an
answer choice with only one detail (such as a date, a name, or a place) eliminate
it.
 The answer choice does not relate to the main idea of the topic sentence you
are given.
 The answer choice distorts information from the passage: These choices will also
repeat specific vocabulary words from the passage but distort the information in
a way that makes these sentences untrue. Make sure that you pick choices that
do not change the meaning of the original text.
 The answer choice is not mentioned in the passage: These are actually very
tricky. The TOEFL will use answer choices that look plausible or use a lot of the
vocabulary from the passage in order to trick you. DO NOT choose based on
vocabulary from the passage alone.
 The answer choice is not true according to the passage: The answer choice may
have some words that were in the passage, but the choice changes the meaning
in a way which makes the choice not true.
 BIG TIP #1: Sometimes, two answer choices will look VERY SIMILAR to each other.
If that is the case ONE will be correct, and the other will be INCORRECT.
 BIG TIP #2: The correct answers are often the main topics of each paragraph. The
main topics are usually in the first sentence of each paragraph. Look for these in
the answer choices.
 BIG TIP #3: This is probably the most important tip. Many of the correct answer
choices will be from questions that were asked in the same reading passage. The
TOEFL gives you a hint by directing your attention to important information,
especially in the paraphrase question and the factual information questions. If
you see an answer choice that reminds you of an answer you chose earlier, it is
probably a correct choice.
 BIG TIP #4: Always finish the last paragraph, because the TOEFL has a trap:
sometimes they will not ask any questions that require you to read most of the
last paragraph, but then they will use main points from the last paragraph as a
correct answer choice. Finish the last paragraph, even if the questions did not
require you to do so.

FILL IN A TABLE QUESTIONS

 In this question type, you must organize information into columns or rows that
have bullet points. There will be five correct answer choices. These questions are
worth 3 points. For each one that you get wrong, you lose a point, so be careful!
 You will not use all the possible answer choices given to you. Usually, one or two
are not mentioned in the passage and therefore do not belong in the table or
columns. Correct answers will be paraphrases of information you saw in the
 reading. The language may be simpler in the answer choices than the original
sentence from the passage.
 Your challenge will be to skim quickly and find the correct answer choices for each
category.
 The biggest trap here is answers which are not used. These can be tricky because
they appear plausible (believable).