The fourth choice, The Arts Theater Movement, is a noun phrase that could be the subject of the sentence.. oY PA\ SC Q c x m On the TOEFL, some of the answer choices will try to tr
Trang 121 Checking Subjects and Objects
Q Focus
Consider the following TOEFL item:
ý“ sprang from the dissatisfaction of a handful of great performing artists
Why the Aris Theater Movement That the Arts Theater Movement The Arts Theater Movement which
®
3
c
a
a
au
What does this sentence need? Choose the answer that best completes the sentence
Every sentence must have a subject A subject is a noun, pronoun, or other structure used as a noun
The subject is the person, object, or idea being discussed The above sentence needs a subject for
the verb sprang
The fourth choice, The Arts Theater Movement, is a noun phrase that could be the subject of the
sentence Therefore, it is the correct answer
Now, read another TOEFL item What does this sentence need?
A cataract blocks the passage of light to the retina, the tissue at the back of the
eye that transmits - to the brain
visual visual impulses visual impulse
This sentence needs a direct object for the verb transmits A direct object is a noun, pronoun, or
other noun structure The direct object receives the action of the verb
The second choice, visual impulses, could be the object of transmits Therefore, it is the correct
answer
Why are the other three answer choices incorrect?
DeLta’s KEY To THE TOEFL® Test 145
Trang 2
QU
1
144
©) DO YOU KNOW ?
Approximately one or two items on the TOEFL will test your ability to recognize where subjects
and objects are needed in sentences You must be able to identify both correct and incorrect noun
structures used as subjects and objects
Noun structures that will be tested include:
Noun:
Except during rush—hour periods, commuter trains seldom run at full capacity
Noun Phrase:
Silicon Valley provides a good example of the expanding electronics industry and its importance
Pronoun:
When a liquid turns to vapor, it loses heat and gets colder
Subject of a Sentence:
In a short and simple musical instrument, such as the recorder, the fingers can
cover all the holes directly
Subject of a Subordinate Clause:
An ionizing smoke detector contains a chamber in which a low electric current flows through the air
Subject Complement:
Andrew Jackson was the first president who was from the western frontier
Passive Subject:
The global temperature balance is maintained by the movement of maritime air
Direct Object:
Chemical reactions often involve the production or consumption of heat
Indirect Object:
The art critic Lawrence Alloway, who said Pop was the culture of the mass media,
gave us the term “Pop Art” in the 1950s
Object Complement:
In 1782 King George HI appointed William Pitt prime minister of Great Britain
Object of a Preposition:
The General Assembly of the newly—formed United Nations first met in London in
1946, but later assemblies met at the permanent headquarters in New York City
De.ta’s Key 10 THE TOEFL® Test
Trang 3Other types of noun structures will be reviewed later in this book, including:
Infinitive (2.7):
Social animals, all North American canids tend to travel in packs
Gerund (2.7):
Pressing the “play” button brings the playback head and drive mechanism into contact with
the tape
Noun Clause (2.9):
Cognitive psychologists are concerned with how people learn
Noun Word Form (2.22):
Sometimes in childhood there seems to be a war between reality and imagination
oY
PA\)
SC
Q
c
x
m
On the TOEFL, some of the answer choices will try to trick you by substituting some other type
of structure where a noun structure is needed Look at this example:
anon of the water withdrawn by industry is used for cooling
In ninety percent Ninety percent is
C) Ninety percent
C) That ninety percent
The first and second choices try to trick you by substituting a prepositional phrase (See 2.21) and
a subject + verb structure (See 2.8) where a noun structure is needed The fourth choice has the
subordinating word That, which would make the sentence incomplete (See 2.9) The third choice,
Ninety percent, best completes the sentence
A test item may try to trick you by having a duplicate subject Look at this example:
The octopus, a bottom—dwelling animal, it makes its home in a hole or
rock crevice in shallow water
Which underlined word must be changed for the sentence to be correct? If you chose if, you were
correct The subject of this sentence is the octopus It is an incorrect duplicate subject All of the
other underlined words are correct and do not need to be changed
By the way, the noun phrase a bottom—dwelling animal is an appositive (See 2.2), which gives
you more information about the subject, the octopus Don’t let an appositive distract you from
recognizing the subject of the sentence
Trang 4
146
A test item may try to trick you with a distracting introductory phrase or clause Look at this
example:
No matter how multicolored prints or slides may appear, - are made
of only the three secondary colors arranged in layers
©) they
C) and they
C 3 so that they
C 3 provided that they
What does this sentence need? If you chose the pronoun they, you were correct They is the pas-
sive subject of the verb are made (You will review passives in 2.6.) The important thing to know
is that the sentence needs a subject Don’t let introductory phrases or clauses distract you
Why are the other three answer choices incorrect?
A test item may try to trick you by having the “false” subject it or there Look at this example:
It is usually - in a middle school classroom who demand more attention from the teacher
the boys are for the boys
C 3 the boys C) the boys whose
It is the “false” subject What is the true subject? The subject must be a noun structure Which
of the answer choices is a noun?
The third choice, the boys, is the true subject of the sentence—this is the only choice that is a
noun structure You can check this by rewriting the sentence without it and who: Usually, the
boys in a middle school classroom demand more attention from the teacher
How do the other answer choices try to confuse you?
Look at another example:
While it is difficult for some people to change unhealthy habits, there are - for exercising frequently and eating fewer fatty foods
C> an excellent reason C_) excellent reasons C) excellent to reason
There is the “false” subject of this sentence What is the true subject? If you chose excellent
reasons, you were correct When there is the false subject, you can rewrite the sentence by
using the verb exist You can rewrite part of the above sentence like this: Excellent reasons
exist for exercising frequently and eating fewer fatty foods
Why are the other three answer choices incorrect?
De.ta’s KEY To THE TOEFL® Test
Trang 5Yes PRACTICE
Exercise 2.1.A
Choose the one word or phrase that best completes the sentence
1 In order to sustain a snowfall, there must be
Tre †o feed the growing ice crystals
CA) a constant inflow of moisture is
of a constant inflow of moisture
Cc) a constant inflow of moisture
(®) moisture constantly flowed in
2 who prides herself on her athletic ability
may face an adjustment by the time she enters
high school
CA) An elementary school girl
CB) Why an elementary school girl
Ce) Elementary school girls
(©) Because the elementary school girl
3 When a husband and wife decide to buy a specific
house, - make an offer to the seller
CA) to
CB then
Ce) should they
©) they
4, People often overlook - of ice cream
valuable nutrition
that is the nutritional value
CG) the nutritional value
b3 a nutritional value
Deta’s KEY TO THE TOEFL® Test
5 It was - during the Civil War that inspired President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863
CA) when a series of Union defeats CB) because a series of Union defeats Cc) a series of Union defeats
Cp) the Union was defeated
6 The Isthmus of Panama, colonized by the Spanish in the early 1500s, became -
of Spanish America with the conquest of the Incan empire by Francisco Pizzaro
SY
x
—
=
va
mn
CA) crossroad was
CB) the crossroad Cc) for the crossroad Cd) its crossroad
7 Active mainly in the early morning and late
afternoon, - often sleeps in a hole rooted
in the earth or takes shelter in a cave
CA) the peccary
CB) as the peccary
so that the peccary
(@) and the peccary
8 In 1860 voters elected a candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party - of the United States
CA) to the president CB) was the president whom the president
©) president
147
Trang 6
Choose the one underlined word or phrase that must be changed for the sentence to be correct
9 In 1841 America’s best-known novelist, James Fenimore Cooper, he published The Deerslayer,
the last and most idyllic of the five “Leatherstocking Tales.”
D
10 That the diesel engine is similar to the gasoline engine, but it runs on a heavier grade of fuel
Answers to Exercise 2.1.A are on page 637
2.1 EXTENSION
1 Working in pairs, students explain why the three incorrect answer choices in Exercise
2.1.A are not acceptable In what ways are the test items tricky?
2 Inreading done outside class, students look for examples of sentences with various
noun structures Bring examples of sentences to share in class
3 Students create “TOEFL sentences” to test their classmates’ understanding of nouns
Students write their own sentences, or change sentences they find in print, so that each
sentence substitutes some other type of structure where a noun structure is needed
Write the sentences either on the board or on cards Classmates identify the error and
make the correction
148 De.ta’s KEY TO THE TOEFL® Test
Trang 72.2 Recognizing Appositives
Q Focus
Read the following sentences:
A proven man-eater, the tiger shark is one of the most feared sharks in
the world
Innumerable images of the bodhisattvas, the Buddha’s early incarnations,
have appeared in Indian art throughout the centuries
The first pictures of the moon’s far side were taken by Russia’s Luna 3,
SY
A
=
Q
Cc
a
it
What is similar about the sentences?
Each of the sentences contains an appositive An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that is placed
just before or just after another noun structure An appositive renames, defines, explains, or gives
important information about the other noun structure Sometimes an appositive is called a noun in
apposition because its position is near another noun
In the first sentence above, the appositive 4 proven man—eater gives important information about the
tiger shark, the subject of the sentence In the second sentence, the appositive the Buddhas early
incarnations defines the noun bodhisattvas In the third sentence, the appositive the first successful
space probe explains Russia’s Luna 3
Notice that commas are a clue that can help you recognize appositives
Trang 8
150
DO YOU KNOW ?
Approximately one item on the TOEFL will test your understanding of appositives and the noun
structures they rename, define, or explain
Appositives are noun structures They are placed near the nouns they rename and are separated
from the rest of the sentence by commas
To check if a noun is an appositive, try adding who is/are or which is/are before the noun
(See 2.10)
In the following sentence, a cone-shaped organ is an appositive because you can add which is
before it
The heart, a cone-shaped organ, pumps blood throughout the body
The heart, which is a cone-shaped organ, pumps blood throughout the body
In the following sentence, blue is not an appositive because you cannot add which is and still
make sense
The color blue is rare in food
The color which is blue is rare in food (Incorrect) Can you identify the appositives in the following sentences? Underline the appositives and
circle the nouns they rename
a The sermons of Jonathan Edwards, an American-born preacher, sparked a religious movement known as the Great Awakening
b To increase profits, supermarket chains are using two main strategies, both of which
involve building bigger stores—super supermarkets
(Answers: In (a) an American—born preacher is an appositive; it renames Jonathan Edwards
In (b) there are two appositives Both of which involve building bigger stores is an appositive
that gives information about two main strategies Super supermarkets is an appositive that
renames bigger stores Here, a dash (—) helps you recognize the appositive.)
Not all commas indicate an appositive In which of the following sentences do the commas
indicate an appositive? Underline the appositives and circle the nouns they rename
a Elephants eat a wide variety of grasses, foliage, and fruits
b Young bulls, male elephants, are driven from the family when they reach puberty
c An organ for breathing and smelling, the trunk is also an extra limb for picking up
objects
d After bathing, elephants coat their skin with dust for protection against insects
(Answers: Only (b) and (c) contain appositives In (b) male elephants is an appositive that
renames bulls In (c) An organ for breathing and smelling is an appositive that defines trunk.)
DeLTA’s KEY TO THE TOEFL® Test
Trang 94 Onthe TOEFL, some of the answer choices will try to trick you by substituting some other type
of structure where a noun structure is needed in an appositive Look at this example:
C) they are the problem solvers C_) for the problem solvers
their problem solvers the problem solvers
Without engineers, - of the world, modern technology would collapse
The commas after engineers and after world are clues that an appositive is needed The first
answer choice substitutes a clause The second choice is a prepositional phrase In the third
choice, the possessive their does not make sense in this context
The fourth choice, the problem solvers, is a noun phrase that best completes the sentence The
appositive the problem solvers of the world renames the noun engineers
In the above example, engineers is the object of a preposition What is the subject
of the sentence?
Ye PRACTICE
Exercise 2.2.A
SY
ava
Cc
a
VA\
m
Choose the one word or phrase that best completes the sentence
1 Between 3,000 and 2,000 B.C., the Egyptians
started using papyrus, - which they dried
into strips and then glued together in two layers
to form a sheet
(A) a type of grass
CB) it was a type of grass
Cc) as if a type of grass
CD of a grass type
2, -, Edgar Allan Poe became known as the
father of the modern detective story
CA) The son of actors was
He was the son of actors
Ce) The son of actors
@) Acted as the son of
Detta’s Key To THE TOEFL® Test
3 In Asia’s great central land mass, - , the Mongols, had been pressing eastward into northern China for many years
CA) whose a vast group of horse~mounted nomads
a vast group of horse~mounted nomads were called
Ce) a vast group of horse-mounted nomads
CD they were a vast group of horse-mounted
nomads
Barbara Tuchman, - , won the Pulitzer Prize
for general nonfiction in 1963 and 1972
CA) she was an American historian
an American historian who Ce) an American historian () was an American historian
151
Trang 10
5 Persons who have taken a cold remedy
containing - , anarcotic, may feel
drowsy and should not operate machinery
or drive a vehicle
CA) codeine
the codeine
codeine is one type of
@ is codeine
African-American dance, - blend of
elements derived from diverse traditions, has
been attracting ever wider attention on the
professional dance scene
@D0
it’s a
Cc) which a
@Ma
ox , all with true horns, includes bison,
mountain goats, and bighorn sheep
It is the family of bovids
CB In the family of bovids
Cc) The family of bovids are
(2) The family of bovids
8
10
Ichthyology, - of zoology dealing
with fishes, has made important discoveries
about the effects of pollution on the world’s fish resources
CA) there is a branch
CB) is branching
which a branch
(©) a branch
The first airship to rise into the sky was a steam—powered machine invented by
Henri Giffard, - -
Ca) he was a French engineer
a French engineer
by a French engineer
@) whose a French engineer The value placed on the pelt of the marten, .e== mammal of Canada, has led to its near extinction in many areas
CA) whom a that is a
@) asa
Answers to Exercise 2.2.A are on page 637
2.2 EXTENSION
1, For each sentence in Exercise 2.2.A, students underline the appositive and circle the noun
that it renames Identify the type of noun structure for each appositive and renamed noun
Use the list of noun structures on page 144
2 In reading done outside class, students look for examples of appositives Bring examples to
share in class Identify the nouns that are renamed, defined, or explained by the appositives
3 Working in pairs, students write sentences about people or objects in the classroom Add
appositives to rename, define, explain, or provide information about the people or objects
Use commas correctly! Example: Ali, a businessman from Kuwait, is sitting next to
Solomon, an engineering student from Ethiopia Write the sentences on the board
Classmates must identify the appositives