■ In the middle means “located an equal distance from two sides.” The players met in the middle of the court for the coin toss. ■ In case means “if.” He wants to buy more insurance so his family will be protected in case he dies. Into Into is used to show the action of moving from the outside to the inside (while in is used to show that something or somebody is already inside). The candidate waved and shook hands as he walked into the room. Out Out is the opposite of in. However, in and out are not always used in the same way. For example, “The man is in the room” means the same as “The man is in- side the room.” The opposite of this sentence is “The man is outside the room.” It would not be correct to say “The man is out the room.” Out is frequently used in idiomatic expressions and is often used in conjunction with the preposition of. Out of can sometimes be used as the opposite of into. She walked into the library. She walked out of the library. Out of plus a noun indicates a lack of something. Peter’s car stalled because it was out of gas. Following are idiomatic expressions that use out of: ■ Out of town means away from home. Patricia is out of town. ■ Out of date means not current. This telephone book is out of date. ■ Out of work means unemployed. Mike is currently out of work. 140 Part III: Detailed Review of Items Tested For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org ■ Out of the question means not reasonable. The proposal is out of the question. ■ Out of order means not functioning. This pay phone is out of order. On On is the opposite of off, but again the conversion is not exact. On and off are ex- act opposites when we discuss whether something such as an electrical appliance is running. The light is on. The dishwasher is on. The light is off. The dishwasher is off. However, we do not use on and off as opposites when we discuss whether some- thing is sitting on a surface. “The book is on the table” is correct. “The book is off the table” is not a standard English sentence. In this case, you would say that “The book is not on the table.” On can be followed by the name of a day of the week or by a specific date. While we say that “The meeting will be held in March,” when we get to a specific day or date we say that “The meeting will be on March 29th.” The next class will be on Monday. Classes resume on January 23rd. On can also be followed by a means of transportation, such as a bus, a plane, or a train. The difference between on and by in this situation is that on generally indi- cates that someone is currently using that transportation whereas by is more gen- eral. Also, on requires an article (a or the) in this circumstance while by does not. Jill likes to travel by train. Jill is on the train. On plus the name of a street indicates the location of something. The hotel is on Concord Avenue. If the exact address were stated, the preposition at would be used. The hotel is at 433 Concord Avenue. On can be followed by the floor of a building. Patty works on the 77th floor. 141 Structure For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Idiomatic expressions that use on include the following: ■ On time means punctual. This phrase is more specific than in time. The plane arrived on time. ■ On the corner means at the intersection of two streets. His office is on the corner of Granada and Pearl Drive. ■ On the sidewalk. Florence was standing on the sidewalk. ■ On the way means between two places. (This has a very different meaning than in the way.) Ocala is on the way to Gainesville when traveling from Daytona Beach. ■ On the right or on the left means to the right side or to the left side of something. The museum is on the left side of the street. ■ On television or on the radio means a show or transmission sent via televi- sion or radio. She heard about the accident on the radio. ■ On the telephone means the transmittal of a call by telephone. The teenagers seem to be constantly on the telephone. ■ On the whole means “in general.” On the whole, the space program has been successful. ■ On the other hand means “however” and is used to show contrast between two thoughts. Mr. Miller is a good coach. On the other hand, the assistant is rude and arrogant. At At is used to indicate a general location and is less specific than in. Jane is at the office. This sentence does not describe specifically in which room or part of the office she is located. 142 Part III: Detailed Review of Items Tested For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org At can also be followed by a specific address or a specific time. Ritsuko lives at 105 East 24th Place. The movie begins at 7:30. The phrases at home, at school, and at work are common in standard English. John will be at work until 5:30. Julie should be at home now. Idiomatic expressions that contain at include the following: ■ At night means “during the night.” (In is used with other times of day, such as in the morning and in the afternoon.) She always has to work at night. ■ At least means “at a minimum.” The plane tickets will cost at least as much as the hotel. ■ At once means “immediately.” The woman dialed 911 at once when she realized the boy was in trouble. ■ At times means “occasionally.” At times, Barbara has considered returning to work. ■ At first means “initially.” At first, the company was not given serious consideration. Under Under means “below.” The book is under the table. This would suggest that the book is on the floor; it is not touching the table. Below could be used instead of under in this sentence. Idiomatic expressions that contain under include the following: ■ Under the influence means “under the control of somebody or something.” Martin was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. The woman believes that she is under the influence of a magic spell. 143 Structure For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org ■ Under the weather means “ill.” Sharon did not attend the meeting because she was under the weather. ■ Underweight is the opposite of overweight. It means “too thin.” Her health problems stem from her being so underweight. Through Through indicates that something begins outside an object, enters the object, and exits the object. We traveled through Indianapolis on the way to Fort Wayne. Structure Quiz 5 Directions: This section measures your ability to recognize language appropriate for standard written English. The first type of question consists of incomplete sen- tences, with a blank showing where information is to be filled in. Choose the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence. The second type of question consists of sentences with four underlined words or phrases. Choose the one word or phrase that is incorrect in standard written English. Mark your an- swers on this page or on a separate piece of paper. 1. The course Bernard signed up for lasts longer from the one Michelle is taking. 2. Bill took not only a French class __________ a Japanese class. A. but also B. and C. too D. but too 3. The waves on the beach on the west coast of Florida are not as high __________ those on the east coast. A. as B. than C. that D. so 144 Part III: Detailed Review of Items Tested A B C D For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org 4. The new computer chip is the smallest one than has ever been developed. 5. The farther he ran, the more exhaustion he became, until he could not continue. 6. No sooner had Janice arrived at the office __________ she contacted her sister. A. the later B. that C. as D. than 7. The farmers tried to rise corn, but the birds and insects destroyed it. 8. The hills lie to the north of town, raising to the foot of a rocky mountain, and a shallow stream runs along the eastern border of the town. 9. __________ , these students are among the best prepared who have been through this university. A. At the whole B. On the whole C. In the general D. In generally 10 . The children became ill after taking medicine that was __________ date. A. off the B. outside C. out of D. over 11. The exam to become a lawyer is on far the most difficult he has taken. 145 Structure A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org 12 . One of the two students is studying to be a doctor, but __________ wants to be a musician. A. other B. others C. another D. the other Answers and Explanations for Structure Quiz 5 1. C: from. The correct expression is longer than. Notice that the sentence also has another idiomatic expression: sign up for. 2. A: but also. The expression is not only . . . but also; this means the same thing as both . . . and. 3. A: as. The equal comparison is made using as + adjective + as. 4. B: than. A comparative is made using adjective +-er+ than. The superlative can- not appear with than because it is not being compared to anything. In this case, the word should be that because it is introducing another clause. 5. B: exhaustion. The expression is created by using the comparative . . . comparative: the farther . . . the more exhausted. Exhaustion is a noun. 6. D: than. The expression is no sooner . . . than. 7. B: rise. Use raise + complement because it is transitive. 8. B: raising. The word raise is transitive, so it requires a complement. This context means it rises on its own; it does not raise something. So the correct word would be rising. Notice that lie is correct because it is properly used as an intransitive verb. 9. B: On the whole. This expression means the same as in general. 10 . C: out of. The correct expression is out of date. 11. B: on. The correct expression is by far, which means that the exam is much harder than any others. 12 . D: the other. The sentence states that there are two, so the article should be specific. 146 Part III: Detailed Review of Items Tested For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Missing and Extra Words The TOEFL test will frequently test your ability to notice that a word is missing or that an extra word appears. Missing Subjects As I stated at the beginning of this chapter, a subject is required in every standard English sentence. Do not be confused by distracting words or phrases that are not the actual subject of the sentence. Q. In spite of Chuck’s numerous daily meetings, always finds the time to organize his schedule and stay on top of all the issues. The answer is B, always, because there should be a subject before it. The first phrase in the sentence is a distracter. There must be a subject after the introduc- tory phrase, and it must be either Chuck or he. Missing Articles An article (a, an, or the) is sometimes required in a sentence. You must be able to ascertain whether a required article has been omitted in a test question. Frequently the article an will be omitted from an idiomatic expression or the will be omitted from a superlative. Sometimes other clues in the sentence will indicate that an ar- ticle is required. Q. Even when graduate of a reputable business school has the proper credentials, he or she may have difficulty finding a job due to lack of practical experience. The answer is A, when graduate. The sentence is clearly referring to an indefinite person, so the indefinite article, a, is required. Q. V iew from the mountain was breathtaking. The answer is A, View. The context of the sentence makes the specific article, the, necessary. 147 Structure A B C D A B C D A B C D For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Missing Conjugated Verbs Every clause, whether dependent or independent, must have a conjugated verb. This means that a clause cannot have only a simple form of a verb, an infinitive, or a participle in place of a conjugated verb. It also cannot have only the auxiliary without the main verb. Q. The problems encountered while developing the prototype of the new product line proving insurmountable, so the developers determined the product would have been unreliable and excessively expensive. The answer is C, proving. The sentence requires a conjugated verb. The word en- countered is a past participle from a reduced relative clause in the passive voice, “that were encountered.” The word developing also is not a conjugated verb. It could not be a conjugated verb without an auxiliary. It is a reduced clause from “while they were developing.” The answer proving is incorrect because it must be the conjugated verb. Prove is a verb and would make sense in the past tense, proved. Q. This company, although having made considerable progress in recent years, still to suf fer from a lack of focus and positive momentum. The answer is C, to suffer. It is an infinitive form, and the sentence lacks a conju- gated verb. Having in this sentence is a participle and lack, which is sometimes used as a verb, is functioning as a noun in this sentence. If to suffer were replaced with is suffering, the sentence would make sense. Extra Articles Just as a question might omit a necessary article or use the wrong one, a TOEFL test question might add an article when it is not logical to do so. Often, this type of question will involve an idiomatic expression. Q. This is the largest breed of the horse found in this country. The answer is C, the. The expression breed of horse is general, so there should be no article within it. As for answer A, a superlative is always one, so it requires the specific article, the. 148 Part III: Detailed Review of Items Tested A B C D A B C D A B C D For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Extra Nouns and Pronouns Some TOEFL test questions add nouns or pronouns where they are not necessary. Q. This is the only course that it is available for seniors this semester. The answer is C, it. The pronoun it is incorrect here because the relative pronoun that replaces the noun or pronoun in this sentence structure. If it is removed, the sentence is correct. Q. Ernest Hemingway he wrote The Old Man and the Sea, in addition to a number of other works. The answer is A. The pronoun he is incorrect because it appears immediately be- hind the noun and is not necessary. Structure Quiz 6 Directions: This section measures your ability to recognize language appropriate for standard written English. The first type of question consists of incomplete sen- tences, with a blank showing where information is to be filled in. Choose the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence. The second type of question consists of sentences with four underlined words or phrases. Choose the one word or phrase that is incorrect in standard written English. Mark your an- swers on this page or on a separate piece of paper. 1. To give an effective speech, __________ is the delivery that is most important. A. it B. which C. and D. there 2. The actress, having been chosen to play the lead role, deciding to try out for other parts. 3. The moon’s gravitational field is responsible for the tides, and its location affects how high and how low tide is from time to time. 149 Structure A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org . surface. “The book is on the table” is correct. “The book is off the table” is not a standard English sentence. In this case, you would say that “The book is. means not current. This telephone book is out of date. ■ Out of work means unemployed. Mike is currently out of work. 140 Part III: Detailed Review of Items