Structure and Written Expression

Overview

This is the second section of the TOEFL ITP test. It is a fast-paced section designed to measure your knowledge of formal written English grammar and structure. It does not test your ability to speak or understand spoken English, nor does it test your reading comprehension. Its sole focus is on identifying correct and incorrect grammar and sentence construction.

This section is divided into two distinct parts, each with a different question format:

1. Structure (Sentence Completion): Questions 1-15
2. Written Expression (Error Identification): Questions 16-40

Success in this section depends on your ability to quickly and accurately identify grammatical rules, patterns, and common errors in standard written English.

Test Format at a Glance

• Number of Questions: 40 questions in total.
• Time Allotment: 25 minutes.

This short time limit is the biggest challenge. You have only 25 minutes to answer all 40 questions, which averages to just 37.5 seconds per question. There is no time to think deeply; you must be able to recognize grammatical patterns and errors almost instantly.

Key Skills & Question Types

This material will train you to master the two formats within this section.

Part A: Structure (Questions 1-15)

This part tests your ability to complete a sentence correctly.

• Format: You will see a sentence with a blank space (____). Below the sentence, there are four answer choices (A, B, C, D). Your task is to choose the one word or phrase that best completes the sentence grammatically.
• Focus: These questions often test major sentence components, such as:
  • Subjects and Verbs (agreement, missing elements)
  • Clauses (noun clauses, adjective clauses, adverb clauses)
  • Verb forms (tenses, modals, participles)
  • Parallel Structure

Part B: Written Expression (Questions 16-40)

This part tests your ability to identify an error in a sentence.

• Format: You will see a complete sentence with four words or phrases underlined, marked (A), (B), (C), and (D). Your task is to identify the one underlined part that is grammatically incorrect.
• Focus: These questions test a very wide range of common errors, including:
  • Subject-Verb Agreement
  • Pronoun errors (case, reference, agreement)
  • Word Form (e.g., using an adjective instead of an adverb)
  • Preposition errors
  • Article usage (a, an, the)
  • Plural/Singular noun errors
  • Word Choice (confusing words like affect/effect)

Strategy for Success

Because time is so limited, your primary strategy must be based on pattern recognition, not slow, careful analysis. Our goal is to train you to:

• Identify the Core: Quickly find the main subject and verb of every sentence.
• Master Key Rules: Learn the most frequently tested grammar rules inside and out.
• Recognize Distractors: Learn to spot common traps and incorrect answer choices set by the test makers.
• Pace Yourself: Do not get stuck on one difficult question. If you are unsure after 30 seconds, make your best guess and move on.