TOEFL-GRAMMAR STRUCTURE

GRAMMAR STRUCTURE SECTION

SKILL 50

USE PREDICATE ADJECTIVES CORRECTLY

A predicate adjective appears after a linking verb such as be. It cannot appear directly in front of the noun that it describes.

A more basic clarification of predicate descriptive words is it alters the subject of the sentence. In the sentence "The blooms are blue," the subject is "the blossoms." In this case, "blue" is the thing that alters the subject, "the blossoms," and is associated with the subject by what is known as a connecting verb.

Example:

   Ø  The ocean was aglow from the setting sun.

   Ø  Traffic becomes congested after work.

   Ø  The senator was long-winded.

   Ø  My first impression was wrong.

  Ø  Mary would be perfect for him.

In those examples we can see that the linking verbs are the ones that give us the clue to know that is a predicate adjective in the examples the most common linking verb we have is verb “to be”.

Predicative adjectives form.

• alike /like/ similar
• alive/ live/ living
• alone /lone
• afraid/ frightened
• asleep/ sleeping

More information here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PORd6UNeZec

SKILL 51: 

USE –ED AND –ING ADJECTIVES CORRECTLY

When the adjective end in –ed is an English adjective used when someone is uninterested or uninspired by a person or event, and when we use the adjective that end in –ing is used to describe the object or person that makes us feel uninterested or uninspired.

Examples:

Ø  My sister is bored. - (My sister feels bored)

Ø  My sister is boring. - (My sister is a boring person)

Ø  I am confused. - (I don't understand something)

Ø  I am confusing. - (I will cause you to be confused)

More information here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtbGbH64mJs

SKILL 52: 

USE ARTICLES WITH SINGULAR NOUN

A singular countable noun usually has an article or other determiner with it. We say, the cat, my cat or this cat, but not just cat. Plural and uncountable nouns can be used with or without an article or other determiner.

Example:

Use the article a or an to indicate any non-specified member of a group or category.

-I should buy a cat

-I want a boyfriend.

-We are looking for an apartment.

- I need a cookie.

More information here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNTiUh72lFo

SKILL 53: 

DISTINGUISH A OR AN

We use an before words that start with a vowel sound, and a when they start with a consonant sound. The reason is very simple: the consonant ending sound of n in an helps to distinguish the two words. Otherwise, the vowel sounds would run together. 

Example:

"A" comes before a consonant/consonant sound:

A bird

A kite

A helicopter

A horse

"An" comes before a vowel/vowel sound:

An ant

An ostrich

An elevator

More information here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-8oHsRsq10

SKILL 54: 

MAKE ARTICLES AGREE WITH NOUNS

The definite article (the) is used before a noun to indicate that the identity of the noun is known to the reader. So we sometimes make confuse, but we have to determine that the article the in this case will be used for specific things.

Examples:

Ø  Use the with:

 united countries, large regions, deserts, peninsulas, oceans, seas, gulfs, canals, rivers, mountain ranges, groups of islands

the Gobi Deser

the United Arab Emirates

the Sacramento River

the Aleutians

Ø  Do not use the with: 

streets, parks, cities, states, counties, most countries, continents, bays, single lakes, single mountains, islands

Japan

Chico

Mt. Everest

San Francisco Bay

More information here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khwY9IzNVhg

SKILL 55: 

DISTINGUISH GENERAL AND SPECIFIC IDEAS

As it was explained in the previous skills about articles we can clearly understand now that the definite article the, is used for specific things plural or singular and that the indefinite articles a/an, are used singular count nouns.

Examples:

-That's an old car.

-I need to work for an hour before we go to dinner.

-Alice returns the book because it was boring.

More information here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9dPYUhn3kc

SKILL 56: 

RECOGNIZE INCORRECT PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions can be used in two ways literal way and idiomatic way.

Literal way: the preposition means exactly what you expect.

Example:

The boy ran up the hill.

She went in the house.

Idiomatic way:

the preposition appears in an idiomatic expression; was waiting for his girlfriend in the corner of that street; that is, its meaning in this expression has nothing to do with the literal meaning.

         Example:

• I call up my friend
• He succeeds in passing the course.

 More information here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naAyw-ZCWuU

SKILL 57: 

RECOGNIZE WHEN PREPOSITIONS HAVE BEEN OMITTED

In this skill we will identify some of the prepositions that in a sentence are omitted and we know that in that sentences we must add a preposition to make it clear.

Example:

Can you wait __ me after the game?

Can you wait for me after the game?

In this example we can notice that the preposition for it is necessary in the sentences so in this case we cannot omitted. 

More information here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQNHstss4m4

SKILL 58: 

DISTINGUISH MAKE AND DO

DO is used when talking about work, jobs or tasks. Note, they do not produce any physical object.

Examples:

Ø  I have guests visiting tonight so I should start doing the housework now.

Ø  I wouldn't like to do that job.

Make is for producing, constructing, creating or building something new. It is also used to indicate the origin of a product or the materials that are used to make something.

Examples:

Ø  His wedding ring is made of gold.

Ø  The house was made of adobe.

More information here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=492zNW9Xqms

SKILL 59:

 DISTINGUISH LIKE, ALIKE AND UNLIKE

• Like: is follow by a noun or a pronoun, it is used to compare things, it means “similar to”.

         -She is like her mother

• Alike: means similar.

       -Brian and his father are alike.

• Unlike : not similar. Opposite of alike.

       -Even though they're twins, Ruth is unlike Tina.

   More information here:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzmBWRN_Nx0

                                                                

                                                                SKILL 60: 

                       DISTINGUISH OTHER, ANOTHER AND OTHERS

Other: Other means ‘additional or extra’, or ‘alternative’, or ‘different types of’. We can use other with singular uncountable nouns and with plural nouns.

Example:

The embassy website has general information about visas. Other travel information can be obtained by calling the freephone number.

Another: When we use the indefinite article an before other, we write it as one word: another. Another means ‘one more’ or ‘an additional or extra’, or ‘an alternative or different’. We use another with singular nouns.

Example:

You’ve met Linda, but I have another sister who you haven’t met, called Margaret.

Others: When other as a pronoun refers to more than one person or thing, it takes the plural form, others.

Example:

Some scientists think we should reduce the number of flights to prevent global warming; others disagree.

More information here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVQEs3lh6VQ