1. An introduction to writing for the TOEFL test Identifying Sentences, Paragraphs and Essays

2. Beginning writing for the TOEFL test When studying and taking the TOEFL test you will encounter different styles of sentences, paragraphs and essays. It’s important to be able to understand the differences and how to use each one as pertains to the questions asked in the test.

3. Beginning writing for the TOEFL test So to start, we will look at three different styles of sentences. You will need to be able to use these in the writing part of the test. Now, we will explain the styles of sentences and when you are ready you will be able to take a quick quiz to check your understanding.

4. The Simple Sentence 1. The horses walked. 2. The large horses walked slowly. 3. The large horses with flowing manes walked slowly over the bridge. However much the subject or predicate, or both, may be modified by words or phrases, the sentence is simple so long as it contains no more than one subject and one predicate.

5. The Simple Sentence 1. John and Peter went home. 2. John went home and stayed there. 3. John and Peter went home and studied hard. The first sentence is a simple sentence with a compound subject. The second is a simple sentence with a compound predicate. The third is a simple sentence with both subject and predicate compound.

6. The Complex Sentence 1. James rejoiced when he reached home, because he saw his mother. 2. John, who has worked hard, is to be rewarded. 3. Though the road be rough and the distance great, he will arrive early, as he promised.

7. The Complex Sentence In the first sentence, James rejoiced expresses the principal thought and is modified by the clause when he reached home, which tells the time he rejoiced, and by the clause because he saw his mother, which tells the cause, or why he rejoiced.

8. The Complex Sentence In the second sentence, John is to be rewarded expresses the principal thought; John is modified by the adjective clause who has worked hard, which describes John as the actor, - the one who worked hard.

9. The Complex Sentence In the third sentence he will arrive early expresses the principal thought, and is modified by the clause as he promised, which compares the time he will arrive with the time he promised.

10. The Complex Sentence Will arrive - is modified also by the clauses though the road be rough and the distance be great, which both concede or suppose that he will not arrive under such difficult circumstances.

11. The Compound Sentence The farmer worked hard, and his crops were excellent. In the sentence written above, the farmer worked hard is not subordinate to the rest of the sentence. His crops were excellent is also not subordinate to the rest of the sentence. It is seen that this sentence consists of two coordinate statements.

12. The Compound Sentence In a compound sentence there may be several coordinate statements. Let us enlarge this compound sentence by adding a clause to each statement and we shall have: The farmer worked hard, which was his idea of duty, and his crops were excellent, as he hoped they would be. Any of the coordinate statements of a compound sentence may be modified by one or more clauses, so that the parts may be complex; but the sentence is still compound.