Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Reading Section Syllabus

How are Inference questions typically signaled in their wording?

By phrases such as 'It can be inferred from paragraph X', 'The passage implies', or 'The author suggests that...'.

What does a Rhetorical Purpose question ask about?

Why the author includes a particular piece of information or how it functions in the passage (e.g., 'Why does the author mention...?'), focusing on the author's intent rather than content.

Name three common verbs used in answer choices for Rhetorical Purpose questions that describe an author's intent.

To illustrate, to define, to contrast, to support, to explain, to provide an example, to refute (any three).

What does a Sentence Simplification question require you to choose?

The answer choice that best restates the essential meaning of a highlighted sentence without changing or omitting its key information.

What are the two main reasons a choice is wrong in a Sentence Simplification question?

It either changes/contradicts the original meaning or it leaves out essential information from the highlighted sentence.

In a Sentence Simplification question, what should you focus on identifying within the highlighted sentence?

The core idea and the logical relationship (cause/effect, contrast, condition) between its main clauses, while treating minor details as removable.

What does an Insert Text question ask you to do?

Insert a given sentence into one of four marked positions (squares) in a paragraph where it fits best logically and grammatically.

Which textual clues help decide where to place a sentence in an Insert Text question?

Cohesive devices in the inserted sentence and surrounding text: pronouns, demonstratives (this/these), transition words (however, therefore), and repeated/referential nouns.

If the sentence to be inserted begins with 'This development, therefore,...', what does that tell you about its placement?

It must follow a sentence that describes a 'development' (the referent of 'This') and a cause/reason, since 'therefore' signals a conclusion drawn from preceding information.

How many points is the Prose Summary question worth, and how is it scored?

It is worth up to 2 points: 3 correct choices = 2 points, 2 correct = 1 point, 1 or 0 correct = 0 points.

In a Prose Summary question, how many of the six answer choices must you select, and what kind of statements are they?

You select the three choices that express the major/most important ideas of the passage; the other three are minor details, inaccurate, or not mentioned.

What kinds of wrong answers are deliberately included in a Prose Summary question?

Minor details, ideas not in the passage, and statements that misrepresent or contradict the passage.

What does a Fill-in-a-Table (Category/Schematic Table) question require, and how is it scored?

You classify answer choices into two or three categories by dragging them into a table; it is worth up to 3 points depending on how many are placed correctly.

In a Fill-in-a-Table question, are all answer choices used, and what does this imply for strategy?

No—some choices are distractors that belong in no category; you must place only those that correctly match a category and ignore the rest.

What is the Academic Word List (AWL), and how many word families does it contain?

The AWL is a list of 570 word families that frequently appear across academic texts, compiled by Averil Coxhead, designed to support academic reading and writing.

Into how many sublists is the Academic Word List divided, and how are they ordered?

It is divided into 10 sublists, ordered by frequency: Sublist 1 contains the most frequent academic words and Sublist 10 the least frequent.

Why is mastering the Academic Word List especially useful for TOEFL Reading?

AWL words appear repeatedly across academic passages, so knowing them improves reading speed and directly helps with vocabulary-in-context questions.

What are cohesive devices in academic writing?

Words and phrases that link ideas across sentences and paragraphs to create coherence, such as reference words, conjunctions, and transition signals.

Give three categories of cohesive devices with an example of each.

Reference (it, this, those), conjunction/transition (however, therefore, in addition), and lexical cohesion (repetition or synonyms of a key term).

Which cohesive transition words signal contrast, and which signal cause-and-effect?

Contrast: however, nevertheless, on the other hand, whereas. Cause-and-effect: therefore, thus, consequently, as a result.

What is anaphoric reference, and why does it matter for reading comprehension?

Anaphoric reference is when a word (e.g., 'it', 'this', 'they') points back to something mentioned earlier; tracking it correctly is essential for following meaning and answering insert-text and inference questions.

What does it mean to infer meaning from word parts, and what are the three main parts?

Determining a word's meaning by analyzing its morphemes: the prefix (beginning), the root/stem (core meaning), and the suffix (ending, often signaling part of speech).

What do the prefixes 'anti-', 'pre-', and 'sub-' mean?

'anti-' = against; 'pre-' = before; 'sub-' = under/below.

Using word parts, what is the likely meaning of the word 'antecedent' (ante- + cedere)?

'ante-' = before and 'cedere' = to go, so an antecedent is something that goes before or precedes.

What does the Latin root 'spec/spect' mean, as in 'inspect' or 'spectator'?

It means 'to look' or 'to see'.

What part of speech does the suffix '-tion' (or '-sion') typically signal, and what does '-ize' signal?

'-tion/-sion' typically forms a noun (action or result); '-ize' typically forms a verb (to make/become).

What is the difference between scanning for a paraphrase versus an exact keyword when locating an answer?

TOEFL answer choices usually paraphrase the passage, so you often scan for a keyword's location but must then match meaning, not identical wording, because correct answers restate ideas in different words.

Why should you read the question before rereading the relevant paragraph for detail questions?

Knowing what specific information is being asked lets you scan purposefully for the relevant detail rather than rereading the entire paragraph, saving time.

What is a common trap in Inference questions involving extreme language?

Choices with absolute words like 'always', 'never', or 'all' are often wrong because valid inferences are usually limited and cautious, matching the passage's actual scope.

How can recognizing a passage's organizational pattern (e.g., compare/contrast, cause/effect, chronological) aid comprehension?

Identifying the structure lets you predict where main ideas and relationships appear, making it easier to locate details, answer purpose questions, and complete summary/table tasks.