The Complete Guide To The TOEFL Test

136 Section 2 • Guide to Structure and Written Expression

4. advertising is so widespread in the United States, it has had an enormous effect on American life.

__ (A) Why

___ (B) The reason

___ (C) On account of

___ (D) Since

5. towards shore, its shape is changed by its collision with the shallow sea bottom.

___ CA) During a wave rolls

___ CA) Although people __ (B) Despite people

___ (C) Whenever people live

___ CD) Whenever living people

it is actually one of the oldest. __ (A) Even

protects the water below it from the cold air.

___ (A) Because __ (B) Why do

___ (C) The reason that

___ (D) For the reason

___ (A) Once a patent is

___ (B) When a patent

___ (C) A patent, once

___ (D) A patent, whenever it

17.Owls can hunt in total darkness ______ their remarkably keen sense of smell.

___ (A) since

___ (B) because of

___ (C) the result __ (D) that

138 Section 2 • Guide to Structure and Written Expression

LESSON 22

INCOMPLETE NOUN ClAUSES

Noun clauses are the third type of subordinate clause. They begin with noun-clause markers. Noun clauses that are formed from statements begin with the noun-clause marker that. Noun clauses formed from yes/no questions begin with the noun-clause markers whether or if. Those formed from information questions begin with wh- words: what, where, when, and so on.

Dr. Hopkins' office is in this building.

(statement) I'm sure that Dr. Hopkins' office is in this building.

Is Dr. Hopkins' office on this floor?

(yes/no question) I don't know if (whether) Dr. Hopkins' office is on this floor.

Where is Dr. Hopkins' office?

(information question) Please tell me where Dr. Hopkins' office is.

Notice that the word order in direct questions is not the same as it is in noun clauses. The noun clause follows statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order (auxiliary + subject + main verb). Often one of the distractors for noun-clause items will incorrectly follow question word order.

*1 don't know what is her name. (Incorrect use of question word order)

I don't know what her name is. (Correct word order)

*She called him to ask what time did his party start. (Incorrect use of question word order)

She called him to ask what time his party started. (Correct word order)

Noun clauses function exactly as nouns do: as subjects, as direct objects, or as complements after the verb to be.

When the meeting will be held has not been decided. (noun clause as subject)

The weather announcer said that there will be thunderstorms.

(noun clause as direct object)

This is what you need.

(noun clause after to be)

Notice that when the noun clause is the subject of a sentence, the verb in the main clause does not have a noun or pronoun subject.

In Structure items, the noun-clause marker, along with any other part of the noun clausesubject, verb, and so on-may be missing from the stem, or the whole noun clause may be missing.

Section 2 • Guide to Structure and Written Expression 139

T Sample Items

______ was caused by breathing (~pure'airwas once a common belief. '-----

(A)Malaria

(B)That malaria

(C)Why malaria

(D)Because malaria

Choice (A) is incorrect because there are two verbs (was caused and was) but only one subject. Choice (C) is incorrect because Why is not the appropriate noun-clause marker in this sentence; the noun clause is based on a statement, not on an information question. Choice (D) is incorrect because it forms an adverb clause, but the main clause lacks a subject. In the correct answer the noun clause itself (That malaria was caused by breathing impure air) is the subject of the verb was in the main clause.

One basic question psychologists have tried to answer is ______

(A)people learn

(B)how do people learn

(C)people learn how

(D)how people learn

Choice (A) is incorrect; there is no connector between the first clause and the second. Choice (B) incorrectly follows question word order. (C) is incorrect because how is in the wrong position. ..

Exercise 22

Focus: Completing structure problems involving incomplete noun clauses. (Note: Two or three items in this exercise do not focus on noun clauses. These items are marked in the answer key with asterisks.)

Directions: Choose the one option-(A), (B), (C), or (D)-that correctly completes the sentences, and then mark the appropriate blank. The first one is done as an example.

1. begin their existence as ice crystals over most of the earth seems likely. __ (A) Raindrops

__ (B) If raindrops __ (C) What if raindrops

~ (D) That raindrops

2.Scientists cannot agree on ______ related to other orders of insects. __ (A) that fleas are

___ (B) how fleas are

___ (C) how are fleas

___ (D) fleas that are

___ (C) as Anna Winlock __ (D) Anna Winlock then

7. Art critics do not all agree on what ______ a painting great.

___ (A) qualities make

___ (B) are the qualities for making

___ (C) qualities to make

___ (D) do the qualities that make

8.In order to grow vegetables properly, gardeners must know ______

___ (A) what the requirements for each vegetable are

___ (B) that the requirements for each vegetable

___ (C) what are each vegetable's requirements

___ (D) that is required by each vegetable

9. When is not known.

___ (A) was the wheel invented

___ (B) the invention of the wheel

___ (C) inventing the wheel

___ (D) the wheel was invented

10.For many years people have wondered ______ exists elsewhere in the universe. __ (A) that life

__ (B) life which __ (C) whether life __ (D) life as it

__ (B) If __ (C)Which

__ (D) For

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LESSON 23

MISSING OR INCOMPLETE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES

A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition (in, at, with, fm; until. and so on) followed by a noun phrase or pronoun. which is called the prepositional object. Prepositional phrases often describe relationships of time and location, among others.

In the auturnn, maple leaves turn red.

Beacon Hill is one of the most famous neighborhoods in Boston. 'With luck, there won't be any more problems.

This house was built by John's grandfather.

Often, prepositional phrases come at the beginning of sentences, but they may appear in other parts of the sentence as well.

The correct answer for this type of item may be a preposition, its object, or both, as well as other parts of the sentence.

You may see prepositions in distractors, especially before the subject of a sentence. Remember, the object of a preposition cannot correctly be the subject of a sentence, as in these examples:

*111 the aullllnn is my favorite season. *Without a pencil is no way to come to a test.

... Sample Items

______ the unaided eye can see about 6,000 stars.

(A)A clear night

(B)It's a clear night

(C)On a clear night

(D)When a clear night

Choice (A) is incorrect because there is no connector to join the noun phrase a clear night to the rest of the sentence. Choice (B) consists of an independent clause, but there is no connector to join it to the other clause. (D) seems to form a subordinate clause, but the clause lacks a verb.

______ all the field crops grown in the United States are harvested with machines called combines.

(A)Of nearly

(B)Nearly

(C)That nearly

(D)Nearly of

Choices (A) and CD) are incorrect because the subject of a sentence (all the field crops) cannot be the object of a preposition (of). Choice (C) creates a noun clause, but the noun clause lacks a verb. ...

142 Section 2 • Guide to Structure and Written Expression

Exercise 23

Focus: Completing structure problems involving prepositional phrases. (Note: One or two items in this exercises do not focus on prepositional phrases. These items are marked in the answer key with asterisks.)

Directions: Choose the one option-(A), (B), (C), or (D)- that correctly completes the sentence, and then mark the appropriate blank. The first one is done as an example.

1.Dynamite is ordinarily detonated ______ called a blasting cap.

___ (A) a device is used

___ (B) that a device

~ (C) with a device

___ (D) the use of a device

2. seed of a flowering plant is covered by a dense protective coat. On each

__ (B) Each __ (C) Each of __ (D) That each

3. 1900 there were some 300 bicycle factories in the United States, and they produced over a million bicycles.

__ (A) In

___ (B) Because in

___ (C) It was in __ (D) That in

4.A thick layer of fat called blubber keeps whales warm even ______ coldest water.

___ (A) although the __ (B) in the __ (C) the

__ (D) of the

5. the United States, the general movement of air masses is from west to east.

___ (A) Across

___ (B) To cross

___ (C) They cross

___ (D) It's across

6.The bark of a tree thickens ______

___ (A) with age __ (B) it gets older

___ (C) as older __ (D) by age

7 A substance that is harmless to a person who has no allergies can cause mild to serious reactions in a person allergies.

__ (A) has

___ (B) which having

___ (C) can have __ (D) with

8.In 1886 a number of national unions formed the American Federation of Labor ______

___ (A) Samuel Gompers was its leader

___ (B) under the leadership of Samuel Gompers

___ (C) which, under Samuel Gompers' leadership

___ (D) Samuel Gompers led it

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9. Harmonicas, autoharps, and kazoos ______ folk instruments.

___ (B) In some industries

___ (C) Some industries

___ (D) There are some industries

12.One of the oldest large suspension bridges still ______ today is the George Washington Bridge between ~ewYork City and Fort Lee, New Jersey.

___ (A) uses

___ (B) is used

___ (C) the use of

___ (D) in use

Section 2 • Guide to Structure and Written Expression 145

6.______ are hot is a common misconception.

__ (A) All deserts

___ (B) All deserts which

___ (C) Of all deserts

___ (D) That all deserts

__ (C) That the Welland Ship Canal is __ (D) The WeIland Ship Canal,

9. A deep-tissue massage is a type of massage therapy ______ on one part of the body, such as the lower back.

___ (A) its concentration is

___ (B) concentrating

___ CC) why it concentrates

___ CD) to be concentrated

10.One of the most powerful optical telescopes, the "Big Eye" at Mt. Palomar, ______ a two- hundred-inch mirror.

__ (A) has __ (B) that has

__ (C) with __ (D) which

12, ______ relatively inexpensive, the metal pewter can be fashioned into beautiful and useful objects.

___ (A) Even it is __ (B) Despite

___ (C) Nevertheless, it is __ CD) Although

___ (A) What do psychologists call cognition

___ (B) Psychologists call it cognition

___ CC) \Vhat psychologists call cognition

___ (D) Cognition, as it is called by psychologists, which