TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language General 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: By the time we arrived at the theater, the show _____ already started.
- has
- had (Correct answer)
- have
- was
Correct answer: had
'Had started' is the past perfect tense, used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. Since 'arrived' is simple past, the earlier event (the show starting) requires past perfect.
Question 2: The professor, along with her two assistants, _____ conducting research on climate change.
- are
- were
- is (Correct answer)
- have been
Correct answer: is
When a subject is followed by a phrase like 'along with,' 'as well as,' or 'together with,' the verb agrees with the main subject — 'the professor' (singular) — so 'is' is correct.
Question 3: She would have passed the exam if she _____ more carefully.
- studied
- studies
- had studied (Correct answer)
- has studied
Correct answer: had studied
This is a third conditional sentence expressing an unreal past situation. The structure requires 'would have + past participle' in the main clause and 'had + past participle' in the if-clause.
Question 4: I am looking forward _____ you at the conference next month.
- to see
- seeing
- to seeing (Correct answer)
- see
Correct answer: to seeing
'Look forward to' is a fixed phrasal verb where 'to' is a preposition, not part of an infinitive. A preposition must be followed by a noun or gerund (-ing form), so 'to seeing' is correct.
Question 5: The number of students enrolling in online courses _____ increased significantly over the past decade.
- have
- has (Correct answer)
- had
- are
Correct answer: has
'The number of' takes a singular verb because 'number' is the head noun, not 'students.' This contrasts with 'a number of,' which takes a plural verb.
Question 6: He speaks as _____ a native speaker of the language.
- fluent as
- fluently as (Correct answer)
- more fluently
- most fluent
Correct answer: fluently as
When comparing using 'as...as,' an adverb is needed to modify the verb 'speaks.' 'Fluently' is the adverb form; 'fluent' is an adjective and cannot modify a verb.
TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language General 1
By the time we arrived at the theater, the show _____ already started.