TOEFL Grammar and Sentence Structure 2 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Which of the following sentences is grammatically CORRECT?

Neither the students nor the teacher are ready.
Neither the students nor the teacher is ready. (Correct answer)
Neither the students or the teacher are ready.
Neither the students or the teacher is ready.

Correct answer: Neither the students nor the teacher is ready.

With 'neither...nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it ('teacher' — singular), so 'is' is correct. 'Neither...nor' (not 'or') is the standard pair.

The grammatical rule for 'neither...nor' (and 'either...or') is called proximity agreement or the 'rule of the nearest noun.' The verb must agree in number with the subject that is closest to it. In the sentence 'Neither the students nor the teacher is ready,' the second subject 'teacher' is singular, so the verb must be singular: 'is.' Even though 'students' is plural, it is the more distant subject, so it does not determine verb agreement. If the sentence were reversed — 'Neither the teacher nor the students are ready' — then 'are' would be correct because 'students' is now the closest subject. Also note that 'neither...nor' is the grammatically correct correlative conjunction pair. Using 'neither...or' (Options C and D) is non-standard and incorrect. This rule is tested frequently on the TOEFL because many learners incorrectly apply simple plural-subject agreement rules when two subjects are joined by correlative conjunctions.

Question 2: Identify the sentence that correctly uses a RELATIVE CLAUSE:

The book which I borrowed it from the library was fascinating.
The book that I borrowed from the library was fascinating. (Correct answer)
The book who I borrowed from the library was fascinating.
The book, which from the library I borrowed, was fascinating.

Correct answer: The book that I borrowed from the library was fascinating.

Option B correctly uses 'that' as a relative pronoun to introduce the defining relative clause, without redundantly repeating 'it.'

A relative clause is a dependent clause that modifies a noun, providing additional information about it. It is introduced by a relative pronoun: 'who' (for people), 'which' (for things, non-defining clauses), or 'that' (for things, defining clauses). Option B ('The book that I borrowed from the library was fascinating') is correct. 'That I borrowed from the library' is a defining relative clause — it specifies which book, and 'that' correctly substitutes for 'the book' within the clause without repeating 'it.' Option A is incorrect because 'I borrowed it' repeats 'the book' as a pronoun within the clause — this is a pronoun resumption error common among learners whose first languages allow this construction. Option C uses 'who' for a non-person subject ('book'), which is incorrect. Option D inverts the clause order awkwardly and violates English word order norms. Relative clauses are essential for TOEFL writing and speaking tasks. Mastering them allows you to add specific details within sentences efficiently, which contributes to linguistic complexity scores.

Question 3: Which sentence correctly uses the PAST PERFECT tense?

By the time she arrived, he already left.
By the time she arrived, he had already left. (Correct answer)
By the time she arrived, he has already left.
By the time she arrived, he was already leaving.

Correct answer: By the time she arrived, he had already left.

The past perfect ('had left') is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action ('she arrived'); it correctly sequences two past events.

The past perfect tense (had + past participle) is used to describe an action that was completed before another specific point in the past. It establishes a sequence of events, showing which action came first. In the sentence 'By the time she arrived, he had already left,' two past events are described: her arrival and his leaving. His leaving happened first, so the past perfect ('had left') is required. The phrase 'by the time' is a strong signal that the past perfect is needed. Option A uses simple past for both actions, which is ambiguous about sequence. Option C uses present perfect ('has left'), which is incorrect when the reference point ('by the time she arrived') is in the past. Option D uses past progressive ('was leaving'), which describes an action in progress, not one already completed. For TOEFL writing and speaking, correctly using the past perfect to show temporal sequencing is a mark of grammatical accuracy that examiners look for in higher-level responses.

Question 4: Choose the sentence that CORRECTLY uses a conditional structure:

If I would study harder, I will pass the exam.
If I studied harder, I would pass the exam. (Correct answer)
If I study harder, I would pass the exam.
If I had studied harder, I will pass the exam.

Correct answer: If I studied harder, I would pass the exam.

The second conditional uses 'If + simple past, would + base verb' to describe a hypothetical present or future scenario; Option B follows this structure correctly.

English has four main conditional structures, each with specific form-function pairings: - Zero conditional: 'If + present simple, present simple' (general truths) - First conditional: 'If + present simple, will + base verb' (real future possibility) - Second conditional: 'If + past simple, would + base verb' (hypothetical present/future) - Third conditional: 'If + past perfect, would have + past participle' (hypothetical past) Option B ('If I studied harder, I would pass') correctly uses the second conditional — it describes a hypothetical situation in the present ('I don't study hard enough') and its imagined result. Option A mixes 'would' in the if-clause, which is a common error — 'would' should appear in the result clause, not the condition clause. Option C mixes present simple (first conditional) with 'would' (second conditional) — an inconsistent mix. Option D mixes third conditional form ('had studied') with a first conditional result ('will pass'), which is incorrect. Conditionals are tested frequently on the TOEFL, both in grammar questions and in writing tasks where expressing hypothetical ideas is required.

Question 5: Which sentence demonstrates CORRECT subject-verb agreement?

The data shows a clear trend in consumer behavior.
The data show a clear trend in consumer behavior. (Correct answer)
The datas shows a clear trend in consumer behavior.
The datas show a clear trend in consumer behavior.

Correct answer: The data show a clear trend in consumer behavior.

In formal academic writing, 'data' is treated as a plural noun (Latin plural of 'datum'), requiring the plural verb 'show.' The form 'datas' does not exist.

This question tests knowledge of academic English usage with the word 'data.' Formally, 'data' is the Latin plural of 'datum' (a single piece of information). In academic and scientific writing, it is traditionally treated as a plural noun and takes a plural verb: 'the data show,' 'the data indicate,' 'the data were collected.' In informal or journalistic English, 'data' is increasingly used as a collective singular noun ('the data is clear'), but in TOEFL academic contexts, the plural treatment is preferred and expected. 'Datas' (Options C and D) is never correct in English — it is a non-existent form. Other words with similar Latin/Greek plural forms that appear in academic writing: 'criteria' (plural of 'criterion'), 'phenomena' (plural of 'phenomenon'), 'media' (plural of 'medium'), 'alumni' (plural of 'alumnus'). These are frequently confused in subject-verb agreement contexts.

Question 6: Identify the CORRECT use of a semicolon:

She studied all night; because she had an exam in the morning.
The results were inconclusive; however, the researchers decided to continue. (Correct answer)
He was exhausted; but he continued working.
They arrived early; and found the room already occupied.

Correct answer: The results were inconclusive; however, the researchers decided to continue.

A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses; when used with a conjunctive adverb like 'however,' the pattern is: independent clause + semicolon + conjunctive adverb + comma + independent clause.

A semicolon has two primary uses: (1) joining two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction, and (2) joining two independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb ('however,' 'therefore,' 'moreover,' etc.). Option B follows pattern 2 correctly: 'The results were inconclusive' and 'the researchers decided to continue' are both independent clauses, joined by '; however,' which correctly includes the comma after the conjunctive adverb. Option A is incorrect because 'because' is a subordinating conjunction, not a conjunctive adverb — it introduces a dependent clause and should follow a comma, not a semicolon. Options C and D use coordinating conjunctions ('but,' 'and'), which are correctly preceded by commas — using a semicolon with these words is non-standard and typically considered an error. Correct punctuation, including semicolon usage, contributes to TOEFL writing scores under the 'Linguistic Range and Accuracy' criterion. Semicolons can add sophistication to writing when used correctly.

TOEFL Grammar and Sentence Structure 2

Which of the following sentences is grammatically CORRECT?