GRAMMAR AND TOEFL STRUCTURE

Test of English as a Foreign Language disingkat TOEFL adalah ujian kemampuan berbahasa Inggris (logat Amerika) yang diperlukan untuk mendaftar masuk ke kolese (college) atau universitas di Amerika Serikat atau negara-negara lain di dunia. Ujian ini sangat diperlukan bagi pendaftar atau pembicara yang bahasa ibunya bukan bahasa Inggris. Ujian TOEFL ini diselenggarakan oleh kantor ETS (Educational Testing Service) di Amerika Serikat untuk semua peserta tes di seluruh dunia.
Jenis tes bahasa Inggris TOEFL ini pada umumnya diperlukan untuk persyaratan masuk kuliah pada hampir semua universitas di Amerika Serikat dan Kanada baik untuk program undergraduate (S-1) maupun graduate (S-2 atau S-3). Hasil tes TOEFL ini juga dipakai sebagai bahan pertimbangan mengenai kemampuan bahasa Inggris dari calon mahasiswa yang mendaftar ke universitas di negara lain, termasuk universitas di Eropa dan Australia. Secara umum, tes TOEFL lebih berorientasi kepada American English, dan sedikit berbeda dengan jenis tes IELTS yang berorientasi kepada British English. Tidak seperti tes IELTS, tes TOEFL ini pada umumnya tidak mempunyai bagian individual interview test.
Biasanya tes ini memakan waktu sekitar tiga jam dan diselenggarakan dalam 4 bagian, yaitu bagian:
• listening comprehension,
• grammar structure and written expression,
• reading comprehension, dan bagian
• writing

Ada beberapa hal yang dapat Anda lakukan untuk mempersiapkan Struktur TOEFL:

1. Memahami Struktur Kalimat Dasar.
2. Memahami Konjungsi dan Kata Menghubungkan, Koordinator, dan Subordinators.
3. Memahami Subyek-Verb Agreement dan Voice Pasif.
4. Memahami Mengurangi Klausul Relatif dan Mengurangi Klausul adverbial.
5. Memahami Frase partisip dan Frase Pengantar.
6. Memahami Parellelism dan inversi.
7. Memahami Klausul Noun dan Pertanyaan Embedded.
8. Memahami Laporan sisipan, gerund, dan infinitif.
9. Memahami pasif statif dan preposisi.

Definisi Grammar

Grammar is the set of structural rules that governs the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics, andpragmatics. Linguists do not normally use the term to refer to orthographical rules, although usage books and style guides that call themselves grammars may also refer to spelling and punctuation.

1.     Passive Voice

Kalimat pasif jelas berbeda dengan kalimat aktif. Kegunaannya pun berbeda dalam bahasa Inggris. Dalam kalimat aktif, subjek lah yang melakukan pekerjaan, sedangkan dalam kalimat pasif, objek lah yang melakukan pekerjaan.

Perubahan kalimat dari aktif menjadi kalimat pasif dapat dilihat sebagai berikut :

            Aktif   : Hendry often helps my mother.

            Pasif    : My mother is often helped by Hendry.

            Aktif   : I sent this letter three days ago.

            Pasif    : This letter was sent by me three days ago.

Kalimat pasif digunakan jika kita ingin memfokuskan kejadiannya, bukan siapa ataupun apa yang melakukannya.

Contoh            :

            The city was destroyed during the World War II.

            (Kota itu hancur selama Perang Dunia II.)

Kalimat pasif juga digunakan jika kita ingin menghindari suatu objek yang semu seperti somebody/someone.

Contoh :

            The letter has to be sent today.

            (Suratnya harus dikirim hari ini.)

Dalam passive voice kita juga dapat menggunakan “by” jika kita ingin mengatakan siapa atau apa yang melakukan suatu kejadian.

Contoh :

            The fence was broken last week. à tidak diketahui siapa/apa pelakunya.

            The fence was broken by the storm last week. à menjadi diketahui.

2.     Adjective

Adjective merupakan kata sifat yang digunakan untuk menerangkan kata benda. Adjective dapat digunakan di depan benda countable ataupun uncountable.

Contoh :

            expensive bag  à tas mahal

            new Friend      à teman baru

Berikut adalah jenis-jenis adjective :

-          Qualitative adj      : menerangkan bentuk/kejadian suatu benda.

                                (big, small, tall, etc.)

-          Distributive adj     : bersifat distributive

                                (every, either, each, etc.)

-          Possessive adj       : menunjukan kepunyaan.

                                (his, her, my, etc.)

-          Demonstrative adj : untuk menunjuk suatu benda.

                                (that, this, those, etc.)

-          Interrogative adj   : untuk menanyakan suatu benda.

                                (which, what, whose)

-          Quantitative adj    : menerangkan jumlah benda.

                                (many, some, much, etc.)

-          Colour adj             : menerangkan warna benda.

                                (red, green, yellow, etc.)

Ada juga jenis adjective yang berikutnya, yaitu compound adjective.

Compound Adjective yaitu kata bilangan yang dapat digabungkan dengan kata benda dalam bentuk singular.

Contoh :

a.       Age (usia)

A fifty years old woman.    à salah

A fifty year old woman.     à benar

b.      Volume (isi)

He has just bought a ten litres car.  à salah

He has just bought a ten litre car.    à benar

c.       Length (panjang)

Fifteen metre house. (not metres)

d.      Price (harga)

Sixty dollar camera. (not dollars)

e.       Weight (bobot)

Ten kilo package. (not kilos)

f.       Are (bidang)

Twenty acre farm. (not acres)

g.      Time (waktu)

Two hour meeting. (not hours)

3.     Comparison Degree

Adalah tingkat-tingkat perbandingan yang terdiri dari jenis-jenis berikut :

1.      Positive degree

Menunjukan kesamaan mutu, banyaknya, tingkatan, derajat, antara suatu benda dengan benda lainnya.

Contoh :

                  The girl is as old as my mother.

                  I am as tall as my sister.

2.      Comparative degree

Digunakan jika kita ingin menunjukan secara jelas bahwa terdapat ketidaksamaan perbandingan antara benda yang satu dengan benda lainnya.

Contoh :

                  I’m shorter than my brother.

                  My bag is more expensive than her.

Aturan dalam comparative degree  ini adalah jika kata sifat kurang atau sama 2 suku kata, maka untuk perbandingannya kita menambahkan “er” pada kata sifat tersebut. Tetapi jika kata sifat yang kita gunakan untuk membandingkan adalah lebih dari 2 suku kata, maka kita tambahkan “more” di depan kata sifat tersebut.

3.      Superlative degree

Digunakan untuk membandingkan seseorang atau beda yang melebihi orang-orang atau benda-benda lainnya. (paling)

Contoh :

                  Dave is the tallest in the class.

                  Ellie is the most diligent student.

Aturan dalam superlative degree ini mirip seperti comparative degree. Jika kata yang kita gunakan untuk membandingkan kurang atau sama dengan 2 suku kata, maka kita tambahkan “est” pada kata tersebut. Sedangkan jika lebih dari 2 suku kata maka kita tambahkan “most” di depan kata tersebut.

4.     Adjective Clause

Merupakan anak kalimat yang berfungsi sebagai modifier atau menggantikan kedudukan dari adjective dalam kalimat majemuk.

Contoh :

1.      The boy who studies in Gunadarma University is Doni.

2.      The man whom you met yesterday is my father.

3.      The girl whose dress is white is my sister.

Who, whom, whose, kemudian ada juga which, dan that merupakanrelative clauses yang fungsinya adalah melengkapi adjective clause.

Masing-masing relative clauses digunakan sebagai berikut :

Who           : digunakan berhubungan dengan subjek (orang)

Whom        : digunakan berhubungan dengan objek (orang)

Which        : digunakan berhubungan dengan subjek atau objek (benda)

That           : digunakan berhubungan dengan subjek atau objek (benda/orang)

Whose        : digunakan berhubungan dengan kata ganti milik.

5.     The Zero Article

Merupakan kata sandang yang kadang-kadang tidak digunakan dalam bahasa Inggris.

Kata sandang tidak digunakan di depan kata benda plural jika yang dimaksud adalah sesuatu yang bersifat umum.

Contoh :

a.      People       : Doctors are paid better than teacher.

b.      Animals     : Cats don’t like cold weather.

c.       Food          : Carrots are good for eyes.

d.      Places        : Museums are closed on Monday.

Kata sandang tidak digunakan di depan kata benda yang tidak dapat dihitung.

Contoh :

a.      Food          : Butter is made from milk.

b.      Colours     : White is my favorite colour.

c.       Languages : English is spoken all over the world.

“THE” tidak digunakan di depan nama benua, negara, kota, degara bagian dan provinsi.

Contoh :

a.      Sweden is in Europe.

b.      Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia.

“THE” juga tidak digunakan di depan mata pelajaran.

a.      My brother is taking economics.

b.      Mathematics is a difficult subject for me.

“THE” tidak digunakan di depan nama bahasa.

a.      I study English on Monday.

“THE” tidak digunakan di depan nama permainan.

a.      Jack plays basketball.

b.      Poker is a card game.

“THE” tidak digunakan di depan nama makanan.

a.      Your breakfast is already serve.

b.      Let’s have lunch together

Sumber :

http://kautsarz.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/toefl-grammar-structure

http://trivenaellenlie.blogspot.com/2012/04/grammar-structure-of-toefl.html 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammar

STRATEGY SECTION TOEFL LISTENING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS

Find out which version of the TOEFL you will take
Depending on where and when you take the TOEFL test, you will encounter either the Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) or the TOEFL Paper-based Test (TOEFL PBT). Be sure of which format you will use. Your TOEFL score from either test will be accepted by the colleges you choose, but the differences in the test formats will influence some of your TOEFL preparation.

Approach the TOEFL test with a plan
Spend enough time in TOEFL preparation so that you know where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Having this kind of understanding can help you decide where to focus your energies as you prepare for the test. If you will be taking the Paper-based Test (PBT), work through some practice tests and then concentrate your TOEFL preparation on any weak areas. Take time to review your strong areas, but invest your time to build up your weaknesses. If your exam will be the Internet-based test (iBT), be sure to visit the TOEFL iBT Web site (www.ets.org/toefl) and examine the information presented there. In addition, get your teacher's opinion on where you can best spend your preparation time. ETS provides sample questions for both the PBT and iBT on its Web site.

To maximize your TOEFL score, be ready for test conditions and be well-rehearsed
Practice makes permanence! If you set aside time in a quiet place to take some practice exams, you'll be ready for the rigors of sitting in a chair and focusing on the TOEFL test material. The PBT is a 3-and-a-half hour test, and the iBT takes about 4-and-a-half hours. It's a good idea to dress in layers and bring a sweater or sweatshirt because the temperature in the testing room may be warmer or colder than you anticipated. You want to be able to show everything you know on the test. English-language tests can be hard enough on their own—you don't need to be dealing with hot or cold temperatures during the test too.

Become familiar with the directions and questions before the TOEFL test
Each of the test sections has a time limit, and you want to make the most of the time you are given. Use a portion of your preparation to become familiar with the directions for each section and how the questions are set up. Then you can use all you time in answering the questions instead of reviewing the directions.

Paper-based TOEFL tips and strategies

Reading Comprehension
Skim the passage first to get a sense of the main idea. You can always go back and look up specifics. Answer the questions that ask about vocabulary words and details first. Then work on questions that ask you about the main idea or require you to make inferences. You will answer 50 questions in 55 minutes.

Structure and Written Expression
Think about the simplest, clearest way to express an idea. If an answer choice sounds awkward or overly complicated, chances are good that it's wrong. Brush up on your English grammar for this part of the test. You will have 25 minutes to complete 40 questions.

Listening Comprehension
Become as familiar with the English language as you can, including learning vocabulary words and idioms. Practice working with the language in everyday life; this will help you become more comfortable with it and understand it better. These 50 questions will take 30 to 40 minutes to complete.

Writing
Planning for a few minutes before writing will help you to write a more focused and organized essay. It is important to develop your ideas and express them clearly, using examples to back them up. Although the essay doesn't need to be grammatically perfect, try to make as few errors as possible. Always save a few minutes at the end to proofread. You will have 30 minutes to organize and write on your topic.

TOEFL iBT tips and strategies
Note taking
Just like in a college classroom, you will be allowed to take notes on what you hear and read during the test and then use your notes when answering the questions.

Writing
On the iBT, the Writing test is 50 minutes and consists of two tasks. For one task, you write independently for 30 minutes to support an opinion on a topic. For the other task, you write for 20 minutes in response to things you hear and read. You need to be able to type on a keyboard to enter your written responses.

Listening
During the Listening test, which runs from 60 to 90 minutes, you answer sets of 5 or 6 questions that are based on lectures and conversations, each of which lasts from three to five minutes. You will hear more than one native English accent.

Speaking
During the Speaking test, you will spend 20 minutes responding to six tasks. With each task, you will have a short time to organize your thoughts before responding. Two tasks will require you to talk about a familiar topic. Four other tasks will be "integrated," asking you to speak in response to things you have heard and read.

Reading
You will receive a glossary that will define certain key words in the Reading test. The test lasts for 60 to 100 minutes. You will be presented with three, four, or five passages from academic books and will answer 12 to 14 questions that are based on each of the passages.

STRATEGY FOR LISTENING A QUESTIONS

1. As you listen to each short conversation, focus on the second line of the conversation. The answer to the question is generally found in the second line of the conversation.

2. Keep in mind that the correct answer is probably a restatement of a key word or idea in the second line of the conversation. Think of possible restatements of the second line of the conversation.

3. Keep in mind that certain structures and expressions are tested regularly in Listening Part A. Listen for these structures and expressions:

• restatements
• negatives
• suggestions
• passives
• conclusions about who and where
• expressions of agreement

4. Keep in mind that these questions generally progress from easy to difficult. This means that questions 1 through 5 will be the easiest questions and questions 26 through 30 will he the hardest questions.

5. Read the answers and choose the best answer to each question. Remember to answer each question even if you are not sure of the correct response. Never leave any answers blank.

6. Even if you do not understand the complete conversation, you can find the correct answer.

• If you only understood a few words or ideas in the second line, choose the answer that contains a restatement of those words or ideas.
• If you did not understand anything at all in the second line of the conversation, choose the answer that sounds the most different from what you heard.
• Never choose an answer because it sounds like what you heard in the conversation.

SUMBER :

http://www.toeflskill.com/2011/01/strategy-for-listening-part-questions.html

http://www.petersons.com/college-search/toefl-test-tips-strategies.aspx