Vocabulary Building

by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on February 5, 2009

With between 3 and 5 vocabulary questions per reading passage, you can gain a lot of points on the Reading Section of the TOEFL if you know a lot of words. But learning thousands of words is almost impossible. So instead, try learning the roots, prefixes, and suffixes that make up English words.  Learning one root can give you 5, 10, or even 15 new words!  Go to Strictly English’s READING page and click on ROOTS, PREFIXES, AND SUFFIXES on the left-hand side.

Be Direct

by Strictly English TOEFL Tutors on February 3, 2009

One of the biggest problems on the Speaking Section of the test is that people do not give clear, direct statements.  Try to train yourself to say: “I like dogs” instead of “Dogs are a thing that many people, like me, enjoy.”  The more direct you are, the better your answer. To practice becoming more direct, write one sentence down, then rewrite it with 30% fewer words.  As you learn to write such short clear sentences, then you’ll learn how to speak with a similar level of directness.