GRAMMAR FOR TOEFL PREPARATION

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Every sentence at least consist of one subject and one verb. The subject usually placed place before the verb, but sometimes subject separated from the verb. Subject and verb in a sentence must agree in a person and number.

1.      Subject Placed before Verb

-          He is the new director of the institute.

                   S   V

The singular subject he placed before the singular verb is.

2.      Subject Separated from the Verb

-          The boy in the room is studying.

   _{singular S                         singular V}

-          The boys in the room are studying.

   _{plural S                             plural V}

The sentences above show that the subject placed separately with the verb.

It is very often if the subject and verb are separated, they will be separated by a prepositional phrase and it has no effect on the verb.

Examples:

-          The view of these disciplines varies from time to time.

_{singular S          prepositional P                   singular V}

-          The study of languages is very interesting.

   _{singular S       prepositional P               singular V}

-          Several theories on this subject have been proposed.

    _{plural S                         prepositional P                  Plural V}        

The following expressions also have no effect on the verb.

together with            along with accompanied by       as well as

 

           

-          The actor, along with his assistants is going to a party tonight.

  _{singular S                                                             singular V}

-          The man together with his ten children is leaving soon.

  _{singular S                                                                     singular V}

3.      Word That Always Take Singular Verb and Pronouns

When the following words are used as subject, they are always singular. Some of these words are plural in meaning, but they always require singular verb in formal written English.

everyone          someone          anyone             no one             each

everybody        somebody        anybody           no body           either

everything        something        anything          nothing            neither

-          Everyone        is            here.

_{singular S           singular V}

-          Neither      of     these      books       is       very       new

_{singular S                                                          singular V}

_-           Nobody works harder than I do.

_{singular S   singular V}

4.      None/ No

None or no can take either s singular or plural verb depending on the noun which follow it.

-          None of the counterfeit money has been found.

  _{singular   singular V}

-          None of the students have finished the exam yet.

        _{plural N       plural V}

-          No example    is      relevant to this case.

_{singular     singular V}

_-           No examples are relevant in this case.

_{plural          Plural V}

5.      Either/Neither

When either and neither are followed by or and nor the verb maybe singular or plural depending of the noun which follow or and nor.

-          Neither Nisa nor Anis   is going to the beach.

  _{singular     singular}

-          Either Jim or his friends are going to the beach.

         _{plural                plural}

6.      Gerund as Subject

If a sentence begins with gerund, the verb must be singular.

-          Writing many letters makes her happy.

-          Dieting is very popular today.

-          Not studying has caused him many problems.

7.      Collective Noun

Word that indicate a number of people are always singular.

Congress               family              group               commitee         class

Organization         team                army                minority           crowd government      jury            public              majority           club

-          The family was elated by the news.

-          The majority believes that we are in no danger.

-          The crowd was wild with excitement.

-          The organization makes an event.

8.      Noun that Are Always Plural

There are some nouns that always considered plural. They cannot be singular.

scissors                 shorts               pants                jeans                trousers                       glasses      pliers               tweezers

-          The pants are in the cupboard.

-          The scissors are dull.

-          The jeans were new

Exercise 1: choose the correct form of the verb in the following sentences!

1.      The picture of the soldiers (bring/bringss) back many memories.

2.      Mr. Tom, accompanied by several members of commitee, (have/has) proposed some changes of the rules.

3.      Neither Frans nor Mary (is/are) going to the play tonight.

4.      Anything (is/are) better that going to another movie tonight.

5.      The jury (is/are) trying to make a decision.

Exercise 2: Choose the letter of the underlined word or group of words that is not correct!

1.      Each of the nurses reports to the operating room when his or her name

A                  B                                                          C

is called.

     D

2.      The athlete, together with his coach and several relatives, are traveling

           A                      B         C                                            B

to the Olympic Games.

3.      A lunch of soup and sandwiches do not appeal to all of the students.

A                  B                              C                 D              

4.      Mrs. Steve , along with her cousins from new Mexico, are planning to

  A              B                                                         D

attend the festivities.

5.      Neither of the scout leaders know how to trap wild animals or how to

A                           B                                             C

prepare them for mounting.

                              D

Curriculum Vitae (membuat design CV yang menarik)

Curriculum Vitae merupakan salah satu syarat yang harus dilengkapi oleh seorang pelamar ketika hendak melamar sebuah pekerjaan. Curriculum Vitae memiliki pengaruh yang cukup  penting dalam hal perekrutan pegawai. Curriculum Vitae yang baik dapat menjad nilai tambah bagi si pelamar. biasanya baik perusahaan maupun instansi lainnya mempertimbangkan isi dari CV tersebut.
Tentu saja hal itu tidak dapat dipungkiri, karena CV memuat seluruh riwayat hidup di pelamar. Dengan kata lain sejarah si pelamar tertuang dalam isi CV.

Pada umumnya isi dari CV adalah:

1. Basic information.
     memuat informasi umum si pelamar seperti nama, alamat, TTL, contact person, e-mail, dll

2. Education
    memuat informasi seputar pendidikan si pelamar mulai dari tingkat dasar hingga pendidikan
    terakhir yang ditempuh.

3. Language
    menjelaskan tentang kemampuan berbahasa si pelamar baik Spoken (lisan) ataupun Written
    (tulisan). Note* bahasa memiliki nilai plus yang tinggi

4. Organization
    berisi tentang pengalaman organisasi si pelamar.

5. Work history
    berisi tentang pengalaman kerja si pelamar.

6. Interest
    berisi tentang ketertarikan si pelamar dalam bidang tertentu. biasanya berkaitan dengan hobby,
    seperti literature, sport, reading, games, teaching, dll.

7. other skills
    berisi tentang kemampuan lain yang dimiliki si pelamar, misalnya computer skill. note* sebutkan
    beberapa program yang telah di kuasai misalnya: photoshop, Ms. office.

8. Personality
    menjelaskan tentang hal yang berkaitan dengan pribadi si pelamar misalnya sifat ( communicative,
    dilligent, responsible)


Selain berisi informasi tersebut yang tak kalah penting adalah design CV. hal ini jarang dilakukan oleh para pelamar. kebanyakan dari mereka mementingkan isi CV dari pada sisi estetiknya.  sebenarnya hal itu tidaklah berdosa, namun alangkah baiknya jika isi CV yang baik di dukung dengan design CV yang menarik.

Design yang menarik akan membuat pihah perusahaan / instansi lebih melirik CV anda karena terdapat hal berbeda yang terlihat dari CV anda. Design CV yang menaik bahkan unik akan mencerminkan diri anda. namun bagi para pemula membuat CV yang menarik itu sulit dan melelahkan. sebenarnya segala sesuatunya menjadi mudah apabila anda mau mencobanya. apalagi di zaman serba digital ini. anda hanya perlu menggerakkan jari anda untuk memilih program di computer anda. Ms. publisher bisa anda gunakan dalam membuat Design CV tersebut. anda cukup merubah formatnya isinya saja.

selain menggunakan Ms. Publisher, anda juga dapat membuat CV secara online dan gratis dengen situs pembuat CV online.

berikut alamat Pembuat CV online  https://cvmkr.com/

contoh Design CV

TOEFL PREPARATION Part 3

The exercise completed by answer and brief explanation.

1.       The three basic chords in _______ the tonic, the dominant, and the subdominant.

a.       Functional harmony

b.      Functional harmony is

c.       Functional harmony are

d.      Functional harmony they are

The right answer is (c) functional harmony are. The blank one should be filled by subject and verb that suitable to the plural object.

2.       ______ Hale Telescope, at the Palomar Observatory in southern California, scientist can photograph objects several bilion light yeas away.

A.      The

B.      With the

C.      They use

D.      It is the

Theright answer is (b) with the. The blanks one should be filled by preposition and extra subject.

3.       Without proper card installed inside the computer , _______ impossible to run a graphical program.

a.       Is definitely

b.      Because of

c.       It is

d.      Is

The right answer is (c) it is. The blank one should be filled by subject and verb of the main clause.

4.       The charter for the Louisiana lottery was coming up for renewal, ______ spared no expense in the fight to win renewal.

a.       The lottery committee

b.      So the lottery committee and

c.       So the lottery committee

d.      The lottery committee made

The right answer is (c) so the lottery committee. The blanks one should be filled by conjunction and subject of the  clause.

5.       While in reality Alpha Centauri is a triple star,  ________ to the naked eye to the single star.

a.       It appears

b.      But it appears

c.       Appears

d.      Despite is

The right answer is (a) it appear. The blanks one should be filled  by subject and verb of the main clause.

6.       The Sun’s gravity severely distorted in the path of the comet _________ entered its widely erratic orbit around Jupiter.

a.       It

b.      When

c.       After the comet came into it

d.      Once the comet

The right answer is (d) after the comet come into. The blank one should be filled by conjunction and the subject of the verb (entered).

7.       Each object ________ Jupiter’s magnetic field is deluge with electrical charges.

a.       Enters

b.      It enters

c.       Entering

d.      Enter

The right answer is (c) entering.

8.       As its name suggests, the Prairie Wetlands Resources Center ________ the protection of wetland on the prairies of the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota, and Nebraska.

a.       It focuses

b.      Focuses on

c.       Focusing

d.      To focus on

The right answer is (b) focuses on. The blanks one should be filled by verb of single subject.

9.       One of the largest and the most powerful birds of prey in the world, _______ a six foot wingspan and legs and talons roughly the size of a man’s arms and legs.

a.       So the harpy has

b.      The harpy having

c.       With the harpy having

d.      The harpy has

The right answer is (d) the harpy has. The blanks one should be filled by subject and verb.

10.   __________ creation of such a community was a desireble step, the requisite political upheavel had to he accepted.

a.       Since the

b.      The

c.       Later the

d.      It was

The right answer is (a) since the. The blanks one should be filled by conjunction and extra subject.  

TOEFL PREPARATION part 2

The exercise completed by answer and short explanation.

1.       The president of the U.S appoinnts the cabinet member, _______ appointments are subject to senate approval.

a.       Their

b.      With their

c.       Because their

d.      But their

The right answer is (c) because their. The blank one should be filled by conjunction because adverb clause and the verb is plural (are)

2.       The prisoners were prevented from speaking to the reporter because _______

a.       Not wanting the story in the papers.

b.      The story in the papers the superintended did not want

c.       The public to hear the story

d.      The superintended did not want the story in paper

The right answer is (d) the superintended. The blank one should be filled by adverb clause.

3.       Like Thomas Berger’s fictional character Little Big Mon. Lauderdale managed to find himself where _____ of important event to place.

a.       It was an extraordinary number

b.      There was an extraordinary number

c.       An extraordinary number

d.      An extraordinary number existed

The right answer is (c) an extraordinary number. The blanks one should be filled by extra subject of adverb clause.

4.       ______ sucked groundwater from below, some part of the city have begun to sink as much as ten inches annually.

a.       Pumps have

b.      As pumps have

c.       So pumps have

d.      With pumps

The right answer is (b) as pumps have. the blank one should be filled by conjuction

5.       Case studies are the target of much skepticism in the scientific community ______ used extensively by nomerous researchers.

a.       They are

b.      Are

c.       Yet they

d.      Yet they are

The right answer is (d) yet they are. The blank one should be filled by coordination that suitable to the subject and verb.

6.       According to the hypothesis in the study, the monarchs pick up the magnetic field of the ________ migrate by following magnetic field.

a.       Target monarchs

b.      Target since monarchs

c.       Target since monarchs are

d.      Target

The right answer is (b) target since monarchs. The blanks one should be filled by object of verb (pick up), conjucntion, and subject of verb (migrate).

7.       _________ show the relations among neurons they do not preclude the possibility that other aspect are important.

a.       Neural theories

b.      A neural theory

c.       Although neural theories

d.      However neural theories

The right answer is (c) although neural theories. The blank one should be filled by subject of adverb clause and contrary conjuction.

8.       ________ or refinanced, the lender will generally require setting up an escrow encount to ensure the payment of property taxes and home owner’s insurance.

a.       A home is

b.      A home is bought

c.       When a home

d.      When a home is bought

The right answer is (d) when a homeis bought. The blanks one should be filled by conditional conjuction.

9.       If ultraviolet radiation enters the Earth’s atmosphere, ________ generally blocked by the ozone concentrated in the atmosphere.

a.       It

b.      It is

c.       So it is

d.      The it

The right answer is (b) it is. The blank one should be filled by subject and verb of the main clause.

10.   Among human chromosomes, the Y chromosome is unusual _________ most of the chromosome does not participate in meiotic recombination.

a.       In

b.      So

c.       And

d.      That in

The right answer is (b) so. The blanks one should be filled by conjunction that show effect.

TOEFL PREPARATION part 1

TOEFL questions completed by the answers

1. The North Platte River _______ from Wyoming into Nebraska.

     a. it flowed

     b. flows

     c. flowing

     d. with flowing water

The right answer is (b) flows . we must fill the blank one with verb.

2. ______ Biloxi received its name from a Sioux word meaning "first people."

    a. The city of 

    b. Located in

    c. It is in

    d. The tour included.

The right answer  is (a) The city of. the blank one should be filled by Subject

3. A pride of lions ______ up to forty lions, including one to three males, several females, and cubs.

    a. can contain

    b. it contains

    c. contain

    d. containing

The right answer is (a) can contain. the blank one should be filled by verb that used to singular subject (A pride of lions).

4. ______ tea plant are small and white.

    a. The

    b. On the

    c. Having flowers the

    d. The flowers of the

The right answer is (d) The flowers of the. the blank one should be filled by extra subject.

5. The tetracyclines, _______ antibiotics, are used to treat infection.

    a. are a family of

    b. being a family

    c. a family of

    d. their family is

The right answer is (c)  a family of. the blank one should be filled by extra subject that explains (tetracyclines).

6. Any possible academic assistance from taking stimulants ______ marginal at best.

    a. it is 

    b. there is

    c. is

    d. as

The right answer is (c)  is, the blank one should be filled by verb.

7. Henry Adams, born in Boston, ______ famous as a historian and novelist.

    a. became

    b. and became

    c. he was

    d. and he became

The right answer is (a) became. the blank one should be filled by verb.

8. The major cause ______ the pull of the Moon on the Earth.

    a. the ocean tides are

    b. of ocean tides is

    c. of the tides in the ocean

    d. the ocean's tides

The right answer is (b) of ocean tides is. the blank one should be filled by extra subject and verb.

9. Still a novelty in the late nineteenth century,  ______ limited to the rich.

    a. was

    b. was photography

    c. it was photography

    d. photography was 

The right answer is (d)  photography was. the blank one should be filled by extra subject and verb.

10. A computerized map of the freeways using information gathered by sensor embedded in the pavement ______ on a local cable channel during rush  hours. 

    a. airs

    b. airing

    c. air

    d. to air

The right answer is (a) airs. the blank one should be filled by verb.