- Most TOEFL reading passages include a question about the main idea, often phrased as the topic, subject, title, primary idea, or main idea.
- The main idea can usually be found in the beginning of the passage, particularly in the topic sentence.
- For passages with one paragraph, focus on the first sentence to identify the main idea and confirm it with the rest of the paragraph.
- To answer the question correctly, evaluate the options and choose the one that best matches the topic identified in the passage.
- Practice recognizing topic sentences and aligning answer choices with the main idea for accuracy in the Reading section of the TOEFL test.
Strategies for Reading Section
TOEFL Test: Reading Comprehension Section Overview
This section includes 50 questions (sometimes more) and lasts for 55 minutes. You will read passages and answer two types of questions related to the content:
These questions test your understanding of the information provided in the passages. You will encounter different question types, such as identifying the main idea, answering direct detail questions, and interpreting implied details.
Vocabulary Questions: These questions focus on the meanings of words in the passages. To find the meanings, you can rely on the surrounding context, structural clues in the sentence, or breaking down the word into recognizable parts.
Here are some strategies for the reading section of TOEFL ITP.
- Know the instructions beforehand: The TOEFL instructions are always the same, so familiarize yourself with them in advance to save time during the test.
- Skim the passages efficiently: Don’t spend too much time reading the entire passage thoroughly. Many students skim for the main idea or jump straight to the questions, referring to the passage as needed.
- Don’t stress about unfamiliar topics: Everything needed to answer the questions is contained within the passages themselves, so prior knowledge of the topic is unnecessary.
- Answer every question: Even if you’re unsure, make a guess—there’s no penalty for incorrect answers.
Skill 1 - ANSWER MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS CORRECTLY
Skill 2 - RECOGNIZE THE ORGANIZATION OF IDEAS
- In TOEFL reading comprehension, you may encounter questions about how the ideas in one paragraph relate to ideas in another.
- To answer these questions, identify the main ideas of each paragraph and examine how they connect or contrast with each other.
- For example, one paragraph might support, precede, outline, or refute the ideas presented in another paragraph.
- Practice reading passages carefully to understand the relationships between paragraphs and improve accuracy in identifying organizational patterns.
Skill 3 - ANSWER STATED DETAIL QUESTIONS CORRECTLY
- Stated detail questions focus on specific pieces of information from the passage, rather than the passage as a whole.
- The correct answer often paraphrases the information from the passage, so it may not match the exact wording.
- Answers are typically found in order in the passage, meaning the first question corresponds to the beginning of the text, the next question to the middle, and so on.
- Carefully review each answer choice and eliminate options that introduce incorrect information or distort the meaning of the passage.
- Practice locating and understanding specific details in the passage to improve accuracy in this question type.
Skill 4 - FIND "UNSTATED" DETAILS
- "Unstated" detail questions require identifying information that is not mentioned or not true in the passage.
- This question type often includes three true statements and one false statement. Your task is to find the false or unstated detail.
- Carefully review the passage and compare each answer choice to the information provided, eliminating those that are mentioned.
- Pay attention to key details and wording to identify discrepancies or missing information.
- Practice distinguishing between stated and unstated details to improve accuracy in this type of question.
Skill 5 - FIND PRONOUN REFERENTS
- Pronoun referent questions ask you to identify the noun that a pronoun in the passage refers to.
- Look before the pronoun in the text to find the noun it refers to, as pronouns usually follow their antecedents.
- Consider the grammatical agreement of the pronoun, such as singular or plural, to narrow down possible referents.
- Replace the pronoun with each possible noun to check which option makes the most sense in the context.
- Practice analyzing pronouns and their antecedents to improve speed and accuracy in these questions.
Skill 6 - ANSWER IMPLIED DETAIL QUESTIONS CORRECTLY
- Implied detail questions require drawing conclusions from specific details provided in the passage.
- These questions often use keywords like "implied," "inferred," or "likely" to indicate that the answer is not directly stated.
- Do not make assumptions beyond the information in the passage; instead, base your answer on evidence provided in the text.
- Analyze the context and look for hints or clues to deduce the correct answer logically.
- Practice identifying implied meanings and conclusions to enhance your understanding of passages.
Skill 7 - ANSWER TRANSITION QUESTIONS CORRECTLY
- Transition questions test your ability to understand how ideas flow between paragraphs in a passage.
- You may be asked to determine what is most likely discussed in the preceding paragraph or what will be discussed in the following paragraph.
- These questions require analyzing the context and identifying logical connections between ideas.
- A paragraph may conclude with an idea that is developed further in the next paragraph.
- Transition questions help assess your understanding of the organization and coherence of the text.
Skill 8 - FIND DEFINITIONS FROM STRUCTURAL CLUES
- Structural clues in a passage can help identify the meaning of unfamiliar words.
- Look for punctuation such as commas, dashes, or parentheses that may indicate a definition or clarification of the word.
- Words like "is," "means," or "refers to" often introduce a definition.
- Analyze the context of the sentence and surrounding sentences to infer the meaning.
- Recognizing these structural clues can enhance understanding and improve performance on vocabulary-related questions.
Skill 9 - DETERMINE MEANINGS FROM WORD PARTS
- Study the components of a word (prefix, root, and suffix) to determine its meaning.
- The prefix provides clues about direction, quantity, or negation.
- The root word carries the main meaning and can often stand alone.
- The suffix can indicate the word's function (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) or modify its meaning.
- Combining these parts helps decipher the meaning of unfamiliar words, even without prior knowledge of the word.
Skill 10 - USE CONTEXT TO DETERMINE MEANINGS OF DIFFICULT WORDS
- Use the surrounding context in the passage to infer the meaning of a difficult or unfamiliar word.
- Look for clues in the sentence, such as related ideas, comparisons, or examples, to understand the word's meaning.
- Focus on the sentence where the word appears and the sentences immediately before and after it for additional context.
- Eliminate options that are clearly unrelated to the context provided in the passage.
- Pay attention to key phrases that indicate the word’s role or relation in the sentence, such as "means," "refers to," or "is similar to."
Skill 11 - USE CONTEXT TO DETERMINE MEANINGS OF SIMPLE WORDS
- Understand that some simple words can have meanings beyond their everyday use depending on the context.
- Look carefully at the context provided in the passage to determine the specific meaning of the word.
- Examine how the word is used in the sentence to see which meaning fits best.
- Avoid choosing the common or literal meaning of the word if it does not fit the context of the passage.
- Eliminate choices that are clearly unrelated or incorrect based on the context clues in the sentence.
Skill 12 - DETERMINE WHERE SPECIFIC INFORMATION IS FOUND
- Understand the question asks for a specific piece of information found in the passage.
- Review the answer choices for line references or sections in the passage.
- Skim through the relevant lines provided in the answers to locate the desired information.
- Match the content in the referenced lines with the key detail the question is asking about.
- Eliminate choices that do not directly contain or relate to the specific information requested.
Skill 13 - DETERMINE THE TONE, PURPOSE, OR COURSE
- Tone: Determine the author's attitude toward the subject (e.g., informative, emotional, sarcastic, or impassioned).
- Purpose: Identify the main goal of the passage (e.g., to explain, argue, describe, or persuade).
- Course: Decide the context or subject area of the passage (e.g., history, politics, or science).
- Look for clues in the language, structure, and details provided in the passage to assess tone, purpose, or course.
- Eliminate answer choices that are too broad, too narrow, or inconsistent with the passage content.