Grammar

Invariably, you'll see adverbs on the TOEFL

What is an adverb? It's kind of like an adjective. An adjective describes a noun. An adverb describes a verb. Why am I talking about...

All By Myself on TOEFL

Are you sick of doing TOEFL all on your own? Or are you tired of being all by yourself when studying? Let's pause for a moment and study...

Become a Pro at Using the Verb Become

Becoming a pro doesn't happen overnight; it takes practice. But no one really gets excited about practicing grammar alone. On the TOEFL...

The REAL Problem with TOEFL Writing

Students don't want to hear that grammar mistakes are keeping them from hitting their target writing score. Yet, most of the time...

Don't Make Me Do It!

Causative verbs are tricky. So, let them go and forget about them! But, I know you better than that. As a TOEFL scholar, you yearn to...

If You Master the Conditionals, You Will Impress.

The conditionals aren't always easy. You've got a lot to think about. Are you talking about a condition and result that has a real...

The Difference Between Few and A Few

One little letter "a" can cause a big difference in meaning. Find out when to use "few" and went to use "a few" in this video.

Are You Gonna Say Gonna?

Informal contractions in English like "wanna" or "gonna" are very common, but should you use them on the TOEFL? Find out in this video.

How Do I Answer the Question "What's up?"

Greetings in casual conversation in English can sometimes be tricky because they don't always match with the greetings we learn in...

You Can Start a Sentence with Because!

A lot of students think they can't ever start a sentence with because. Actually, you can, but you have to know how to do it! Find out how...

Research, Advice, Information: You Can't Count These Nouns!

Research, advice and information are all non-count nouns. Before we take a look at what this means, let’s review the difference between a...

5 Common Mistakes in TOEFL Speaking and Writing

After evaluating many students’ TOEFL speaking and writing responses, I noticed a pattern of mistakes. Mistakes can be distracting to the...

The Difference Between Life and Lives

There is a difference between the nouns "life" and "lives." Life can be defined as a span of time from birth to death. 1. A LIFE is used...

Grammar Check: It's the Subjunctive

I recommend that you pay attention to your grammar in your TOEFL speaking and writing! Here's one grammar tip for you. Let's say you are...

3 Reasons to Use Present Tense Verbs for Writing Task #1

You’ve just read a passage and now it’s over. You’ve also just listened to a lecture and now that’s over. Both of these events are in the...

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