‫وزارة التربية‬
‫‪Ministry of Education‬‬
‫التوجيه الفني العام للغة اإلنجليزية‬
‫‪ELT General Supervision‬‬
‫الدورة التدريبية الخاصة باجتياز اختباري‬
‫‪ TOEFL‬التوفل‬
‫والقدرات األكاديمية‬
‫‪Training Course for‬‬
‫‪TOEFL & Aptitude Test‬‬
‫من إعداد التوجيه الفني العام للغة اإلنجليزية‬
‫‪Prepared by ELT General Supervision‬‬
Standardized Tests
A standardized test is an examination that
attempts to determine and measure a
person's ability to acquire, through future
training, some specific set of skills
(intellectual, motor, and so on).
The tests assume that people differ in their
special abilities and that these differences
can be useful in predicting future
achievements.
For example, the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude
Test) is a test designed to predict how
well you will perform in college. It is not
designed to measure how well you did in
high school, but how capable you are of
learning all the new skills necessary to do
well in college / university.
ETS (Educational Testing Service) is
responsible for many international
standardized tests, such as TOEFL and
others.
Center for Measurements &
Teaching Development
Is the one responsible for designing and
administering Aptitude Tests for admission
in Kuwait University.
ENGLISH APTITUDE TEST
STUDENT INFORMATION
FOR
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
PROFICIENCY
REQUIREMENTS
at Kuwait University
Admission/Placement Test Contents:
This General English Test consists of the
following parts:
(I) Grammar 35 Questions
(II) Vocabulary 35 Questions
(III) Reading comprehension 20 Questions
Total Number of questions: 90 Items
Time:60 minutes
Part I - Grammar:
Objective:
To test student’s knowledge of
general, basic English grammar.
Grammatical items may include:
1. Articles
2. Subject-verb agreement + there is I there are
3. Use of negatives
4. Word order - questions, negatives, indirect quotes
5. Pronouns - subject, object, possessive, reflexive and relative
6. Prepositions - use of common prep. Phrases.
7. Adjectives + qualifiers
+ Comparative forms
+ Few / little
8. Adverbs + comparative forms
9. Gerunds.
10. Infinitives + negatives
11. All verb tenses - all active and passive
12. Sequence of tenses
13. All subordinate clauses (relative clause, adverbial clause, noun
clause) +connecting words.
Part II- Vocabulary:
Objective:
To test students' knowledge of
common vocabulary words.
Contents
1. Some vocabulary items from high school
English textbooks.
2. Items from general English vocabulary.
Part III- Reading comprehension:
Objective:
To test students' knowledge of
common vocabulary words.
Contents
1. Finding the meaning of words in context
2. Finding the main idea of a paragraph
3. Finding the topic of a passage
4. Listing subordinating details
5. Recognizing the importance of some details
6. Making inferences or deductions
7. Using numbers in passages to solve problems
Let’s give it a try.
Grammar
Articles
• a = indefinite article (not a specific object,
one of a number of the same objects) with
consonants.
She has a dog. / I work in a factory.
• an = indefinite article (not a specific object,
one of a number of the same objects) with
vowels (a,e,i,o,u)
Can I have an apple? / She is an English
teacher.
• the = definite article (a specific object that
both the person speaking and the listener
know)
The car over there is fast. / The teacher is
very good, isn't he?
• The first time you speak of something use "a
or an", the next time you repeat that object
use "the".
I live in a house. The house is quite old and
has four bedrooms.
I ate in a Chinese restaurant. The restaurant
was very good.
DO NOT use an article with countries,
states, counties or provinces, lakes and
mountains except when the country is a
collection of states such as "The United
States".
He lives in Washington near Mount Rainier.
They live in northern British Columbia.
• Use an article with bodies of water, oceans
and seas My country borders on the Pacific Ocean
• DO NOT use an article when you are
speaking about things in general.
She likes reading books.
I like Russian tea.
• DO NOT use an article when you are
speaking about meals, places, and transport.
He has breakfast at home.
I go to university.
He comes to work by taxi.
Check the handout for practice.
Subject-verb agreement
Notice these
Think about these situations:
When the expletive "it" is the subject …
In sentences beginning with the expletives
"there is" or "there are“…
When words like "each" are the subject…
When words like "none" are the subject …
When the subjects are joined by "and" …
When singular subjects are joined by words
like "or"
When one subject is singular and one plural…
Now try these examples.
On the wall …….. several posters.
were
was
There ………. many possible candidates.
are
is
There ……… only one good candidate.
are
is
It is my car which ………………
stall
stalls
It is their cars which …………………..……
stall
Stalls
Each …………………………………her turn at rowing.
take
takes
Neither ……………………..…… the friends of the other.
like
likes
Everyone in the fraternity…..................his own set of
prejudices.
has
have
Each of the rowers………... her turn at rowing.
take
takes
Some of the dollar …………………………..…. spent.
was
were
Some of the dollars ………………………….…. spent.
was
were
Both Tom and Jane ……………..…. passed the test.
have
has
Tom, as well as Jane, …….……….. passed the test.
have
has
Either the man or his wife…. the truth of the matter
knows
know
Neither money nor power ……. important any longer.
was
were
Neither the television nor the radios ………….
works
work
Neither the radios nor the television …………….
works
work
Forming a negative
Positive sentence
Negative sentence
Contracted negative
I am eating.
I am not eating.
I'm not eating.
You are working.
You are not working.
You aren't working.
He is driving.
He is not driving.
He isn't driving.
She is teaching.
She is not teaching.
She isn't teaching.
It is raining.
It is not raining.
It isn't raining.
We are reading.
We are not reading.
We aren't reading.
They are writing.
They are not writing.
They aren't writing.
Forming a question
Statement
Yes/no question
Wh- question
I am eating.
Am I eating?
What am I eating?
You are crying.
Are you crying?
Why are you crying?
He is going.
Is he going?
Where is he going?
She is arriving.
Is she arriving?
When is she arriving?
It is sleeping.
Is it sleeping?
Why is it sleeping?
We are leaving.
Are we leaving?
When are we leaving?
They are fighting.
Are they fighting?
Why are they fighting?
Word Order
Choose the most natural order.
a- Here she has worked for a very long time.
b- For a very long time she has worked here.
c- She has worked for a very long time here.
d-She has worked here for a very long time.
a- Please fill out with the details this form.
b- Please with your details fill out this
form.
c- Please fill out your details with this
form.
d- Please fill out this form with your
details
Word Order in questions
interrogative
auxiliary
other
subject
verb
verb(s)
indirect
object
What
would
you
like to
tell
me
Did
you
have
were
you
When
direct
object
place
a party in
your
flat
here?
time
yesterday?
Pronouns
Subjective Pronouns
Objective Pronouns
Possessive Pronouns
Demonstrative Pronouns
Indefinite Pronouns (all, any, both, each, everyone, few, many,
neither, none, nothing, several, some, and somebody.)
Relative Pronouns
Reflexive Pronouns (They should divide the berries among
themselves.)
Intensive Pronouns (The queen herself visited our class.)
Reciprocal Pronouns (each other and one another)
Jody has lost ________ book.
mine
her
hers
theirs
Junko has eaten her lunch already, but I'm
saving ________ until later.
hers
her
my
mine
This bird has broken ________ wing.
it’s
its’
hers
its
_____ pencil is broken. Can I borrow ____?
Mine, yours
Your, mine
My, yours
Yours, mine
Adjectives
Opinion Size
a
silly
Age
Shape
Colour Origin
young
a
huge
a
small
Material Purpose
English
round
man
metal
red
bowl
sleeping
bag
Which is the correct order?
1- a small Canadian thin lady
2- a Canadian small thin lady
3- a small thin Canadian lady
4- a thin small Canadian lady
1- a carving steel new knife
2- a new steel carving knife
3- a steel new carving knife
4- a new carving steel knife
1- a cotton dirty old tie
2- a dirty cotton old tie
3- an old cotton dirty tie
4- a dirty old cotton tie
Phrasal verbs
Match the phrasal verb with the sentence that would most appropriately contain that verb.
Your
Answers
Verbs
Sent. No.
Sentences
hung up
1
He tried to __________ his jacket before his tie was tied.
came to
2
My family was able to ________ on very little money when I
was young.
catch on
3
The detective vowed to __________ who the murderer was
before the case went to trial.
eat out
4
Whenever we get tired of cooking, we ________ at our favorite
Italian restaurant.
put on
5
Carlos ________ on his sister because he was so tired of
listening to her whining on the phone.
talk over
6
Tashonda was astonished that she was __________ for the
counselor's position.
get by
7
The committee promised that the celebrity would ______ at the
big event.
turned down
8
When he __________, his wallet and bike were nowhere to be
found.
find out
9
Professor Farbman promised to _________ the exam after she
returned the results.
show up
10
Terri was able to ________ to the most complex problems in
calculus before anyone else .
Verbs
Sentences
hung up
Carlos HUNG UP on his sister because he was so tired of listening to her
whining on the phone.
came to
When he CAME TO, his wallet and bike were nowhere to be found.
catch on
Terri was able to CATCH ON to the most complex problems in calculus
before anyone else.
eat out
Whenever we get tired of cooking, we EAT OUT at our favorite Italian
restaurant.
put on
He tried to PUT ON his jacket before his tied was tied.
talk over
get by
turned down
Professor Farbman promised to TALK OVER the exam after she returned
the results.
My family was able to GET BY on very little money when I was young.
Tashonda was astonished that she was TURNED DOWN for the
counselor's position.
find out
The detective vowed to FIND OUT who the real murderer was before the
case went to trial.
show up
The committee promised that the celebrity would SHOW UP at the big
event.
What is an adverb?
The best way to tell if a word is an adverb is to try making a
question, for which the answer is the word. If the question
uses how, where or when, then the word is probably an
adverb. Here is an example:
Word in context
Question
Adverb?
Tom plays tennis
aggressively.
How does Tom
play tennis?
Yes -- uses HOW.
They have a small
house.
What kind of
house do they
have?
No -- uses WHAT KIND
OF, so this is an
adjective.
Matthew called the
police immediately.
When did
Matthew call the
police?
Yes -- uses WHEN.
Kinds of Adverbs
Adverbs of Manner
She moved slowly and spoke quietly.
Adverbs of Place
She has lived on the island all her life.
She still lives there now.
Adverbs of Frequency
She takes the boat to the mainland every day.
She often goes by herself.
Adverbs of Time
She tries to get back before dark.
It's starting to get dark now.
She finished her tea first.
She left early.
Adverbs of Purpose
She drives her boat slowly to avoid hitting the rocks.
She shops in several stores to get the best buys.
THE ROYAL ORDER OF ADVERBS
Subject &
Verb
Beth
swims
Dad
walks
Julia
naps
Manner
Place
Frequency
in the every
enthusiastically
pool morning
impatiently
into
town
Time
Purpose
before
dawn
to keep in
shape.
every
before to get a
afternoon supper newspaper.
in her every
room morning
before
lunch.
Select the sentence in which usually
appears in an appropriate position.
A. She usually shops for clothes at the local
thrift store.
B. Usually she shops for clothes at the local
thrift store.
C. She shops for clothes at the local thrift store
usually.
D. Either "A" or "B" is fine.
Select the sentence with the most
appropriate order of adverbial phrases.
A. She leaves the island during the
months of December and January after
dark.
B. She leaves the island after dark during
the months of December and January.
C. Either "A" or "B" is fine.
Gerunds
Gerund as subject:
Traveling might satisfy your desire for new experiences.
The study abroad program might satisfy your desire for new
experiences.
Gerund as direct object:
They do not appreciate my singing.
They do not appreciate my assistance.
Gerund as subject complement:
My cat's favorite activity is sleeping.
My cat's favorite food is salmon.
Gerund as object of preposition:
The police arrested him for speeding.
The police arrested him for criminal activity.
Verbs that take only infinitives as verbal direct objects
agree
decide
expect
hesitate
learn
need
promise
neglect
hope
want
plan
attempt
propose
intend
pretend
Examples:
I hope to go on a vacation soon.
(not: I hope going on a vacation soon.)
He promised to go on a diet.
(not: He promised going on a diet.)
Verbs that take only gerunds as verbal direct objects
deny
risk
delay
consider
can't help
keep
give up
be fond of
finish
quit
put off
practice
postpone
tolerate
suggest
stop (quit)
regret
enjoy
keep (on)
dislike
admit
avoid
recall
mind
miss
detest
appreciate
recommend
get/be
through
get/be tired
of
get/be
get/be used to
accustomed to
Examples:
They always avoid drinking before driving.
(not: They always avoid to drink before driving.)
I recall asking her that question.
(not: I recall to ask her that question.)
Verbs that take gerunds or infinitives as verbal direct
objects
start
begin
continue
hate
prefer
like
love
try
remember
Examples:
She has continued to work at the store.
She has continued working at the store.
Active
Passive
Simple
Present
Once a week, Tom cleans the
house.
Once a week, the house is
cleaned by Tom.
Present
Continuous
Right now, Sarah is writing
the letter.
Right now, the letter is being
written by Sarah.
Simple Past
Sam repaired the car.
The car was repaired by Sam.
Past
Continuous
The salesman was helping the
customer when the thief came
into the store.
The customer was being helped
by the salesman when the thief
came into the store.
Present
Perfect
Many tourists have visited
that castle.
That castle has been visited by
many tourists.
Past Perfect
George had repaired many
cars before he received his
mechanic's license.
Many cars had been repaired
by George before he received
his mechanic's license.
Simple Future
Someone will finish the work
by 5:00 PM.
The work will be finished by
5:00 PM.
They will have completed the
project before the deadline.
The project will have been
completed before the deadline.
They are going to have
completed the project before
the deadline.
The project is going to have
been completed before the
deadline.
The famous artist is going to
have been painting the mural
for over six months by the
time it is finished.
The mural is going to have
been being painted by the
famous artist for over six
months by the time it is
finished.
WILL
Future Perfect
WILL
Future Perfect
BE GOING TO
Future Perfect
Continuous
BE GOING TO
Tenses
Try these questions.
Jane talks on the phone.
Bob has been talking on the phone for an hour.
Mary is talking on the phone.
Who is not necessarily on the phone
now? _____________
Jane
- Jane left when Tim arrived.
- Bob left when Tim had arrived.
- Tim arrived when Mary was leaving.
- John had left when Tim arrived.
- After Tim arrived, Frank left.
Who did not run into Tim? _______
John
Clauses
Relative Clauses
The lazy students whom Mrs. Russell hit in the head with a chalk eraser soon
learned to keep their complaints to themselves.
Noun Clauses
You really do not want to know what Aunt Nancy adds to her stew.
Adjective Clause
They are searching for the one who borrowed the book .
Adverb Clauses
If the British co-operate, the Europeans may achieve monetary union .
Vocabulary
Commonly misused words
angel / angle
cite / site / sight
costume / custom
decent / descent
dessert / desert
later / latter
loose / lose
peace / piece
principal / principle
quite / quiet
For each of the following questions
choose the one correct answer
If you feel "Like a fish ________ water" you
feel in the wrong place.
a.In
b.Under
c.out of
d.over
His name definitely rings ________,
although I can’t put a face to it.
a. a memory
b. a thought
c. a bell
d. a clock
I'm very suspicious of this deal. I can
smell___
a. a rabbit
b. a rose
c. a rat
d. a fish
To "_______ around the bush" is
an idiom which means to avoid
speaking about something
directly.
a. run
b. beat
c. talk
d. look
If you make fun of someone,
you "pull his or her ________.”
a. arm
b. finger
c. leg
d. toe
The crowd was so tightly packed that it
took us hours to ________.
a. get through them.
b. get through it.
c. get through all them.
d. get through with it.
Look at this old photo, I ________ it,
when I was cleaning the attic.
a. came over
b. came across
c. came into
d. came round
We were very poor when I was a boy, my
parents found it hard to ________.
(survive on a small amount of money)
a. get by
b. get away
c. get up
d. get across
What is the collective noun for knives,
forks, spoons and other eating utensils?
a. crockery
b. cutlery
c. weaponry
d. eatery
Which of the following is the odd one out?
a. hammer
b. chisel
c. rolling pin
d. pliers
The following words all contain the word
‘speed’. Which one is incorrect?
a. speed food
b. speed bump
c. speed reading
d. speed limit
Which of the following do you ‘do’ and not
‘make’?
a. a decision
b. a fuss
c. someone a favour
d. a mistake
Which of the following cannot be
delivered?
a. a baby
b. a letter
c. a smile
d. a speech
What is the opposite of 'resistible'?
a. unresistible
b. irresistible
c. disresistible
d. inresistible
Which word is the ‘odd one out’?
a. awful
b. marvellous
c. fab
d. terrific
If you are seething, you are________.
a. very very cold
b. very very thirsty
c. very very worried
d. very very angry
Which word is the odd one out?
a. ‘big bang’
b. penicillin
c. planets
d. solar system
She’s always cleaning so her house is
absolutely ________.
a. filthy
b. tedious
c. hideous
d. spotless
If someone grills you, he / she ________.
a. asks you lots of difficult questions.
b. tells you lots of jokes and funny stories.
c. tells you all his / her problems.
d. makes you sit in the sun until you burn.
If you want to walk quietly, you ________.
a. stagger
b. march
c. tiptoe
d. limp
More examples are available in the
handout.
Reading Comprehension
Read the following text and answer the
questions below.
Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England in 1821 and
emigrated to New York City when she was ten years old. One day
she decided that she wanted to be a doctor. That was nearly
impossible for a woman in the middle of the 19th century. After writing
many letters seeking admission to medical schools, she was finally
accepted by a doctor in Philadelphia. So determined was she that
she taught in a school and gave music lessons to earn money for her
tuition.
In 1849, after graduation from a medical school, she
decided to further education in Paris. She wanted to be a surgeon,
but a serious eye infection forced her to abandon the idea.
Upon returning to the United States, she found it difficult to
start her own practice because she was a woman. By 1857,
Elizabeth and her sister, also a doctor, along with another female
doctor, managed to open a new hospital, the first for women and
children. Besides being the first female physician and founding her
own hospital, she also established the first medical school for
women.
1- Why couldn’t Elizabeth realize her
dream of becoming a surgeon?
A- she couldn’t get admitted to a medical
school.
B- she decided to further her education in
Paris.
C- a serious eye infection halted her
request.
D- It was difficult for her to start a practice
in the United States.
2- What main obstacle almost destroyed
Elizabeth’s chances for becoming a
doctor?
A- She was a woman.
B- She wrote too many letters.
C- She couldn’t graduate from a medical
school.
D- She couldn’t establish her hospital.
3- How many years elapsed between her
graduation from medical school and the
opening of her hospital?
A- 8
B- 10
C- 19
D- 36
4- All of the following are “firsts” in the life
of Elizabeth Blackwell except ….
A- She became the first female physician.
B- She was the first woman surgeon.
C- She and several other women founded
the first hospital for women and children.
D- She established the first medical school
for women.
For Extra Vocabulary
Exercises
&
Reading Comprehension
Questions,
refer to the Handout.