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Table of Contents
SENTENCE WITH ONE CLAUSE ................................................................................................................ 2
Skill I: Be sure the sentence has a subject and verb ........................................................................... 3
Exercise I.A. ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Exercise I ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Skill II. Be careful of Object of Preposition ......................................................................................... 4
Exercise I. Please try to make sentences in blank example below: ................................................ 4
Skill III. Be Careful of Appositives ........................................................................................................ 5
Pre exercise: .................................................................................................................................... 5
Types of Appositive ......................................................................................................................... 5
a. Restrictive Appositives ................................................................................................................ 5
b. Non-restrictive Appositives ......................................................................................................... 6
Non-restrictive appositives, on the other hand, provide additional information
that is not necessary for understanding. Because it is unnecessary information,
non-restrictive appositives are typically separated from the primary noun by
commas. ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Exercise I: ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Skill IV. Be careful of Present Participial ............................................................................................. 6
Exercise I: ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Skill V: Be Careful of Past Participles................................................................................................... 8
Exercise I: ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Exercise I (Skill 1-5).......................................................................................................................... 9
Exercise II (Skills 1 – 5): ................................................................................................................. 10
SENTENCES WITH MULTIPLE CLAUSES ................................................................................................. 11
Skill VI: Use Coordinate Connectors Correctly .................................................................................. 11
Exercise I: ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Skill VII: Use adverb Time and Cause Connectors Correctly ............................................................. 12
Exercise 1 ...................................................................................................................................... 13
Skill VIII : Use Other Adverb Connectors Correctly ........................................................................... 13
Exercise ......................................................................................................................................... 14
Exercise Skills 6 – 8: ....................................................................................................................... 15
Toefl Exercise Skill 6-8: .................................................................................................................. 15
Toefl Review Exercise Skills 1-8:.................................................................................................... 16
MORE SENTENCES WITH MULTIPLE CLAUSES ...................................................................................... 17
Skill IX: Use Noun Clause Connectors Correctly ................................................................................ 17
Exercise I: ...................................................................................................................................... 18

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 Skill X: Use Noun Clause Connector/Subjects Correctly ................................................................... 19
Exercise I: ...................................................................................................................................... 20
Skill XI: Use Adjective Clause Connectors Correctly.......................................................................... 20
Exercise: ........................................................................................................................................ 21
Skill XII: Use Adjective Clause Connector/Subjects Correctly ........................................................... 22
Exercise: ........................................................................................................................................ 23
Toefl Exercise Skills 9 – 12 ............................................................................................................. 23
Exercise Skills 9-12: ....................................................................................................................... 25
Toefl Review Exercise (Skills 1 – 12).............................................................................................. 25

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SENTENCE WITH ONE CLAUSE
Some sentences in English have just one subject and verb, and you have to find the subject
and verb in these sentences.

Therefore, you should be able to do the following in sentences with one subject and verb:
1. Be sure the sentence has a subject and a verb
2. Be careful of object of prepositions and appositives when you are looking the subject
3. Be careful of present participles and past participles where you are looking for the verb.

Skill I: Be sure the sentence has a subject and verb

A sentence in English should have at least a subject and a verb.

Pre exercise:
1. ………. Was backed up for miles on the 2. The committee ………………. these
freeway. questions carefully
a. Yesterday a. debates
b. In the morning b. debate
c. Traffic c. Tomorrow
d. Cars d. North

What is missing in the above sentence? What is missing in the above sentence?
So what is the answer for the sentence? So what is the answer for the sentence?

The subject is usually a noun: a person, place or thing.

A verb is a word that identifies an action or state of being. For example, both "run" and "is"
are verbs.

Exercise I.A.
For each of the following sentences,
decide whether the word in bold print is the
10. Then the black sky opened up.
subject or the verb. When you are done,
compare your responses with the answers 11. Furious flames lit up the night.
below.

1. The dog shivered. Exercise I: Underline the subjects once and

2. An owl shrieked. the verbs twice in each sentences. Then
indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or
3. The moon disappeared behind the incorrect (I)
clouds.
1. Last week went fishing for trout at
4. We waited.
the nearby mountain lake. __
5. Nobody said a word.
2. A schedule of the day’s events can
6. For a moment, nobody even breathed.
be obtained at the front desk. __
7. A light rain fell on our heads.
3. 3. A job on the days shift or the night
8. The leaves trembled.
shift at the plant available. __
9. The apples are read.

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 4. The box can be opened only with a 5. Yesterday found an interesting
special screwdriver. _____ article on pollution. __

Skill II. Be careful of Object of Preposition

Object of a preposition is a noun, pronoun, gerund or noun clause that comes after a
preposition, such as in, at, of, to, by, behind, on, and so on, to form a prepositional phrase.

Exercise I. Please try to make sentences in blank example below:

Verb Object + Preposition Example

Accuse ... of (doing) something John accused Sue of being
selfish
Ask ... for something I wrote to the company
asking them for more
information about the job
Blame ...for... Everybody blamed me for
the accident.
Borrow ... from ...

Charge ... with ( an offence / a crime

)
congratulate ... on ( doing ) something

Cure ( somebody ) of some illness

divide / cut /split something into ( two more

parts)
Do something ABOUT something
( = something to improve a
bad situation) :
Explain ( a problem / situation / a
word etc.) TO someone

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Skill III. Be Careful of Appositives

Appositives can cause confusion in structure questions on the TOEFL test because an
appositive can be mistaken for the subject of a sentence. An appositive is a noun that comes
before or after another noun and has the same meaning.

Pre exercise:

Sally, the best student in the class, got an A on the exam

What are the subject and appositive of the sentence above?

Types of Appositive

a. Restrictive Appositives

Restrictive appositives are considered absolutely necessary in understanding the primary noun
presented. Oftentimes, restrictive appositives are not separated by commas but connected
to the primary noun. Here are a few examples of restrictive appositives:

My friend Eva loves reciting Al Quran.

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Without the appositive including Eva’s name, we have no idea just who this friend is. Because
this appositive is necessary for full understanding of the sentence, it is restrictive.

Mrs. Jacobs’ class, Honors Biology, is so hard!

Because Mrs. Jacobs may teach a variety of classes, “Honors Biology” is considered a
restrictive appositive.

b. Non-restrictive Appositives
Non-restrictive appositives, on the other hand, provide additional information that is not
necessary for understanding. Because it is unnecessary information, non-restrictive appositives
are typically separated from the primary noun by commas.

I bought a new skirt, a black skirt with a sunflower pattern.

Although the appositive describes the skirt further, it is not necessary for basic understanding
of the sentence.

Theresa is from Tennessee, the Volunteer State.

“The Volunteer State” is a nickname for Tennessee. While interesting, it is not necessary for
understanding of where Theresa is from.

Exercise I:
Each of the following sentences contains an appositive. Underline the subject one and the
verbs twice. Circle the appositive phrases. Then indicate if the sentences correct (C) or
incorrect (I):

6. ———– The only entrance to the

1. ———– The son of the previous
closet, the door was kept locked at
owner, the new owner is
all times.
undertaking some fairly broad
7. ———– In the cold of winter, a wall
changes in management policy.
heating unit, would not turn on.
2. ———– Last semester, a friend,
8. ———– The new tile pattern, yellow
graduated cum laude from the
flowers on a white background,
university.
really brightens up the room.
3. ———– Valentine’s day, February
9. ———– The high-powered
14, is a special holiday for
computer the most powerful
sweethearts.
machine of its type, was finally
4. ———– At long last, the chief
readied for use.
executive officer, has decided to
10. ———– A longtime friend and
step down.
confident, the psychologist was
5. ———– Tonight’s supper, leftovers
often invited over for Sunday
from last night, did not taste any
dinner.
better tonight than last night.

Skill IV. Be careful of Present Participial

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Present participle is the –ing form the verb (talking, playing). In the Structure section of the
TOEFL test a present participle can cause confusion because it can be either a part of the
verb or an adjective.

It is part of the verb when it is preceded by some form of the verb be.
 The man is talking to his friend
Verb
In this sentence talking is part of the verb because it is accompanied by is.

A present participle is an adjective when it is not accompanied by some form of the verb be.
 The man talking to his friend has a beard.
Adjective
In this sentence talking is an adjective and not part of the verb because it is not accompanied
by some form of be. The verb in this sentence is has.

The following example shows how a present participle can be confused with the verb in the
Structure section of the TOEFL test.

The child …………. Playing in the yard is my son

(a) Now (c) He

(b) Is (d) Was

In this example, if you look at only the first words of the sentence, it appears that child is the
subject and playing is part of the verb. If you think that playing is part of the verb, you might
choose answer (B), is, or answer (D), was, to complete the verb. However, these two answer
are incorrect because playing is not part of the verb. You should recognize that playing is a
participial adjective rather than a verb because there is another verb in the sentence (is). In
this sentence there is a complete subject (child) and a complete verb (is), so this sentence
does not need another subject or verb. The best answer here is (A).

The following chart outlines what you should remember about present participles:
PRESENT PARTICIPLES
A present participle is the – ing form of the verb. The present participle can be (I) part of the
verb or (2) an adjective. It is part of the verb when it is a accompanied by some from of
the verb be. It is an adjective when it is not accompanied by some form of the verb be.
1. The boy is standing in the corner
2. The boy standing in the corner was naughty

Exercise I:
Each of the following sentences contains one or more present participles. Underline the
subjects once and the verbs twice. Circle the present participles and label them as adjectives
or verbs. There indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or Incorrect ( I ).
3. ———– The artisans were
1. ———– The companies offering the
demonstrating various handicrafts at
lowest prices will have the most
booths throughout the fair.
customers.
4. ———– The fraternities are giving the
2. ———– Those travelers are
wildest parties attract the most new
completing their trip on Delta should
pledges.
report to Gate three.

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5. ———– The first team winning four 8. ———– Any students desiring official
games is awarded the championship. transcripts should complete the
appropriate form.
9. ———– The advertisements were
6. ———– The speaker was trying to make announcing the half-day sale received
his point was often interrupted a lot of attention.
vociferously. 10. ———– The spices flavoring the meal
7. ———– The fruits were rotting because were quite distinctive.
of the moisture in the crates carrying
them to market.

Skill V: Be Careful of Past Participles

Past participles can cause confusion in the Structure section of the TOEFL test because a past
participle can be either an adjective or a part of a verb.

The past participle is the form of the verb that appears with have or be. It often ends in –ed,
but there are also many irregular past participles in English.
 The Family has purchased a television.
The past participle purchased is part of the verb because it is accompanied by has

 The Poem was written by Fatimah.

In the second sentence the past participle written is part of the verb because it is
accompanied by was.

A past participle is an adjective when it is not accompanied by some form of be or have.

 The television purchased yesterday was expensive
Purchased is an adjective rather than a verb because it is not accompanied by a form of
be or have (and there is a verb, was, later in the sentence)
 The Poem written by Fatimah appeared in the magazine.
Written is an adjective rather than a verb because it is not accompanied by a form of be
or have (and there is a verb, appeared, letter in the sentence).

The following example shows how a past participle can be confused with the verb in the
Structure section of the TOEFL test.
Example:
The packages …………….. mailed at the post office will arrive Monday.
(a) have
(b) were
(c) them
(d) just

In this example, if you look only at the first few words of the sentence, it appears that packages
is the subject and mailed is either a complete verb or a past participle that needs a helping
verb. But if you look further in the sentence, you will see that the verb is will arrive. You will then
recognize that mailed is a participial adjective and is therefore not part of the verb. Answer

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(A), and (B) are incorrect because mailed is an adjective and does not need a helping verb
such as have or were. Answer (C) is incorrect because there is no need for the object them.
Answer (D) is the best answer to this question.

PAST PARTICIPLES
A past participle often ends in –ed, but there are also many irregular past participles. For many
verbs, including –ed verbs, the simple past and the past participle are the same can be easily
confused. The –ed form of the verb can be (I) the simple past, (2) the past participle of a verb,
or (3) an adjective.
1. She painted this picture
2. She has painted this picture
3. The picture painted by Karen is now in a museum

Exercise I:
Each of the following sentences contains one or more past participles. Underline the subjects
once and the verbs twice. Circle the past participles and label them as adjectives or verbs.
There indicate if the sentences are correct (C ) or Incorrect ( I )
6. ———— Those suspected in the string of
1. ———— The money was offered by the
robberies were arrested by the
client was not accepted.
police.
2. ———— The car listed in the
7. ———— The pizza is served in this
advertisement had already stalled.
restaurant is the tastiest in the
3. ———— The chapters were taught by
country.
the professor this morning will be on
8. ———— The courses are listed on the
next week’s exam.
second page of the brochure have
4. ———— The loaves of bread were
several prerequisites.
baked in a brick oven at a low
temperature for many hours.
9. ———— All the tenants were invited to
5. ———— The ports were reached by the
the Independence Day barbecue
sailors were under the control of a
at the apartment complex.
foreign nation.
10. ———— Any bills paid by the first of
the month will be credited to your
account by the next day.

Exercise I (Skill 1-5) : Underline the subject once and the verbs twice in each of the following
sentences. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I):

1. _______For three weeks at the 3. _______The fir trees were grown for the
beginning of the semester students with holiday season were harvested in
fewer than the maximum number of November.
units can add additional courses. 4. _______In the grove the overripe
2. _______On her lunch hour went to a oranges were falling on the ground.
nearby department store to purchase a
wedding gift.

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5. _______The papers being delivered at 8. _______With a sudden jerk of his hand
4:00 will contain the announcement of threw the ball across the field to one of
the president’s resignation. the other players.
9. _______Construction of the housing
6. _______A specialty shop with various development it will be underway by the
blends form around the world in the first of the month.
shopping mall. 10. _______Those applicants returning their
7. _______The portraits exhibited in the completed forms at the earliest date
Houston Museum last month are now have the highest priority
on display in Dallas.

Exercise II (Skills 1 – 5):

Choose the letter of the word or group of words that the best to complete the sentence.

1. The North Plate River _______ from 6. Any possible academic assistance from
Wyoming into Nebraska taking stimulants _______ marginal at
(A) it flowed best.
(B) flows (A) it is
(C) flowing (B) they is
(D) with flowing water (C) is
(D) as
2. ________ Biloxi received its name from a
Sioux word meaning "first people". 7. Hendy Adams, born in Boston ________
(A) The city of famous as a historian and novelist.
(B) located in (A) became
(C) It is in (B) and because
(D) The tour included (C) he was
(D) and he became
3. A pride of lions _______ up to forty lions,
including one to three males, several 8. The major cause __________ the pull of
females and cubes. the Moon on the Earth.
(A) can contain (A) the ocean tides are
(B) it contains (B) of ocean tides is
(C) contain (C) of the tides in the ocean
(D) containing (D) the oceans' tides

4. __________ tea plant are small and white. 9. Still a novelty in the late nineteenth
(A) The century, _________ limited to the rich
(B) On the (A) was
(C) Having flowers the (B) was photography
(D) The flowers of (C) it was photography
(D) photography was
5. The tetracycline, __________ antibiotics,
are used to treat infections. 10. A computerized map of the freeways
using information gathered by sensors
(A) are a family of embedded in the pavement ______ on a
(B) being a family of local cable channel during rush hours.
(C) a family of (A) airs
(D) their family is (B) airing
(C) air
(D) to air

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SENTENCES WITH MULTIPLE CLAUSES
Many sentences in English have more than one clause. (A clause is a group of words
containing a subject and a verb). Whenever you find a sentence with more than one clause,
you need to make sure that every subject has a verb and every verb has a subject.

Skill VI: Use Coordinate Connectors Correctly

When you have two clauses in an English sentence, you must connect the two clauses
correctly. One way to connect two clauses is to use and, but, or, so, yet between the clauses.

Tom is singing, and Paul is dancing.

Tom is tall, but Paul is short.
Tom must write the letter, or Paul will do it.
Tom told a joke, so Paul laughed.
Tom is tired, yet he is not going to sleep.

In each of these examples, there are two clauses that are correctly joined with a coordinate
conjunction and, but, so, or, yet, and a comma (,).

Example:
A power failure occurred, _____ the lamps went out.
(A) then
(B) so
(C) later
(D) next

In this example you should notice quickly that there are two clauses, 'a power failure occurred'
and 'the lamps went out'. This sentence needs a connector to join the two clauses. 'Then, later,
and next' are not connectors, so answers (A), (C), and (D) are not correct. The best answer is
answer (B) because so can connect two clauses.

COORDINATE CONNECTORS
and but or so yet
S V coordinate connector S V
She laughed but she wanted to cry

Exercise I:
Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause. Underline the subjects once
and the verbs twice. Circle the connectors, then indicate if the sentences are correct (c) or
incorrect (I)

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1. _______The software should be used on 6. _______You should have finished the
an IBM work yesterday, yet is not close to
computer, and this computer is an being finished.
IBM. 7. _______The phone rang again and
2. _______The rain clouds can be seen in again, so the receptionist was not able
the distance, but no has fallen. to get much work done.
3. _______They are trying to sell their 8. _______The missing wallet was
home, it has been on the market for found, but the cash and credit
two months. cards had been removed.
4. _______So the quality of the 9. _______Or you can drive your car for
print was not good, I changed the another 2, 0000 miles, you can get it
typewriter ribbon. fixed.
5. _______The lifeguard will warn you 10. _______The chemist was awarded the
about the riptides, or she may require Nobel Prize, he flew to Europe to
you to get out of the water. accept it.

Skill VII: Use adverb Time and Cause Connectors

Correctly
Sentences with adverb clauses have two basic patterns in English. Study the clauses and
connectors in the following sentences:

I will sign the check before you leave.

Before you leave, I will sign the check.

In each of these examples, there are two clauses: ‘you leave’ and ‘I will sign the check’, and
the clause ‘you leave’ is an ‘adverb time clause’ because it is introduced with the connector
“before”.
In the first example, the connector before comes in the middle of the sentence, and no
comma (,) is used. In the second example, the connector before comes at the beginning of
the sentence. In this pattern, when the connector comes at the beginning of the sentence, a
comma (,) is required in the middle of the sentence.

Example:
_____ was late, I missed the appointment.
C. The train
A. I D. Since
B. Because
Answer:
In this example, you should recognize easily that there is a verb “was” that needs a subject.
There is also another clause “I missed the appointment”. If you choose answer (A) or answer
(C), you will have a subject for the verb was, but you will not have a connector to join the two
clauses. Because you need a connector to join two clauses, answers (A) and (C) are incorrect.
Answer (B) is incorrect because there is no subject for the verb was. Answer (D) is the best

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answer because there is a subject “he” for the verb “was” and there is a connector “since” to
join the two clauses.

Exercise 1:
Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause. Underline the subjects once
and the verbs twice. Circle the connectors. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or
incorrect (I).

1. _______It is unfortunate that the meal is 6. _______We never know whether we will
not ready yet. get paid or not.
2_______. She told me when should pick up 7. _______This evening you can decide
the children. what do you want to do.
3. _______The instructor explained where 8. _______The manager explained how
was the computer lab located. wanted the work done.
4. _______We could not believe what he 9. _______The map showed where the
did to us. party would be held.
5. _______Do you want to know if it going 10. _______Can you tell me why was the
to rain tomorrow? mail not delivered today?

Skill VIII : Use Other Adverb Connectors Correctly

Adverb clauses can express the ideas of time and cause, as you saw in Skill 7; adverb clauses
can also express a number of other ideas, such as contrast, condition, manner, and place.
Because these clauses are adverb clauses, they have the same structure as the time and
cause clauses in Skill 7. Study the following examples:

I will leave at 7:00 if I am ready.

Although I was late, I managed to catch the train.

In each of these examples, there are two clauses that are correctly joined with adverb
connectors. In the first sentence, the adverb condition connector if comes in the middle of the
sentence. In the second sentence, the adverb contrast connector although comes at the
beginning of the sentence, and a comma (,) is used in the middle of the sentence.

Example:
You will get a good grade on the exam provided _____.
A. studying
B. Study
C. to study
D. you study

In this example, you should quickly notice the adverb condition connector “provided”. This
connector comes in the middle of the sentence; because it is a connector, it must be followed
by a subject and a verb. The best answer to this question is answer (D), which contains the
subject and verb you study.

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The following chart lists adverb contrast, condition, manner and place connector and the
sentence patterns used with them.

Exercise: Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause. Underline the
subjects once and the verbs twice. Circle the connectors. Then indicate if the sentences are
correct (C) or incorrect (I).
5. _______I will take you wherever nee
1. _______It is impossible to enter that d to go to complete the
program if you lack experience as registration procedures.
a teacher 6. _______I will wait here in the
2. _______The commandant left strict airport with
orders about the passes, you whether the plane leaves on
several soldiers left the post time or not.
anyway. 7. _______Providing the employee is
3. _______No one is admitted to the postmarked by this Friday,
academy unless he or she the your application still acceptable.
education requirements. 8. _______As the nurse already explain
4. _______While most students turned t ed all visitors must leave the hospital
he assignment in on time, a room now
few asked for an extension.

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 9. _______This exam will be more 10. _______Though snow had been
difficult than usual in falling all day long, everyone got to
that it covers two chapters instead the church on time for the wedding.
of one

Exercise Skills 6 – 8:
Underline the subjects once and the verbs twice in each of the following sentences. Circle the
connectors. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. _______Until the register makes a 6. _______The government was

decision about your status, you overthrown in a revolution, the king
must stay in an unclassified has not returned to his homeland.
category. 7. _______Whereas most of the
2. _______Or the bills can be paid by documents are complete, this form
mail by the first of the month. still needs to be notarized
3. _______The parents left a phone 8. _______Trash will be collected in the
number with the baby-sitter in case morning, so you should put the trash
of a problem with the children. cans out tonight.
4. _______The furniture will be 9. _______It is impossible for the
delivered as soon it is paid for. airplane to take off while is snowing
5. _______Whenever you want to hold so hard.
the meeting, we will schedule it. 10. _______We did not go out to dinner
even though I would have
preferred not to cook.

Toefl Exercise Skill 6-8:

Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best completes the sentence.

1. The president of the U.S. appoints the 3. Like Thomas Berger’s fictional
cabinet members, ______ appointments character Little Big Man, Lauderdale
are subject to Senate approval. managed to find himself where ______
(A) their of important events took place.
(B) with their (A) it was an extraordinary number
(C) because their (B) there was an extraordinary number
(D) but their (C)an extraordinary number
(D) an extraordinary number existed
2. The prisoners were prevented form
speaking to reporters because ______ 4. ______ sucked ground water form
(A) not wanting the story in the papers. below, some parts of the city have
(B) the story in the papers the begun to sink as much as ten inches
superintendent did not want annually.
(C) the public to hear the story (A) Pumps have
(D) the superintendent did not want the (B) As pumps have
story in the papers (C) So pumps have
(D) White pumps

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 8. ______ or refinanced, the lender will
5. Case studies are the target of much generally require setting up an escrow
skepticism in the scientific community, account to ensure the payment of
______ used extensively by numerous property taxes and home owner’s
researches. insurance.
(A) they are (A) A home is
(B) are (B) A home is bought
(C) yet they (C) When a home
(D) yet they are (D) When a home is bought

6. According to the hypothesis in the 9. If ultraviolet radiation enters the

study, the monarchs pick up the Earth’s atmosphere, ______ generally
magnetic field of the ______ migrate by blocked by the ozone concentrated in
following magnetic fields. the atmosphere.
(A) target monarchs (A) it
(B) target since monarchs (B) it is
(C) target since monarchs are (C) so it is
(D) target (D) then it

7. ______ show the relations among 10. Among human chromosomes, the Y
neurons, they do not preclude the chromosome is unusual ______ most of
possibility that other aspects are the chromosome does not participate
important. in meiotic recombination.
(A) Neural theories (A) in
(B) A neural theory (B) so
(C) Although neural theories (C) and
(D) However neural theories (D) in that

Toefl Review Exercise Skills 1-8:

Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best completes the sentence.
(B) because of
1. The three basic chords is ................ the (C) it is
tonic, the dominant, and the sub (D) is
dominant
(A) functional harmony 4. The charter for the Louisiana lottery was
(B) functional harmony is coming up for several..................spared
(C) functional harmony are no expense in the flight to win renewal
(D) functional harmony they are (A) the lottery committee
(B) so the lottery committee and
2. ..............Hale Telescope, at the Palomar (C) so the lottery committee
Observatory in southern California, (D) the lottery committee made
scientist can photograph in the flight to
win objects several billion light years 5. While in reality Alpha Centauri is a triple
away. star, to the naked eye to be a single star
(A) The (A) it appears
(B) With the (B) but it appears
(C) They use the (C) appears
(D) It is the (D) despite it

6. The Sun's gravity severely distorted the

3. Without the proper card installed inside path of the some .................. entered its
the computer,..............impossible to rum wildly erratic orbit around Jupiter.
a graphical program. (A) it
(A) is definitely (B) when

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 (C) after the come into it
(D) once the comet 9. One of the largest and most powerful
birds of prey in the world, a six-foot
7. Each object..................Jupiter's magnetic wingspan and legs and talons roughly
field in deluged with electrical charges. the size of a man's arms and legs.
(A) enters (A) so the harpy has
(B) it enters (B) the harpy having
(C) entering (C) with the harpy having
(D) enter (D) the harpy has

8. As its named suggests, the Prairie 10. ..............creation of such a community

Wetlands Resource Center................the was a desirable step, the requisite
protection of wetlands on the prairies of political upheaval had to be
the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota, and accepted.
Nebraska. (A) Since the
(A) it focuses (B) The
(B) focuses in (C) Later the
(C) focusing (D) It was the
(D) to focus on

MORE SENTENCES WITH MULTIPLE CLAUSES

Skill IX: Use Noun Clause Connectors Correctly

A noun clause is a clause that functions as a noun; because the noun clause is a noun, it is
used in a sentence as either an object of a verb, an object of a preposition, or the subject of
the sentence.

I know when he will arrive.

(… “when he will arrive” is NOUN CLAUSE AS OBJECT OF VERB)

I am concerned about when he will arrive.

(… “when he will arrive” is NOUN CLAUSE AS OBJECT OF PREPOSITION)

he will arrive is not important.

(“he will arrive”… is NOUN CLAUSE AS SUBJECT)

In the first example there are two clauses, I know and he will arrive. These two clauses are
joined with the connector “when”. “When” changes the clause “he will arrive” into a noun
clause that functions as the object of the verb ‘know’.

In the second example the two clauses “I am concerned” and “he will arrive” are also joined
by the connector “when”. “When” changes the clause “he will arrive” into a noun clause that
functions as the object of the preposition ‘about’.

The third example is more difficult. In this example there are two clauses, but they are a little
harder to recognize. “He will arrive” is one of the clauses, and the connector “when” changes
it into a noun clause that functions as the subject of the sentence. The other clause has the
noun clause “when he will arrive” as its subject and “is” as its verb.

Example:

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_____ was late caused many problems.
(A) That he
(B) The driver
(C) There
(D) Because

In this example there are two verbs, “was” and “caused”, and each of these verbs needs a
subject. Answer (B) is wrong because the driver is one subject, and two subjects are needed.
Answers (C) and (D) are incorrect because there and because are not subjects. The best
answer is answer (A). If you choose answer (A), the completed sentence would be: “That he
was late caused many problems”. In this sentence “he” is the subject of the verb “was”, and
the noun clause “that he was late” is the subject of the verb “caused”.

Exercise I:
Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause. Underline the subjects once
and the verbs twice. Circle the connectors. Put boxes around the noun clauses. Then indicate
if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. _______When the season starts is de 6. _______Why the condition of the

termined by the weather. patient deteriorated so
2. _______The manual how the device rapidly it was not explained.
should be built.
3. _______The schedule indicated if th 7. _______Whether or not the
e teams would be playing in the new office would be built was to
final game. be determined at the meeting
4. _______He refused to enter a 8. _______That the professor has not
plea could not be determined by yet
the lawyer decided when the paper is due.
5. _______Talked 9. _______The contract will be
about where we should go for awarded is the question to be
lunch answered at the meeting

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 10. _______He always talked with who
mever he pleased and
did whatever he wanted

Skill X: Use Noun Clause Connector/Subjects Correctly

In skill 9, noun clause connectors were used to introduce noun subject clauses or noun object
clauses.
In this 10, a noun clause connector is not only a connector; a noun clause connector cam
also be the subject of the clause at the same time.

In the first example, there two clauses; I do not know and what is in the box. These two
sentences are connected by the connector what.

In the second example, there two clauses, in the first clause we is the subject of are. In the
second clause who is the subject of will. Who also serves as the connector that join the two
clauses? The noun clause who will do the work function as the object of preposition about.

In the last example, there are two clauses, whoever is the subject of the verb is coming and
the noun clause whoever is coming to the party is the subject of must bring. The
word whoever serves two function in the sentences; the subject of the verb is coming and
the connector that joins the two clauses.

Example:

__________ was on television made me angry.

A. It
B. The story
C. What
D. When

In the example above, there two VERBS, was and made. Each of those verbs needs
a Subject. Best Answer is C (What). What is the subject of verb was and the verb made. What
also serves as the connector that connect the two clauses together.

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 Exercise I:
Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause. Underline the subjects once
and the verbs twice. Circle the connectors. Put boxes around the noun clauses. Then
indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. _____The game
show contestant was able to respond 6. _____The voters should
to whatever was asked. elect whichever of the
2. _____You should find out which the best candidates seems best to them.
physics department. 7. _____It was difficult to
3. _____The employee was unhappy distinguish what was on sale
about what was added to his job and what was merely on display.
description. 8. _____You should buy whatever the
4. _____Whoever wants to take the desert cheapest and most durable.
tour during spring break signing up at 9. _____What was written in the
the office. letter angered him beyond belief.
5. _____The motorist was unable to 10. _____You can spend your time
discover who he had struck his car. with whoever important to you.

Skill XI: Use Adjective Clause Connectors Correctly

An adjective clause is a clause that describes a noun. Because the clause is an adjective, it
is positioned directly after the noun that it describes.

The woman is filling the glass that she put on the table.
“that she put on the table” is ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

The glass that she put on the table contains milk.

“that she put on the table” is ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

In the first example there are two clauses: “woman” is the subject of the verb “is filling”, and

20 | P a g e
“she” is the subject of the verb “put”. “That” is the adjective clause connector that joins
these two clauses, and the adjective clause “that she put on the table” describes the noun
“glass”.
In the second example there are also two clauses: “glass” is the subject of the verb “contains”,
and “she” is the subject of the verb “put”. In this sentence also, “that” is the adjective clause
connector that joins these two clauses, and the adjective clause “that she put on the table”
describes the noun “glass”.

Example:

The gift _____ selected for the bride was rather expensive.
(A) because
(B) was
(C) since
(D) which we

Answer:
In this example you should notice quickly that there are two clauses: “gift” is the subject of the
verb “was”, and the verb “selected” needs a subject. Because there are two clauses, a
connector is also needed. Answers (A) and (C) have connectors, but there are no subjects, so
these answers are not correct. Answer (B) changes selected into a passive verb; in this case
the sentence would have one subject and two verbs, so answer (B) is not correct. The best
answer to this question is answer (D). The correct sentence should say: The gift which we
selected for the bride was rather expensive. In this sentence “gift” is the subject of the verb
“was”, “We” is the subject of the verb “selected”, and the connector “which” joins these two
clauses.

Exercise:
Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause. Underline the subjects once
and the verb twice. Circle the connectors. Put boxes around the adjective clauses. Then
indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. It is important to fill out the form in the 2. The car which I have been driving for
way that you have been instructed five years for sale at a really good price.
(______) (____)

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3. I just finished reading the novel whom 7. The enthusiasm with we watched he
the professor suggested for my book greeted me made me feel welcome.
report. (_____). (_____)
4. The plane that he was scheduled to 8. The story that you told me about Bob.
take to Hawaii was delayed. (_____) (_____)
5. The movie which we watched on 9. The men with whom were having the
cable last night it was really discussion did not seem very friendly.
frightening. (_____) (_____)
10. I’m not really sure about taking part in
6. I made an appointment with the the plans that we made last night.
doctor whom you recommended. (_____)
(_____)

Skill XII: Use Adjective Clause Connector/Subjects

Correctly

Here we will see that in some cases an adjective clause connector is not just a connector; an
adjective clause connector can also be the subject of the clause at the same time.

The woman is filling the glass that is on the table.

“that is on the table” is ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

The glass that is on the table contains milk.

“that is on the table” ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

In the first example there are two clauses: “woman” is the subject of the verb “is filling”, and
“that” is the subject of the verb “is”. These two clauses are joined with the connector “that”.
Notice that in this example the word “that” serves two functions at the same time: it is the
subject of the verb “is”, and it is the connector that joins the two clauses. The adjective
clause “that is on the table” describes the noun “glass”.

In the second example, there are also two clauses: “glass” is the subject of the verb “contains”,
and “that” is the subject of the verb “is”. In this example “that” also serves two functions: it is
the subject of the verb “is”, and it is the connector that joins the two clauses. Because “that is
on the table” is an adjective clause describing the noun “glass”, it directly follows “glass”.

Example:
_____ is on the table has four sections.
A. The notebook
B. The notebook which
C. Because the notebook
D. In the notebook

Answer:
In this example you should notice immediately that the sentence has two verbs, “is” and “has”,
and each of them needs “a subject”. You know that “table” is not a subject because it follows
the preposition “on”; “table” is the object of the preposition. The only answer that has two

22 | P a g e
subjects is answer (B), so answer (B) is the correct answer. The correct sentence should say:
“The notebook which is on the table has four sections”. In this sentence “notebook” is the
subject of the verb “has”, and “which” is the subject of the verb “is”. Which is also the
connector that joins the two clauses.

Exercise:
Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause. Underline the subjects once
and the verbs twice. Circle the connectors. Put boxes around the adjective clauses. Then
indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. The ice cream that is served in the 6. The neighbors reported the man
restaurant has a smooth, creamy who was trying to break into the car
texture. (__) to the police. (__)
2. The cars are trying to enter the 7. These plants can only survive in an
freeway system are lined up for environment is extremely humid.
blocks. (__) (__)
3. I have great respect for everyone 8. The boss meets with any production
who on the Dean’s list. (__) workers who they have surpassed
4. It is going to be very difficult to work their quotas. (__)
with the man which just began 9. The salesclerk ran after the woman
working here. (__) who had left her credit card in the
5. The door that leads to the vault it store. (__)
was tightly locked. (__) 10. The shoes which matched the dress
that was on sale. (__)

Toefl Exercise Skills 9 – 12

Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best completes the sentence
A. enmities that
1. Dolphins form extremely complicated
allegiances and _______ continually B. that are enmities
change. C. enmities that are

23 | P a g e
D. that enmities 6. A cloud’s reservoir of negative charge
2. Scientists are now beginning to conduct extends upward from the altitude at
experiments on _______ trigger different _______ the freezing point.
sorts of health risks. A. temperatures hit
A. noise pollution can B. hit temperatures
B. that noise pollution C. which temperatures hit
C. how noise pollution D. which hit temperatures
D. how noise pollution can 7. In a 1988 advanced officers’ training
program, Sampson developed a plan to
3. The Apollo 11 astronauts _______ of the incorporate police in enforcing
Earth’s inhabitants witnessed on the environmental protection laws whenever
famous first moonwalk on July 20, 1969, _______ feasible.
were Neil Armstrong and Buzz Adrin. A. it is
A. whom B. is
B. whom millions C. has
C. were some D. it has
D. whom some were 8. _______ will be carried in the next space
shuttle payload has not yet been
4. At the end of the nineteenth century, announced to the public.
Alfred Binet developed a test for measuring A. It
intelligence _______ served as the basis B. What
modern IQ tests. C. When
A. has D. That
B. it has 9. During free fall, _______ up to a full
C. and minute, a skydiver will fall at a constant
D. which has speed of 120 m.p.h.
A. it is
5. _______ have at least four hours of B. which is
hazardous materials response training is C. being
mandated by federal law. D. is
A. All police officers 10. The fact _______ the most important
B. All police officers must ratings period is about to begin has caused
C. That all police officers all the networks to shore up their schedules.
D. For all police officers A. is that
B. of
C. that
D. what

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Exercise Skills 9-12:
Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause. Underline the subjects once
and the verbs twice. Circle the connectors. Put boxes around the clauses. Then indicate if the
sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

1. (_______) No one explained to me

6. (_______) The racquet with whom I
whether was coming or not.
was playing was too big and too heavy for
2. (_______) The part of the structure that
me.
has already been built needs to be torn
7. (_______) I will never understand that
down.
he did.
3. (_______) The girl who she just joined
8. (_______) He was still sick was obvious
the softball team is great shortstop.
to the entire medical staff.
4. (_______) I have no idea about when
9. (_______) What is most important in
the meeting is supposed to start.
this situation it is to finish on time.
5. (_______) We have been told that we
10. (_______) The newspapers that were
can leave whenever want.
piled up on the front porch were an
indication that the residents had not been
home in some time.

Toefl Review Exercise (Skills 1 – 12)

Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best completes the sentence.
A. Genes which are
1. _______ loom high above the northern
B. Genes are
and northeastern boundaries of the
C. When genes
expanding city of Tucson.
D. Because of genes
A. The Santa Catalina mountains
4. The benefit _______ the study is that it
B. Because the Santa Catalina mountains
provides necessary information to anyone
C. The Santa Catalina mountains are
who needs it.
D. That the Santa Catalina mountains
A. of
B. which
2. Radioactive _______ provides a
C. that
powerful way to measure geologic time.
D. because
A. it
5. The same symptoms that occur _______
B. dates
with cocaine.
C. dating
A. amphetamines can
D. can
B. with amphetamines can
3. _______ contained in the
C. so amphetamines
chromosomes, and they are thought of as
D. with amphetamines they
the units of heredity.

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6. Many companies across the country B. and
have molded the concepts _______ C. that it
describes into an integrated strategy for D. when
preventing stress. 9. A need for space law to include
A. and Wolf commercial concerns has been
B. that Wolf recognized inasmuch _______ been
C. what Wolf expanding drastically in recent years.
D. so Wolf A. the commercial launch industry
B. the commercial launch industry has
7. _______ in the first draft of the budget C. as has the commercial launch industry
will not necessarily be in the final draft. D. as the commercial launch industry has
A. Although it appears
B. It appears 10. The report on the nuclear power plant
C. What appears indicated that when the plant had gone
D. Despite it appearance on line _______ unsafe.
A. and it had been
8. If a food label indicates that a food is B. it had been
mostly carbohydrate, it does not mean C. had been
_______ is a good food to eat. D. that it had been
A. and it

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