This unit is ≈22% of the TOEFL iBT, across 6 lessons. Full syllabus
Lesson 1 of 6 · Writing: Build a Sentence, Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion (25%)
Build a Sentence: word order in questions, replies and fixed phrases
7 min read · about 1 h with practice3 quick checks≈5% of the testFoundational: Foundational: the groundwork the rest of the unit builds onAI-generated · reviewed
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Build a Sentence is the fastest set of marks in the TOEFL iBT Writing section: 10 one-point items before the two longer writing tasks. On the updated test, it checks whether you can recognize the grammar and message of a short exchange and assemble a natural reply very quickly.
By the end you’ll be able to
Read the first speaker’s sentence to decide what the reply must do (answer, ask, explain or agree) and which tense and person it needs
Order direct and embedded or indirect questions correctly (Do you know where the library is? / I wonder whether she has finished.)
Place auxiliaries, negatives, modals and adverbs of frequency and degree correctly
Keep phrasal verbs, collocations and fixed chunks together and place their objects correctly (pick it up, look forward to hearing)
Spot and discard the distractor chunk that would make the reply ungrammatical, such as a second main verb or a wrong auxiliary
What the exam asks
In Build a Sentence, you see:
one speaker’s sentence
a reply frame with some fixed words and blanks
5–8 movable chunks
sometimes one extra chunk that does not belong
Your job is to make one grammatical, context-appropriate reply.
Key facts for the exam:
It is part of the linear Writing section, so everyone gets the same task types.
There are 10 items, worth 1 point each.
The total time is about 6 minutes.
The task tests word order, not ideas or length.
What decides the answer is usually:
what the first speaker means
the subject and main verb the reply needs
the grammatical pattern of the frame
Core ideas
Start by asking: what must the reply do?
Read Speaker A first. Before you touch the chunks, decide the reply’s job:
Speaker A does this
Reply probably needs to do this
asks for information
answer
gives information
react, agree, or add detail
asks for help
explain or suggest
invites or proposes
accept, refuse, or ask a follow-up question
Also decide:
tense: present, past, present perfect, future
person: I, you, he, she, we, they
polarity: positive or negative
If A says, “Did Emma submit the form?” the reply will probably refer to she/Emma and may need a past or present perfect form.
vii.Check your understanding
3 questions on build a Sentence: word order in questions, replies and fixed phrases. Every option is explained once you answer.
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