Welcome to Prepositions and Phrasal Verbs!
In this chapter, we are going to look at the "glue" of the English language. Prepositions and Phrasal Verbs might seem small, but they are vital for the Grammar for Sentence Building section of your TOEFL preparation. Why? Because they directly impact your score in both the Writing and Speaking sections. To get a high score, you need to show "automaticity" and "precision." Using the wrong preposition can make your meaning unclear, which can lower your score for Language Use.
Don't worry if these seem tricky at first! Many English learners find them difficult because there aren't always clear rules. However, by the end of these notes, you will have a clear strategy for using them correctly to impress the TOEFL examiners.
1. The Basics: Prepositions of Time and Place
To build a strong sentence, you must start with the basics. In TOEFL, you will often need to describe when or where something happened, especially in the Integrated Writing task when summarizing a lecture or a reading passage.
At, On, and In: The "Triangle" Rule
Think of a triangle. The top is small and specific, and the bottom is large and general.
AT (Specific Points):
• Time: at 5:00 PM, at the start of the lecture.
• Place: at the library, at the top of the page.
ON (Specific Days and Surfaces):
• Time: on Monday, on April 12th.
• Place: on the desk, on the whiteboard, on the internet.
IN (Larger Periods and Enclosed Spaces):
• Time: in 2024, in the morning, in the 19th century.
• Place: in the classroom, in the city, in the article.
Did you know? In TOEFL, you often refer to things "in" an article but "on" a website. Getting this right shows the examiner you are comfortable with academic English conventions!
Key Takeaway: Use at for specific points, on for days/surfaces, and in for broad times or enclosed spaces.
2. Dependent Prepositions: The Score Booster
In the TOEFL Writing for an Academic Discussion task, you need to show "syntactic variety" and "appropriate word choice." This is where Dependent Prepositions come in. These are words that must go together. If you use the wrong one, the examiner will see it as a grammatical error.
Common Adjective + Preposition Combinations:
• Responsible for: The government is responsible for protecting the environment.
• Interested in: The student is interested in learning about psychology.
• Different from: The professor's view is different from the reading passage. (Note: Avoid saying "different than" in formal writing).
Common Verb + Preposition Combinations:
• Depend on: Success depends on hard work.
• Contribute to: Pollution contributes to climate change.
• Participate in: Students are encouraged to participate in the discussion.
Show, Don't Just Tell: The Contrast
Weak Version (Lower Score): The lecturer talked about the importance of the discovery and how it relates with the theory.
Improved Version (Higher Score): The lecturer emphasized the importance of the discovery and how it relates to the theory.
Why? "Relates to" is the correct academic collocation. Using "relates with" is a common mistake that shows a lack of precision.
Key Takeaway: Memorize these as single units of meaning (e.g., don't just learn "depend," learn "depend on").
3. Academic Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are a combination of a verb + a preposition/adverb (e.g., pick up, look into). While some phrasal verbs are too informal for TOEFL writing, many are perfect for both Speaking and Writing.
High-Value Phrasal Verbs for TOEFL:
• Point out: To explain or mention something. (The author points out that the data is flawed.)
• Carry out: To perform or conduct. (Scientists carried out an experiment.)
• Look into: To investigate. (The committee will look into the new policy.)
• Sum up: To summarize. (To sum up, the lecture contradicts the reading.)
• Bring up: To mention a topic. (The professor brings up an interesting example.)
Memory Aid: "The Action Rule"
Most phrasal verbs describe an action. If you can replace a simple verb (like "do") with a more precise phrasal verb (like "carry out"), your sentence sounds more professional and academic.
Key Takeaway: Use phrasal verbs like point out or carry out to sound more natural and fluent in your Speaking responses.
4. Impact on Scoring: The Examiner's Perspective
How does this help your score? Let's look at the official TOEFL rubrics.
Writing Rubric (Score 5.0): Requires "consistent facility in the use of language" and "effective word choice."
Speaking Rubric (Score 4.0): Requires "effective use of grammar and vocabulary" and "good control of basic and complex structures."
Common Pitfalls to Avoid:
1. Translating from your native language: Prepositions rarely translate 1:1. For example, in some languages, you say "think in something," but in English, it is always "think about" or "think of."
2. Forgetting the preposition: "The student graduated university" is weak. "The student graduated from university" is correct.
3. Using "about" with "discuss": This is a very common error! "We discussed about the topic" is wrong. "We discussed the topic" is correct.
5. Quick Review & Checklist
Before you take your test, check your practice essays for these items:
Checklist:
• Did I use in for years and on for specific days?
• Did I use responsible for instead of "responsible of"?
• Did I use different from instead of "different than"?
• Did I use an academic phrasal verb like point out to introduce a speaker’s idea?
• Did I remember not to use "about" after the verb discuss?
Final Encouragement: Prepositions are tiny, but they are mighty! You don't need to learn every single one in the dictionary. Focus on the ones used in academic contexts, and you will see your Sentence Building score improve significantly. Keep practicing, and these patterns will soon become second nature!