Toefl exam Essentials

Keep your verb tense consistent. Switching tense within
a sentence can change its meaning. Generally, a sentence
or paragraph that begins in the present tense should con-
tinue in the present tense.
Review prepositional idioms. If you have studied the list of
prepositional idioms on pages 73–75, you may be able to
“hear” whether a preposition (to, of, about, for, with, about, on,
upon) sounds right with a particular phrase or verb.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS
The following list contains 20 of the most commonly confused
word pairs or groups, along with a brief definition of each. Mark
the words that you often confuse and study them.

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WRITING
133
Confusing Words Quick Definition
accept
recognize
except
excluding
access
means of approaching
excess
extra
affect (verb)
to influence
effect (noun)
a result
effect (verb)
to bring about
assure
to make certain (assure someone)
ensure
to make certain
insure
to make certain (financial value)
beside
next to
besides
in addition to
bibliography
list of writings
biography
a life story
complement
match
compliment
praise
decent
well mannered
descent
decline, fall
desert
arid, sandy region
dessert
sweet served after a meal
disburse
to pay
disperse
to spread out
disinterested
no strong opinion either way;
impartial
uninterested
don’t care
elicit
to stir up
illicit
illegal

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