TOEFL Reading Questions Types: Samples, Strategies, and Practice Papers 2023
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TOEFL Reading Questions Types: Samples, Strategies, and Practice Papers 2023

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Collegedunia Team

Content Curator | Updated On - Mar 26, 2024

TOEFL Reading questions consist of 3-4 sections of college-level reading passages, each of which has 12-14 questions. TOEFL ibt reading question types include- Basic information skill questions, Inference questions, main idea questions, and many more. TOEFL reading number of questions is 30-40 which are to be answered within 54-72 minutes. Each question type is designed to assess your reading skills and how well you understand the academic vocabulary. The TOEFL Reading Syllabus includes Essays and Passages, Grammar, and Vocabulary.

TOEFL Reading Question Types with Examples

The TOEFL comprehension passages are based on purpose and factual information questions TOEFL. The correct answer will be stated in the text, often in just one or two sentences.

Here are few TOEFL reading types of questions and how to answer these types of questions in TOEFL reading is given mentioned below to help you in achieving better TOEFL reading scores:

TOEFL Reading – Vocabulary Question

The first TOEFL reading section question types include the TOEFL reading vocabulary questions. The TOEFL reading vocabulary questions are designed to test your knowledge of words or phrases that are commonly used in academic or non-academic contexts. Each Vocabulary item consists of a sentence with 1 word or phrase highlighted. A strong and enhanced vocabulary is needed to answer this question without reading the passage.

Example Vocabulary Question:

TOEFL Reading Vocabulary Question

TOEFL Reading – Purpose Question

The TOEFL reading purpose questions will test your ability to understand why a certain idea or argument has been used in the text. They will ask you to draw conclusions about the information that has been stated in the passage. You need to locate the paragraph and read briefly to get the purpose.

Example Purpose Question:

TOEFL Reading Purpose Question

TOEFL Reading Purpose Question Type

TOEFL Reading – Reference Question

In reference questions TOEFL: Read one or a few sentences before the highlighted word. 

Here are highlighted words you might be asked about:

  1. Subject pronoun: it, they
  2. Object pronoun: it, them
  3. Demonstrative pronoun: these, those, this, that
  4. Possessive adjectives: its, their
  5. Other reference words: the former, the latter, one, ones, another, other, others

Example TOEFL Reference Questions:

TOEFL Reading Reference Question

TOEFL Reading – Inference Question

In TOEFL reading inference questions: Understand the passage and consider all the answer options – the answer may not be directly present in the passage. For TOEFL reading inference questions practice you can seek for practice papers from different online platforms. 

There are three steps to identify the inference questions TOEFL:

  • Identify the subject
  • Summarize what the passage says about the subject
  • Compare your summary to the answers

Example TOEFL Inference Questions Practice :

TOEFL Reading Inference Question

TOEFL Reading – Essential Information Question

Understand the text by using excellent vocabulary as the answer will be different from the given statement but will carry a similar meaning only. Review all the options.

Example Essential Information Question:

TOEFL Reading Essential Information Question

TOEFL Reading – Detail Question

TOEFL Detail or Factual Information questions you about information of a particular stated in a small part of the passage. Locate the paragraph and read to answer. They generally focus on the “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “why” as explained by the author. You can solve TOEFL factual information questions exercises to ace this section. Regular TOEFL reading detail questions practice can help you ace this section.

Example Detail Question:

TOEFL Reading Detail Question

TOEFL Reading – Negative Factual Information Question

Find out the paragraph and understand the question to answer

Example Negative Factual Question:

Negative Factual Information Question

TOEFL Reading – Rhetorical Purpose Questions 

TOEFL rhetorical purpose questions enquire “why” behind any passage. There would be 1-2 TOEFL rhetorical purpose questions per passage. To understand the reasoning behind the author’s way of presenting information, you need to go through TOEFL reading practice test with answers 2021 for the Rhetorical Purpose tasks.

Example Rhetorical Purpose Question:

Rhetorical Question Type

TOEFL Reading – Sentence Simplification 

For TOEFL sentence simplification questions you need to summarize and generalize the information you are given with. There would be 0-1 TOEFL sentence simplification questions per passage.

Example Sentence Simplification Question:

Sentence Simplification

TOEFL Reading –  Summary Question

In TOEFL summary question reading: Thoroughly understand the entire passage to get the main idea questions toefl to answer. Also, TOEFL reading summary questions practice can help you further.

Example Summary Question:

Summary Questions

TOEFL Reading –  Sentence Insertion Question

Logically read the paragraph with strong grammatical sense to find out where a sentence can fit.

Example Sentence Insertion Question:

Sentence Insertion Question

TOEFL Reading –  Complete the Table Question

Organize the ideas in certain categories with relationships and use compare and contrast techniques

Example Complete Table Question:

Table Question

Table Question

Table Question

Table Question

TOEFL Reading – Prose Summary 

In TOEFL reading Prose Summary you will be asked to identify the major arguments of the whole passage. There would be 1 prose summary questions TOEFL per passage. To solve his kind of question you need to learn to recognizing minor details and pay attention to whole idea and the argument of the passage instead. Also, these questions provides 6 options.

Example Prose Summary:

Prose Summary

Prose Summary

Prose Summary

Prose Summary

TOEFL Reading Question Strategies

Along with TOEFL reading practice questions you need to know the basic strategies that you must follow during the TOEFL reading practice test. Here are some strategies that you can use while reading practice to increase your TOEFL reading scores:

  • Read the question then read the passage/portion to look for clues to the answer, either before or while considering options.
  • Discards options based on vocabulary, sentence, paragraph, or passage overall meaning as well as discourse structure (depending on item type).
  • Considers the options and postpones consideration of the option.
  • Consider the options and check the vocabulary option in context.
  • Read a portion of the passage carefully.
  • Consider the options and define the vocabulary option.
  • Selects options through background knowledge.
  • Repeats, paraphrases, or translates words, phrases, or sentences—or summarizes paragraphs/passages—to aid or improve understanding.
  • Selects options through vocabulary, sentence, paragraph, or passage overall meaning (depending on item type).
  • Discard options that are based on background knowledge.
  • Go back to the question and re-read the question.
  • Considers the options and selects preliminary options.
  • Go through TOEFL junior reading comprehension sample questions
  • Rigorous practice of TOEFL reading samples questions

How to Solve TOEFL Reading Section?

TOEFL iBT reading practice questions start with having knowledge about every TOEFL ibt reading question type. Here are a few ways that you may keep in mind while solving reading questions TOEFL.

  1. Speeding up your comprehension reading: Once candidates have achieved speeding up reading, they need to work on speeding up their comprehension reading task. There will be numerous unknown complex words, complicated sentences needed to be inferred, and this may cause fear in the candidate. Speeding up your comprehension task means overcoming all these fears. You need to plan TOEFL reading time per passage and work accordingly.
  2. Develop vocabulary: TOEFL iBT preparation of reading requires candidates to first read a passage without pausing. Then look for the unknown words, and convert them through English to English dictionary. Candidates should hold back from translating to English to their native language.
  3. Take help from line numbering: TOEFL reading questions number every 5th line in the passage. To avoid confusion during picking words, make use of the line numbering to navigate to your words.
  4. Find evidence in the passage: All the TOEFL reading answers are supported by evidence from the passage. In case you’re unable to find one, head back to the passage for some clues.
  5. TOEFL reading online practice: Sentence simplification questions TOEFL are quite tough. The online modules are quite helpful to practice. Take the ETS TOEFL reading practice test. Various websites offer free TOEFL reading practice tests. Also, few websites provide TOEFL reading comprehension test with answers.

TOEFL Reading Practice Papers

The TOEFL test is conducted either as TOEFL IBT or as TOEFL PBT. TOEFL passages are the first section that appears in the exam. TOEFL test-takers try to secure a higher TOEFL reading score to achieve a higher overall TOEFL score, hence they follow authentic books and materials.

Go through the TOEFL Reading practice papers to ace your practice. Here are a few TOEFL reading sample questions listed below:

You can go through more such TOEFL reading practice test free from various other websites. And in case you want to seek expertise help you can get enroll into any institute for TOEFL reading practice test online.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.

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