5 TOEFL ITP Structure Patterns That Show Up Again and Again (With Examples and Tricks)
5 TOEFL ITP Structure patterns tested most often: inversion, parallel structure, appositives, passive voice, and double comparisons, with examples.
Still answering TOEFL® Structure questions by picking whatever “sounds right”? Be careful. TOEFL ITP questions are often built so that the wrong answer sounds perfectly natural.
Section 2 of the TOEFL ITP (Structure & Written Expression) has 40 questions in 25 minutes: 15 Structure questions (complete the sentence) and 25 Written Expression questions (find the error). That is about 37 seconds per question. Translating every sentence word by word simply takes too long.
The good news: the same patterns keep coming back. Once you know them, you can jump straight to the weak spot in a sentence without understanding every word. Here are the 5 patterns that show up most often. (The slides below are in Indonesian; everything is explained in English in the article.)
Pattern 1: Inversion After a Negative Word
When a sentence starts with a negative or limiting adverb such as never, rarely, seldom, hardly, barely, scarcely, or not only, the words that follow take question order: auxiliary first, then subject.
Formula: Negative word + auxiliary (do/does/did/has/is/can, etc.) + subject + verb
❌ Rarely she visits the new campus library. ✅ Rarely does she visit the new campus library.
Notice the verb form too: after does, the verb goes back to its base form (visit, not visits). That is often a second trap among the options.
More examples:
✅ Never have I seen such a crowded hall. ✅ Not only is the method cheaper, but it is also faster.
Why it is tested: the inverted order feels strange to most learners, so the option with normal order (subject + verb) sounds better even though it is wrong.
Trick: Look at the first word. If it is negative, look for the option with the auxiliary before the subject.
Pattern 2: Parallel Structure
Items joined by and, but, or (and by pairs such as both … and, either … or) must share the same form: noun with noun, gerund with gerund, infinitive with infinitive, adjective with adjective.
❌ She enjoys reading, writing, and to paint. ✅ She enjoys reading, writing, and painting.
❌ The job requires patience, accuracy, and being creative. ✅ The job requires patience, accuracy, and creativity.
Why it is tested: in Written Expression, the test makers swap one item in a list for a different form. The sentence is still understandable, so the error is easy to miss.
Trick: As soon as you see and/but/or, compare the forms on both sides. If one is different, that is your answer.
Pattern 3: Appositives Between Two Commas
An appositive is a noun phrase that renames the noun before it, usually set off by two commas. It is neither the subject nor a clause, so it never changes the verb.
Formula: Subject , [appositive] , verb
Sarah, a talented engineer, is leading the project.
Cross out a talented engineer and you are left with Sarah is leading the project. The subject is Sarah (singular), so the verb is is.
A common trap:
❌ The Amazon, the largest rainforest in the world, are shrinking. ✅ The Amazon, the largest rainforest in the world, is shrinking.
In Structure questions, the blank is sometimes the appositive itself:
Jakarta, ______, has a population of over ten million. ✅ the capital of Indonesia ❌ is the capital of Indonesia (this creates two main verbs)
Trick: See two commas near the subject? Cross out what is between them, then match the subject and the verb.
Pattern 4: Active or Passive?
A lot of study material simplifies this to “an inanimate subject is always passive”. That is not true. Things can be the subject of active sentences:
✅ The bridge collapsed last night. (active; collapse takes no object) ✅ The report shows a sharp increase. (active; the object is a sharp increase)
The real test is whether the subject performs the action or receives it. If it receives the action from someone else, use to be + past participle.
❌ The contract signed by both parties yesterday. ✅ The contract was signed by both parties yesterday.
A contract does not sign anything; it is signed. Extra clues: a by + agent phrase, and a verb like sign that needs an object but has none after it.
Why it is tested: the active option (signed) looks like a complete verb, but the meaning makes no sense.
Trick: Ask “Does the subject do it or receive it?” If it receives it and the transitive verb has no object, choose be + past participle.
Pattern 5: Double Comparison
Use one comparison marker: -er/-est for short adjectives, or more/most for long ones. Never both.
❌ This method is more easier than the old one. ✅ This method is easier than the old one.
❌ She is the most fastest runner on the team. ✅ She is the fastest runner on the team.
✅ This question is more difficult than the last one.
Watch the irregular forms as well: better and best are already comparative and superlative, so more better and most best are wrong.
Trick: In Written Expression, more + an -er word or most + an -est word is almost certainly the error.
Summary of the 5 Patterns
| No | Pattern | What you see | What is correct |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Negative inversion | Sentence starts with never, rarely, seldom, not only | Auxiliary + subject + verb |
| 2 | Parallel structure | and, but, or | All items share the same form |
| 3 | Appositive | Noun phrase between two commas | Cross it out, match subject and verb |
| 4 | Active/passive | Subject receives the action, by phrase | Be + past participle (but things are not automatically passive) |
| 5 | Double comparison | more easier, most fastest | Use one: -er or more |
Quick Quiz
Choose the correct option:
- Seldom ______ late for class. (a) he comes (b) does he come (c) he does come
- The museum offers tours, workshops, and ______. (a) to lecture (b) lecturing (c) lectures
- The new policy ______ by the board last week. (a) approved (b) was approved (c) approving
- Of the two plans, this one is ______. (a) more cheaper (b) cheaper (c) most cheap
Answers:
- (b) does he come, inversion after seldom.
- (c) lectures, parallel with tours and workshops (nouns).
- (b) was approved, the policy was approved by the board (passive).
- (b) cheaper, no more.
Want to strengthen the basics? Read the 12 Tenses Guide, Parts of Speech 101, and Singular vs Plural. For the full test overview, see the TOEFL ITP Guide.
Practice Until It Becomes Automatic
Knowing the patterns is step one. Spotting them in seconds takes a lot of practice.
Kawan EPT (formerly Kawan TOEFL) has more than 7,400 questions with explanations for every answer choice, Grammar lessons covering 33 topics with Learn, Drill, and Master stages, and a Weakness Drill that targets the topics you miss most. When you are ready, take the full 140-question simulation with a score estimate from 310 to 677. Free on the Google Play Store.