Polishing Your Grammar for TOEFL: 5 Essential Areas to Master in 2025

Short intro: If you're studying for the TOEFL in 2025, strong grammar isn't optional - it's one of the fastest ways to make your Writing and Speaking answers clearer, more professional, and higher-scoring. In this post I'll walk you through the five grammar areas that cause the most problems for ESL students (verb tenses, subject‑verb agreement, sentence fragments & run‑ons, articles, and plural vs singular forms). For each area I'll explain why it matters to TOEFL raters and e‑rater, show common mistakes with quick fixes, give practice mini‑exercises and model sentences, and share a realistic study plan and editing checklist you can use right away.

Throughout, you'll find practical tips that work for both the TOEFL Integrated / Academic Discussion tasks and the independent Speaking/Writing responses - plus how to use Essay Tutor (study.essaytutor.app) to get instant feedback and speed up improvement.

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Why grammar still matters on the TOEFL (even without a separate grammar section)

• The TOEFL has no discrete "grammar" multiple‑choice section, but grammar is assessed in your Speaking and Writing.
• Human raters look for clarity, accuracy, and control of language; frequent errors lower coherence and reduce scores.
• ETS's automated scorer (the e‑rater) flags mechanical errors (subject‑verb mismatches, sentence fragments, punctuation, article misuse, etc.) and penalizes inconsistencies the same way a human rater would.
• Fixing a handful of common grammar mistakes often raises your score faster than adding vocabulary that you don't use accurately.

Bottom line: Mastering these five areas eliminates a large share of low‑level errors graders notice. Let's tackle them one by one.

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1) Verb tenses - not just "past" vs "present," but consistency and the present perfect

Why it matters

• TOEFL Writing and Speaking require you to describe events, compare ideas, and explain timelines. Incorrect tenses confuse the timeline and make arguments hard to follow.
• The e‑rater penalizes inconsistent tense use and wrong verb forms (e.g., has went vs has gone).

Common errors and quick fixes

• Mixing past and present in the same sentence:
  Wrong: "Yesterday I study for three hours and I feel confident."
  Fix: Keep one timeline - "Yesterday I studied for three hours and I felt confident."
• Incorrect present perfect vs simple past:
  Wrong: "I have visited Paris last year."
  Fix: Use simple past with finished time: "I visited Paris last year." Use present perfect for unspecified time: "I have visited Paris several times."
• Using "will" in time clauses (after when/as soon as/until):
  Wrong: "I will call you when I will arrive."
  Fix: "I will call you when I arrive."

Quick practice (2 minutes)

• Correct these:
  1. "When I finish the book, I will tell you."
  2. "She has ate lunch already."
  3. "After he had graduated, he applies for jobs."
• Answers: 1) OK (note: time clause uses present after when? Here it's a future result; "When I finish the book, I will tell you." is fine.) 2) "She has eaten lunch already." 3) "After he graduated, he applied for jobs." or "After he had graduated, he applied for jobs." (use past perfect only when sequence needs emphasis).

Test strategy tip

• For TOEFL Integrated responses, prefer simple and controlled tenses: use present simple to state reading's claims, use simple past to report lecture examples, and present perfect only when you need to show experience over time. Avoid unnecessary tense switching.

Model sentences

• Correct: "The author claims that exercise improves memory; the lecturer, however, noted that the studies were small and inconsistent."
• Incorrect: "The author claims that exercise improves memory; the lecturer, however, notes that the studies were small and inconsistent." (mixes present and past reporting)

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2) Subject‑verb agreement - keep subject and verb number in sync

Why it matters

• Subject‑verb errors are highly visible and repeatedly lower your score because they interrupt readability.
• These mistakes are easy to catch during proofreading but common under time pressure.

Common errors and quick fixes

• Problems with collective nouns:
  Wrong: "The team are winning." (American TOEFL prefers singular when team acts as unit)
  Fix: "The team is winning."
• Distance between subject and verb (intervening phrases):
  Wrong: "The list of mistakes are long."
  Fix: "The list of mistakes is long." (subject = list)
• Indefinite pronouns: everyone, each, nobody - these are singular:
  Wrong: "Everyone have to submit their essay."
  Fix: "Everyone has to submit his or her essay." (or: "Everyone must submit their essay" - accepted informally in speech, but prefer "his or her" in formal writing if you want strict correctness).

Quick practice (2‑3 minutes)

• Choose correct verb:
  1. "Each of the students (is/are) ready."
  2. "Either the teacher or the students (was/were) responsible."
  3. "The data (is/are) convincing."
• Answers: 1) is, 2) were (verb agrees with closer noun 'students'), 3) are (data = plural; but "data is" is common in everyday English - prefer "data are" for formal academic writing but "the data is convincing" is widely accepted).

Test strategy tip

• When you write, identify the real subject. If there's a long prepositional phrase between subject and verb, read the sentence aloud to check agreement. On TOEFL, clarity > stylistic nuance - use the safer, standard forms.

Model corrections

• Wrong: "The number of students who attend class are increasing."
  Correct: "The number of students who attend class is increasing."

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3) Sentence fragments and run‑ons (comma splices) - make each sentence complete and connect clauses correctly

Why it matters

• Fragments and run‑ons break coherence. Human raters judge organization and cohesion; e‑rater flags sentence structure problems.
• In speaking, run‑ons also reflect fluency issues.

Common errors and quick fixes

• Sentence fragment: missing subject or verb.
  Fragment: "Because the study was small." (incomplete)
  Fix: Connect to independent clause: "Because the study was small, the results were inconclusive."
• Run‑on / comma splice: two independent clauses improperly joined by a comma.
  Wrong: "The experiment failed, the researchers were surprised."
  Fixes: Use a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction:
  • "The experiment failed. The researchers were surprised."
  • "The experiment failed; the researchers were surprised."
  • "The experiment failed, and the researchers were surprised."
• Overly long sentences: break into two for clarity.

Quick tip: read aloud

• Reading sentences aloud during practice or in the final minute of writing helps catch fragments and run‑ons - you'll feel where natural pauses belong.

Mini exercise (identify and fix)

• Fix these:
  1. "The lecturer said the sample was biased, it was not representative."
  2. "While many people agree."
• Answers: 1) "The lecturer said the sample was biased, and it was not representative." (or use semicolon/period). 2) Complete it: "While many people agree, the evidence remains weak."

Model good sentence variety

• Good: "Although the reading says renewable energy is cheap, the lecturer gives three reasons why the costs are higher than the author claims." (complex, but complete)

TOEFL speaking tip

• When answering speaking tasks, pause briefly between ideas; don't cram multiple independent clauses into one breath. Aim for clear clause boundaries.

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4) Articles (a / an / the) - small words, big impact

Why it matters

• Article misuse is one of the most common errors for ESL students and is easy for raters to notice.
• Articles show whether you're talking about something specific or general - wrong articles can make sentences sound unnatural or ambiguous.

Key rules and common traps

• Use "a/an" for a nonspecific singular noun: "a university student," "an idea."
• Use "the" for specific or previously mentioned nouns: "the study described earlier," "the professor."
• No article for general plural/uncountable nouns: "Students study at university." "Water is essential."
• Use "the" with superlatives and ordinal numbers: "the best," "the first."

Common mistakes

• Leaving out the article with singular countable nouns:
  Wrong: "I saw movie yesterday."
  Fix: "I saw a movie yesterday."
• Using "the" too broadly:
  Wrong: "The dogs are friendly" (if you mean dogs in general rather than specific dogs)
  Fix: "Dogs are friendly" (general statement).

Quick practice

• Fill in article or write NONE:
  1. "___ teacher gave me ___ advice."
  2. "I read ___ article about climate change."
  3. "___ water is scarce in some regions."
• Answers: 1) The teacher gave me some advice. 2) An article / The article (depends - if first mention use "an") 3) Water is scarce...

Test strategy tip

• When unsure, ask: am I talking about something specific/known? If yes → use "the." If not and countable singular → use "a/an." For plural/general uncountable → no article.

Model corrections

• Wrong: "She is the student who wants to be a engineer."
  Correct: "She is the student who wants to be an engineer."

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5) Plural vs singular noun forms and irregular plurals

Why it matters

• Wrong plural forms (childrens, informations, womans) are obvious errors that deduct clarity points.
• TOEFL raters expect correct pluralization and correct agreement (see subject‑verb section).

Common errors and quick fixes

• Regular plural: add -s or -es (book → books, box → boxes).
• Irregular plurals to memorize: child → children, person → people, man → men, woman → women, mouse → mice, foot → feet, datum → data (academic), syllabus → syllabi (or syllabuses).
• Uncountable nouns that appear plural: "information," "advice," "equipment" - these don't take -s and pair with singular verbs.

Quick practice

• Correct these:
  1. "Many advices were given." → "Many pieces of advice were given."
  2. "She has three childs." → "She has three children."
  3. "The datas are conclusive." → "The data are conclusive." (or "The data is conclusive" depending on formality)

Practical memorization tip

• Make a short flashcard set of the most common irregular plurals and review once per day for a week; use them in sentences immediately.

Model sentence

• Correct: "The researchers collected data from ten participants and found that the participants' responses varied."

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Editing checklist for TOEFL Writing & Speaking (use this in the final minute)

Before you submit (Writing) or finish speaking, quickly run through this checklist:

• Tense: Are my tense choices consistent and appropriate for the timeline?
• Subject‑verb agreement: Do verbs agree with their subjects?
• Sentence completeness: Any fragments or comma splices? Read sentences aloud.
• Articles: Check singular countable nouns for missing or incorrect articles.
• Plurals: Verify irregular plurals and uncountable nouns.
• Vocabulary: Avoid risky advanced words unless you're sure of usage.
• Cohesion: Do you have linking words (however, therefore, in contrast)?
• Spelling/punctuation: Quick scan for typos (no spellcheck on TOEFL).

Tip: Train yourself to perform this checklist in 60-90 seconds. Use a timer in practice.

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How the e‑rater sees grammar (short primer) - write for both human and machine

• The e‑rater focuses on structural features: sentence lengths, clause use, grammatical errors, word choice distribution, and cohesive markers.
• It's not perfect - but many of its penalties align with human rater priorities: clarity, grammar control, and organization.
• Practical rule: aim for correct, varied sentences (use some complex structures correctly) rather than overusing long, error‑filled sentences.

Actionable advice

• Use a mixture of simple and complex sentences, but only include complex sentences you can produce accurately.
• Include transitional phrases to demonstrate cohesion (however, furthermore, therefore).
• Keep errors low - an essay with many simple correct sentences often scores higher than a long essay with many grammatical errors.

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A 4‑week focused study plan (practical, daily steps)

Goal: Reduce low‑level grammar errors, increase control and speed.

Week 1 - Foundation (20-30 min/day)

• Day 1-2: Diagnostic - write one Integrated (20 min) and one Academic Discussion (10 min). Note top 10 errors you make.
• Day 3-7: Focus drills: 10 minutes of tense drills, 10 minutes subject‑verb, 10 minutes article practice. Use short timed writing and self‑correct.

Week 2 - Apply & expand (30-40 min/day)

• Practice combining grammar drills with short paragraphs. Write 3 paragraphs daily and edit them with the checklist.
• Use reading materials (TED transcripts, The Economist) - underline tense & article usage; mimic one complex sentence daily.

Week 3 - Test simulation (45-60 min/day)

• Do 3 full TOEFL Writing practice sets under timed conditions across the week.
• Use Essay Tutor to upload essays for instant grammar fixes and phrasing suggestions. Review feedback, rewrite same prompt implementing corrections.

Week 4 - Polish & automate (30-45 min/day)

• Daily: 10 min targeted grammar drill on weakest area, 20 min timed writing + 5-10 min self-edit using checklist.
• Final 2 days: 2 full mock tests with speaking and writing; use Essay Tutor for instant grammar reports. Track improvements.

Note: adjust times depending on your starting level and test date.

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Example: Before / After correction (Integrated response excerpt)

Before (common student draft):

• "The author says that renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels. But the professor say that studies dont include storage cost and they was ignored in analysis. Also they said governments subsidize renewables so price is not accurate."

After (corrected and polished):

• "The author argues that renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels. The professor counters that the studies do not include storage costs and therefore are incomplete. He also points out that government subsidies distort the apparent price of renewables."

What changed and why:

• Subject‑verb agreement fixed (say → says → corrected to "counters")
• Contractions/colloquial forms removed (dont → do not)
• Plural and article fixes ("storage cost" → "storage costs"; "they was" → "they were" → rephrased for clarity).
• Result: clearer, professional, and TOEFL‑ready.

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Quick model answers: short sample paragraph for TOEFL Academic Discussion (100-130 words)

Prompt (example): "Do you agree that universities should require internships for graduation? Respond and add to the academic discussion."

Model response:

• "I agree that universities should require internships because internships bridge academic concepts and workplace skills. Internships give students hands‑on experience with real projects, which deepens learning more than classroom exercises alone. For example, engineering students working on industry teams often learn project management and design constraints that courses only introduce theoretically. However, universities should ensure internships are supervised and accessible; unpaid or poorly structured placements can reinforce inequality. To address this, universities can partner with local companies to guarantee stipends or credit‑bearing internships so all students benefit."

Why this works: clear opinion, supporting reasons, concrete example, short acknowledgement of drawbacks, and a recommendation - all in controlled grammar.

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Tools and resources (including Essay Tutor)

Recommended daily practice tools:

• Read high‑quality sources: The Economist, Scientific American, reputable university blogs (for academic register).
• Listen: TED Talks and academic lectures (practice note taking and reporting).
• Grammar drills/apps: focused exercises on tenses, articles, subject‑verb agreement (use reputable ESL sites and textbooks).
• Essay Tutor (study.essaytutor.app): upload essays and get instant grammar fixes, phrasing suggestions, and score‑style feedback specifically tailored for TOEFL/IELTS/PTE. Use it to spot recurring patterns and track improvements.

Why use Essay Tutor?

• Instant corrections for the exact issues this post targets (tenses, agreement, articles, sentence structure, pluralization).
• Suggestions for clearer phrasing and vocabulary that's appropriate for academic TOEFL responses.
• Quick turnaround - good for the tight timelines of TOEFL preparation.

Other helpful practices

• Peer review: exchange essays with a study partner and apply the editing checklist to each other's work.
• Record your Speaking responses and transcribe - this helps spot run‑ons and tense errors you might not hear otherwise.
• Practice without spellcheck occasionally to replicate test conditions.

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Common mistakes TOEFL takers make (and how to avoid them)

• Trying to use advanced grammar before it's accurate - avoid risk. Use what you can control well.
• Overwriting: long sentences with many clauses and errors. Better: two short correct sentences.
• Not proofreading due to time panic - adopt the 60-90 second checklist routine.
• Overusing "there is/there are" - prefer active subjects to show stronger language control.
• Quoting too much from the reading or lecture in Integrated task - paraphrase instead.

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Final checklist before test day

• You can apply the editing checklist in 60-90 seconds.
• You have a 4‑week plan to follow (customize to your date).
• You know which grammar area is your weakest and you have drills ready.
• You've used Essay Tutor for at least 5 practice essays and implemented feedback.
• You have practiced speaking answers, recorded and corrected them for grammar.

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Conclusion - polish a few things, gain a lot of score

Polishing your grammar for TOEFL - focusing on verb tenses, subject‑verb agreement, sentence completeness, article use, and correct plural forms - eliminates the most visible errors graders and the e‑rater notice. These five areas are high‑leverage: small improvements here give outsized benefits in both Writing and Speaking. Practice with targeted drills, simulate test timing, and always do a fast edit using the checklist.

Ready to speed up improvement? Try Essay Tutor (study.essaytutor.app) to get instant grammar fixes and feedback tailored to TOEFL writing and speaking. Upload a practice response, implement the corrections from this post, and repeat - that cycle is how students raise scores quickly.

You've got this. Start small, practice deliberately, and in 4 weeks you'll see measurable gains. If you want, upload one of your practice essays to Essay Tutor and I'll help you interpret the feedback and plan your next steps.