Grammar At Deeper Level - TOEFL Reading Practice Test With Answer

The TOEFL iBT^®exam evaluates the proficiency in different sections, including the reading academic materials. To ace the reading section, you need to acquire skills such as identifying the main ideas, extracting details, and drawing conclusions. Not only that but it also guides you to analyse the challenges associated with reading in academic settings that use the English language. By practising consistently, you can immerse yourself and answer the section effectively.

With our practice tests, we make sure that you feel confident and also prepare yourself for the test by solving our sample exams. These tests closely resemble the structure and writing style of the real exam. So take the TOEFL Practice Test based on the passage "Grammar At Deeper Level," to get a feel for the format and identify your areas of weakness!

Reading Instructions

• You have 15 minutes to read the following passage and answer all 9 questions related to it.  
• Most questions are worth 1 point, but the last question is worth more. The directions indicate how many points you will receive for that specific question. 
• The specific section/paragraphs have been provided again with the question for ease of understanding and quick solution.
• Some questions include a word or phrase that is highlighted in the question as well as in the paragraph for quick reference. 

Grammar At Deeper Level

Grammar is complex, and no foreign language learner has to be told that. We can express slight differences in meaning by modifying word sequences and adding a variety of auxiliary verbs and suffixes. To indicate small variations in meaning, we can turn a statement into a question, state if an action has occurred or is about to occur, and use a variety of other word tricks. This complexity is not unique to the English language. Even so-called “primitive” tribes’ languages feature complex grammatical components. For example, the Cherokee pronoun system can differentiate between ‘you and I, ‘several other people and I,’ and ‘you, another person, and I.’ All of these connotations are encapsulated in the single, basic pronoun ‘we’ in English. Grammar is ubiquitous and is present in all languages, regardless of their popularity. So, who developed grammar? This is an issue that many linguists have struggled with.

At first glance, it appears that this question is unanswerable. Someone should be existing at the time of a language’s emergence to document its emergence in order to learn how grammar is formed. Many historical linguists can trace present complex languages back to older languages, but the researcher must examine how languages are created from scratch in order to answer the question of how complex languages are developed. Surprisingly, though, this is doable.

Studying sign languages for the deaf provides more proof of this. Sign languages are more than just a collection of gestures; they employ the same grammatical machinery as spoken languages. Furthermore, numerous different languages are spoken all across the world. In Nicaragua, the formation of one such language was recently recorded. Previously, all deaf individuals were separated from one another, but in 1979, a new administration established deaf schools. Although children were taught speech and lip-reading in the classroom, they began to construct their own sign language in the playgrounds, employing motions they already knew. It was essentially pidgin. There was no consistent grammar, and each youngster utilized the signs differently. 

However, students who went to school later than others, when this original sign scheme was already present, established a quite diverse sign language. Their language was more fluid and concise, and it used a wide range of grammatical devices to clarify meaning, despite being based on the older children’s signals. Furthermore, all of the children made the identical signs. There was the birth of a new creole.

Many of the world’s most well-known languages, according to some linguists, began as creoles. The –ed ending in the English past tense may have developed from the verb ‘do.’ ‘It ended’ may have been spelled ‘It end-did.’ As a result, it appears that even the most widely spoken languages were formed in part by children. Children’s brains appear to have built-in grammatical machinery that comes to life when they’re initially trying to make sense of the environment. Even when there is no syntax to imitate, their thoughts can help them develop logical, complicated structures.

The Atlantic slave trade influenced the development of some of the most recent languages. Slaves of many nationalities were forced to work together under the colonizer’s rule at the time. They created a make-shift pidgin language because they didn’t have the opportunity to learn each other’s languages. 

Pidgins are a collection of terms taken from the landowner’s native tongue. They don’t use much grammar, and it’s often impossible for a listener to figure out when an event occurred and who did what to whom. In order for their meaning to be understood, speakers must utilize circumlocution. Surprisingly, all it takes for a pidgin to develop into a complicated language is for a group of youngsters to be exposed to it while learning their mother tongue. Slave children did not merely repeat their elders’ string of words; they altered their phrases to create a new, expressive language. Creoles are complex grammar systems that arise from pidgins and are created by children.

Directions: Once you have read the passage, answer the following questions.

Paragraph 1 

Grammar is complex, and no foreign language learner has to be told that. We can express slight differences in meaning by modifying word sequences and adding a variety of auxiliary verbs and suffixes. To indicate small variations in meaning, we can turn a statement into a question, state if an action has occurred or is about to occur, and use a variety of other word tricks. This complexity is not unique to the English language. Even so-called “primitive” tribes’ languages feature complex grammatical components. For example, the Cherokee pronoun system can differentiate between ‘you and I, ‘several other people and I,’ and ‘you, another person, and I.’ All of these connotations are encapsulated in the single, basic pronoun ‘we’ in English. Grammar is ubiquitous and is present in all languages, regardless of their popularity. So, who developed grammar? This is an issue that many linguists have struggled with.

1. Why did the writer offer information about the Cherokee language in paragraph 1?
   1. To show how tough it is to learn Cherokee
   2. To demonstrate how English grammar varies from Cherokee grammar 
   3. To demonstrate that the Cherokees built complicated grammar systems
   4. To demonstrate how even simple, traditional cultures can have complex grammatical patterns. 

Paragraph 2

At first glance, it appears that this question is unanswerable. Someone should be existing at the time of a language’s emergence to document its emergence in order to learn how grammar is formed. Many historical linguists can trace present complex languages back to older languages, but the researcher must examine how languages are created from scratch in order to answer the question of how complex languages are developed. Surprisingly, though, this is doable.

1. In paragraph 2, the phrase “from scratch” is most closely related to
   1. from the start
   2. in basic cultures
   3. with the aid of written data
   4. through the use of a template

Paragraph 3

Studying sign languages for the deaf provides more proof of this. Sign languages are more than just a collection of gestures; they employ the same grammatical machinery as spoken languages. Furthermore, numerous different languages are spoken all across the world. In Nicaragua, the formation of one such language was recently recorded. Previously, all deaf individuals were separated from one another, but in 1979, a new administration established deaf schools. Although children were taught speech and lip-reading in the classroom, they began to construct their own sign language in the playgrounds, employing motions they already knew. It was essentially pidgin. There was no consistent grammar, and each youngster utilized the signs differently. 

1. In paragraph 3, all of the following statements about natural sign language in Nicaragua are true EXCEPT:  
   1. Younger children perfected the language.
   2. Since 1979, the language has been developed
   3. The language is based on lip-reading and speaking.
   4. Signs that children use at home are included in the language. 

1. Based on Paragraph 3, what can be inferred about the early stages of the Nicaraguan sign language based on the paragraph?
   1. It was developed with a clear and uniform set of rules from the beginning.
   2. It evolved over time from a pidgin into a more structured language.
   3. It was influenced heavily by the speech and lip-reading methods taught in schools.
   4. It was immediately accepted and used uniformly across all deaf communities.

Paragraph 4

However, students who went to school later than others, when this original sign scheme was already present, established a quite diverse sign language. Their language was more fluid and concise, and it used a wide range of grammatical devices to clarify meaning, despite being based on the older children’s signals. Furthermore, all of the children made the identical signs. There was the birth of a new creole.

1. In paragraph 4, all are features of the new Nicaraguan language EXCEPT : 
   1. The movements of the hands were smoother and smaller
   2. To convey meaning, all of the children utilized the same motions
   3. For ordinary objects and activities, new gestures were developed.
   4. The meaning was easier to understand than the prior sign language  

1. In the context of paragraph 4, what does the term "creole" refer to?
   1. A simplified form of communication with no grammatical structure.
   2. A sophisticated language developed from a pidgin with complex grammar.
   3. An older sign language system used by deaf children.
   4. A completely unrelated language introduced by outsiders.

Paragraphs 5

The Atlantic slave trade influenced the development of some of the most recent languages. Slaves of many nationalities were forced to work together under the colonizer’s rule at the time. They created a make-shift pidgin language because they didn’t have the opportunity to learn each other’s languages. 

1. According to Paragraph 5, what was the primary reason slaves developed a pidgin language during the Atlantic slave trade?
   1. They were attempting to create a unified language for communication with their colonizers.
   2. They wanted to preserve their individual native languages while communicating.
   3. They lacked the opportunity to learn each other’s languages and needed a means to communicate.
   4. They were instructed by their colonizers to develop a new language for official use.

1. In paragraph 5, ‘make-shift’ is most similar to:
   1. personal and private
   2. simple and transient
   3. complex and expressive 
   4. extensive and various

Paragraph 6

Pidgins are a collection of terms taken from the landowner’s native tongue. They don’t use much grammar, and it’s often impossible for a listener to figure out when an event occurred and who did what to whom. (A)In order for their meaning to be understood, speakers must utilize circumlocution. (B) Surprisingly, all it takes for a pidgin to develop into a complicated language is for a group of youngsters to be exposed to it while learning their mother tongue. (C) Slave children did not merely repeat their elders’ string of words; they altered their phrases to create a new, expressive language. (D) Creoles are complex grammar systems that arise from pidgins and are created by children.

1. Directions: Review the excerpt from the passage provided above. The letters (A), (B), (C), and (D) denote where the subsequent sentence could be incorporated.
   
   "It includes prescribed word ordering and grammatical markers that did not exist in either the pidgin or the colonizers’ languages."
   
   Where would the sentence most appropriately belong?
   1. Choice A
   2. Choice B
   3. Choice C
   4. Choice D

Hold on!  Before checking your answers and matching them, explore the TOEFL Exam Pattern and Syllabus!

Answer Key with Explanation for TOEFL Reading Passage - Grammar At Deeper Level

1.  Answer: D

Explanation:  The correct answer is option D. In Paragraph 1, discusses the complexity of grammar in various languages, including those of so-called "primitive" tribes. The mention of the Cherokee language illustrates that complex grammatical systems are not limited to modern or widely spoken languages but are also present in what might be considered simpler or traditional cultures. This serves to show that complex grammar exists universally across languages.

2. Answer: A

Explanation: The correct answer is option A. The phrase “from scratch” means starting something from the very beginning without any prior preparation. In the context of paragraph 2, it refers to the process of creating languages from their inception, not relying on pre-existing structures or rules. Therefore, “from the start” is the closest match.

3. Answer: C

Explanation: The correct answer is option C. Paragraph 3 explains that the sign language developed in Nicaragua was constructed by children using gestures they already knew, which were not based on lip-reading or spoken language but rather evolved independently as a pidgin. Therefore, this statement is incorrect because the language was not based on lip-reading and speaking.

4. Answer: B

Explanation: The correct answer is option B. Paragraph 3 describes the initial pidgin sign language as lacking consistent grammar and varying in usage among children. Over time, as later students refined and standardized this pidgin language, it evolved into a more complex and structured form, which aligns with the concept of a language developing from a pidgin into a more fully-formed creole.

5. Answer: B

Explanation: The correct answer is option B. Paragraph 4 notes that the new sign language used by later students was more fluid and had a more developed grammar. However, it does not specify that all children used the same motions for conveying meaning. In fact, it was the earlier, less consistent pidgin language where motions varied. Thus, statement B is the feature that does not fit the description.

6. Answer: B

Explanation: The correct answer is option B. Paragraph 4 describes the new Nicaraguan sign language as a "creole," which typically refers to a stable, fully-developed language that evolves from a pidgin. This creole incorporates complex grammar and is more refined than its pidgin predecessor.

7. Answer: C

Explanation: The correct answer is option C. Paragraph 5 explains that slaves from various nationalities created a pidgin language because they were unable to learn each other’s native languages. This makes option C the correct answer, as it highlights the necessity for communication in the absence of a common language.

8. Answer: B

Explanation: The correct answer is option B. The term “make-shift” describes something that is temporary and improvised, often created out of necessity. This aligns with option B, which reflects the temporary and basic nature of the pidgin language created by slaves.

9. Answer: B

Explanation: The correct answer is option B. This is an Insert Text Question as Option B fits because the sentence in question discusses the development of grammatical structure in a language that was previously rudimentary (pidgin). In paragraph 6, Choice B mentions the development of a more complex language from a pidgin, which is the appropriate context for introducing information about grammatical markers and word ordering not present in the original pidgin or colonizers’ languages.

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