TOEFL Build a Sentence: Questions and Replies (Set 2)
Ten harder word-order items: indirect questions, passives, conditionals and relative clauses in everyday academic replies.
- Time
- 6 min
Writadia · B2 · TOEFL Build a Sentence
NameClassDate
The situation
Write each completed sentence on the writing sheet. Each reply begins with the words given.
Your task
Put the words in the correct order to complete each reply.
- Is the deadline still Friday? → I'm not sure. Could you ___ (it / tell / has / me / if / changed)
- Who's giving the guest lecture? → It's ___ (the / who / wrote / textbook / the / woman)
- Why are the labs closed? → They ___ (being / are / repaired / after / flood / the)
- Would you join the club? → I ___ (would / if / had / I / more / time)
- What's the best way to prepare? → I'd ___ (suggest / the / past / reviewing / papers)
- Did you get the scholarship? → I ___ (until / won't / next / know / month)
- Where can I print my essay? → Ask at the desk. They'll ___ (you / where / show / printers / the / are)
- Did you enjoy the field trip? → Yes, ___ (was / it / most / the / useful / part / of / the / course)
- Why didn't you reply? → Sorry, ___ (I / should / have / earlier / you / answered)
- Is the new library worth visiting? → Definitely. ___ (it / to / is / used / be / than / quieter / much / it)
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Indirect questions: statement order after "if", "where", "what".
- Passive continuous: are + being + past participle.
- Second conditional: would + verb / if + past simple.
- "Suggest" is followed by -ing, not "to".
- Check that every word is used exactly once.
Useful phrases
Patterns to remember
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- guest lecture
- a talk by a visiting speakera guest lecture on climate
- scholarship
- money given to a student to pay for studyShe got a scholarship.
- field trip
- a visit to a place to learna geology field trip
- review
- study againReview the past papers.
Model answer (88 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
- I'm not sure. Could you tell me if it has changed?1
- It's the woman who wrote the textbook.2
- They are being repaired after the flood.3
- I would if I had more time.4
- I'd suggest reviewing the past papers.5
- I won't know until next month.
- They'll show you where the printers are.6
- Yes, it was the most useful part of the course.
- Sorry, I should have answered you earlier.7
- Definitely. It is much quieter than it used to be.8
- Indirect question: "if it has changed", not "if has it changed".
- Relative clause with "who".
- Present continuous passive.
- Second conditional.
- suggest + -ing.
- Indirect question: verb at the end.
- should have + past participle for regret.
- Comparison with "used to be".
Teacher notes
Answer note: items 1, 7 and 10 test indirect questions and comparison structures, the patterns most often missed in this task type.
Extra challenge
Turn three of the replies into full two-line dialogues of your own.
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: guest lecture, scholarship, field trip, review.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Could you tell me if it has changed?”, “They'll show you where the printers are.”, “They are being repaired.”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. ( words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 or below | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task fulfilment | Everything asked for, fully on purpose. | Almost all; a small gap. | Partly; one request missed. | Task largely not met. | |
| Development and organisation | Ideas explained, illustrated and easy to follow. | Clear but thin in places. | Ideas present, connections weak. | Ideas undeveloped. | |
| Language use | Varied and accurate; natural tone. | Minor errors, meaning clear. | Noticeable errors, limited range. | Errors block meaning. | |
| Total | / 15 | ||||
TOEFL responses get one holistic 0–5 score. This grid splits that score into three headings so you can explain it in class.
Task checklist
- My indirect questions are in statement order.
- I used "suggest + -ing".
- I checked every word once.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- My indirect questions are in statement order.
- I used "suggest + -ing".
- I checked every word once.
Writadia · B2 · TOEFL Build a Sentence
Assessment rubric: TOEFL Build a Sentence: Questions and Replies (Set 2)
| Criterion | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 or below | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task fulfilment | Everything asked for, fully on purpose. | Almost all; a small gap. | Partly; one request missed. | Task largely not met. | |
| Development and organisation | Ideas explained, illustrated and easy to follow. | Clear but thin in places. | Ideas present, connections weak. | Ideas undeveloped. | |
| Language use | Varied and accurate; natural tone. | Minor errors, meaning clear. | Noticeable errors, limited range. | Errors block meaning. | |
| Total | / 15 | ||||
TOEFL responses get one holistic 0–5 score. This grid splits that score into three headings so you can explain it in class.
Task checklist
- My indirect questions are in statement order.
- I used "suggest + -ing".
- I checked every word once.
Teacher comment
Writadia · B2 · TOEFL Build a Sentence
Peer-review sheet: TOEFL Build a Sentence: Questions and Replies (Set 2)
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| My indirect questions are in statement order. | |||
| I used "suggest + -ing". | |||
| I checked every word once. |
Questions
- Does the text cover every point in the task?
- Are there paragraphs? What is each one about?
- Write two linking words the writer used.
- Is there a sentence you had to read twice?
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
★ Another thing I liked
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Writadia · B2 · TOEFL Build a Sentence
Lesson plan: TOEFL Build a Sentence: Questions and Replies (Set 2)
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: guest lecture, scholarship, field trip, review.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Could you tell me if it has changed?”, “They'll show you where the printers are.”, “They are being repaired.”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. ( words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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