填空题中有相当一部分缺少动词宾语的题需填入名词或名词短语 例题: (1)
In 1961 the entertainer Chubby Checker introduced a ----to New York's rock'n 'roll fans. (A) new dance, the twist
(B) twist, was the new dance (C) twist, the new dance that (D) new dance is the twist
答案: (A)
解释: 谓语动词introduce的宾语不完整, 由空格前的a可肯定应填入名词词组, (B) (D) 都用谓语结构可首先排除, (C) 中的that无法与空格后的部分构成从句, 只有(A) 符合名词作宾语的要求, 其中逗号后是名词作同位语
(2)
Instructors at the school of American Ballet first examine a young applicant's instep A B
to see whether it is pliant and shows promising of a good arch. C D 答案: D
应改为: promise.
解释: 形容词promising不能作动词show的宾语, 需改为名词
考点三 名词(词组)作同位语
同位语主要由名词词组充当, 对其前面的名词或代词作补充说明, I came from Jiangying, a very beautiful and peaceful town. 例题: (1)
In the nineteenth century, Samuel Gridley Howe founded the Perkins School for the Blind, ----for children in Boston, Massachusetts. (A) that institutes (B) while instituted (C) was an institution (D) an institute
答案: (D)
解释: 空白前的句子结构完整, 空格后的结构和宾语的很相似, (D)为名词词组, 构成宾语的同位语 (2)
Martha Graham, ----, has run her own dance company for half a century. (A) is the great modern choreographer
(B) one of the great modern choreographers (C) that the great modern choreographers (D) the modern choreographers were great
答案：B
解释：此句主谓俱全, 空格设在主语和谓语之间, 且两端都有逗号, 推知缺少的是主语的同位语, B是名词词组, 可以胜任；A D中的动词与原句谓语冲突; C 不是完整的同位语从句
考点四 名词(词组)作定语
名词修饰名词作定语的现象在英语中也屡见不鲜, 此时前面的名词相当于形容词的作用, 只是依英语习惯决定究竟用名词还是形容词作定语, TOEFL有少量题涉及这一问题
这样的词语有：word order（词序）， taxi driver（出租车司机）等
例题: (1)
Situated in the heart of a grain-farming and livestock-raising region, Abilene, Kansas, A B is a prosperous trading and distribute center. C D
答案: D
应改为: distribution/ distributing.
解释: 动词distribute不能修饰名词center，可改用名词或分词, 但此题中名词distribution作定语更符合英文习惯
(2)
Acrylic paint enables artists to experiment with many colors effects. A B C D
答案: D
应改为: color
解释: 此处名词color作effects的定语无需用复数, 意为色彩效果
第二章 形容词
形容词即strong, attractive等描述性的词汇，在句中主要作定语修饰名词，同时还可作表语、宾语补足语等成分
第一节 形容词修饰名词
形容词最主要的功能就是修饰名词，如：modern art, electric current, great responsibility；这一考点在TOEFL改错题占有相当的比例，几乎每套题都包含一道以上的题目考形容词修饰名词，主要形式是将本应该使用形容词的位置误用为名词、副词等
例题： (1)
The human body relies on certainty nutrients for its survival. A B C D
答案：C
应改为：certain.
解释：certainty是名词, 意为确定性, 不能修饰名词, 改为形容词certain, 表示某些 (2)
Textile art is known for both its tactile and vision qualities. A B C D
答案：C
应改为：visual.
解释：vision是名词, 不能修饰名词qualities, 要用它的形容词
注意1：大多数形容词既可以做定语也可以做表语, 有少数形容词一般情况下只能做表语, 比较下面两句话：
The man was awake.
There was an awake man. (此句错误, awake不能做定语)
这类形容词包括: alone, afraid, alike, alert, aware, alive, ashamed, content, unable
例题： (1)
Many television newscasters make the public an eyewitness to the news by means A B C of on-the-spot, alive reports. D
答案： D
应改为：live (adj. 现场的, 实况转播的)
解释：alive不能做定语, 只能做表语，所以应该改为live reports (现场报道)
(2)
Alike ethnographers, ethnohistorians make systematic observations, but they also A B C gather data from documentary and oral sources. D 答案： A
应改为：like
解释：alike不能做定语, 只能做表语; alike/like 是TOEFL改错中常考的考点 注意2：形容词词组修饰名词时要发生后置现象, 避免产生头重脚轻的感觉. 如：a room bare of furniture, the form dependent of the contents等，
注意3：形容词修饰名词的语序也是TOEFL考点之一。 当多个形容词(甚至包括指示代词, 冠词和所有格)并列放置于名词之前时, 它们之间就存在着谁排在前面, 谁排在后面的问题, 一般来说：这个排序的规则是:
冠词(a, an, the)/所有格(my, your等)/指示代词(this, that等) + 数量形容词 + 描述性形容词 + 名词
如: two young American students my three red pencils
第二节 比较级
英文中形容词在进行比较时需变为比较级，主要有两种形式：
在词尾加-er (单音节形容词)，如：fast-faster, large-larger, busy-busier, big-bigger等； 或在词前加more (多音节形容词)，如：more useful, more complex等
少数词比较级形式特殊，如：good(well)-better, bad(ill)-worse, many(much)-more, little-less, far-farther(更远的)/further(更进一步的)，
考点一 含有标志词than
1．最常见的比较级句式是由连词than引导比较的对象，
如：It takes less time to go there by air than by train. She possesses more books than I do.
He is more intelligent than I expected. than可视为比较级的标志词，在填空题中， 空后含有than的， 通常空格处需要填比较级，
空格前含有比较级的，通常空格处需要填than引导的从句。
例题： (1)
Maine has ---- weather than most of the other states in the continental United States.
(A) coolest
(B) the coolest (C) cooler
(D) the cooler
答案：A
解释：标志词than意味着应用比较级，A, B可先排除；D多the; 只有A正确
(2)
Pennsylvania has the most institutions of higher learning than any other state has. A B C D 答案：A
应改为：more
解释：标志词than表明此句应用比较级，而不是最高级
2．为避免重复，than之后的从句中有些成分可以省略，只把相比的部分突出出来: 情况1: 用指示代词that, those来代替省略的部分,
如：The population of China is much larger than that of Great Britain. (that 指代the population)
His designs won more acclaim than those of his fellow colleagues. (those 指代 designs)
情况2: 在省略的过程中，若than之后从句的谓语部分相同, 比较的是主语部分, 那么谓语部分通常用助动词do来代替, 并且习惯上将从句主语和助动词倒装 (do + 主语)
如：The actors usually capture greater attention than do the playwrights who may probably contribute more to the success of a play. 例题：
Mammals have a larger, more well-developed brain ---- other animals. (A) than do
(B) that are having (C) which have (D) that do
答案：A
解释：空格前出现了形容词比较级，空格后是比较对象，应由than连接，选项中只有A符合条件，其中由助动词do引起了一个小倒装
考点二 (not) so /as?as
比较级特殊句式(not)so/as?as 表示“如同??一样、不如??”等意思，其结构和than句式相仿，但as?as之间的形容词必须用原形，而且as?as必须搭配使用， 如：It is as good as it looks.
The boss is not so bad-tempered as you have described.
填空题中常给出句子的一部分(第一个as)，要求填出相搭配的部分(第二个as)，一定要形成对这种搭配句式的敏感。 例题： (1)
The best way to control rats is by seeing that they have as ----. (A) possibly little nourishment (B) nourishment possibly little (C) little as possible nourishment (D) little nourishment as possible
答案：D
解释：空格处需要动词have的宾语，同时包含as?as句式，A、B都缺少与as搭配的结构，C语序有误，均可排除。D中as?as possible, 为固定用法, 意为“尽可能”.
(2)
There is evidence that prehistoric humans used fire ---- 400,000 B.C. (A) so early
(B) the earliest (C) as early as (D) so early that
答案：C
解释：依句意空格处需要“早在”这一意思的正确表达，只有C符合题意，用的是比较级特殊句式as...as
考点三 the same?as
此句式也常用来表示“和??一样”，the same和as既可连用，也可分开使用， 如：She looks just the same as before. I got the same feeling as you did.
改错题中常将此句式误用为the same?like /than, 要练就一双火眼金睛将其识别出来 例题： (1)
Meadowlarks are about the same size than robins, but they have heavier bodies, A B C shorter tails, and longer bills. D 答案：B
应改为：as.
解释：the same as是固定搭配, 表示“与．．．一样”
(2)
Due to sophisticated transportation networks, people can now buy the same types of A B
perishable goods in Toronto like in New York City. C D 答案：D 应改为：as
解释：与the same相搭配的只有as, like不行
考点四 the more?，the more?
此句式常表示“越??越??”，more在此处泛指比较级，此句式的特点是前后两句以逗号隔开，句子结构平行，而且谓语动词一致时，为避免重复常进行省略，
如：The more she slept, the less comfortable she felt.
The greater the size, the easier it is for you to spot.
填空题中常需填入两个分句之一，因此看到the more结构，要注意选与其结构相近的另一半the more句式
例题： (1)
The greater the population there is in a locality, ----for water, transportation, and disposal of refuse.
(A) the greater the need there is (B) greater need