PDF For TOEFL iBT: The Official ETS Study Guide

 By Educational Testing Service
Publisher: McGraw-Hill ,Pages: 373
Date: 2005-11-21, ISBN : 007146297X, Type PDF Size 12 Mb

This book was my only source to practice before taking Toefel IBT. I will say the real test is 95% similar with what was presented in the book. I got good scores but reading was terrible because I did not have enough timing practice.

If you want to have an idea of how the test is going to be, you should read the whole book. But if you want to practice, use another source and time yourself as much as possible. Good luck!

* Everything you need to know about the new TOEFL® iBT, straight from the test-makers!
* Hundreds of authentic TOEFL iBT questions and essay topics - so you can study with the real thing
* Companion audio CD with authentic TOEFL listening passages and sample responses to Speaking questions
* In-depth descriptions of the multiple-choice Listening and Reading questions--with valuable tips for answering them
* Detailed information about the Speaking and Writing sections, with scoring information, real student responses - and actual raters' comments
* PLUS: Writer's Handbook for English Language Learners--to help you learn how to write essays in English

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Ebooks PDF For McGraw-Hill's Essential ESL Grammar: A Handbook for Intermediate and Advanced ESL Students

By: Mark Lester, Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (March 21, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0071496424, PDF size: 2.08 MB

ESL grammar is quite different from the traditional English grammar that Americans get--it uses different terminology, covers different subjects, and it is much more thorough. This becomes evident quickly when nonnative speakers ask native speakers grammar questions about determiners or phrasal verbs, for example.

This book covers all the important subjects in detail, and it would be very good for intermediate/advanced ESL students as well as ESL tutors who need a quick reference guide with concise and clear explanations. The Introductions says "This book is for nonnative speakers of English who have already attained extensive fluency is classroom English. It is designed to help you move to the next level of functioning comfortably in a fully English-speaking environment . . . . The most important feature of this book is the immense amount of information about English grammar in general and about four specific areas of English grammar that are mostly likely to cause difficulties:

*Areas of unusual grammatical complexity.
*Areas of unusual irregularity.
*Areas in which native speakers routinely use special forms in conversational English.
*Areas in which both native and nonnative speakers of English often make mistakes."

The book is divided into three sections: Noun Phrases, Verb Phrases, and Sentences. Like his other books, this one reads well, the explanations are in depth and clear, and there are hundreds of sample sentences to clarify the concepts. (The tone isn't as zaney as his previous books--no example sentences about Senator Fogg or the Seven Dwarves here, sorry.) Lester packs a lot in these 340+ pages.

I keep looking for the One True Grammar Book handed down from on high that covers all contingencies, but there is no such thing. But this book does a pretty good job, considering its affordable price and small size. The truth is that educators need many different weapons in their arsenals, and this is a good one.

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PDF | Teaching Academic ESL Writing: Practical Techniques in Vocabulary and Grammar

By: Eli Hinkel, Paperback: 376 pages
Publisher: Routledge (September 1, 2003)
ISBN-10: 0805838902, PDF : 32.5 Mb

Teaching Academic ESL Writing: Practical Techniques in Vocabulary and Grammar fills an important gap in teacher professional preparation by focusing on the grammatical and lexical features that are essential for all ESL writing teachers and student-writers to know.

The fundamental assumption is that before students of English for academic purposes can begin to successfully produce academic writing, they must have the foundations of language in place--the language tools (grammar and vocabulary) they need to build a text.

This text offers a compendium of techniques for teaching writing, grammar, and lexis to second-language learners that will help teachers effectively target specific problem areas of students' writing.

Based on the findings of current research, including a large-scale study of close to 1,500 non-native speakers' essays, this book works with several sets of simple rules that collectively can make a noticeable and important difference in the quality of ESL students' writing. The teaching strategies and techniques are based on a highly practical principle for efficiently and successfully maximizing learners' language gains.

Part I provides the background for the text and a sample of course curriculum guidelines to meet the learning needs of second-language teachers of writing and second-language writers.

Parts II and III include the key elements of classroom teaching: what to teach and why, possible ways to teach the material in the classroom, common errors found in student prose and ways to teach students to avoid them, teaching activities and suggestions, and questions for discussion in a teacher-training course.

Appendices to chapters provide supplementary word and phrase lists, collocations, sentence chunks, and diagrams that teachers can use as needed.

The book is designed as a text for courses that prepare teachers to work with post-secondary EAP students and as a professional resource for teachers of students in EAP courses.

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Essential Resource Library | The Oxford Essential Guide to Critical Writing

By Thomas S. Kane, Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 464, Publication Date: 2000-07-10
ISBN / ASIN: 0425176401, 1.9 MB, PDF (RARed)

Whatever your experience or expertise as a writer, you can always benefit from new techniques for fleshing out ideas, developing technique or revising work, not to mention brushing up on the rules of punctuation, grammar and style.

All of this and more is covered in tremendous detail in The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing.
Author Thomas Kane, who also penned other guides for Oxford, explains the premise for this guide:
"Obviously, there are limits: one cannot learn to write like Shakespeare or Charles Dickens. You can't become a genius by reading a book.

"But you don't have to be a genius to write clear, effective English. You just have to understand what writing involves and to know how to handle words and sentences and paragraphs. That you can learn. If you do, you can communicate what you want to communicate in words other people can understand. This book will help by showing you what good writers do."

The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing is divided into several parts which address a variety of issues. These include:

* The Writing Process
* The Essay
* The Expository Paragraph
* The Sentence
* Diction
* Description And Narration
* Punctuation

Many shy away from writing guides, such as this. They believe it's hard work to read and even harder work to apply. Not so with The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing. It is written in an authoritative but disarming manner, scattered with poignant quotes from some of the masters of the craft, which make it accessible to scribes of all levels.

It explains in simple layperson's terms the processes and mechanics of writing. The chapters also feature practical exercises for workshopping ~ an excellent way to understand and apply what you've just read.

I particularly liked the `Drafts and Revisions' chapter, which offered some solid techniques and advice on refining work. Also the examples of style and technique from literary greats, such as Mark Twain, H.L. Mencken, E.B. White and Annie Dillard.

Another excellent writers' guide from Oxford. This is an essential reference for new and veteran wordsmiths. Newcomers will gain comprehensive instruction in the art of writing, including techniques for encouraging creativity, organizing thoughts and clear writing. As for experienced scribes, this guide will remind you what you've forgotten and, most importantly, it will help you add that `something missing' to your writing.

Writing is my most time-consuming hobby and I have found that this book is a great introduction to the basic skills involved in writing. Whether you are a professional or a beginner, it's helpful to have this guide to establish a basic foundation for writing effectively. It is also a great reference tool in case you happen to forget one of the basic techniques.

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