Some useful tips to help deal with the Summary and Complete the chart questions of the TOEFL iBT

1. TOEFL IBT READING
SECTION
Completing summaries and charts
Prof. Stephan Hughes

2. TIPS ON COMPLETING SUMMARIES
Find hints about the overall structure of the
text
Prof. Stephan Hughes

3. TIPS ON COMPLETING SUMMARIES
•Look for key words that signal an outline, e.g.
there are three main theories about ...
Prof. Stephan Hughes

4. TIPS ON COMPLETING SUMMARIES
•Some other signal words: the first, the next,
the third ...
Prof. Stephan Hughes

5. TIPS ON COMPLETING SUMMARIES
•Lookat the first sentence or two of each
paragraph
Prof. Stephan Hughes

6. ELIMINATE ANSWER CHOICES
•that are just details
•that are irrelevant
•that present information inaccurately
•that don’t appear in the passage
Prof. Stephan Hughes

7. Prof. Stephan Hughes

8. •A paragraph has more than one main idea?
Prof. Stephan Hughes

9. •The passage does not a clear-cut outline
indicated by the signal words e.g. “the first
...”, “the next ...” “the third ...”?
Prof. Stephan Hughes

10. •There are more paragraphs than answer
choices?
Prof. Stephan Hughes

11. Prof. Stephan Hughes

12. IMPORTANT TIPS
•Familiarize
yourself with the categories and
concepts and differences between them
Prof. Stephan Hughes

13. IMPORTANT TIPS
•Locate the answer choices one by one
Prof. Stephan Hughes

14. DON’T FORGET THAT
•The choices might be scattered all over the
paragraphs
•The information in the answer choices will not
be word for word as the text provided in the
passage
•Use key words from the choices to help you
find the answers
Prof. Stephan Hughes

15. Tell us about your reading habits:
Mention the problems or challenges you
face when you have to read in English,
how often you do it, and the importance
of reading in your life.
Prof. Stephan Hughes