Starting off

1. Work in pairs and answer the questions.

• Tell your partner about your last vacation.
• Who has the better vacation? Give reasons

Listening

1. Listen to this conversation about vacation and answer these questions.

Context clues.
In listening, there is implied information. This means that we must conclude the information based on the context.

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(woman) can you tell me what assignments I missed when I was absent from your class?
(man) you missed one homework assignment and a quiz.
(narrator) Who is the man?

In your test book or on the computer screen, you read:

(A) A newspaper editor
(B) A police officer
(C) A teacher
(D) A student

The clue class, homework, and quiz in the dialogue tell you that the man is probably a teacher. Answer C is therefore the correct answer.

Another type of conclusion that is common in the short dialogues is to determine where will probably happen next, based on clues given in the dialogue.

On the recording, you hear:

(woman) are you going into the water, or are you just going to lie there on the sand?
(man) I think I need to put on some suntan lotion.
(narrator) Where does this conversation probably take place?

In your test book or on the computer screen, you read:

(A) At a beauty salon
(B) At the beach
(C) In a sandbox
(D) At an outdoor restaurant

The clues water, sand, and suntan lotion in the dialogue tell you that this dialogue probably takes place at the beach. Answer B is therefore the correct answer.

Exercise

1. You will listen to 5 different conversations. Listen and complete the sentences.

2. Listen again to the conversation and question on the recording and then choose the best answer to the question.

Grammar
Negative with comparatives 
Negatives can be used with comparatives in the short dialogues of the TOEFL test. A sentence with a negative and a comparative has a superlative, or very strong, meaning.

Example

On the recording, you hear:

(woman) What do you think of the new student in math class?
(man) No one is more intelligent than she is.
(narrator) What does the man say about the new student?

In your test book or on the computer screen, you read:

She is not very smart.
He is smarter than she is.
Other students are smarter than she is.
She is the smartest student in the class.

The man responds to the woman’s question with the negative No and the comparative more intelligent, and this combination has a superlative meaning, the smartest. The best answer is therefore answer D.

Exercise

Listen to the conversation and question on the recording and then choose the best answer to the question.

Speaking

1. Pronunciation weak form in comparative structures

Listen to the extracts and mark the stressed word.

2. Vocabulary
Expressions with comparison: 

• In common with..
• As would a..
• Likewise..
• Similarly..
• This resembles..
• In the same way..
• Correspondingly..
• Alike..
• Couldn’t agree more
• Couldn’t care less

Exercise

Complete the sentences by filling in the blanks with the correct form of expression with comparison

3. Other ways to agree and disagree

Exercise

1. Listen to 5 people talking and choose the correct answer.

2. Work in pairs. Tell your partner 5 opinions you have about vacation. Express your agreement or disagreement with your partner’s opinions.
Example: “I think vacationing somewhere with nature is better than vacation in a theme park.”