TOEFL Build a Sentence practice, with answers
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Put the words of each reply in order, then check it. You see the right sentence and why it is right at once. Five items at a time, 12 rounds.
On this page
- 1
A: I'm going to the bookshop after class.
B:Whatbuy?
- 2
A: Why is the east entrance closed?
B:Itsweek.
- 3
A: Have you decided about the summer job?
B:Ioffer.
- 4
A: Is the new library better than the old one?
B:Itone.
- 5
A: Did you get to the airport on time?
B:Ifthe flight.
Round 1 of 12 · 0 of 5 checked
Which structures learners get wrong
How often our learners put the sentence in the right order, by the grammar the item tests, in our practice and mock tests (14 September – 2 October 2026). Hardest first. Counted live from our database; staff and test accounts are left out, and a structure is listed only once at least 50 questions from at least 10 learners have been answered.
| Structure | Right | Questions | Learners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passive voice | 37.3% | 102 | 32 |
| Infinitive complements | 52.3% | 65 | 32 |
| Embedded questions | 52.7% | 237 | 55 |
| Embedded whether / if clauses | 60.6% | 137 | 55 |
| Word order | 64.0% | 139 | 34 |
Across all Build a Sentence items: 54.3% right, over 680 questions from 55 learners. These are our learners' results, not ETS data.
All our TOEFL figures, Reading and Listening too: what TOEFL learners get wrong.
The task, from ETS
- What you do. One person says something. The other person's reply is shown with its words or phrases in the wrong order, and you arrange them into a complete, grammatical sentence or question that works as a reply.
- What it measures. Your command of English sentence structure, across a range of structures, at levels from A1 to C2.
- How many, and the score. Ten items, each worth up to 1 point, scored by machine. They open the Writing section: 12 items in about 23 minutes, with the email and the academic discussion.
- The extra word. In ETS's published sample the word bank holds one more word than there are slots.
Observed in ETS's official practice test, not stated on these pages: you drag each word into a slot, and a word you have used turns grey.
Sources: ETS, TOEFL iBT Writing section · ETS, Updated TOEFL iBT Test Overview · ETS, TOEFL iBT 2026 Update: Test Blueprint and Specifications; checked 2026-10-01.
How to work an item (our advice)
- Read what the first person said. The reply has to answer it.
- Read the fixed first and last words. They decide the shape of the sentence.
- Find the verb and its subject first, then build outwards.
- When two words compete for one slot, keep the one that agrees with the fixed words. The other is the extra word.
Next: the full Writing section in a mock test
Ten Build a Sentence items, the email and the academic discussion on their own clocks, all marked. One mock test costs CA$8.49, or a pass opens every TOEFL test from CA$13.99 for 7 days; one-time, in CAD.
Questions
What is Build a Sentence in the TOEFL?
It is the first Writing task in the 2026 TOEFL iBT. One person says something; the other person's reply is shown with its words or phrases out of order, and you put them in order to make a grammatical sentence that fits as a reply. ETS says it measures your command of English sentence structure.
How many Build a Sentence questions are there, and what are they worth?
ETS's 2026 blueprint lists 10 items, each worth up to 1 point and scored by machine, at levels from A1 to C2. The Writing section has 12 items in all and takes about 23 minutes.
Is there an extra word?
In the sample ETS publishes in its test overview, the word bank has one more word than there are slots, so one word is left over. The items on this page work the same way. ETS does not say that every item has exactly one extra word.
How much time do I get for each item?
ETS gives a time for the whole Writing section, about 23 minutes, not for each Build a Sentence item. The two written tasks have their own clocks, so the ten sentences share what is left.
Do I drag or click the words?
In ETS's official practice test you drag each word into a slot, and a word you have used turns grey. On this page you tap a word to place it and tap it again to take it out, so it works on a phone too.
Where do the accuracy figures come from?
From our learners' own answers to Build a Sentence in our practice and mock tests, counted live from our database with staff and test accounts left out. A structure appears only when at least 50 questions from at least 10 learners have been answered, and every row shows its counts.
Sources
- ETS, TOEFL iBT Writing section — what Build a Sentence asks and measures (checked 2026-10-01).
- ETS, Updated TOEFL iBT Test Overview — the two-speaker exchange and ETS's sample item (checked 2026-10-01).
- ETS, TOEFL iBT 2026 Update: Test Blueprint and Specifications — 10 items, 1 point each, machine-scored, A1–C2; 12 Writing items in 23 minutes (checked 2026-10-01).
The items and explanations on this page are ours, written for the 2026 format and for this page only: they are not in our practice or mock tests. No ETS item is reproduced. ExamStep is an independent practice site, not affiliated with ETS. TOEFL® and TOEFL iBT® are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
More on the test: the Writing guide · the 2026 format · the 1–6 score scale