TOEFL Reading: Sentence Simplification

✅ What is it about? This kind of question asks you to find a sentence that has importantly the same meaning as a sentence from...

✅ What is it about?

This kind of question asks you to find a sentence that has importantly the same meaning as a sentence from the reading passage but it does not include some minor or unimportant details. Simply, all correct answers would include the main ideas that are restated in an easier way.

✅ How does the question sound?

📍Which of the sentence below best express the essential information in the following sentence? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

✅ How to answer?

📍The question, that you will have during the exam, will have as well as important and not important information. You just need to find the answer that has the essential information and eliminate answers that would include any contradictions or misrepresentations, or minor details.

📍It can be a challenging question as answers will have the same words, terms, and expressions as the given sentence. The best way to crack this question down is to understand the relationship between pieces of information within the highlighted sentence. Usually, it has cause and effect, compare/contrast, classification, problem/solution, description, and narration. Look for the same ideas in the answer choices and the given sentence.

✅ Sample question

Spinning, weaving, and sewing became ones of those that could be completed with a low concentration and repetitiveness, and with a possibility to interrupt work and take care of children.

Which of the sentence below best express the essential information in the following sentence? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

Which one do you think is the right answer? Leave your explanations to the chosen answer in the comments below.

A. Taking care of kids was important, however, women were less concentrated because of the repetitiveness of this task.

B. New tasks like spinning, weaving, and sewing helped females to take take care of their children without interruption.

C. Tasks like spinning, weaving, and sewing required less concentration and were repetitive, so it let women take care of children.

D. With interruption from their main work, women started to take care of their children despite those tasks needed more concentration and repetitiveness.