Introduction
Understanding key grammatical structures is essential for success in the TOEIC Listening & Reading test. One important area to focus on is the use of verb tenses, as they are frequently tested and crucial for conveying the correct time frame of actions in business contexts.
Explanation
Verb tenses help us understand when an action occurs. Here are three important tenses for the TOEIC:
Present Simple: Used for habitual actions or general truths. Example: "The meeting starts at 9 a.m. every Monday."
Past Simple: Used for actions that were completed at a specific time in the past. Example: "She completed the report yesterday."
Future Simple: Used for actions that will occur at a specific time in the future. Example: "We will launch the new product next month."
Common mistakes
Confusing tenses: Mixing up tenses can change the meaning of a sentence. For example, "I work on the project yesterday" should be "I worked on the project yesterday."
Omitting auxiliary verbs: In the future simple, forgetting "will" is a common error. For instance, "She meet the client tomorrow" should be "She will meet the client tomorrow."
Tips for the TOEIC test
Pay attention to time indicators like "yesterday," "every day," or "next week" to determine the correct tense.
In the listening section, listen for key verbs and their tenses to understand the timeline of events.
Practice identifying verb tenses in reading passages to improve comprehension.
Mini practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses:
The team ______ (meet) every Friday to discuss project updates.
Last month, the company ______ (launch) a new marketing campaign.
By this time next year, we ______ (expand) our operations to three more countries.
Answers:
meets
launched
will expand