Community post
Mei Tanaka • Northgate Readers
Would I wait in line for the midnight book launch again? Only with a folding chair and a flask of tea.
A free TOEFL Reading lesson from the Test Ninjas course, complete and with no sign-up. It teaches the English behind Read in Daily Life and then shows you how that English decides the answers.
Read the whole lesson below, or start the interactive version, which takes you through it one step at a time: a quick check, teaching cycles with drills, a word bank, a summary and a walk-through on a real course question. This is one of four free lessons, one per section; see them all.
Take this lesson step by stepThe interactive version shows one page at a time, checks your answers to every drill as you go, plays each page aloud, and keeps your place in this browser. No account needed.
Listen to this page
In Read in Daily Life, you read a short everyday text, such as a notice, email or social media post, and answer two or three questions about it. One question often asks what the whole text is for.
This lesson teaches the English that answers it: purpose verbs such as announce, remind, warn and confirm, the patterns you use to report them, and the register that shows who is writing to whom.
Then you’ll name a text’s job in one verb before you read the options, and reject options that keep the right topic but use the wrong verb.
Read this notice and choose (A) or (B) before you reveal the steps.
Worked example
What is the main purpose of the notice?
Answer: (B). Everything in (A) is in the notice except its verb, and that one verb decides the answer.
This lesson teaches you to name what a text does, with the right verb, before you look at the options.
4 quick questions before any teaching. Try them first: the ones you miss show which cycle needs most of your attention.
Question 1 of 4
A teaching assistant sends this line to her class. Which verb names what it does?
“Just a note that your lab report is still due at noon Friday, as the syllabus says.”
Answer: C. remind
still and as the syllabus says show that nothing is new: the line repeats a deadline students were already given.
Question 2 of 4
Complete with one word.
“The message warns students ___ to leave bags in the corridor.”
Answer: not
warn someone not to + verb (or never to): the negative word comes before to.
Question 3 of 4
What does Mei mean?
Community post
Mei Tanaka • Northgate Readers
Would I wait in line for the midnight book launch again? Only with a folding chair and a flask of tea.
Answer: B. The wait was long, and next time she’ll come prepared.
She would wait again, but only with a chair and something hot to drink. That tells you the wait was long and tiring.
Question 4 of 4
What is the main purpose of the notice?
CAMPUS BIKE SHARE
From April 1, bikes must be returned to a dock within three hours of checkout. Riders who keep a bike longer will pay $1 for each extra hour.
Bikes can be returned to any campus dock except the two by the stadium, which are being removed.
Answer: D. To introduce a time limit on borrowing bikes
From April 1 starts a new rule, a three-hour limit, and the fee and the dock line both support it.
Listen to this page
Every notice, email and post has one main job, and a purpose verb names it. Purpose options usually share one frame: To + purpose verb + topic, as in “To announce a new closing time.” The verb matters more than the topic.
Most wrong options keep the right topic and change only the verb, so every option sounds familiar. So first, know exactly what each verb means.
| Verb | What the text does | Signal phrases | Example opener |
|---|---|---|---|
| announce (introduce: a new service or rule) | tells readers something new: a change, event or decision, usually from the people in charge | Starting…, From [date], will now, will no longer | “The film society is moving to Friday nights.” |
| remind | repeats something readers were already told or agreed to | Just a reminder, As always, Don’t forget, still | “Just a reminder that quiet hours still start at 11 p.m.” |
| warn | points out a risk so readers can avoid it | Heads up, Watch out, … or you’ll…, otherwise, I learned the hard way | “Heads up: the bike racks are cleared every Friday evening.” |
| request / ask | gets the reader to do something | Could you…, Please reply by…, We ask that… | “Could you send me your slides by Wednesday?” |
| confirm | says an arrangement is settled | This is to confirm…, You’re all set for… | “This is to confirm your interview on Tuesday at 3 p.m.” |
| recommend | advises a good choice | I’d recommend…, It’s worth…, You’re better off… | “The reading room in the art museum is worth a try.” |
| complain | says something went wrong, usually to someone who can fix it | This is the third time…, still hasn’t been fixed | “This is the third week our laundry dryer has been broken.” |
| apologize | says sorry for a problem the writer (or the writer’s organization) caused | We’re sorry for…, We apologize for… | “We’re sorry for the late start of Tuesday’s session.” |
Signal phrases are clues, not proof. Please note and Be aware only mean “pay attention”, so name the job from what follows. Heads up usually leads into a warning but sometimes flags plain news.
The content decides.
Listen to this page
The most common trap swaps these two verbs, because both can describe rules and dates. To choose between them, ask: could readers have known this before they read the text?
If not, it’s news, so the verb is announce (or introduce, for a new service or rule). If yes, it’s a reminder. A text full of rules isn’t automatically a reminder: a new rule is still news.
A reminder can be about a one-off event, such as an early closing, if readers were told before. And a date doesn’t make a line news if readers already have it.
The same fact can serve different purposes. “The café closes at 3” announces if it’s new and reminds if it’s the usual rule. If the writer adds “so don’t plan a late lunch there,” it warns.
| Signals news → announce | Signals something known → remind |
|---|---|
| Starting Monday | Just a reminder |
| From May 2 | As always |
| will now / will no longer | still |
| is moving to / has moved to | as usual |
| instead of | as agreed / as the syllabus says |
Starting next Monday, the east entrance of the music building will be closed for painting.
Just a reminder that quiet hours in Carver Hall still start at 11 p.m.
Try it · question 1 of 2
“From next term, the language exchange café will meet on Tuesdays instead of Mondays.”
Which verb names its purpose?
Answer: B. announce
From next term and instead of mark news: a new meeting day.
Try it · question 2 of 2
A message to a study group:
“Don’t forget: as we agreed last week, we’re meeting in the library at 4 on Thursday.”
Which verb names its purpose?
Answer: A. remind
Don’t forget and as we agreed last week show the group already knows the plan. A day and a time don’t make it news.
Risk, benefit, problem or need
Listen to this page
Two questions separate the other six verbs: whose problem or benefit is it? and what should the reader do next? A warning is about a risk the reader may meet. A recommendation offers a good option.
A complaint is about the writer’s own problem, usually sent to someone who can fix it. A request is the writer’s need. A confirmation says an arrangement is settled.
An apology is for a problem the writer (or the writer’s organization) caused.
A warning often contains advice (“Use the stairs instead”), but the advice exists to avoid the risk, so warn names the whole text and recommend only part of it. Warn or announce?
When the people in charge start a change (From May 2…, will no longer), their text announces it, even if it mentions a penalty.
When the writer points out a problem readers may run into, and how to avoid it, the text warns, new or not. And We apologize for any inconvenience is a courtesy: it doesn’t turn a change notice into an apology.
| Verb | Whose problem or benefit? | What the reader does next |
|---|---|---|
| warn | the reader’s possible problem | avoids it |
| recommend | the reader’s benefit | tries the option |
| complain | the writer’s problem | the person in charge fixes it |
| request | the writer’s need | does the task |
| confirm | nobody’s: it’s settled | turns up, or keeps the details |
| apologize | a problem the writer caused | accepts the apology or the fix |
Worked example
What is the main purpose of the message?
Answer: To warn colleagues about the elevator after 6 p.m.
Reporting what a text does
Listen to this page
When you report a message (“The email reminds us of the deadline”), each purpose verb has its own pattern. You’ll meet these patterns in answer options and need them in your own emails, so learn each verb and its pattern as one chunk.
One tip covers most of them. Remind, warn and ask put the person straight after the verb, with no to: remind us, warn cyclists, ask volunteers. Announce, explain, confirm, complain and apologize don’t: put the person after to, or leave the person out.
| Verb | Pattern | Example | Not this |
|---|---|---|---|
| remind | someone of / about something; someone to do; someone that… | “It reminds tenants about the recycling schedule.” | ✗ reminds us the deadline |
| warn | someone about / of something; someone (not) to do; (someone) that… | “The post warns cyclists about the icy bridge.” | ✗ warned us to don’t |
| announce | something; that… (to someone) | “The club announced a new meeting time.” | ✗ announced us that |
| ask / request | ask someone to do; request something | “The coordinator asks volunteers to arrive by 8.” | ✗ asked to us to arrive |
| recommend | something; ‑ing; that someone do | “She recommends taking the river path.” | ✗ recommended to take |
| apologize | (to someone) for something / ‑ing | “The office apologized for sending the wrong form.” | ✗ apologized to be late |
| complain | (to someone) about something | “Tenants complained to the manager about the dryer.” | ✗ complained the manager |
| explain | something to someone; that… | “The email explains the rules to new students.” | ✗ explains us the rules |
| confirm | something; that… | “The message confirms that the room is ready.” | ✗ confirms us the room |
Worked example
Report this note to the university band with warn:
“Please don’t leave your instruments in the rehearsal room overnight. The cleaners prop the door open until 11, and nobody checks the room.”
Answer: “The note warns band members not to leave their instruments in the rehearsal room overnight.”
Listen to this page
These slips cost you twice: they make a wrong option look right, and they make your own writing sound unnatural. The first two are meaning mistakes; the last three are pattern mistakes.
The notice reminds students that the café will open a second counter next month.
The notice announces that the café will open a second counter next month.
will open next month is news. Remind needs something readers were already told.
The post complains about the bike racks. (The writer tells other cyclists to move their bikes.)
The post warns cyclists about the Friday clear-out.
A complaint usually goes to someone who can fix a problem. A warning helps other readers avoid it.
The email reminds us the deadline.
The email reminds us of the deadline. / The email reminds us that the deadline is Friday.
You remind a person of a thing, or remind a person that + a clause.
The dean announced us that the lab would close.
The dean announced that the lab would close.
Announce takes no person right after it. If you need one, use to: announced to us that the lab would close / announced the change to us.
She recommended to take the river path.
She recommended taking the river path.
Recommend takes a noun, an ‑ing form or a that clause, not to + verb.
Now two quick questions: one pattern to complete, and one message to report.
Try it · question 1 of 2
Complete with one word.
“The coach reminded the team ___ bring water to Saturday’s match.”
Answer: to
remind someone to do for an action. Before a noun, use of or about: reminded the team of the match.
Try it · question 2 of 2
A college office wrote, “Sorry we sent you the wrong timetable.” Which sentence reports this correctly?
Answer: D. The office apologized for sending the wrong timetable.
apologize for + ‑ing.
Question 1 of 7
What is each opening line doing? Choose one verb for each. You can use a label more than once.
Label each one: announce / remind / warn / request / confirm
Could you tell me by Friday which interview time suits you?
From May 12, the north doors of the science building will close for repairs.
Watch out: the path behind the dorms gets icy before 8 a.m.
This is to confirm your place on Saturday’s campus photography walk.
As always, the book club meets in the lounge on the first Thursday of the month.
The campus shuttle will now run until midnight on Fridays.
Question 2 of 7
A student union sign says:
“Board-game night starts next month, every other Friday in the lounge.”
Which verb describes what the sign does?
Answer: C. announce
starts next month introduces a new event: that’s news.
Question 3 of 7
Complete with one word.
“The post reminds members ___ the potluck on Sunday.”
Answer: of
remind someone of (or about) + a noun: reminds members of the potluck.
Question 4 of 7
A museum guide said, “Don’t touch the paintings.” Which sentence reports this correctly?
Answer: C. The guide warned us not to touch the paintings.
warn + person + not to + verb.
Question 5 of 7
Lines from a campus food-truck page. What does each one do? You can use a label more than once.
Label each one: complain / warn / recommend / apologize
The mushroom dumplings alone are worth the trip.
@Dumpling Wagon, this is the third Friday in a row you’ve run out of forks by 12:30.
Get there before noon, or the line will reach the parking lot.
From the owners: we’re sorry the menu board showed last week’s prices on Tuesday.
Bring cash: the card reader has been down all week, and they won’t hold your order while you find an ATM.
Question 6 of 7
Complete the summary:
“The email ___ Grace to run the welcome table.”
Hi Grace,
Thanks for offering to help at the open day. Could you run the welcome table from 9 to 11? Let me know by Wednesday if that works.
Best,
Olu
Answer: B. asks
Could you run…? and Let me know… if that works are a request: ask someone to do something.
Question 7 of 7
Which sentence best reports the notice?
HARTLEY HALL VISITORS
From March 1, visitors to Hartley Hall must sign in at the front desk. The side door will no longer open with a visitor pass.
Answer: A. It announces that visitors must now sign in at the desk.
From March 1 + must and will no longer announce a new rule, and the side door line is part of it.
Listen to this page
Register is how formal the language is. Read in Daily Life uses many kinds of everyday text (notices, emails, posts, ads, schedules, menus and more). This lesson focuses on three of them, and each has its own voice.
Register shows who is writing to whom, so it tells you who the audience is and how direct the writer can be. An organization writes carefully to everyone; a neighbor can joke with the group.
Register never decides the purpose on its own, though: a notice, an email and a post can all warn.
| Genre | Who writes to whom | Typical language | Example line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official notice | an organization to everyone who uses a place | a headline; often third person (residents, members); rules in the passive or with modals (must be returned, are asked to); will for changes; full forms; no greeting | “Guests must sign out at the front desk before 10 p.m.” |
| Service or work email | a person or office to one reader or a few | a greeting with a name; you; polite formulas (Thank you for…, Please let us know…); a closing, often with a job title | “Hi Arjun, thanks for volunteering at Saturday’s book swap.” |
| Personal post | one person to a community group | a byline with a group name; I; contractions; fragments (Quick tip:); questions the writer answers; imperatives (Just ask.); idioms; a story from experience | “Quick tip for anyone new on Elm Street: the corner bakery sells yesterday’s bread for half price.” |
These markers are typical, not fixed: many notices also say you, and a friendly office email may use contractions. Look at the mix, not at one word.
Listen to this page
Most texts name their audience early. The audience line tells you whose problem the text solves, so it helps you reject options aimed at the wrong group. Look at the headline, the greeting and phrases like For anyone who….
If everyone reads a text but only one group must act, the action sentence names that group. And keep apart the readers a text is written to and the people it only talks about, such as cleaners or staff.
| Audience signal | Example | Who must act |
|---|---|---|
| For anyone who… | “For anyone who parks on Level 2…” | only those drivers |
| Dear [name] | “Dear Mr. Silva, …” | one person |
| If you’re… | “If you’re on the Tuesday field trip…” | only that group |
| Other… are not affected | “Other members don’t need to do anything.” | nobody else |
Worked example
Who must stay after the training?
Answer: Only the volunteers leading a group at Saturday’s river clean-up.
Listen to this page
Register changes the words, not the purpose. Compare one warning written three ways. What changes: the subject, the verbs, the polite formulas and the idioms.
What stays: the risk (the sprinklers) and the action (keep things off the grass). Asked the purpose, you’d answer warn all three times.
NORTH LAWN: Sprinklers run daily from 6 to 7 a.m. Please keep belongings off the grass during this time.
Hi Lena, please note that the north lawn sprinklers run from 6 to 7 each morning, so it isn’t a good place to leave your things. Best, Arjun
Heads up, early birds: the north lawn sprinklers kick in at 6, so keep your stuff off the grass. Ask my backpack.
Change or no change
Listen to this page
Notices mark change with a small set of phrases. They separate announce from remind, and they carry the dates that questions ask about. A notice often contains one change and several things that stay the same.
The change is usually why the notice was written. The no-change lines reassure readers or answer “What about…?”
| Change → something new | No change → the same as before |
|---|---|
| will no longer + verb | remains + adjective (remains open, remains available) |
| will now + verb | continues to + verb |
| has moved to | is still |
| instead of | as usual |
| From [date], … | as before |
| is being replaced by | stays the same |
| Sentence | Change or no change? |
|---|---|
| “The main office will no longer accept cash payments.” | change |
| “The side entrance remains open during the repairs.” | no change |
Try it
“The campus post room will now close at 4 p.m. on Fridays. Monday to Thursday hours remain the same.”
Which part is the reason the notice was written?
Answer: B. will now close at 4 p.m. on Fridays
will now marks the change: that’s the news.
Reading posts
Listen to this page
Posts often make their point indirectly. Three habits matter. A story from the writer’s experience is evidence for the advice, not the point.
A question the writer answers (“Would I go again? Absolutely not.”) is a statement in question form, so read the question and the answer together. An idiom carries the writer’s attitude, so put it into plain words first.
| Post habit | Example | Plain meaning |
|---|---|---|
| question + short answer | “Was the 5 a.m. birdwatching walk worth it? Every single minute.” | yes, it was worth it |
| idiom | “I learned that the hard way.” | I made this mistake myself |
| idiom | “Save yourself the trouble: …” | here’s how to avoid a problem |
| idiom | “The shelf was picked clean.” | almost nothing was left: other people took everything |
| story | “Last week I waited forty minutes at the bike repair stand.” | evidence for a warning |
Worked example
What does the writer mean by the question and its answer?
Answer: The writer won’t arrive at 7 again; next time they’ll probably come later, once the stalls are set up.
Listen to this page
Two slips in writing, then three in reading posts and audience lines.
(A building notice) “Hey guys, grab your stuff from the laundry room by 9!”
“Residents are asked to remove all items from the laundry room by 9 p.m.”
An official notice speaks to everyone, uses the polite passive and avoids slang.
(An email to a professor) “Hey, can u send the slides?”
“Dear Professor Lin, could you send the slides from Tuesday’s lecture?”
A reader you don’t know well needs a greeting with a title and a polite request form.
Reading “Would I go again? Not likely.” as a real question to readers.
Reading it as “I probably won’t go again.”
The writer answers the question, so it’s a statement in question form.
Answering “all volunteers” when the text says “If you’re on the Saturday litter-pick, bring gloves.”
Only the volunteers on the Saturday litter-pick.
The audience line limits who must act.
Treating “I waited forty minutes at the bike repair stand” as the post’s point.
It’s evidence for the advice to go early.
In posts, a story usually supports the advice.
Now two quick questions: one about register, and one about a question the writer answers.
Try it · question 1 of 2
Which line comes from a personal post, not a notice or a service email?
Answer: C. Confession: it took me two years to find the study room behind the café.
A fragment (Confession:), I and a personal story: a post.
Try it · question 2 of 2
Fatima’s post says:
“Was the ‘quick’ welcome meeting for new volunteers quick? Let’s just say I missed lunch.”
What does the writer mean?
Answer: B. The meeting ran much longer than expected.
The quotation marks around quick and “Let’s just say…” signal understatement: no, it wasn’t quick.
Question 1 of 7
Where does each line come from?
Label each one: official notice / email to one person / personal post
Residents are asked to keep the stairwell doors closed at all times.
Dear Ms. Okafor, thank you for your application for the summer internship.
Okay, confession: I walked past the rooftop garden for a year before I finally went in.
Hi Tomás, your locker key is ready at the equipment office.
Bicycles may not be left in the entrance hall overnight.
Question 2 of 7
An art studio notice. Tap the sentence that tells you which readers need to do something.
Answer: Students enrolled in Drawing 101 should collect their portfolios before then.
Yes. Students enrolled in Drawing 101 is the audience line, and should collect is the action.
Question 3 of 7
The same street-cleaning warning, written three ways. Which version fits a personal post in a neighborhood group?
Answer: B. Heads up, Birch Street folks: move your car before 8 on Tuesday. The sweeper won’t wait.
Heads up, a friendly name for the audience, an imperative and a contraction with a joke (won’t wait): a neighbor’s post.
Question 4 of 7
Change or no change? Label each line from a campus notice.
Label each one: change / no change
The shuttle will no longer stop outside the stadium.
The pottery studio will now close at 9 on weekdays.
The south entrance remains open during the work.
The film club has moved to the Hill Building.
As usual, the swap shop runs on the last Saturday of the month.
The writing center continues to offer evening appointments.
Question 5 of 7
What does Lena mean?
Community post
Lena Novak • Astronomy Club
Would I do the campus night-sky tour again? Absolutely, but next time I’m bringing gloves and a thermos.
Answer: D. She’d do the tour again, better prepared for the cold.
Absolutely means yes, and gloves and a thermos show the night was cold.
Question 6 of 7
What does Priya imply when she writes, “I learned that the hard way”?
Community post
Priya Shah • First-Year Forum
Save yourself the trouble: the used-textbook shelf at the campus bookstore is picked clean by the second day of term. I learned that the hard way.
Answer: A. She got to the shelf after the good books were gone.
The hard way means through her own bad experience: she arrived after the shelf was picked clean.
Question 7 of 7
Whose plans does this email change?
Hi all,
If you signed up for Thursday’s lab tour, please note that it now starts at 2:30 instead of 1:30. Students on the Friday tour don’t need to do anything.
Thanks,
Department Office
Answer: D. Students on the Thursday tour
If you signed up for Thursday’s lab tour is the audience line, and their start time moves to 2:30.
Listen to this page
A Read in Daily Life set gives you one short everyday text, such as a notice, email or post, and two or three questions, often including one about the main purpose.
Its options usually share the frame To + verb + topic, and the wrong ones are built from the text itself: the right topic with the wrong verb, one true detail, or something the text never says. So every option sounds familiar.
Know the answer before you look, and familiar words can’t pull you away.
| Question wording | What it really asks | Where to look first |
|---|---|---|
| “What is the main purpose of the notice?” | the whole text’s job | the headline and the first body sentence |
| “Why did [name] write the post?” | the writer’s reason | the audience line, and the first and last lines |
| “What is the email mainly about?” | the topic plus the function | the first paragraph |
| “Why does the writer mention [detail]?” | the job of one detail | the sentence around it |
Other verbs, such as introduce (announce something new) or encourage, get the same test: does the verb match what the whole text does?
Listen to this page
Name the purpose yourself, then match. If you read the options first, the most familiar words pull you in. The four steps take about twenty seconds, and they save time: you test each option against a clear answer, not a vague feeling.
| Step | Look at | Ask yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | the headline, the greeting, For anyone who… | Who is this for? |
| What is new or needed | the first body sentence, dates, change verbs | What must readers know or do? |
| Name it | your own words | one verb + a topic |
| Test the options | the verb, then the scope, then the support | Right function? Whole text or one part? Stated, or read in? |
CAMPUS BOOKSTORE: From January 15, textbook returns will be accepted only with a receipt. The rule does not apply to unopened software. Customers without a receipt can ask for store credit instead.
One-verb purpose: announce a new returns rule.
Listen to this page
Once you’ve named the purpose, most wrong options fall into one of four traps. Test them in this order: the verb first, then the scope (the whole text or one part?), then the support (is it actually stated?).
| Trap | What it looks like | Why it’s wrong |
|---|---|---|
| wrong function | the right topic, the wrong verb: remind for a new rule, complain for a warning | the verb doesn’t match what the text does |
| one detail promoted | a true detail from one sentence | too narrow for the whole text |
| story as purpose | the writer’s own experience turned into the point | the story is evidence |
| over-read | a claim the text never makes | not supported |
To remind customers to keep their receipts
To announce a new rule for textbook returns
From January 15 makes it a change, so the verb is announce or introduce, not remind.
To explain which items can be returned without a receipt
To announce a new rule for textbook returns
The software exception is one sentence. The purpose must cover the whole notice.
To complain about a forty-minute wait at the bike repair stand (a post telling other riders to arrive before 10)
To warn riders that the line gets long later in the morning
The wait is the writer’s evidence, and the post speaks to other riders, not to the stand’s owner.
To warn customers that returns now cost a fee
To announce a new rule for textbook returns
No fee is mentioned: the option reads in something the text never says.
Strategy walkthrough
Listen to this page
The whole move on a test-length notice: read it once, name its job in one verb, then work through the options.
Worked example
What is the main purpose of the notice?
Answer: (B).
The rest of the set
Listen to this page
The other questions in a set often ask what is NOT possible, what someone can do, when something opens or closes, or what a line implies. The map you built for the purpose tells you where each answer lives.
NOT questions take their options from different paragraphs, and at least one true option usually depends on an exception or a limit. So check the condition before you cross anything out.
| Paragraph job | Signal words | Questions it answers |
|---|---|---|
| new rule | From [date], must, will no longer | purpose; what changes |
| exception | except, does not apply to, only | NOT; what can someone do |
| alternative | instead, can still, if you… | what can someone do |
| limit or penalty | up to, no more than, twice, cannot… until | NOT; what happens if |
| timing | open, close, before, after, … hours ahead | when |
Worked example
Which will NOT be allowed after September 14?
Answer: (B).
Try it
Listen to this page
The checklist: Who is it for? New or already known? One verb plus a topic.
Then test each option’s verb, scope and support, in that order.
Try it · question 1 of 3
A post by Jonas in Maple Court Residents:
“Grilling on the roof this weekend? Get your charcoal from the hardware store on Elm Street. It’s half the price of the supermarket, and the owner will carry the bags to your car. I’ve bought all my charcoal there since May.”
What is the main purpose of the post?
Answer: B. To recommend a store to neighbors who need charcoal
Get your charcoal from…, the lower price and the help with bags all advise a good choice, and his own buying since May is evidence.
Try it · question 2 of 3
An email:
“Dear Ms. Adeyemi, thank you for registering for Saturday’s campus tree walk. We’ll meet at the main gate at 10 a.m. Comfortable shoes are a good idea.”
What is the main purpose of the email?
Answer: A. To confirm her place on the walk
thank you for registering + the meeting time and place settle her arrangement.
Try it · question 3 of 3
“The music practice rooms can be used without booking before 5 p.m. After 5 p.m., they must be booked at the front desk.”
Which is NOT possible?
Answer: B. Using a room at 6 p.m. without booking
After 5 p.m., rooms must be booked, so this breaks the condition.
Question 1 of 8
Label each purpose option for this notice.
WEST CAMPUS RECYCLING
From Monday, glass goes in the green bins by the gate, not the blue bins. Paper and cans stay in the blue bins. Bins are emptied on Wednesdays.
Label each one: fits the whole text / wrong function (right topic, wrong verb) / only one detail / says something the text doesn’t
To remind residents of the usual recycling rules
To explain when the bins are emptied
To announce a change to where glass is collected
To announce that paper now goes in the green bins
Question 2 of 8
What is the main purpose of the notice?
OUTDOOR POOL
Reminder: as in previous years, the outdoor pool will close for cleaning from August 1 to 7. The indoor pool stays open as usual that week, and swimming lessons continue there.
Answer: C. To remind swimmers that the outdoor pool closes for yearly cleaning
Reminder and as in previous years show the closure is a yearly routine, so the notice’s job is to remind.
Question 3 of 8
Why did Amara write the post?
Community post
Amara Diallo • Riverside Residents
Heads up for anyone taking the riverside path to the Saturday market: the footbridge is closed for painting until the end of the month, and the signs only appear once you reach it. I walked twenty minutes out of my way. Use the Park Street crossing instead.
Answer: B. To warn walkers about the closed footbridge
Heads up for anyone taking the riverside path is the audience line, the closure is the risk, and Use the Park Street crossing instead shows how to avoid it.
Question 4 of 8
What is the main purpose of the email?
Dear Mr. Hassan,
Thank you for signing up for Thursday’s résumé workshop at the Career Center. The session runs from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 210. Please bring a printed copy of your résumé; advisers will write comments on it.
Career Center
Answer: A. To confirm his place in the workshop
thank you for signing up + the time and room settle his place, and the last sentence says what to bring.
Question 5 of 8
Label the job of each sentence from a language lab notice.
Label each one: new rule / exception / alternative / penalty
Headsets returned after closing time carry a $2 late fee.
From October 3, headsets must be borrowed with a student card.
If you forget your card, the desk can look up your ID number instead.
This rule does not apply to staff, who may use their own headsets.
Question 6 of 8
What is the main purpose of the notice?
WEST LOT PARKING
From September 1, permits will be digital: your license plate is your permit. Paper hang tags will no longer be accepted. Visitors can still pay at the machine by the entrance. Cars without a valid permit may be ticketed.
Answer: D. To introduce a new way of showing parking permits
From September 1 + permits will be digital is a new system, and the other lines support it.
Question 7 of 8
Which of the following will NOT be possible after September 8?
CAMPUS WOODSHOP
From September 8, only members may use the woodshop on weekdays. On Saturdays, anyone may drop in for the open workshop. On weekdays, members can bring one guest if they sign the guest in at the desk.
Answer: D. A non-member coming in alone on a Tuesday
Only members may use the woodshop on weekdays; a non-member needs a member to sign them in.
Question 8 of 8
Diego wants a place on Monday’s 2 p.m. tour. Between which times can he sign up online?
CAMPUS TOURS: ONLINE SIGN-UP
Online sign-up for each guided campus tour opens exactly two days before the tour starts. It closes at 5 p.m. on the day before the tour.
Answer: A. From 2 p.m. Saturday to 5 p.m. Sunday
Two days before Monday at 2 p.m. is Saturday at 2 p.m., and sign-up closes at 5 p.m. on the day before, Sunday.
These words come from the real questions this lesson is built on. Each has its meaning, an example, a common collocation and its word family.
an arrangement to keep a table, seat or room for you
We made a reservation for six at the noodle bar near campus.
to sell all the tickets or items available
The spring concert sold out in under an hour.
to pay for or include something
The student fee covers entry to the gallery but not the special exhibitions.
before something happens
The pottery studio asks you to book a wheel two days in advance.
open to anyone without an appointment
The career office holds drop-in sessions every Wednesday, so you don’t need an appointment.
between one teacher or helper and one learner
The language center offers one-to-one conversation practice with a trained volunteer.
to explain something step by step as someone does it
The lab assistant walked us through the safety checklist before we started.
to still be possible to use
During the kitchen repairs, the microwaves in the lounge remain available.
where customers serve themselves
The campus café has two self-service coffee machines, so you don’t have to wait at the counter.
to finally be in a situation you did not plan
We missed the last bus and ended up walking home.
Before reading the options, name what the whole text does in one verb: something new is announced, something known is a reminder, a risk is a warning.
The whole lesson on one page.
| Verb | The text… | Signals | Reporting pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| announce (introduce) | tells readers something new | Starting…, From [date], will now, will no longer | announce something / that… |
| remind | repeats something readers were told before | Just a reminder, As always, still | remind someone of / to / that |
| warn | points out a risk | Heads up, Watch out, … or you’ll… | warn someone about / not to / that |
| request / ask | gets the reader to act | Could you…, Please reply by… | ask someone to |
| confirm | settles an arrangement | This is to confirm, You’re all set | confirm something / that |
| recommend | advises a good choice | I’d recommend, It’s worth | recommend something / ‑ing / that |
| complain | says something went wrong, usually to whoever can fix it | This is the third time | complain (to someone) about |
| apologize | says sorry for a problem the writer caused | We’re sorry for | apologize (to someone) for something / ‑ing |
| lead-ins (not a job) | flag something important | Please note, Be aware | name the job from what follows |
| Genre | Markers | Audience |
|---|---|---|
| notice | a headline, often third person, passive and modal rules, no greeting | everyone who uses a place or service |
| service email | a greeting with a name, you, polite formulas, a closing | one reader or a small group |
| personal post | a byline, I, contractions, fragments, questions the writer answers, idioms, stories | a community group |
| Change → announce | No change → remind or reassure |
|---|---|
| will no longer | remains |
| will now | continues to |
| has moved to | is still |
| instead of | as usual |
| From [date] | as before |
| Step or trap | What to do |
|---|---|
| audience | the headline, the greeting, For anyone who… |
| new or needed | the first body sentence and any start date |
| name it | one verb + a topic, before you read the options |
| wrong function | check the verb first |
| one detail | does it cover every paragraph? |
| story as purpose | the story is evidence |
| over-read | is it actually stated? |
| the rest of the set | map each paragraph: new rule, exception, alternative, limit, timing |
In the course, this step runs on a test screen modeled on the 2026 TOEFL. Here is the walk-through set from this lesson. Answer each question yourself first, then open the answer to see what to notice, the move to make and why the trap attracts.
Samira Farouk • Slow Travel Circle
For anyone traveling on a Seaboard Rail Pass this autumn: the pass covers your ticket, not your seat. Express trains also require a $7 reservation, and on weekends those tend to sell out several days in advance. I discovered this on the platform in Marrow Bay last Saturday and ended up on the slow train, which took four hours instead of two and a half.
Regional trains don’t take reservations at all, so the pass on its own is enough. Just get on. Kids under 12 travel free on the pass and their express reservations cost nothing, but you still have to book them.
Would I buy the pass again? Probably. Would I turn up on a Saturday and hope for the best again? Not a chance.
Question 1 of 3
What is the main purpose of the post?
Answer: A. To warn other travelers about a gap in the pass
Samira shares what she learned the hard way so that other pass holders book express seats ahead.
“For anyone traveling on a Seaboard Rail Pass this autumn: the pass covers your ticket, not your seat.” Then: “Express trains also require a $7 reservation, and on weekends those tend to sell out several days in advance.” The first words are the audience line, and the rest is a limit that pass holders may not know about.
Audience first, then function. For anyone traveling… means Samira writes to future pass holders, and what she tells them is a risk: without a reservation, they may not get an express seat. One verb: she warns them about something the pass doesn’t include.
Then test each option’s verb against the whole post: “To warn other travelers about a gap in the pass”.
“To complain about a four-hour train journey” attracts because the four-hour ride is the most vivid detail.
But it’s her evidence, and she writes to other travelers, not to the rail company.
“To encourage readers to buy the rail pass” grows from the single word “Probably.” “To recommend regional trains over express ones” turns the regional-train line, one detail, into a recommendation she never makes.
Question 2 of 3
A couple travel with their 10-year-old on a Sunday, taking one express train and then a regional train. How much will they pay for reservations?
Answer: B. $14
Only the express train needs reservations. The two adults pay $7 each; the 10-year-old’s reservation is free; the regional train needs none. The total is $14.
“Express trains also require a $7 reservation” … “Regional trains don’t take reservations at all” … “Kids under 12 travel free on the pass and their express reservations cost nothing, but you still have to book them.”
Treat each sentence as a rule with a limit, and apply it to each traveler. Two adults on the express train: 2 × $7. The 10-year-old is under 12: $0.
The regional train: no reservation at all. Total: $14.
“$21” attracts because “you still have to book them” sounds like a cost.
But booking isn’t paying: the child’s reservation costs nothing.
“$28” forgets that regional trains take no reservations.
“$7” counts only one of the two adults.
Question 3 of 3
What does Samira imply when she writes, “Would I turn up on a Saturday and hope for the best again? Not a chance”?
Answer: D. She will book express seats well before traveling.
Samira arrived on a Saturday without a seat reservation and could not get onto the express. Saying she would never “hope for the best” again implies that she will reserve early next time.
“Would I turn up on a Saturday and hope for the best again? Not a chance.” Read it with the earlier lines: “on weekends those tend to sell out several days in advance. I discovered this on the platform in Marrow Bay last Saturday.”
Read the question and its answer as one plain statement: “I will never again arrive on a Saturday without a reservation.” Then ask what she’ll do instead: book express seats ahead.
“She regrets having bought the pass” attracts because “Not a chance” sounds like regret about everything, but it answers only the second question.
The first question, whether she would buy the pass again, got “Probably.” “She will take only regional trains from now on” and “Saturday trains are too crowded to enjoy” add ideas the post never states.
Guided practice and the Check
The rest of this step is part of the full TOEFL course. You practice on test screens modeled on the 2026 TOEFL, then take a short Check under test conditions.
TOEFL plan from $29/month. See plans
Name the whole text’s job with one verb before reading the options. New means announce; something readers were already told means remind; a risk means warn.
Read a post’s question and its short answer as one plain statement, then ask what it means for the reader.
Before choosing, check each rule for its exception or limit (only, except, without booking, if).
Find each option’s paragraph, mark the three that are possible, and choose the one left.
Opening and closing times are separate rules. Count back whole days from the event first, then keep the clock time.
Before reading the options, name what the whole text does in one verb: something new is announced, something known is a reminder, a risk is a warning.
That was lesson 6 of 41
The full TOEFL course has 41 lessons like this one across all four sections, each with guided practice and a Check on a test screen modeled on the 2026 TOEFL, plus full-length practice tests.
See what every lesson covers in the full course outline, or read the outline of the next lesson, Conditions, exceptions and dates.