TOEIC Part 1 – Common Grammatical Patterns & High-Frequency Vocabulary

PRESENT CONTINUOUS – PEOPLE’S CURRENT ACTIONS

  • Core pattern: S + be + V\text{-}ing ➜ describes what people are doing at the exact moment a photo is taken.
  • Very high frequency in TOEIC Part 1.
  • Master the verb + “-ing” expressions that typically appear in answer choices.
    • adjusting – changing position of an object.
    • “One man is adjusting his glasses.”
    • admiring – looking at with pleasure.
    • “The women are admiring the photograph.”
    • bending over – leaning downward.
    • “A man is bending over his luggage.”
    • browsing – looking through casually/on a website.
    • “Customers are browsing along the display.”
    • buttoning – fastening buttons.
    • “One of the men is buttoning the front of his shirt.”
    • carrying – holding & moving something.
    • “The man is carrying a jacket over his shoulder.”
    • changing – replacing; switching.
    • “The men are changing the lights.”
    • clearing – removing/cleaning away.
    • “One of the men is clearing the dishes from the table.”
    • cutting – using a blade to divide.
    • “He is cutting pieces of fabric.”
    • emptying – pouring contents out.
    • “The man is emptying a bucket into a container.”
    • exchanging – giving & receiving mutually.
    • “They are exchanging business cards.”
    • facing – turned toward.
    • “The men are facing opposite directions.”
    • filing – submitting/organising paperwork.
    • “A man is filing paperwork.”
    • filling – making full.
    • “The woman is filling a barrel with oil.”
    • getting into – entering.
    • “The people are getting into the vehicle.”
    • handing – giving by hand.
    • “One man is handing his key to the other.”
    • hanging – suspending.
    • “People are hanging signs on the wall.”
    • helping – assisting.
    • “One man is helping the other stand up.”
    • holding – gripping.
    • “A parent is holding the child’s hands.”
    • leaning against – resting on.
    • “He is leaning against the wall.”
    • loading – putting cargo on.
    • “The men are loading crates onto a truck.”
    • looking – gazing.
    • “The woman is looking in the mirror.”
    • photographing – taking pictures of.
    • “The women are photographing the scenery.”

SIMPLE PRESENT – ACTIVE

  • Two sub-patterns frequently tested:
    1. S + be + prepositional\ phrase (location/state)
    2. S + V + O (daily facts/habits)
  • Samples:
    • be on: “The men are on their bicycles.”
    • be about: “The woman is about to drive the vehicle.” (future intention)
    • be ready: “They are ready to go fishing.”
    • have: “A man has a long-sleeved shirt on.”

SIMPLE PRESENT – PASSIVE (OBJECT FOCUS)

  • Form: S + be + past\ participle
  • Highlights both actions & standing conditions; multiple people may appear but description zooms in on general atmosphere.
  • Typical fixed expressions + prep:
    • be engaged in – “…engaged in a friendly discussion.”
    • be gathered – “…gathered together in a conference room.”
    • be posted – “A guard is posted in front of the building.” / “A notice is posted…”
    • be seated – “in a row / with legs crossed.”

PRESENT PERFECT – COMPLETED RESULTS

  • Form: S + have/has + past\ participle (active) or S + have/has + been + P.P. (passive)
  • The photo must show the result already achieved – not the action underway.
    • has put – “One man has put his briefcase on the floor.”
    • has lifted – “One man has lifted the wheelbarrow.”
    • have left – “Customers have left the bookstore.”
    • have stopped – “The riders have stopped on a bridge.”
    • Passive variants (have/has been + P.P.):
    • “The curtains have been closed.”
    • “Some merchandise has been hung outside the store.”
    • “The road… has been paved.”

PEOPLE’S ACTIONS & EMOTIONS – OBJECT-ORIENTED PASSIVE

1. Passive Simple Present (Conditions of Things)

  • Memorise set phrases:
    • arranged, closed, close to, covered with, crowded, decorated with, displayed, exhibited, filled with, laid out, lined up, loaded with, occupied, opened, parked, piled, placed, reflected, stacked, stocked with, stuck, tied to.
    • Eg. “The chairs are arranged in a semicircle.”

2. Passive Present Continuous (Action in Progress on Objects)

  • Form: S + be + being + P.P.
  • Emphasis = action currently performed by (usually unseen) people.
    • being cleaned/constructed/displayed/driven/exchanged/fixed/handled/installed/lowered/made/offered/picked/ planted/plowed/pushed/raised/removed/renovated/repainted/repaired/served/swept/towed/used/washed.
    • Eg. “Various types of luggage are being displayed.”

3. Passive Present Perfect

  • Form: S + have/has\ been + P.P.
  • Same meaning as simple passive but slightly longer; be comfortable with it to avoid wasting time.
    • have been closed/hung/left open/paved/positioned/put out/set/ stacked/taken/turned off.

4. Active Present Perfect (Result-focused human action)

  • have caused/fallen/stopped/stuck.

5. “There is / There are” + Location Phrase

  • Pattern: there + be + object + prepositional phrase
  • Concentrate on object & place description:
    • “…leaves on the road,” “a bench on each side…,” “a bridge across the water,” “a fence in front of…,” “a lamp near the bed,” etc.

6. Be + Adjective / Prep Phrase (State Conditions)

  • Examples: asleep, bare, behind, clear, empty, in front of, on display, on the plate, open for, outside, overhead, spread, tall, upside-down.
    • Eg. “The cows are asleep on the straw in the barn.”

7. Active Simple Present (Very Short – Object Focus)

  • Key verbs requiring global understanding of picture: contain, extend, form, have, lead to, overlook, pass by, support.
    • Eg. “Tiles form a pattern at the base of the column.”

8. Active Present Continuous (Non-human focus – natural/vehicle movement, etc.)

  • bloom, crash, drive, float, fly, go, handle, move, pass, pull, rest, share, sleep, walk, wave.
    • Eg. “Waves are crashing on the shore.”

EXTENSIVE ACTION VOCAB LIST (FREQUENT VERBS & IDIOMS)

Below is a consolidated, alphabetised bank of verbs/phrases commonly used in TOEIC Part 1 photographs. Master the meaning + visual cue each implies.

  • Adjusting his glasses / Admiring the plants / Applauding the speaker / Arranging a pile of books / Assembling shelves / Attaching a notice / Attending a conference / Attending to the patient / Baking cookies / Bending over the table / Boarding the bus / Booking a trip.
  • Browsing along the displays / Brushing back her hair / Buttoning one’s coat / Buying tickets to the gallery.
  • Carrying a box on his shoulders / Carving a sculpture / Cashing a check / Changing into a uniform / Chatting across the table / Checking a watch / Chopping vegetables / Clapping hands / Cleaning the display window / Climbing over a fence / Climbing up a hill / Closing a cabinet / Collecting folding chairs / Combing hair / Coming out of the building / Commuting to work / Constructing a model ship / Cooking soup / Copying a photograph / Crossing the tracks / Cutting a piece of paper.
  • Delivering a presentation / Developing film / Digging in a garden / Dining with friends / Directing traffic / Discussing the document / Displaying art / Distributing plates of food / Diving into the sea / Drawing in a notebook / Drinking from a cup / Driving a delivery truck / Eating in a restaurant.
  • Inflating the tires / Inspecting an item / Installing tiles / Jogging around the park / Jumping over the fence / Knitting a scarf / Laying a concrete sidewalk / Leaning back in one’s seat / Leaning forward by the counter / Leaning over the rail / Leaving a store / Lifting cartons / Lighting candles / Loading a box onto a cart / Locking up the warehouse / Looking at one’s reflection / Looking for documents in a cabinet / Looking in the mirror / Looking over the menu / Lying on a bench.
  • Making a transaction / Making a bed / Marching outside / Measuring fabrics / Moving chairs closer / Moving down the slope / Mowing a lawn.
  • Observing a match / Offering someone a meal / Opening a drawer / Operating heavy machinery / Ordering food from a menu / Organising papers / Packing away poles / Packing for a trip / Painting a picture / Parking one’s bike / Passing a box / Paying for the item / Pedaling down the street / Photographing the scenery / Picking up pastries / Picking vegetables / Piling books on shelves / Piloting a boat out to sea / Planting a musical instrument (i.e., playing) / Plugging in a machine / Pointing a finger to the monitor / Polishing a window / Posing for a picture / Posting a notice / Pouring drinks into glasses / Preparing food in two pans / Pulling a cart / Purchasing loaves of bread / Pushing a cart through the line / Putting a key into a lock / Putting away instruments / Putting down one’s pen / Putting on sweaters / Putting up a poster.
  • Racing down a street / Ranking the leaves / Reaching across the table / Reaching for an item / Reading a sign / Rearranging the furniture / Re-attaching the wheel / Relaxing outdoors / Removing one’s coat / Repairing fishing equipment / Resting on the grass / Re-stocking the shelves / Riding bicycles / Rinsing off the counter / Rolling up one’s sleeve / Rowing a boat / Running ahead of the man.
  • Sanding the floor / Selling a pattern / Serving beverages / Setting the table / Sewing a dress / Shaking hands / Shelving merchandise / Shielding one’s eyes with one’s hand / Shoveling snow / Signing some forms / Sipping some water / Sitting across from each other / Sitting by a plant / Sitting in a circle / Slicing pieces of cake / Sliding down a hill / Smiling at a friend / Sorting envelopes / Speaking into a microphone / Stacking books / Stacking bricks / Standing at the sink / Standing up straight / Staring at a screen / Staring into the distance / Stretching the hose / Strolling along the path / Stuffing clothes into a bag / Sweeping the room / Swimming in the lake.
  • Taking a dish out of the oven / Taking a nap on the bench / Talking on the telephone / Tasting the soup / Tidying up one’s desk / Transporting building materials / Trying on a sweater / Turning at the corner / Turning the pages of a book / Tying up the rope / Typing on a keyboard.
  • Unfolding a map / Using a bank machine.
  • Vacuuming the floor.
  • Waiting at the counter / Waiting to board the vehicle / Walking along the dock / Washing the dish / Watching a program on television / Watching another use a tool / Watering a plant / Waving flags from a window / Wearing a helmet / Weighing one’s luggage / Wheeling carts out of the building / Wiping off the kitchen counter / Working on a rooftop / Writing on a piece of paper / Writing some directions.

COMMON PASSIVE DESCRIPTIONS OF OBJECT-ONLY PHOTOS (INERT STATE)

  • a boat is docked, backpacks are stacked, the house is torn down, the door is closed, the envelope is opened, the road is crowded/paved, trees are reflected on the water, paintings line the walls, curtains have been shut, clothes are hanging from a rack, the buildings are shorter than the others.
  • Position-phrases:
    • books under the table / hats above the shoes / river below the bridge / television in the corner / flower shop next to a post office / lamp-post beside the hand-rail / chart in front of her / armchair behind the table / bridge laid across the river / trees along the path / buckets displayed in rows.

STRATEGIC TAKE-AWAYS FOR TOEIC PART 1

  • Identify verb tense quickly ➜ continuous (-ing) = ongoing action; perfect = completed; simple present passive = condition/state.
  • Watch out for mis-match traps: if a statement claims “is being…” the picture MUST show the human action IN PROGRESS (e.g., worker with tool on window). If statement is perfect (“…has lifted”), the result must already be visible (wheelbarrow already off the ground).
  • Fixed passive collocations (arranged, piled, lined up, stocked with) appear constantly—memorise them.
  • “There is/are…” sentences only test ability to recognise the object + its location; ignore any irrelevant items.
  • Prepositions of position (in front of, behind, next to, along, across, under, above, on, beside, between) serve as major distractors—double-check spatial relationships in the photo.
  • Numerical/quantifier words (one, both, several, each, many, a lot of) signal easy elimination if numbers don’t match.
  • Ethically / culturally neutral descriptions only: TOEIC avoids political, religious, or emotionally charged wording.

QUICK FORMULA REFERENCE

  • Present Continuous: S + be + V\text{-}ing
  • Present Continuous Passive: S + be + being + P.P. (focus on ongoing work)
  • Simple Present Passive: S + be + P.P. (object state)
  • Present Perfect Active: S + have/has + P.P. (result of human action)
  • Present Perfect Passive: S + have/has + been + P.P. (resulting object state)
  • “There” Existence: \text{There} + be + N + Prep\ Phrase

REVIEW TECHNIQUE

  1. Scan photograph for human vs. object focus.
  2. Note main verbs & tenses in answer choices.
  3. Mentally verbalise what you see before listening to choices; eliminates trap options featuring absent objects/actions.
  4. Beware plural/singular disagreement.
  5. Drill the above verb list until immediate visual association forms.

Good luck—mastering this list equips you to eliminate 75–90 % of typical distractors in TOEIC Part 1!