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1. What is Build a Sentence?
Build a Sentence is Writing Task 1 on the updated TOEFL 2026 exam. On each item, you see:
- a short prompt – a question or statement about an everyday situation, and
- a small word bank of 5–7 word chunks that you must place in the correct order to form a complete sentence.
The screenshot on page 1 of the training slides shows the interface: a row of clickable word blocks like "leave / Where / you / the keys / did" above a row of empty boxes where your sentence will appear. When you click each word, it fills a box until the sentence is complete.
Goal of the task
Use correct word order and grammar to build a sentence that answers or complements the prompt. You are not typing freely; instead, you are choosing the order of the given words.
2. Task details, timing & scoring
How many items?
- Each item uses 5–7 word chunks that you must place in order.
- You will see around 6–12 Build a Sentence items in the writing section.
Pacing
- Suggested timing: about 45 seconds per sentence.
- The entire writing section is about 23 minutes, with Task 1 taking roughly 6–8 minutes in total.
Score scale & partial credit
- Score scale: 0–5 for this task type.
- You receive full credit when:
- the words are in a correct order, and
- the sentence has the same meaning as the intended answer and uses correct grammar (in case more than one order is acceptable).
- The slides note that ETS has not revealed exact partial-credit rules; small mistakes in one answer may still allow a full score overall.
3. What Build a Sentence tests
Even though Task 1 looks simple, it tests important language and writing skills:
Understanding the situation
- Read the prompt carefully and understand who is speaking and what they need.
- Decide whether your sentence should be a statement or a question.
Grammar & word order
- Correct order for English questions and statements (wh-questions, yes/no questions, indirect questions).
- Correct use of auxiliaries such as do, does, is, will, can.
Accuracy under time pressure
- Building accurate sentences in about 45 seconds.
- Checking for small errors before you submit (capital letters, question mark placement, etc.).
4. Core strategies for Writing Task 1
Dive into the situation
The slides call the first strategy "Dive into situation." Before you look at the word options, understand the prompt clearly.
- Identify whether the prompt is a question you should answer or a statement you should respond to.
- Choose the correct sentence type:
- answer statement for a question, or
- question/statement to match a given statement.
- Read all the word chunks before clicking anything so you can see the whole picture.
Example prompts from the slides:
- Question: "What was the highlight of your trip?"
- Statement: "I'm planning to go to the beach tomorrow."
Use familiar patterns
Strategy 2 in the slides is "Learn patterns." Many Build a Sentence items repeat the same grammar patterns, so memorizing them makes the task much faster.
- Practice common question structures (wh-questions, yes/no questions, indirect questions).
- When you see words like what, which, do, does, can, will, if, whether, immediately think of the matching pattern.
- Use these patterns as "templates" and drop the word chunks into the correct slots.
Check quickly before submitting
With only 45 seconds per item, you don't have time for a long review, but you can still do a quick check:
- Does the sentence answer or match the prompt?
- Is the verb form correct for the subject (for example, does it not do it for third person singular)?
- Is the word order correct for a question (auxiliary before subject)?
5. Essential grammar patterns to know
Pages 5–6 of the slides list key sentence patterns that appear again and again in Build a Sentence items.
1. WH-question with auxiliary
Pattern: WH + auxiliary + subject + base verb … ?
Example: What time does it start?
- Correct: What recipes will you learn?
- Incorrect: What time it starts? (no inversion)
2. WH-word as subject
Pattern: WH + noun + main verb … ?
Example: Which store has the best deals?
- Do not add "does" in this pattern: not Which store does have the best deals?
3. Yes/No questions
Pattern: Aux + subject + base verb … ?
Example: Do you have a shopping list?
- Signal words at the start: Do / Does / Is / Are / Will / Can.
4. Indirect / embedded questions
Pattern: Main clause + if / whether + subject + verb …
Examples:
- Do you know if she will be moving…?
- Can you tell me whether the cabins will be available?
Important: no inversion after if / whether. Not whether will the cabins be available.
6. Example prompts & model answers
The slide deck includes several model Build a Sentence tasks. Here are three of them, rewritten in a webpage-friendly format.
Example 1 – Cooking class (promotion of activity)
Prompt: "I'll be taking a cooking class this weekend."
Word chunks (use each once): learn, what, will, you, recipes
Correct sentence: What recipes will you learn?
This uses the WH-question pattern: What + noun + will + subject + base verb. The question type fits the situation because the speaker wants to ask for more information about the class.
Example 2 – Promotion news (indirect question)
Prompt: "I heard Anna got a promotion."
Word chunks: a different department, if, moving to, know, do, you
Correct sentence: Do you know if she will be moving to a different department?
Here we have a yes/no main question (Do you know…?) plus an embedded if-clause. Notice that there is no inversion after if: it is she will be moving, not will she be moving.
Example 3 – Trip plans (indirect whether-question)
Prompt: "We're planning a trip to the mountains next weekend."
Word chunks: the cabins, available, whether, can, will be, you
Correct sentence: Can you tell me whether the cabins will be available?
This is another indirect question: Can you tell me whether + subject + verb. Again, the verb order after whether is the same as in a statement: the cabins will be available.
7. Practice routine for Writing Task 1
Step 1 – Collect prompts
- Write short prompts similar to the slides, such as: "I'm going to a concert tonight" or "We're moving to a new apartment".
- Decide whether the response should be a question or a statement.
Step 2 – Create word chunks
- For each prompt, write 5–7 word chunks on separate cards or in a list.
- Mix the order and practise rearranging them to form a correct sentence using the patterns above.
Step 3 – Time yourself
- Set a timer for 45 seconds per sentence to copy real test conditions.
- Once you are comfortable, reduce your time to 35–40 seconds for extra challenge.
Step 4 – Review grammar
- After each practice session, check:
- Did you use the correct pattern (wh-question, yes/no, indirect)?
- Did you keep subject–verb order and auxiliary verbs correct?
- Focus extra study time on the pattern that causes you the most mistakes.
8. Frequently asked questions
Where to practice Build a Sentence?
More than 100+ Build a Sentence samples with scoring and explanations you can find on testsucceed.com.
Do I have to type anything in Build a Sentence?
No. You do not type letters; you click or tap word chunks from the word bank to place them into boxes in the correct order, as shown in the interface screenshot on page 1 of the slides.
Will I lose points for capitalization or small spelling issues?
Because you select ready-made word chunks, spelling is already correct. You may still need to pay attention to capitalization of the first word and the use of a question mark, but the slides emphasize word order and grammar as the key scoring factors.
Is there partial credit if my sentence is almost correct?
The training materials note that ETS has not officially revealed how partial credit works. They suggest that full scores are based on a correct or equivalent sentence with correct grammar, and that a small number of minor mistakes might still be allowed overall. You should still aim for fully correct word order every time.
What is the most important thing to study for this task?
Focus on question patterns (especially wh-questions and indirect questions) and on connecting the sentence to the prompt. If you can quickly recognize patterns like What time does…? or Can you tell me whether…?, you can build correct sentences very fast.
How does Writing Task 1 affect my overall writing score?
Build a Sentence is one part of the 23-minute writing section. Doing well on these quick grammar-focused items gives you "easy" points and supports your overall writing score, so it is worth practising even though each sentence is short.
