TOEFL iBT · Writing · W1
TOEFL iBT Writing: Build a Sentence
Build a Sentence is the first Writing task on the January 2026 TOEFL iBT. You see one person's sentence or question in full, and the reply from a second person split into scrambled words and phrases. You arrange the pieces into a grammatical reply that fits the exchange. There are 10 items, scored automatically.
- Items
- 10
- What you see
- A full first sentence and a reply broken into word or phrase groups
- Response
- Drag or click the groups into the correct order
- Scoring
- Machine-scored against the accepted order
- Time
- No separate per-item limit is published; part of the ~23-minute Writing section
How it works
- 1The first speaker's sentence appears at the top.
- 2Below it, the reply's words and phrases appear out of order.
- 3You move each group into place until the reply reads as one correct sentence.
- 4You continue to the next exchange until all 10 are done.
Sample task
Original sample · not from an official test
Speaker A: "Did you finish the chemistry report?" Speaker B: arrange the groups to form the reply: [ yet ] [ I ] [ the results ] [ haven't ] [ checked ]
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Outline: I haven't checked the results yet.
The reply needs subject, then auxiliary with not, then main verb and object: "I haven't checked the results". "Yet" belongs at the end of a negative present-perfect sentence, and the reply answers the question naturally.
Tips that work
- Find the subject and the main verb first; the other pieces usually attach around them.
- Use the first speaker's sentence as a guide. If it is a question in the present perfect, the reply often uses the same tense.
- Check word-order rules that trip learners up: adverbs like yet and already, indirect questions ("Do you know where the lab is?"), and adjective order.
- Read your finished reply aloud in your head. If it sounds like a textbook fragment rather than something a person would say, try another order.
Common mistakes
- Keeping question word order in an indirect question inside the reply.
- Leaving a group unused because it did not seem to fit.
Questions candidates ask
Is there a time limit for each Build a Sentence item?
Public ETS material does not give a separate per-item time. The task sits inside the Writing section, which lasts about 23 minutes in total.
Is partial credit given?
Items are machine-scored against an accepted order, so treat each one as right or wrong and check the whole sentence before moving on.
Does Build a Sentence test vocabulary?
Mostly grammar and word order in a conversational context. All the words are given; your job is to place them correctly.
Other TOEFL iBT Writing tasks
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