TOEFL® Vocabulary ebook

In British English, the spelling is 'enrol' with one 'l' only.

As a transitive verb, the word 'enroll' means to get someone officially registered as a member of an organization or a school. In this case, the pattern is : ____(sb) enrolls __ (sb) in ___ (a school, a program, or an organization). For example

• My neighbors enrolled their children in a private school.

• I enrolled myself in a weight-loss program.

Or it simply means to take someone as a member. Here is an example:

• The college enrolls about 25,000 students every year.

As an intransitive verb, it is followed by the preposition 'in'. So 'to enroll in' means to officially register a course, a school, or an organization. The pattern is: ___ (sb) enrolls in ___ (a course, a school, or an organization). Here are examples:

• I enrolled in the history course.

• A total of 652 students have enrolled in college courses in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry.

• Many students enrolling in college are unprepared for the rigors of higher education.

• After graduating from high school, he enrolled in the army.

Notice that in British English, you often hear 'enrol on a course' instead of 'enroll in a course'. But if you are taking TOEFL exams, we recommend you use 'enroll in a course'. As the “on” version is pretty much never used in American English.

The following patterns and expressions are commonly used with the noun ‘reason’.

One/The reason why _____ is _____

One/The reason for _____ is ____.

Let’s look at the following examples:

• One reason why the population is growing so fast is that death rates have fallen dramatically
• One reason why the population is growing so fast is the drastic decline in the death rates.
• The reason for overpopulation is that resources are limited.

The adjectives "primary" and "main" are often used with the word "reason". Using this, you can change the last sentence like this:

• The primary/main reason for overpopulation is that resources are limited.

Definition: something that aids or promotes well-being

Example senences:

• Showcasing the work of those who might not have been noticed before is an excellent start that could benefit the entire industry.
• You get the benefit of working remotely but you might not feel as connected to the company as you would like.

One word that has the similar meaning of result is "consequence". However, the noun consequence is most frequently used to talk about negative results of an action. It is commonly used with such words as "adverse",  "disastrous", "fatal", "harmful", "negative", "serious", "tragic' and "unfortunate". 

For example,

• When people do something wrong, like rob a bank, the consequence will probably be prison time.
• When something occurs in nature, like a tornado touching down, destruction might be a disastrous consequence.

The following patterns and expressions are commonly used with the noun consequence.

• B is a consequence of A
• When/If ___, the consequence is B
• A has a consequence.
• The consequence of A is B.

Here are example sentences:

• Depletion of natural resources is a consequence of rapid industrial development.
• When humans exploit natural resources, the consequence can be the loss of natural habitats.
• The exploitation of natural resources has serious consequences.
• The consequences of oil spills are disastrous to many plants and animal marine life.

The word contributing can be used to describe things that help to bring about results, whether positive or negative.

Ok! Let’s take a look at the sentences below of the word contributing:

• The coach's positive attitude was a contributing factor to the team's success. 
• She has been a contributing writer for the magazine for 10 years.
• If you're a contributing voice in the audience at a noisy rock concert, it means you're screaming your head off. 
• If you're a contributing member of your friend's fundraising efforts, it means you're giving her money. 

When you write cause and effect sentences in TOEFL writing section, you can use the phrase "a contributing factor to" instead of "contribute to". Here is an example:

• Deforestation is a major contributor to climate change = Deforestation significantly contributes to climate change.

The word 'demand' has a general meaning of an urgent request, but when the word demand is used in a phrase, the meaning of the phrase varies. Let's look at the following phrases with the word 'demand':  (1) Make demands on (2) By popular demand (3) in demand (4) on demand

The first phrase is “make demands on”.  When you say A makes demands on B, you mean A is a lot for B to deal with. For example:

• This software program makes heavy demands on the computer's memory.
• Enforcing the current law is making ridiculous demands on police.

The next phrase is “by popular demand”.  “By popular demand” means that a lot of people have asked for it. For example,

• The circus will be back by popular demand later this summer

essentially means

• The circus will be back later this summer because a lot of people have asked for it to come back.

Here is another example

• By popular demand, HBO has promised fans 4 spin-off TV series from Game of Thrones.

Okay! The next phrase is”in demand”. When we say A is in demand,  we mean A is wanted by a lot of people. So for example:

• Our products are in demand all over the world.

Basically means

• Our products are wanted by a lot of people all over the world.

Often people are confused about “in demand” and “on demand”. As we just said,“In demand” means “something is wanted by a lot of people”. On the other hand, “On-demand” means “whenever people want it”. Look at the following examples

• Some people believe that wifi should be available on demand at school
• We can't simply make cosmetic surgery available on demand.

Another word you often see is the adjective 'on-demand'. It describes something that is available whenever a customer asks for it. Notice there is a hyphen in the middle. Let's look at some examples

• Our company will sell a voice recognition product as an on-demand service for our users.
• Most people in Africa do not have television, let alone on-demand movies.

On-demand can also be a noun. It means a service for watching films and TV programs at any time. For example,

• Cable customers pay $9.95 a month for on-demand

The word 'demand' is often used as an economic term, meaning "the amount of an item that is asked for in the market. In this case, it is often used with the preposition 'for'. Here are example sentences:

• Demand for organic food is increasing
• With the increasing population, we need to find out ways to cope with the increasing demand for food and water.
• Apple sold almost 5 million iPads during its March quarter and it still couldn't keep up with the demand for iPads.

The word demand can be a verb. When you demand, you request urgently.

The following two patterns are often used: (1) A demands that B does something (2) A demands to do something. Here are examples

• I demand that teachers give no homework on the weekend
• My boss demanded that the work to be done tonight.
• The customer demands to see our manager.

The adjective ‘disadvantaged’ describes someone or something lacking the things (such as money or education) that are considered necessary for an equal position in society.

Therefore, people who are disadvantaged or live in disadvantaged areas live in bad conditions and lack a good education, resources, or reasonable standards of living.

Let’s look at some examples.

• Research shows that men from disadvantaged backgrounds experience lower rates of marriage.
• Nowadays employers are reaching beyond their usual networks and hire more people from disadvantaged populations.
• Aborigines are the most disadvantaged ethnic group in Australia.
• Scholarships, grants, and financial aid make studying abroad affordable for disadvantaged students.

Also, ‘disadvantaged’ is often used with adverbs like ‘socially’ and ‘economically’ as in the following sentences

• Research shows economically disadvantaged children enter school with less developed cognitive skills than their peers.
• In addition to higher smoking prevalence, socially disadvantaged workers smoke more heavily and are less successful in quitting smoking compared to other workers.

An effect simply is the outcome or result of something.  The following patterns and expressions are commonly used with the noun effect. Note that A is the cause. B is the effect.

• The/One effect of A on ___ is B
• B is an/one effect of A on ___
• A has/have an effect on ____

The first and the second pattern describe what causes the effect - this is the A part -, and they define what the effect - B- is. Additionally, we use the preposition on to define the thing that is impacted by this cause and effect relationship. The third pattern only describes that something has an impact on something else, without actually defining the effect or consequence in detail.

Here are example sentences of the first and the second pattern:

• One effect of advertising on the public is overconsumption.
• Overconsumption is one effect of advertising on the public.

An example of the third pattern could be:

• Advertising can have a significant effect on the public.

In these examples, advertising is what causes the effect. The public is the target. Overconsumption is the effect.
 

We can replace ‘effect’ with the noun ‘impact’.So the above example sentences would become

• One impact of advertising on the public is overconsumption.
• Overconsumption is one impact of advertising on the public.
• Advertising can have a significant impact on the public

When we use the noun ‘impact’, or ‘effect’, we often use positive adjectives like ‘positive’, ‘beneficial’ or negative adjectives like ‘negative’, ‘adverse’, ‘harmful’, ‘detrimental’ before it.

Let’s look at the following examples:

• One negative impact of social media on the society is that it leads to addiction.
• One positive impact of computers on society is that they bring convenience to our lives.
• Parasitic relationships can have beneficial or harmful effects on hosts.

We often use the third pattern, followed by the second pattern when we write a summary.

Here are examples:

• Globalization has many adverse impacts on developing countries. One negative impact is the acceleration of income inequalities. However, globalization can also have positive impacts on developing countries.One positive impact is that it creates greater opportunities for firms to tap into more and larger markets around the world.

• Nicotine, an addictive substance, has many harmful effects on our health. One detrimental effect of nicotine is that it causes lung diseases. Another adverse effect of nicotine is it causing damage to our brains.

The noun estimation can mean opinion. Look at the following examples:

• My estimation of his films was never very high. [= I never thought his films were very good]

• This is not, in my estimation, an efficient use of our resources.

Another definition of estimation is an approximate calculation of something's value, size, amount ..etc. For example:

• If you go to an auction, you can often review a catalog that will have an estimation of the value of each item for sale. Sometimes the items sell for more than the estimation and sometimes less.
• You may ask a contractor for an estimation before you decide to build a deck on the back of your house.
• The analysis of ancient DNA in bones and teeth is now the most widely used method for age estimation in the field of archaeology.

Okay! The next word is ‘factor’. A factor is a part or an element that contributes to a result. For example,

• There are many factors that contribute to global warming.

Normally when you are making a decision, you think about many different factors. For example,

• If you are making a decision on where to go to university, money, distance and quality will all be factors in your decision. Notice the preposition ‘in’ is used after the word “factor”.

The word "factor" can also be used as a verb. To factor means to consider something relevant when making a decision or conclusion. For example,

• We need to factor in the weather and traffic when figuring out how long the drive will be.

Now! Let’s see three common patterns and expressions used with the word ‘factor’. Note that A is the cause. B is the result.

• One factor in B is A
• A is one factor in B
• Another factor in B is A

Let’s look at some example sentences.

Note that we often use adjectives such as "key", "critical", "contributing", and "crucial" with the noun ‘factor‘.

• The key factor in the current growth in population is mortality rate.
• One critical factor in the current growth in population is mortality rate.
• Decreasing the number of cars on the road is one crucial factor in the effort to reduce air pollution.
• Decreasing the number of cars on the road is one contributing factor in the effort to reduce air pollution.
• Another factor in water population is the increase in fertilized use by farmers.
• Another crucial factor in water population is the increase in fertilized use by farmers.

If you don’t want to use ‘factor in’ in any of above sentences, you can use ‘factor that contributes to something’ instead. Take this sentence for example.

• “One critical factor in the current growth in population is mortality rate.”

You can change it to:

• “One critical factor that contributes to the current growth in population is mortality rate.”

Influence in the noun form means the power to change or affect, move someone or something. For example:

• Recent years have seen a decline in the company's influence within the industry.

There are many other verbs which can be used together with the word influence. For instance, you can “have an influence on/over/upon sth”, “gain influence”, and "use/wield/exert influence".

"Exert/wield influence" means to use influence, authority, or power in order to affect or achieve something.

Note: If you wield a tool or a weapon, you handle it effectively. Picture a knight wielding a sword. You don't just have to wield something physical; you can also wield or exert influence/power/authority. 

Okay! Here are examples :

• She claims that her personal problems had no/little influence upon her decision to resign.
• His health problems may have had some influence on his decision.
• Her parents still have a great deal of influence over her.
• Her ideas have gradually gained influence in the company.
• He exerted/wielded his influence to reform the company's policies.
• A well-funded national organization would be able to exert/wield more influence in Parliament.
• Common in ancient cultures, the sovereign wielded much power and influence over the people

Let’s look at another phrase "under the influence". It means affected by alcohol.  Here is an example sentence:

• He was arrested for driving under the influence.​

Influence in the verb form means to affect or change (someone or something) in an indirect but usually important way: to have an influence on (someone or something).

Example sentences:

• I was deeply/greatly influenced by my parents.
• Nowadays children are greatly influenced by the sportsperson they see on the television
• No one knows how this decision will influence the outcome of the election.

When you estimate something, you make a calculation or a judgment of its value. So, when you overestimate, you assign too much value to the thing you are judging. If you overestimate how much time you have left to get to school, you could be late. Likewise, if you overestimate how prepared you are for a test; you might end up with a poor grade. This verb is the opposite of underestimate, or “to assign too little value.”

Here are some example sentences using the word “overestimate”:

• I overestimated the number of chairs we would need for the party. (This means I thought we would need more chairs than we actually did)
• We overestimated the value of the coins.

Please be aware that in the above examples the word “overestimate” is followed by an object.

The word overestimate can also mean to think of (someone or something) as being greater in ability, influence, or value than that person or thing actually is. Example sentences are as follows:

• She overestimated his ability to do the job.
• The importance of a good education cannot be overestimated. (This means a good education is very important)

Overestimate can also be used in the plural form: overestimates which is a countable noun.

Example sentence:

•  Cost overestimates in the budget left us with extra money in the end.

Definition: signs or objects that represent something or somebody

Example senences:

• From spring’s delicate first buds to lush late-summer gardens, green is a symbol not just of life, but of life that is thriving.
• The strange symbols found in Egyptian tombs have intrigued historians for centuries.

The word advance can be a verb and a noun. The original meaning of the verb "advance" is “to go or move forward”. This can be used to describe actual physical movement but is more often used to describe progress or improvement. Here is an example for each:

To advance = moving forward

1. Physical movement: The troops advance towards the capital.
2. Progress or Improvement: Technology advances so quickly, I can hardly keep track.

Advance can also be used as "to bring something forward". In this case, "advance" is a transitive verb, so there must be an object after it. We often use this to describe topics or skills we personally “make progress in” The following sentences are quite useful and often heard in daily conversations.

• I advanced my knowledge of English by studying abroad.
• I want to advance my career in banking.

Finally, "advance" can have a more timely focus as well. So, when something advances it could mean that it is progressing in time, or when we advance something we are bringing it forward in time. Let me give you two examples for a more time-focused use of“advance”

• As the twentieth century advanced, other forms of entertainment rapidly took over.
• The bank advanced me 500USD today.

The latter means that the bank gave or lend you money before a due date. The bank basically brought the money forward in time. If you wanted to ask someone for an advance payment you could ask: “Could you advance me 500USD until Tuesday?”
The noun advance has the same underlying meaning as “to advance”, so “an advance” is “a certain move forward” or “a specific improvement”. It is a countable noun and is normally used with the preposition 'in'. Here are some example sentences

• Scientific advances in diagnostic tools make it possible to identify new diseases more quickly.
• Advances in technology led to the industrial revolution.
• Recent advances in technology now make the smartphone more popular than the desktop computer.
• Huge advances in the development of anti-depressants greatly help people who suffer from depression.

As I told you before “to advance” can be used for money as well. The same is true for the noun, so “an advance” can also be the money paid before its due date. In business, we often take “advance payments” for security reasons in international trade. The following examples can help you understand.

• She asked for an advance on her salary.=
• The bank will give you an advance of 95% of the purchase price.

Definition: Lie in a straight line, or in correct relative positions

Example sentences:

• On this rear elevation, you can also see the repetition of the glass block pattern, which now fully frames a perfectly square window that aligns with the front door on the other side of the house.

Definition: expected hopefully

Example senences:

• It was the fourth year of a war whose devastation no one had anticipated and which no one could have imagined.

The pattern "attribute A to B" means "A is the result, and B is the cause".

The pattern 'A is attributed to B' means "A is regarded as the result of B".

The examples below demonstrate how to use attribute:

• I attribute my success to hard work.
• Climate change is widely attributed to the buildup of greenhouse gases.
• We can attribute this problem to the lack of attention-to-detail.

Definition: warn strongly; put on guard

Example sentences:

• The association cautioned that escaping moths could contaminate nearby farms and endanger their organic certification.

If two or more facts, pieces of advice, etc. are contradictory, they are very different from each other.

Example sentences using the word contradictory:

• I keep getting contradictory advice - some people tell me to keep it warm and some tell me to put ice on it.
• The evidence is completely contradictory.
• The argument is internally contradictory (meaning contradicts itself).
• The two studies came to contradictory conclusions.

Definition: a part of the whole environment

Example sentences:

• His long, flowing hair often covered his face as he played, the eclectic acoustic elements meshing to eerie effect with the electronics.
• Hard work and perseverance are the basic elements of success.

If you're qualified for something, you have eligibility. For example,  having a valid driver's license means you have the eligibility to drive a car. Let's look at an example sentence:

• You have the eligibility to take an upper-level computer class. = You are eligible to take an upper-level computer class.

The noun enhancement comes from the verb enhance, meaning "to increase or improve," and it can describe anything that's an improvement to the quality or value of something. An enhancement makes something better.​ It is often used with the preposition "to". Look at the following example sentences.

• People might make surgical enhancements to their faces and bodies to make themselves look better
•  An enhancement to your recipe makes it taste better. An enhancement to your outfit makes it look snappier.
• An enhancement to your camera lens makes it take clearer photos.

Fulfillment is the completion of something, like the fulfillment of a promise. It is the noun of the verb “fulfill.” 

Example sentences using the word fulfillment:

• Starting my own business was the fulfillment of my childhood dream.
• You cannot advance in your course until the fulfillment of three classes​ 

People often confuse outcome and result.

"Result" is often used to talk about things that are caused directly by something else. "Outcome" is more often used to talk about what happens at the end of a process when the exact relation of cause and effect is less clear. 

in addition, "result" is often used after an event to talk about what happened. "Outcome" is often used before an action or process to talk about what is likely to happen.”

Take a look at these examples

• The outcome of a pricing strategy may be less profit from a reduced number of sales.
• It's too early to predict the outcome of the meeting.
• We are waiting to hear the final outcome of the negotiations.
• I know that my students worked hard, so I expect a good outcome.

Definition: to get back; to have something returned

Example sentences:

• You may remember easily recovering from heavy exercise during your teens or twenties, but now in your late 40 a long workout may leave you sore for days.
• He never recovered from an abusive boyhood that included his father putting him in a pit and throwing beer cans at him.

Definition: refuse to accept or acknowledge

Example sentences:

• Airlines for America, a trade group for the airline industry, has rejected the idea of legroom and seat width standards.

Definition: having good quality;being well made;firm

Example sentences:

• He is a solid basketball player.
• When heated this produces methane gas and a solid residue of sodium carbonate

Definition: without concealment or deception; honest

Example sentences:

• His straightforward approach to his business dealings earned him success and respect.
• So far, the material in the first few lectures is relatively straightforward and students could plow through it with ease.

Definition: long and tiring

Example sentences:

• The lecture was pretty tedious.

Definition: a distinguishing feature of your personal nature

Example sentences:

• Profundity, simplicity, humanity, fanaticism — these are among the traits that define Apple and its products.
• There are a few broad traits that characterize the comic book films we’ve come to expect every summer.