TOEFL iBT® · Writing · 2026
TOEFL Build a Sentence: how the task works
Build a Sentence is one of the task types in the 2026 TOEFL iBT® Writing section. You rearrange a set of jumbled words and phrases into a grammatical sentence that answers what the other speaker just said. Here's the format, a worked example, and tips — then try it in a free full-length mock.
The Writing section is the third section of the 2026 test. It contains 12 items in total, takes about 23 minutes, and is linear rather than adaptive — everyone taking a given test form answers the same tasks. The two longer tasks, Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion, are scored by AI, while Build a Sentence is machine-scored.
What the task is
Every item gives you a short two-line exchange. The first line is shown intact — it's what one speaker says. The reply comes scrambled: its words and phrases are out of order, and your job is to rebuild it into what the second speaker means to say.
Your job is to move and reorder the words and phrases so the reply reads as a grammatical, natural sentence that fits what the first speaker said. Some tiles are single words and some are short phrases, and often not every tile is needed — an item may mix in one or more extra words or phrases as distractors.
A worked example
This is our own illustration of the format (not an official test item). The first line is fixed; the reply below it is jumbled — drag the tiles into an order that answers it.
Build a Sentence
Speaker 1: Are you free to help me move house on Saturday?
Speaker 2 (put these in order):
The reply has to be both grammatical and a sensible response to the offer. The phrase tiles ("I'd be happy", "to help", "if we can") stay intact and slot in as units, while the single words ("start", "early") complete the condition. The tile "could" is left over — it's a distractor, because "if we can" already supplies the modal, so not every tile gets used.
How it's scored
- 10 items — the Writing section includes 10 Build a Sentence items.
- Machine-scored — you reorder the words and phrases and the finished sentence is checked automatically.
- CEFR A1–C2 — the full range, from beginner to proficient.
- Part of the 12-item, linear Writing section (about 23 minutes), which is the third section. Because the section is linear, everyone taking a form gets the same tasks.
What it measures
Build a Sentence targets one thing:
- how well you control English sentence structure — whether you can arrange words and phrases into a grammatical sentence;
- and whether that sentence works as an appropriate reply to the first speaker in the exchange.
How to prepare
- Read the first sentence first. It sets up the exchange, so you know what kind of reply the jumbled words have to make.
- Find the anchor. Look for the subject and main verb among the tiles, then build outward — many replies open with a pronoun or a short set phrase.
- Keep phrases together. A tile that is already a phrase is meant to stay whole; slot it in as one unit rather than trying to split it.
- Check it answers the question. The finished sentence has to be grammatical and a natural response to what the first speaker said.
- Read the sentence back before you move on. A quick reread catches word-order slips that are easy to miss while dragging tiles.
- Practise short spoken exchanges — questions and answers, offers and responses — so natural English word order becomes automatic.
Practise Build a Sentence free
Take a full-length practice mock built to the 2026 TOEFL iBT® format — including Build a Sentence — and get a predicted 1–6 band. No card required.
Avermond Test Prep is an independent preparation service. TOEFL® is a registered trademark of ETS. This product is not endorsed or approved by ETS. Task descriptions and item counts reflect ETS's published January-2026 TOEFL iBT test specifications and may be subject to minor revision before launch.