toefl preference essay

TOEFL Essay Question Types –  Preference

The lists of ' Preference' TOEFL Independent Writing topics below will help you prepare for this type of question on your exam. Look at questions in the following four categories as well, to be prepared for all the types of TOEFL essays.

• Agree or Disagree
• Description / Explanation
• If / Imaginary
• Compare & Contrast

1. Some people say that physical exercise should be a required part of every school day. Other people believe that students should spend the whole school day on academic studies. Which opinion do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

2. A university plans to develop a new research center in your country. Some people want a center for business research. Other people want a center for research in agriculture (farming). Which of these two kinds of research centers do you recommend for your country? Use specific reasons in your recommendation.

3. Some high schools require all students to wear school uniforms. Other high schools permit students to decide what to wear to school. Which of these two school policies do you think is better? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

4. What do you consider to be the most important room in a house? Why is this room more important to you than any other room? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

5. Some items (such as clothes or furniture) can be made by hand or by machine. Which do you prefer — items made by hand or items made by machine? Use reasons and specific examples to explain your choice.

6. A gift (such as a camera, a soccer ball, or an animal) can contribute to a child’s development. What gift would you give to help a child develop? Why? Use reasons and specific examples to support your choice.

7. Some people choose friends who are different from themselves. Others choose friends who are similar to themselves. Compare the advantages of having friends who are different from you with the advantages of having friends who are similar to you. Which kind of friend do you prefer for yourself? Why?

8. Some people enjoy change, and they look forward to new experiences. Others like their lives to stay the same, and they do not change their usual habits. Compare these two approaches to life. Which approach do you prefer? Explain why.

9. People learn in different ways. Some people learn by doing things; other people learn by reading about things; others learn by listening to people talk about things. Which of these methods of learning is best for you? Use specific examples to support your choice.

10. Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully. Others choose not to make any plans at all for their free time. Compare the benefits of planning free-time activities with the benefits of not making plans. Which do you prefer — planning or not planning for your leisure time? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.

11. Some people think that the family is the most important influence on young adults. Other people think that friends are the most important influence on young adults. Which view do you agree with? Use examples to support your position.

12. Some people think that governments should spend as much money as possible on developing or buying computer technology. Other people disagree and think that this money should be spent on more basic needs. Which one of these opinions do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

13. Some people like doing work by hand. Others prefer using machines. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

14. People listen to music for different reasons and at different times. Why is music important to many people? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

15. Groups or organizations are an important part of some people’s lives. Why are groups or organizations important to people? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.

16. Imagine that you are preparing for a trip. You plan to be away from your home for a year. In addition to clothing and personal care items, you can take one additional thing. What would you take and why? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.

17. When students move to a new school, they sometimes face problems. How can schools help these students with their problems? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.

18. Every generation of people is different in important ways. How is your generation different from your parents’ generation? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.

19. Some students like classes where teachers lecture (do all of the talking) in class. Other students prefer classes where the students do some of the talking. Which type of class do you prefer? Give specific reasons and details to support your choice.

20. The 21st century has begun. What changes do you think this new century will bring? Use examples and details in your answer.

21. What are some of the qualities of a good parent? Use specific details and examples to explain your answer.

22. In your country, is there more need for land to be left in its natural condition or is there more need for land to be developed for housing and industry? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

23. Many people have a close relationship with their pets. These people treat their birds, cats, or other animals as members of their family. In your opinion, are such relationships good? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

24. Films can tell us a lot about the country where they were made. What have you learned about a country from watching its movies? Use specific examples and details to support your response.

25. Some students prefer to study alone. Others prefer to study with a group of students. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

26. You have been told that dormitory rooms at your university must be shared by two students. Would you rather have the university assign a student to share a room with you, or would you rather choose your own roommate? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.

27. Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

28. Some universities require students to take classes in many subjects. Other universities require students to specialize in one subject. Which is better? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

29. Is it more important to be able to work with a group of people on a team or to work independently? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.

30. Some people say that the Internet provides people with a lot of valuable information. Others think access to so much information creates problems. Which view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

31. Some people prefer to live in places that have the same weather or climate all year long. Others like to live in areas where the weather changes several times a year. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

32. Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people prefer to prepare and eat food at home. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

33. Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.

34. Some people think that they can learn better by themselves than with a teacher. Others think that it is always better to have a teacher. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons to develop your essay.

35. Some people believe that the Earth is being harmed (damaged) by human activity. Others feel that human activity makes the Earth a better place to live. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

36. Some people spend their entire lives in one place. Others move a number of times throughout their lives, looking for a better job, house, community, or even climate. Which do you prefer: staying in one place or moving in search of another place? Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion.

37. Is it better to enjoy your money when you earn it or is it better to save your money for some time in the future? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

38. You have received a gift of money. The money is enough to buy either a piece of jewelry you like or tickets to a concert you want to attend. Which would you buy? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

39. Choose one of the following transportation vehicles and explain why you think it has changed people’s lives:

• automobiles

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

40. Some people think that human needs for farmland, housing, and industry are more important than saving land for endangered animals. Do you agree or disagree with this point of view? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

41. Some people like to travel with a companion. Other people prefer to travel alone. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

42. Some people prefer to get up early in the morning and start the day’s work. Others prefer to get up later in the day and work until late at night. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

43. Some people prefer to work for a large company. Others prefer to work for a small company. Which would you prefer? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.

44. Some people like to do only what they already do well. Other people prefer to try new things and take risks. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

45. Some people believe that success in life comes from taking risks or chances. Others believe that success results from careful planning. In your opinion, what does success come from? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

46. A company is going to give some money either to support the arts or to protect the environment. Which do you think the company should choose? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

47. Some movies are serious, designed to make the audience think. Other movies are designed primarily to amuse and entertain. Which type of movie do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

48. Some people are always in a hurry to go places and get things done. Other people prefer to take their time and live life at a slower pace. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

49. Some people prefer to work for themselves or own a business. Others prefer to work for an employer. Would you rather be self- employed, work for someone else, or own a business? Use specific reasons to explain your choice.

50. Some people think that the automobile has improved modern life. Others think that the automobile has caused serious problems. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

51. Which would you choose: a high-paying job with long hours that would give you little time with family and friends or a lower-paying job with shorter hours that would give you more time with family and friends? Explain your choice, using specific reasons and details.

52. Some people say that computers have made life easier and more convenient. Other people say that computers have made life more complex and stressful. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

53. Some people think governments should spend as much money as possible exploring outer space (for example, traveling to the Moon and to other planets). Other people disagree and think governments should spend this money for our basic needs on Earth. Which of these two opinions do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

54. Students at universities often have a choice of places to live. They may choose to live in university dormitories, or they may choose to live in apartments in the community. Compare the advantages of living in university housing with the advantages of living in an apartment in the community. Where would you prefer to live? Give reasons for your preference.

55. Some people believe that a college or university education should be available to all students. Others believe that higher education should be available only to good students. Discuss these views. Which view do you agree with? Explain why.

56. Some people prefer to spend most of their time alone. Others like to be with friends most of the time. Do you prefer to spend your time alone or with friends? Use specific reasons to support your answer.

57. Some people believe that students should be given one long vacation each year. Others believe that students should have several short vacations throughout the year. Which viewpoint do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

58. Would you prefer to live in a traditional house or in a modern apartment building? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.

59. Some people say that advertising encourages us to buy things we really do not need. Others say that advertisements tell us about new products that may improve our lives. Which viewpoint do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

60. Some people prefer to spend their free time outdoors. Other people prefer to spend their leisure time indoors. Would you prefer to be outside or would you prefer to be inside for your leisure activities? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.

61. Your school has received a gift of money. What do you think is the best way for your school to spend this money? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.

62. You have enough money to purchase either a house or a business. Which would you choose to buy? Give specific reasons to explain your choice.

63. What is the most important animal in your country? Why is the animal important? Use reasons and specific details to explain your answer.

64. Many parts of the world are losing important natural resources, such as forests, animals, or clean water. Choose one resource that is disappearing and explain why it needs to be saved. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

65. In some countries, people are no longer allowed to smoke in many public places and office buildings. Do you think this is a good rule or a bad rule? Use specific reasons and details to support your position.

66. Some famous athletes and entertainers earn millions of dollars every year. Do you think these people deserve such high salaries? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

67. People remember special gifts or presents that they have received. Why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

68. Plants can provide food, shelter, clothing, or medicine. What is one kind of plant that is important to you or the people in your country? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.

69. In the future, students may have the choice of studying at home by using technology such as computers or television or of studying at traditional schools. Which would you prefer? Use reasons and specific details to explain your choice.

70. When famous people such as actors, athletes and rock stars give their opinions, many people listen. Do you think we should pay attention to these opinions? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

71. The twentieth century saw great change. In your opinion, what is one change that should be remembered about the twentieth century? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.

72. When people need to complain about a product or poor service, some prefer to complain in writing and others prefer to complain in person. Which way do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

73. Is the ability to read and write more important today than in the past? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

74. People do many different things to stay healthy. What do you do for good health? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

75. You have decided to give several hours of your time each month to improve the community where you live. What is one thing you will do to improve your community? Why? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.

76. People recognize a difference between children and adults. What events (experiences or ceremonies) make a person an adult? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.

77. Your school has enough money to purchase either computers for students or books for the library. Which should your school choose to buy — computers or books? Use specific reasons and examples to support your recommendation.

78. Many students choose to attend schools or universities outside their home countries. Why do some students study abroad? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.

1. TOEFL BASICS

Toefl overview.

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2. toefl skills, primary skills.

• Reading Skills
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• Speaking Skills
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• Writing Skills
• Free Sample TOEFL Essays
• TOEFL Writing Topics

Secondary Skills

• Pronunciation

Support Skills

• Summarizing
• Paraphrasing
• Mind Mapping
• Synthesizing

3. TOEFL RESOURCES

Toefl books, in-class training.

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Studying toefl abroad, 4. attitude, test anxiety.

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How the Essay is Evaluated

• Development: How well you have developed your ideas and arguments.
• Organization: How well your essay is organized and structured.
• Language Use: How effectively you use grammar, vocabulary, and syntax to convey your ideas.
• Mechanics: How well you use punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
• Overall Writing Quality: How well your essay meets the expectations of a proficient writer.

Understanding the Scoring Criteria

• Task Completion: This measures how well you have addressed the prompt and completed the task.
• Language Use: This assesses your ability to use a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical structures accurately and appropriately.
• Coherence and Cohesion: This evaluates how well you have organized your essay and used transition words and phrases to connect your ideas.
• Development and Support: This measures how well you have developed your ideas and provided appropriate examples and details to support them.

How the Criteria are Evaluated

• Addresses the prompt fully and directly
• Uses a variety of sentence structures and vocabulary words
• Has a clear and well-organized structure
• Uses transition words and phrases effectively
• Provides specific examples and details to support ideas

Best Practices for Preparing for the Independent Writing Task in TOEFL

1. emphasize practice and preparation.

• Allocate enough time for practicing writing in English before the test date
• Use official practice materials from ETS or reliable sources to practice writing
• Take timed practice tests to improve your time management and get accustomed to writing under pressure
• Identify your strengths and weaknesses and work on them through targeted practice
• Get feedback on your writing from a teacher or tutor, and use it to improve your skills

2. Tips for Brainstorming and Outlining

• Read the prompt carefully and identify the key points and requirements
• Brainstorm ideas related to the prompt and write them down
• Organize your ideas into a logical and coherent structure using an outline
• Include specific details and examples to support your ideas
• Ensure that your ideas are relevant to the prompt and answer the question directly

3. Importance of Developing a Clear and Concise Thesis Statement

• A thesis statement is the main point or argument that you will be making in your essay
• Developing a clear and concise thesis statement helps you stay focused and on-topic
• Your thesis statement should be included in your introduction paragraph and should be easy to understand
• Your thesis statement should directly address the prompt and answer the question being asked
• Make sure to support your thesis statement with relevant details and examples throughout your essay

4. Other Tips for Success

• Use appropriate sentence structures, vocabulary, and grammar
• Make sure your essay has an introduction, body, and conclusion
• Proofread your essay for spelling and punctuation errors
• Stick to the time limit and manage your time wisely
• Stay confident and focused, and avoid getting sidetracked

Best Practices for Writing the TOEFL Independent Essay

Importance of organization and structure.

• Plan your essay before writing: Create an outline of your essay to help you organize your thoughts and structure your essay effectively.
• Use paragraphs to organize your ideas: Each paragraph should focus on one main idea that supports your thesis statement.
• Use transitional words and phrases: Transitional words and phrases help to connect ideas between paragraphs and make your essay flow smoothly.
• Use clear and concise language: Avoid using unnecessary words or phrases that do not contribute to the clarity of your essay.

Effective Introduction and Conclusion

• Hook your reader in the introduction: Use an interesting fact or anecdote to grab the reader’s attention and make them want to read further.
• Provide background information: Give some context to the topic you are writing about to help the reader understand the importance of the issue.
• End with a clear thesis statement: Your thesis statement should be concise and specific, outlining the main argument of your essay.
• Summarize your main points in the conclusion: Recap the main points you discussed in your essay and tie them back to your thesis statement.
• Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion: The conclusion should not introduce any new information or arguments.

Supporting Ideas with Evidence and Examples

• Use credible sources: When supporting your ideas, use reliable sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable news sources.
• Provide specific examples: Use concrete examples to illustrate your points and make your arguments more convincing.
• Explain the relevance of your evidence: Make sure to explain how your evidence supports your argument and why it is important to the overall topic.

Effective Use of Language and Grammar

• Use a variety of sentence structures: Mix up your sentence structure to make your essay more interesting and engaging to read.
• Avoid using overly complex vocabulary: While it’s important to use proper academic vocabulary, don’t try to use words that you are not comfortable with or that are overly complex.
• Proofread your essay: Take time to review your essay and correct any grammatical or spelling errors. Make sure your sentences are clear and easy to understand.
• Practice writing essays: The more you practice writing essays, the better you will become at using proper language and grammar.

Strategies for Achieving a High Score

Time management, keep pace and stay on task, proofreading and editing, revising and improving an essay, what is the highest score possible for the independent writing task, how long should my essay be for the independent writing task, is it better to write a longer essay or a shorter one for the independent writing task, are there any resources available to help me prepare for the independent writing task, what should i do if i run out of time during the independent writing task, is it possible to prepare for toefl in 10 days, key takeaways.

• Practice and preparation are crucial to achieving a high score on the TOEFL independent essay.
• Effective organization and structure are necessary to clearly express your viewpoint.
• Support your ideas with evidence and examples to make your essay more convincing.
• Use proper language and grammar to enhance clarity and coherence.
• Time management is important for completing the essay on time.
• Proofreading and editing are essential for identifying and correcting errors in your writing.

Applying Strategies and Tips

TOEFL Speaking Question 4: Sample Question #1

TOEFL Exam Preparation Ultimate Guide

Master the TOEFL Speaking Question 3

TOEFL Speaking Question Three: Sample Question #2

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TOEFL iBT Test Writing Section

The TOEFL iBT test Writing section measures your ability to write in English in an academic setting, and to present your ideas in a clear, well-organized way.

There are two writing tasks.

• Integrated writing task (20 minutes) — read a short passage and listen to a short lecture, then write in response to what you read and listened to.
• Writing for an Academic Discussion task (10 minutes) — state and support an opinion in an online classroom discussion.

You'll type your responses on a computer keyboard.

Test time:  It should take about 29 minutes to complete the Writing section.

Scoring: Writing tasks are scored based on the  Writing Scoring Guides (Rubrics) (PDF)  by a combination of AI scoring and certified human raters. Raw scores are converted to a scaled section score of 0–30.

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Writing videos

Watch these videos to learn about the questions in the Writing section, plus helpful tips.

Question 1: Integrated Writing

Read a passage and listen to a lecture. Then write a response comparing them.

View Transcript

Question 2: Writing for an Academic Discussion

Share your opinion in an online discussion with a professor and other students.

Do you need to be an expert on the topics?

The writing tasks measure your English proficiency, so you don't need deep knowledge on a specific topic to get a high score. Score raters recognize that each essay is a first draft, and you can receive a high score with an essay that contains some errors.

Free High-Quality TOEFL Lessons

80 TOEFL Writing Topics

The 80 TOEFL writing topics on this web page focus on the most common question types found on the writing section of the TOEFL exam: agree/disagree, multiple choice, preference, and good idea.

“Ready to excel in TOEFL Writing? Dive into our free Online Discussion practice tests. Elevate your skills and conquer the exam. Follow the link for the latest updated July 2023 version of the TOEFL iBT!”

Agree/Disagree TOEFL Writing Topics (Most Common)

• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should be given a modest weekly allowance for doing household chores .  Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Video games are great ways to help children learn creativity . Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Completing writing projects are more beneficial for students than taking multiple-choice exams . Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Consumers should be forced to buy electric-powered vehicles . Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Students should be given more options to learn in groups . Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should consult with their parents when they are choosing a major in college . Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Remote learning using techologies such as Zoom is just as effectice as in-person classroom learning . Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People who toss trash out their car windows should be fined at least $500 . Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should be encouraged to play sports such as soccer and basketball. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children between the ages of 5 and 18 should not be allowed to listen to sexually explicit songs. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Following China’s policy that originated in the 1970’s, families worldwide should only have one child per couple to prevent overpopulation. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Football involves too much physical contact and should be banned .  Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? English grammar is one of the easiest language systems to learn . Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? When looking for a spouse, a person should date several people at the same time. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Middle class and rich citizens should pay at least 30% of their income to federal and state taxes so that governments can use this money to help the poor. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?  Consulting tutors when students are having dfficulty with course content will help them to succeed academically. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All households should be required to conserve by using 30% less water each month. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?  All children should be required to get vacccinations from illnesses such as measles, small pox, coronavirus, and polio. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A diet with little or no meat is the most healthy . Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should have part time jobs while attending high school . Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is always good for people to have a hobby outside of work interests . Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Not everyone will succeed in life on their first try. However, they should not give up. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Good listeners are much better friends that good conversationalists. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Eating 3-5 smaller meals daily is much better for the digestive system rather than eating 1-2 large meals. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All children and able-bodied adults should exercise 45 minutes daily at least five times per week. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The current accepted work week is 40 hours a week, but it should be reduced to only 30 hours. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Companies that sell junk food and sugary drinks should be prohibited from advertising their products on television. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People who are arrested for selling drugs should not be imprisoned. Instead, they should be rehabilitated. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Employees should change jobs frequently in order to gain more experience . Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? At Christmas and at birthdays, it is always better to give than it is to receive . Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.

Mutiple-Choice Style TOEFL Writing Topics (Less common)

31. Which of the following employee attributes are most important?

• Workers should be able to get along well with others.
• Workers who are honest will make the most contributions.
• Workers need to always show up on time and should never leave early.

Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.

32. Which of the following are most important  when choosing a house?

• Close to where you work
• Near where your children attend school
• In a safe neighborhood away from the city

33. Which of the following is most important when deciding on a university?

• An international reputation for research and teaching
• A reasonably priced institution that will not indebt its study body
• One which is located near a pristine beach

34. Which of the following is most important for someone suffering from depression?

• Having an affectionate pet such as a dog or cat
• Being able to interact with friends and family members regularly
• Having accurately prescribed medication to treat the mental illness

35. Which of the following is the most important part in maintaining an orderly society?

• A robust police department which builds relationships of trust with the public
• Having well-funded educational systems with trained and knowledgeable teachers
• Creating an environment in which churches have well-attended services

36.  Which of the following is most important in having an environmentally-friendly city?

• A city with a public transportation system so extensive that private cars are not needed
• A city which requires all residences to use solar power for at least 80% of their energy needs
• City whose residences are required to recycle at least 50% of all water used.

37. Which of the following is the most healthy part of a person’s lifestyle?

• Continuous cardiovascular exercise for 45 minutes daily 5 days a week
• Eating an adundance of fresh vegetables and fruits
• Getting 8-9 hours of deep sleep nightly

38. Who would you most likely fire if you were the CEO of a large company?

• An employee who often arrives late
• Someone who argues a lot with other co-workers
• A worker who doesn’t commplete his job tasks competently

39. You just received an inheritance of more than 50 million dollars, and you MUST donate 1/2 of the money to one of the following:

• An elementary or high school

Which organization would you donate the money to? Why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.

40. You are going into the wilderness for two weeks. Which three objects would you bring with you?

• Matches, pocket knife, and a hat
• Sunglasses, poncho (rainsuit), and 1/2 pound of dried meat
• A compass, a shovel, and 2 liters of water

41. Which of the following measures would make a city safer?

• Hiring more police officers and getting them properly trained to serve the public
• Increasing the number of rehab facilities to help people quit using illegal drugs
• Improving educational facilties to prevent children from dropping out of school

42. Which of the following forms of social media are most harmful to children?

43. Which of the following is the most beneficial form of exercise for adults?

• Long-distance running

44. Which politican would you most likely vote for?

• A candidate who will make it a priority to help the poor
• One who lowers taxes and deregulates small businesses
• A politician who promises to serve only one term in government

45. Which of the following animals would win in a fierce fight?

• A 1000 kg Salt Water Crocodile
• A 1,500 kg African hippopatamus
• A 227 kg Siberian Tiger

46. Which of the following jobs appeal to you the most?

• A doctor who cures infectitious diseases
• A lawyer who represents the rights of the underpriveleged
• An engineer who designs bridges and skyscrapers

47. Which of the following will allure more tourists to a city?

• A mega-entertainment center such as Disneyworld
• An abundance of trails and paved paths for bikers, runners, and walkers
• Huge shopping complexes offering discounts on 100’s of items

48. If the death penalty were allowed in your country, which method of execution should be implemented?

• Lethal injection
• A firing squad
• The electric chair

49. Which strategy is most effective when you have a lot of homework assignments?

• Completing the assignments with other members from the class
• Setting aside two hour blocks daily to tackle all the assignments alone
• To prioritize by completing the most difficult assignments to the least difficult ones

50. Which of the following events would cause the most harm to our planet?

• An eruption from a super volcanoe
• Impact from an asteriod which is at least 10 km in diameter
• A full-scale nuclear exchange of weapons involving the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Iran, and North Korea

Preference Style (Less common)

51. Computers are becoming more and more acceptable as tools that educators are using in classrooms. Some believe that this type of technology is useful for student learning. Others, on the other hand, believe that computers are not a required part of student learning. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

52.  Some believe that food is becoming more and more scarce. Therefore, international laws should be passed that limit couples to having only one child. Others, on the other hand, believe that there will always be plenty of food for the world’s population. As a result, no laws are needed to restrict wordwide population growth. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

53. Some believe that all types of plastic should be banned since much of this material ends up polluting our oceans. Others, on the other hand, believe plastic should not be banned since it is an essential material. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

54. Some believe consumers should have vegetarian diets. Others, on the other hand, believe that these people should also eat meat in addition to healthy amounts of fruits and vegetables. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

55. Some believe that success mostly depends on how hard someone works to achieve his goals. Others, on the other hand, believe that luck plays an important role in whether or not someone succeeds in life. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

56. Some believe that it is proper etiquette to kiss someone on a first date. Others, on the other hand, believe that a couple should not kiss the first time that they go out together. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

57. Some believe that licensed doctors should recommed herbal treatments for their patients. Others, on the other hand, believe that doctors should only be allowed to prescribe medication that has been approved by a governmental organization such as the Federal Drug Association. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

58. Some believe children should be given household chores appropriate to their age. For example, a 10-year old child could be given a chore of emptying the garbage on a daily basis. Others, on the other hand, believe children should not be given any chores so long as they spend enough time doing their homework assignments after coming home from school. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

59. Some believe that elementary and high schools should separate the genders. For instance, only boys study at some schools, whereas girls study at other schools. Others, on the other hand, believe the boys and girls should be allowed to study in the same classrooms at the same schools. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

60. Some believe that people should not marry outside of their culture and language. They believe that marriage is already difficult enough, and mixing cultures will only complicate matters further. Others, on the other hand, believe love matters more than a culture or language when it comes marriage. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

61. Some believe electric cars are viable alternatives to fossil-fuel vehicles. Others, on the other hand, believe fossil-fuel cars will always be superior in their quality and durable compared to electric cars. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

62. Some believe that action movies are the best movies to watch after a hard day’s work. Others, on the other hand, believe that they can relax more effectively by watching comedy movies. Which type of movie do you prefer? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

63. Some believe that politicians should only serve one term in office. Limiting how long politicians serve, they believe, will minimize corruption and conflicts of interest. Others, on the other hand, believe that politicians will more effectively serve their districts if they serve more than one term. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

64. Some believe that people should not be allowed to fart in public places since the offensive odor can really annoy others. Others, on the other hand, believe that there is no harm farting in public, even if people fart loudly. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

65. Some believe that goverments should allocate more money for space exploration. According to them, space exploration can lead to new discoveries and cures for infectitious diseases. Others, on the other hand, believe that govermments should reserve more money in their budgets for basic needs on Earth such as poverty, education, and healthcare. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

66. Some believe children should not be allowed to watch television since it has no educational value. Others, on the other hand, believe that television has educational value, so children should be able to watch it. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

67. Some believe human activities have caused irreversible effects of climate change. According to them, unless humans change their behaviors, the Earth could suffer an extinction level event for most animal and plant life. Others, on the other hand, believe that natural factors have had more of an effect on our climate. According to this belief, there is nothing that humans can do to alter this naturally occurring cycle that the Earth is going through. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

68. Some believe that cats make great pets by bringing comfort, compassion, and unconditional love to their owners. Others, on the other hand, believe that dogs make better pets than cats. Which pet do you think brings more satisfaction to their owners? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

69. Some believe that it is better to rent a home rather than buy one. Others, on the other hand, believe that buying a home represents a much better investment. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

70. Some important guests are coming to visit you. To get ready, some believe that the first thing to be cleaned should be the interior and exterior windows. Others, on the other hand, believe the guest bathroom and living room should be the first areas of the home to be cleaned. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

Good Idea (Less common)

71. Some schools do not allow high school students to bring their smartphones to class. They believe that students will excel academically and socially without relying on these popular gadgets. Do you think that it is a good idea? Use reasons and examples to support your opinion. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

72. Some assert that children should be limited to one hour of electronics daily because the types of gadgets can harm children’s development. Do you think that it is a good idea to restrict how much time children spend on their electronics? Use reasons and examples to support your opinion. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

73. Some say that all citizens of a country should be required to get vaccinated against the Coronavirus.  They believe that making everyone get vaccinated will help society to develop herd immunity, which will effectively end the pandemic. Do you think that everyone should be required to get vacccinated? Use reasons and examples to support your opinion. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

74. Some educators believe that children should read about 45 minutes every day?  They believe that this type of extensive reading will help children to mature academically. Do you think that extensive reading is a good idea for children? Use reasons and examples to support your opinion. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

75. Some believe that outdoor and indoor smoking should be banned everywhere. They believe that the secondhand smoke from cigarettes creates a health hazard. Do you think that it is a good idea to prohibit smoking? Use reasons and examples to support your opinion. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

76. Some believe that countries worldwide should be forced to reduce their fossil fuel consumption by at least 20%. They believe that reducing fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas will counteract the dangerous effects of climate change. Do you think that it is a good idea for countries to limit their fossil-fuel consumption? Use reasons and examples to support your opinion. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

77. Some say workers should have the same political views of the instutions for which they work.  For example, if the instution such as a school district supports the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, then educators under this organization should also support the BLM. If they do not, then they should be fired or forced to resign. Do you think it is a good idea for organizatons to fire employees who have opposing political views? Use reasons and examples to support your opinion. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

78. Some administrators and teachers say children should be punished by being paddled with a wooden board.  They believe that this type of corporal punishment will curb undesirable behaviors. Do you think that it is a good idea to paddle children when they act out? Use reasons and examples to support your opinion. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

79. Some say drugs such as marijuana, herione, and cocaine should be legalized. They believe that legalizing these drugs will significantly reduce crime. Do you think that it is a good idea to legalize drugs? Use reasons and examples to support your opinion. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

80. To reduce fossil fuel consumption, some say governments should prohibit families from purchasing more than one automobile. They believe that if families have only one vehicle they will drive fewer miles, thereby slowing the emission of dangerous greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Do you think that it is a good idea? Use reasons and examples to support your opinion. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

While you practice writing responses to these 80 TOEFL writing topics, consider joining my TOEFL Speaking and Writing Feedback Service . That way you can get estimated TOEFL writing scores every time you complete a practice test.

TOEFL Speaking Boot Camp Course: CLICK HERE

May the next TOEFFL exam you take be your last!

Michael Buckhoff ,  [email protected]

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the best toefl writing practice: 300+ topics to study with.

Writing is the last section you’ll complete on the TOEFL. You’re so close to finishing, yet you still have two essays to write before you can celebrate completing the exam. In order to finish the test on a high note, you’ll need to be prepared for this section.

In this guide, we explain the ins and outs of the Writing section and the materials you need to do well. We then go over all the best TOEFL Writing practice resources available , including free and official practice Writing topics. We'll end with final tips to keep in mind in order to ace the TOEFL Writing section.

Overview of TOEFL Writing

The TOEFL Writing section is 50 minutes long (broken into two parts) and contains two tasks: Integrated Writing and Independent Writing. You’ll type both essays on the computer.

The Integrated Writing task requires you to use listening, reading, and writing skills. For this task, you will have three minutes to read a short passage, then you will listen to a short (approximately two-minute long) audio clip of a speaker discussing the same topic the written passage covers. You will have 20 minutes to plan and write a response that references both of these sources. You won’t discuss your own opinion.

For the Independent Writing task, you’ll receive a question on a particular topic or issue. You’ll have 30 minutes to plan and write a response to that topic that explains your opinion on it. You’ll need to give reasons that support your decision.

Each essay will receive a score from 0-5. The sum will then be scaled to a score from 0-30, which is your official Writing score. The Writing section makes up 25% of your total TOEFL score (from 0-120).

What You’ll Need to Be Prepared for the TOEFL Writing Section

As you likely expect, you’ll spend most of your time on the TOEFL Writing section, well, writing. However, you’ll also need to have solid reading and listening skills for the Integrated task. Since the Writing section requires multiple skills, you’ll need multiple study tools in order to be completely prepared. Some of the most important things you’ll need to prepare for TOEFL Writing include:

• Complete practice Writing sections
• Individual practice questions or TOEFL Writing topics
• Opportunities to practice your writing skills
• Opportunities to practice your listening skills

In the next section, we'll go over the best TOEFL Writing practice tests and questions.

The Best TOEFL Writing Practice Materials

This section contains links to the top practice materials to use while preparing for TOEFL Writing. What makes a practice material the best?

• First, the practice questions must be similar in content and format to the real TOEFL Writing section to give you the best preparation for the real exam.
• Second, it’s a major plus if the practice questions come with answer explanations that help you understand how to answer an essay prompt well.
• Finally, prep materials that include useful tips and strategies for answering Writing questions are useful because they give you advice on how to raise your score on this section.

Official Prep Materials

Official resources are the best to use since you can be confident they’ll be very similar to the real TOEFL Writing section. The topics will be much more realistic in format and content.

Below are all the official TOEFL Writing practice materials available, both free and paid resources. ETS doesn’t provide just Writing questions, so each of these resources also have practice resources for the other sections of the TOEFL. Be sure to include at least some of these materials in your studying. The next section has more tips on how to make the most of official practice resources.

TOEFL iBT Sampler

The TOEFL iBT Sampler is a program you can download with official practice questions, and it’s a great free and official resource to use. In addition to other TOEFL sections, it includes a complete TOEFL iBT Writing practice section (two tasks). Sample answers for both tasks are included so you can get an idea of what a good essay looks like. Unfortunately, the Sampler only works with Windows; you can’t download it with a Mac.

TOEFL iBT Sample Questions

This PDF is another free and official resource. In addition to other question types, it includes two Writing tasks: one TOEFL Integrated Writing practice question and one Independent Writing practice question. Each sample TOEFL Writing topic is followed by a sample essay as well as an in-depth score explanation, which is a great tool for studiers.

TOEFL iBT Quick Prep

The Quick Prep contains four different volumes, each of which contains one or two Writing prompts. The first volume is the best for TOEFL iBT Writing practice, since it contains two tasks (the others each only contain one) and also has an in-depth explanation of what your essays should include. The other three volumes only contain the essay rubrics without any advice on how to answer the specific essay prompt given.

TOEFL Practice Online (TPO) Tests

TPO tests are retired TOEFL exams now offered for test prep. They give the closest experience to the real TOEFL, and, because of that, they aren’t cheap. You’ll have to pay $45 for each complete TOEFL you buy (you can’t just buy individual TOEFL iBT Writing practice sections).

Your exam will be automatically graded after you finish it, although I was not particularly impressed with how the Writing section was graded when I took it. For the actual TOEFL, two human graders and a computer program review your essays and assign grades to each one. For this exam, a computer grades your Writing section within less than a minute of you completing the exam, and there is no explanation of how that grade was determined.

This is a useful resource, but if you don’t want to spend that much money on a practice test, it’s completely possible to do well just using the above practice resources.

Official TOEFL Prep Books

There are several official TOEFL prep books for sale by ETS. The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test , in addition to explaining the types of questions on the test, contains numerous practice questions and three full-length exams.  This is also the only official prep book that includes sample essays of varying scores along with scoring explanations, which can be a big help if you’re trying to guess what score your essays would get.

There’s also the Official TOEFL iBT Tests Volumes 1 and 2. Each of these books contains five unique practice tests, available on paper and the computer. However, no sample responses are given for Writing questions, which make them a less useful resource compared to The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test.

Unofficial Prep Materials

You have to be more careful when using unofficial prep resources since not all of them are reliable. Some are high-quality and very similar to the TOEFL, others are not. For the Writing section in particular, because it’s so easy to make up essay prompts, there are many sites that claim to offer TOEFL Writing practice when their practice questions are actually low-quality. Below are some of the top unofficial prep resources out there. All of them (except the prep books, if you buy them) are free.

English Club

This site contains one TOEFL Integrated Writing practice task and five Independent Writing practice tasks. All six TOEFL Writing topics are similar to the real test, and the Integrated task as well as one of the Independent tasks have sample responses you can compare your answers to. At the bottom of the web page is a checklist of things your essays should include to help give you a guideline of what you should be aiming for when you write.

Magoosh offers one TOEFL Integrated Writing practice task. That’s not a lot of practice, but it is a high-quality question that includes a sample response. Magoosh also offers three complete TOEFLs, so you can use those Writing questions as well.

Good Luck TOEFL

This site has a huge number (several hundred) of Independent Writing tasks, separated into five different categories depending on question type. Some of the questions are more simplistic than you’ll see on the real TOEFL , and there’s no scoring information or sample responses, but there are a good source if you need more TOEFL Writing topics to write about.

Beat the Test

This site contains 155 Independent Writing tasks. Like Good Luck TOEFL, some of these TOEFL Writing topics are easier than you’ll find on the TOEFL, and there are no sample responses included, but they do give you the opportunity to practice writing.

Unofficial Prep Books

Prep books, even unofficial ones, often are a great resource for practice questions. Most books include sample Writing questions, along with scoring explanations , and then contain one or more complete practice TOEFLs at the end of the book. You can learn all about the best TOEFL prep books by reading our guide .

Other TOEFL Writing Practice Materials

There are other ways to practice besides just answering sample Writing questions. TOEFL Writing is designed to measure how strong your English writing skills are, so, any practice you get writing English will help you with this section, even if you’re not directly answering practice exam questions. There are many ways to get writing practice; several of them are described below.

Duolingo is a popular free language-learning site. Users answer different types of questions, including writing questions. You can’t choose to only answer writing questions, so this isn’t the best resource for targeted writing practice, bu t it’s a good way to strengthen your overall English skills.

For advanced English learners, many of Duolingo’s beginning problem sets will likely be too easy, but you can take a quiz to figure out where in the program you should start.

Free Writing

Finally, you can also practice writing about topics that have nothing to do with the TOEFL. As long as you’re writing in English, you’re getting good practice. Writing about something that interests you can also encourage you to write more. Some ideas for free writing include:

• Keeping a journal
• Getting an English-speaking pen pal
• Starting a blog about a topic that interests you

How to Get the Most Out of Your TOEFL Writing Practice

Now that you’re an expert on the best practice resources for TOEFL Writing, the next step is to put those materials to use in the most effective way in order to see results on test day. Follow these four tips in order to get the most out of your practice.

Practice Writing in English Regularly

The most important thing you can do to practice for the Writing section of the TOEFL is to practice writing English regularly. If you can practice every day, that would be ideal, but at the very least you should aim to practice writing 1,000 words in English a week.

Remember, this writing practice doesn’t only have to consist of answering TOEFL Speaking questions; any free writing, even just jotting down what you did that day in your diary, counts as writing practice.

Make Use of Official Materials

As mentioned above, official TOEFL resources have the best practice questions out there, so you want to make the most of them. Spread these questions throughout your TOEFL studying; don’t use them all up at the beginning or save them all for the end. You want to be regularly seeing these questions as you prepare.

Also, when you answer official practice questions, make sure you set enough time aside to devote your full attention to them. Practice them in a quiet room with no distractions, and carefully compare your responses to the sample responses. These aren’t the questions to practice when you have a few minutes to spare and need some quick practice while scrolling through your phone.

Time Yourself When Writing Practice Essays

When you are writing practice essays, you should also time yourself. Give yourself 20 minutes to plan and write each Integrated Writing task and 30 minutes for each Independent Writing task.

Timing yourself when you write will help you be better prepared for test day because you’ll have practice planning and writing essays within a limited time frame. When you first begin writing practice essays, it can be easy to spend too much time preparing and run out of time before you finish writing. Taking timed practice essays will help you avoid this. You should also count how many words each of your essays contain after you’ve finished writing them. Integrated tasks should be 150-225 words and Independent tasks should be at least 300 words.

Review Your Practice Essays

After you write each TOEFL practice essay, you should also review it and think about how well it answered the question. This is easier to do if the practice question comes with sample answers that you can compare your answer to, but you should do this step for all practice essays you write, even if they don’t come with any answer explanation. You can also assign your essays a score or have a tutor or friend who’s also studying for the TOEFL score your essay.

It’s tempting to take a break from TOEFL studying as soon as you’ve finished your essays, but it’s important to do this step because it will get you thinking about what great essays look like and how yours can be improved. The ETS provides the rubric it uses to grade TOEFL writing tasks which you can use to evaluate your essays.

Conclusion: Getting the Most Out of Your TOEFL Writing Practice

In order to write two awesome essays for the TOEFL Writing section, you’ll likely have to put in some practice. Once you know what to expect from this section and how you’ll be graded, use a variety of official and unofficial practice resources during your studying.

As you’re preparing for the Writing section, you should also practice writing in English regularly, use official resources wisely, time yourself when writing practice essays, and review your essays after you write them.

What's Next?

Looking for more information on the TOEFL Writing section? Learn all the tips you need to know in order to ace TOEFL Writing !

What score should you be aiming to get on the TOEFL? Learn what a good TOEFL score is based on the schools you're interested in attending.

Looking for a great TOEFL prep book? A good prep book can be the most important study tool you use, and we have information on all the best TOEFL prep books you should consider .

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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CONSULTSUS WRITING

Toefl and masters success, tap into your perspective to write a preference essay.

Preference Prompts:

121 It has been said, “Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more importand? Why?

122 A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near you community. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position.

123 Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

124 Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people prefer to prepare and eat food at home. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

125 It has recently been announced that a new restaurant may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

126 Some people think that they can learn better by themselves than with a teacher. Others think that it is always better to have a teacher. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons to develop your essay.

127 It has recently been announced that a large shopping center may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

128 It has recently been announced that a new movie theater may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

129 It has recently been announced that a new high school may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details in your answer.

130 Some place people spend their entire lives in one place. Others move a number of times throughout their lives, looking for a better job, house, community, or even climate. Which do you prefer: staying in one place or moving in search of another place? Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion.

131 You have received a gift of money. The money is enough to buy either a piece of jewelry you like or tickest to a concert you want to attend? Which would you buy? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

132 Some people like to travel with a companion. Other people prefer to travel alone. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

133 Some people prefer to get up early in the morning and start the day’s work. Others prefer to get up later in the day and work until late at night. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.

134 Some people prefer to work for a large company. Others prefer to wrok for a small company. Which would you prefer? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.

135 Some people like to do only what they already do well. Other people prefer to try new things and take risks. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

136 Some movies are serious, designed to make the audience think. Other movies are designed primarily to amuse and entertain. Which type of movie do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

137 Some people are always in a hurry to go places and get things done. Other people prefer to take their time and live life at a slower pace. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

138 Some people prefer to work for themselves or own a business. Others prefer to work for an employer. Would you rather be self-employed, work for someone else, or own a business? Use specific reasons to explain your choice.

139 If you were an employer, which kind of worker would you prefer to hire: an inexperienced worker at a lower salary or an experienced worker at a higher salary? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

140 Some people prefer to live in places that have the same weather or climate all your long. Others like to live in areas where the weather changes several times a year. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

141 You have been told that dormitory rooms at your university must be shared by two students. Would you rather have the university assign a student to share a room with you, or would you rather choose your own roommate? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.

142 Some people think that governments should spend as much money as possible on developing or buying computer technology. Other people disagree and think that this money should be spent on more basic needs. Which one of these opinions do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

143 Some people like doing work by hand. Others prefer using machines. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

144 Students at universities often have a choice of places to live. They may choose to live in university dormitories, or they may choose to live in apartments in the community. Compare the advantages of living in the university housing with the advantages of living in an apartment in the community. Where would you prefer to live? Give reasons for your preference.

145 Some people believe that the best way of learning about life is by listening to the advice of family and friends. Other people believe that the best way of learning about life is through personal experience. Compare the advantages of these two different ways fo learning about life. Which do you think is preferable? Use specific examples to support your preference.

146 When people move to another country, some ofthem decide to follow the customs of the new country. Others prefer to keep their own customs. Compare these two choices. Which one do you prefer? Support your answer with specific details.

147 Some people prefer to spend most of their time alone. Others like to be with friends most of the time. Do you prefer to spend your time alone or with friends? Use specific reasons to support your answer.

148 Some people prefer to spend time with one or two close friends. Others choose to spend time with a large number of friends. Compare the advantages of each choice. Which of these two ways of spending time do you prefer? Use specific reasons to support your answer.

149 Some people think that family is the most important influence on young adults Other people think that friends are the most important influence on young adults. Which view do you agree with? Use examples to support your opinion.

150 Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully. Others choose not to make any plans at all for their free time. Compare the benefits of planning free-time activities with the benefits of not making plans. Which do you prefer–planning or not planning for your leisure time? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.

151 People learn in different ways. Some people learn by doing things; other people learn by reading about things; others learn by listening to people talk about things. Which of these methods of learning is best for you? Use specific examples to support your choice.

152 Some people choose friends who are different from themselves. Others choose friends who are similar to themselves. Compare the advantages of having friends who are different from you with the advantages of having friends who are similar to you. Which kind of friend do you prefer for yourself? Why?

153 Some people enjoy change and they look forward to new experiences. Others like their lives to stay the same, and they do not change their usual habits. Compare these two approaches to life. Which approach do you prefer? Why?

154 Some items (such as clothes or furniture) can be made by hand or by machine. Which do you prefer–items made by hand or items made by machine? Use reasons and specific examples to explain your choice.

155 Would you prefer to live in a traditional house or in a more modern apartment building? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.

156 Some people prefer to spend their free time outdoors. Other people prefer to spend their leisure time indoors. Would you prefer to be outside or would you prefer to be inside for your leisure activities? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

157 In the future, students may have the choice of studying at home by using technology such as computers or television or of studying at traditional schools. Which would you prefer? Use reasons and specific details to explain your choice.

158 When people need to complain about a product or poor service, some prefer to complain in writing and others prefer to complain in person. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

159 Some students like classes where teachers lecture (do all of the talking) in class. Other students prefer classes where the students do some of the talking. Which type of class do you prefer? Give specific reasons and details to support your choice.

160 Some students prefer to study alone. Others prefer to study with a group of students. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

161 Which do you feel is more important in your life: security or freedom and independence? Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion.

162 Some music is very inspirational. Other music seems boring and meaningless. Which type of music do you listen to and why do you think some music forms are much more popular than others? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

163 If you could travel back in time or into the future, which would you choose and what exact period of time would you like to experience? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

215 Some people prefer to follow their dream even if it is challenging and other people like setting practical goals, which do you prefer?

218 Which do you prefer: to donate money to the local towns that you live in or to donate your money to the more large-scale world?

If you like this list of preference prompts from the writing section, check out  TOEFL Writing Independent Task: Agree or Disagree Essay.

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5 Types of TOEFL Essays & TOEFL iBT Essay Patterns

Test your understanding of this English lesson

453 comments.

you made me love writing essay !!! what nice your lesson was ??? thank you a lot teacher …

[email protected]

Wow, that’s really inspiring. Thanks for your feedback. All the best to you.

Awesome!! Thanks Rebecca :) That’s make me easier to write an essay..

thank you so much for your wonderful lecture,in fact i’m working hard for the toefl exam,and writing is my weakest part,i am looking forward to receiving more instruction from you.

Hi Rebecca:) I have to write an essay on subject Why do you want to attend(name of the high school)? and i really dont know how to start, and what should my email contain.I hope you can help me:)

Thanks, Manish. Best of luck to you.

Do you know Rebecca what is the cheapest place to buy textbooks for TOEFL?

Hi Karen I want to boost up my confidence by talking to you if you don’t mind.

yo! i can talk english with you!

I m man I can speak English language very good and I can help you

Hello Karen, I would like to practice speaking with you. thanks

Very useful indeed. The video explains in details each TOEFL writing task.

HI ,brother ,i agree with you ,Good luck ,and thanks for our amazing teachers

i want to learn english

Then you will, Naveed. Desire is the first step. Best of luck to you.

In my view, uniforms are good idea, three reasons convince me that will improve the educational experience of students. In the first place, new school uniforms cost about 30$ but designer jeans and brand name shirt will cost five time that amount. The book would be better an investment. Second it is easier to get ready for school. If there are five choices that is may be take time and thought to choose furthermore, selecting socks and shoes to go with them. Took time and divert attention from preparing classes. Finally the student will identify themselves their school. Then if they see one student wearing colors school uniforms he is part of this group. In conclusion, I think that schools require uniforms send a positive message to their students. That Is more important for best student it is have best clothing.

Sorry, we do not actually correct essays on this website.

All the best to you, in any case.

some thing is better than nothing

i to become more familier with english and i try my best to learn these lectures with great carefully

Yes you are right ,its happens to me as well ,i feel that i am perfect in english ,hhhh ,but i reality still bad ,

I went subscribe gave my awy

Hope you enjoy the website.

dear mis Rebecca ESL goon evening…Im Ozz, from Jakarta, Indonesia. now, I’m in learning english. I just want to say thankful to you for a good lesson about english. And I will always search and brows your site especially for your english video lesson. i.m really helped whit it. but problem is i get difficult to download your video. thank you

i learn a some thing from this mam

Thank you for your kindness Ms. Rebecca in sharing your knowledge to us, TOEFL takers. I want to ask if you have a pattern or any suggestions in TOEFL-ibt integrated writing task because I need to have a good grade on that part. Please help me Mam.

I saw your comment and want to congratulate you for the scores. I’d like to improve my scores too, how did you prepare for the test? Would you mind sharing some tips.bye xiany

Hi Rebecca!

Thank you for that wonderful lesson. I hope you could also help me in structuring the TOEFL writing integrated part. Please help me I need to have a good grade on that part.

I already passed the other three tasks (27/30 reading, 27/30 listening, 26/30 speaking and writing 21/30). I’m desperately eager to have a 24 score in the writing section in order for me to work as Physical Therapist in Texas, USA. Pls help me!

Thanks for your feedback.

The first important element of successful integrated writing in the TOEFL iBT is taking detailed notes during the listening portion. That way you have enough information to build your response, whatever you are asked to do.

The integrated writing is more flexible in terms of pattern. It could be structured in different ways and still be effective. It could have only three paragraphs – a basic intro, body and conclusion, in which you place all the requested info in the body paragraph. Alternatively, you could have an intro and conclusion, and any number of shorter body paragraphs, each devoted to an additional fact or supporting detail from the reading and the listening.

Try to address each point from the reading and the listening together, in the same paragraph. Move from point to point. Avoid explaining everything from the reading in one paragraph and everything from the listening in another paragraph. Blend, or integrate the information you present in your response.

Look into Delta’s guide to the TOEFL iBT for some more examples of good integrated writing techniques.

Also, do look at the sample essays on my goodlucktoefl.com website for ideas on how to improve the second essay task. There are also videos on engvid on How to Structure Your TOEFL Essay, which will help.

My best wishes to you. I hope you’ll be certified as a Physical Therapist very soon.

Hi, I am in the same situation. May I know how you handled it? Even, it would be great if I have your contact email to reach you… Best,

Thanks to all for your feedback.

Thank you so much , i learnt a lot from you ,but there is one thing > please do a lesson how to write a paragraph ,i really can’t start writing ,

Okay, I will plan a lesson on that for you. Thanks for your suggestion.

Thanks for your feedback and best of luck to you.

Dear Rebecca,

I would like to know that essay that is mainly based on current affairs and is required to be around 2500-3000. Under which category of essay it comes?

I’m not sure which exam you are speaking about. On the TOEFL iBT, the essay needs to be 300-350 words in length. On the IELTS, it needs to be 250 words.

The length you have mentioned is much longer than this, so I’m not sure what that’s about.

To know the essay category, you need to look at the way in which the question is framed. Perhaps if you write me the whole essay topic, I could tell you which type it belongs to.

Hope that helps, Sohail.

Hi Rebecca! Thanks for having paved the way for us. Before, we found it a little bit difficult to develop anything about writing, but now it’s rather inspiring to do such a task.

Hi , its rarely to find an Algerian speaks English very well like you ! ,so are you from Algiers ?

you are wrong with that, lot of algerian speak good english u want a prove ?

Thanks so much for your kind comments, Urcupido. It means a lot.

Yes, as you have realized, it can be a lot of fun to write essays actually, once you learn how to organize and present your thoughts.

My best wishes to you with your English.

Hi Mrs Rebecca

I would like to ask you whether to generalize my essay or write something that fits me specifically..I mean for example on “Agree/Disagree” type; shell I answer the right thing or the thing that I really do.

Actually, the “right thing” is not limited to any one way.

I usually recommend that you write from whichever point of view you have more to say. That way you will have lots of good ideas to add to your essay.

You can write whatever you believe. It doesn’t matter whether you agree or disagree. What matters is that you explain your answer well, using your best grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, punctuation, spelling and so on…

And of course the structure and content should address teh question asked,

Best of luck to you, Tarek.

Hi teacher!

Thank you so much for helping us!!! I’m in Toronto and I’d like to know where you teach here? I’m gonna take TOEFL soon and I really need help!!! Cheers!!!

i really liked the way you are teaching, so i would like to aske you a question out of this topic if you let me. I confused what Theme is and how to use it. thanks for your helping

Sorry, Mohammed, I’m not exactly sure what you mean by the theme.

Perhaps you mean what is the broad area you are reading or writing about, such as holidays, education, technology, etc.

Tell me a little more and I will try and help you some more.

hank you Hi Mrs Rebeca I’m in New Jersey I went this country two years ego and I study the english in College de Passaic on second grade. I essay in http://www.engvid.com thank you so much for helping us.

It’s a pleasure. Keep on studying English and write as much as you can. You will surely reach your goal. My best to you, Armida.

hi is it totally free??

I thank you for sharing ways to use, if you need to pass Toefl exams. iam also prepraring for this paper.thank you.

You’re welcome. All the best with your exam, Isaac.

i like to write toefl exam but can you bring for us previous exams how

to see the way they took the exams

My best to you.

Thank you Mrs Rebeca, I am preparing myself to get IELTS , so if you have any information that you believe will be useful especially in writting part and speaking. Best regards

Please watch my videos on IELTS letter writing , if you are doing the General IELTS.

Also, my video on How to Structure Your TOEFL Essay will help you with your IELTS essay too. You can use the same strategy, but your essay needs to be shorter than TOEFL, only about 250 words, or 4 paragraphs.

First, I want to say that I really admire you : ) Now I have some question about writing part of TOEFL , Independent Writing: If I wrote that “I disagree”, (just in first sentense) but all the passage(supporting detail) is “agree with the topic) I would like to ask you that how many scores I will be decreased TT and is it minor or major mistake. I’m really worried nervous and worry now. I will look forward to your answer. Best regards,

If you explained your point of view clearly throughout your essay, it should be fine. So don’t worry.

My best wishes to you and thank you kindly for your feedback.

Oh.. I’m sorry for the last comment I did because I typed by using phone, so it’s kind of hard to read and there are a lot of mistakes. Just forget my last comment :) I will type a new one for you.

Question -> About Independent Writng Part (Agree or Disagree) First, I hesitated between disagree or agree, and I decided to write “disagree.” After that, I gave the supporting idea, and I’ve found that I’d better write in the way of “agreement.” The result is, all my supporting ideas support the topic. The big problem is… I didn’t edit the word “disagree” in the first sentense. Teacher.. .. I’m really worried now.. TT I would like to ask you that “Is it minor or major mistake?” and “How many scores will be decreased?” Would you mind answering me for the question. I will look forward to reading your answer :)

Best regards, Nasarin

As you said, you did explain clearly throughout the rest of the essay so I think it will be fine. Actually, that is why it is helpful to spend a few minutes planning before you start to write. In any case, there are many different factors that affect your score, so don’t worry.

Let me know what happens. From your message,I would say you have a good command of written English so you should get a good score.

Oh.. thank you teacher. I’m very glad to read your message. Happy New Year 2010 : )

Hello ma’am, your lesson is great and effective. However, when i took your quiz i got only 6 out of 8, I confused when did i get wrong. I just follow your guide. My mistakes are no.4 and 8 question. In no. 4, i was confused with If( My answer) and Explanation/Description(Your answer). And no.8 with Preference(My answer) and Explanation/Description(Your answer). I hope you could help to explain my mistakes. Thank you !

Thanks for your questions and feedback.

You are right about question 4. We made a mistake in that answer; it should have been an If question. Thanks for pointing that out. It has now been changed.

Number 8 is not a preference question, because they do not give you two choices. In a preference question, they will say, ” Some people…..” and then, “Other people think….” That is how you can identify a preference question. It’s not just a question of which animal you prefer out of all possible animals.

Hope this helps you, and thanks for helping us. My best wishes to you

thank u teacher how can i improve my english language to take TOEFL i want to speak fluently. ur teaching wondeful

There are so many ways to improve your English. The best way to prepare for the TOEFL exam is to join a good exam preparation class and to work with some good TOEFL exam prep books, such as Delta or Barron’s.

MY best wishes to you.

hii, friends im new comer to learn something about tofele. so please guide me everyone and teach me to please my dear friends

Thanx a lot Mrs Rebecca, Your lessons give inspiration for studying. I also want to speak English Fluently. Please suggest me, What should I do??

Immerse yourself in English. Find a good private teacher or class. Get hold of some good grammar books, such as Raymond Murphy’s Grammar in Use.

Listen, speak, read and write but also have someone give you feedback on your English. All the best.

Hi,thank you so much for your lesson.I want to improve my spoken English.Will you please help me?

There are many ways to improve your spoken English. If you can, try and join a class, or find a private teacher, or make an English-speaking friend who can help you.

Good luck, Esha.

Hi Rebecca, I’m from Costa Rica. Just discovered this site. I love your lessons so much, very simple and easy to understand. I’d like to improve my toefl score, but need some tips on reading, and listening.

Please have a look at the tips in my website, goodlucktoefl.com, as well as some of the other lessons here on engvid.

thank you very much

before any thing i would like to thank you for the great effort you made and still making so as to help us improving our english level in writing. i want you to know that i have decided to pass the tofel exam lots of times but i couldn’t because i felt and still having the same felling that i am not ready for this:i fell i have a lack in vocbulary and a good style of writing assays as well.i hope that you serve me with some kinds of essays which will surely help me in developping my writing style. i don’t know how to thank you my best teacher your new student najib

Thanks for your kind compliments.

Re your TOEFL, please check the free essay samples on the goodlucktoefl.com website.

Also check my video lesson on How to Structure Your TOEFL Essay on this website.

You also need to improve your grammar and spelling, because that counts too. The TOEFL is not an easy exam and you need to prepare well for it.

Do some practice tests from a good TOEFL preparation book. They will also help you to know when you;re ready.

All the best.

Hello every one in this website, when i was just surfing on the internet i found your site here. It is very interesting thought, i love and like your all video lessons you done. Nowadays everything costs, but you all are giving priceless and usefull lessons for every one, it is very good. I hope! You can do much more than this. I wanna be your student, teachers! All the best wishes to u.

Thanks. Please do tell your friends so we can continue to offer this service. Best wishes to you.

Hello Rebeca, I have been studying English for a year, and I still have grammar problems I would like to became an English Teacher, but it’s HARD I don’t going to give up, but belived me it’s Hard. Please give me a Good Advice, to learn Grammar, Also I like the way you teach, clear and straight, Thank You.

I wish you all the best with your chosen career. Please refer to Raymond Murphy’s Basic Grammar in Use and work through it steadily. It will help you a lot.

Also, most mistakes that students make are covered in this book.

All the best to you, Robert.

Hi, Rebecca!!! I’m preparing for the TOEFL iBT. Independent writing.

First, I want to notice that your lessons are so wonderful: clear, simple, powerful.

But now I’m confused about Comparison & Contrast topic type. I’ve just finished “Barrons How to prepare for the TOEFL essay” book. There the author divided essay questions into 1) Making an argument; 2) Agreement/Disagreement; 3) Stating a preference (Advantages/Disadvantages, Compare/Contrast); 4) Giving an explanation. These types are very similar to what you have shown, except Stating a preference type. You have separated it into two independent types: Preference and Comparison/Contrast. The Author of that book provides the same structure for every type of question. However, you ordered separate pattern for the Comparison/Contrast type.

It’s said in that book every paragraph of body should be started with topic sentence which gives general view of the whole paragraph.

My question is how to write topic sentences correctly for each body paragraph? And if you have some sample essays of that type of topic, organized in the way you provided, could you show it.

Thanks a lot! Hope for your help!!!

There are many ways to write an effective essay and I offer one easy way. You could check essay samples on hte goodlucktoelf.com website.

Topic sentences should be general, so that you can develop your paragraph. If the topic sentences are too detailed, then you have difficulty knowing how to expand the point into a full paragraph.

My best wishes to you, Azamat.

Hi Rebecca,

I should like to thank you for the useful info you have given us. I really find it very helpful.

Glad I could help you. All the best.

thank you so much for helping us and i like to improve my writing fast because i have exam after one month i need argumentative essay can you help me this is my email [email protected]

You’re welcome.

Please check my answer to najib, easyenglish, above. That will help you.

Hi I’m one of the student whom working to get the TOEFL . Your lessons helped me

Good luck on your exam, Adnan.

Dear Rebecca

First of all, thanks a lot for your lecture.

your explanation is so definite and clear~!

p.s- i also like as you smile :)

Thank you. Being friendly and kind is so important in life, isn’t it? Sure you are the same, if you noticed that quality.

Warm wishes to you, Kim.

This lecture is useful to me in many ways. Thanks a lot! :)

Dear Miss rebecca I am from Peru, I am pursuing a postgraduate in Aerospace Engineering in Texas, i found your lectures very useful. Than you very much. Marcell

hi Rebecca: I did read your following TOEFL video, and I really want to read your simple of that topic, could you show me your essay ? thank you so much

https://www.engvid.com/how-to-structure-your-toefl-essay/

You can check my TOEFL website for free sample essays .

All the best to you.

so sorry, I typed wrong word yesterday I should be:

hi Rebecca: I did read your following video on youtube, and I really want to read your sample of that topic, could you show me your essay ? thank you so much

Thank you very much for your lesson. And I have some question. I don’t understand between If and Explanation/description what about different?

The main difference is that the If question is more imaginary.

Like,” If you could change one thing about your hometown, what would you change?”

The explanation question just asks you to explain something ordinary and not imaginary.

For example, ” In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good neighbour?”

Hope that helps you.

hello , i would like to improve my language and acually i no know how do this..

There are so many ways to improve – through reading, writing, listening, speaking, singing, watching TV and movies, joining a class…and so much more.

Also, through engVid, of course! My best wishes to you.

Thankou for your lesson

Hi Rebecca:

I have a question about independent task: can I use preposition in my writing, such as I,you,she, and he? I tend to use my own experience when I write a essay, so it is difficult to avoid from using. Also, can I use “I think/ believe/insist” in my writing ?

Thank you so much Rebecca.

Yes, you can certainly use pronouns, such as I, you, he, she etc.

In fact, you are being asked your opinion on the Independent Essay task, so you do need to say, “In my opinion…” or “I think…” etc.

All the best!

it is astonishing lessons’ topics, and so the teachers’ performance would you please introduce a topic about negotiations and what phrases used at different levels of it. As in place where contradicting opinions prevail, also when trying to keep counterparts more close to our opinons. what language to use to make rivals more convinced in our pinions.

Thanks for the lesson idea. I will try and do a lesson on that for you.

first f all i wuld lik 2 congragulate u for almost replying for evry response vth patience and care………… hope u keep up vth dis in future as well

Thanks, Rani. I try my best.

All the best to you, too.

thank you very much you are agood teacher . I hope one day be like you

Rebecca, thank you very much for your wonderful lectures! I’m attending special courses to prepare for TOEFL in Russia now, but our teacher isn’t so good as you.

Thank you a lot , i walys take low digree in subject of essay ,and i don’t know the wrong that i have. but after this lesso i learned the basic which i need it to learn . thanx

thanx a lot. I also want to take TOEFL exams but I have problems in writting section. But I know that if I will work hard I can do it. i think that BELIEVING IS JUST THE BEGINNING. I mean if someone wants to do smth first he or she must believe that he or she can do it.

You’re absolutely right about that!

all the best to you, Elnara.

wow this really helped me ..

I have been able to differentiate .. and I can answer questions on any 1 give only because I am still in doubt

thanks a lot

This is a very nice video. I like the way you explain things. : o)

I have some questions about comparison and contrast essays.

Question 1:

I think the system you showed on the video is called ‘block system’, right? I have heard that there is another system called ‘point by point system’. It is Okay to use any system you want?

Question 2:

Also, you mentioned that we should use another paragraph about the preference. In other words, which position do we like the most and why. Can we write that even if it is not asked on the topic question? For example, let us consider this topic question:

“The government has announced that it plans to build a new university. Some people think that your community would be a good place to locate the university. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a new university in your community. Use specific details in your discussion.”

I think the topic question does not say anything about the write preference. Would it be OK if I write my preference even though it is not required (or is it?)?

Question 3:

What about the other essays? Is there a system we should follow to write the other types of the TOEFL essays?

A lot of question, I know. But I’d be most grateful if you would give me some answers.

Thank you very much in advance.

How you structure your answer depends very much on the question. In your Question 2, it is possible to have two body paragraphs – one for the advantages and one for the disadvantages. It is possible to mention your own opinion briefly in the conclusion.

Please check my goodlucktoefl.com website for more info and sample essays.

All the best to you, Mouhcine.

Thank you for your efforts ,really you explaining in very good way , you simplify and facilitate points that appear complex in the beginning.

Thank You a lot

thank you!!!

Thank you ,miss Rebecca and the web!!

can I have all your lectures and quiz by email? I found your teaching style the best.

KIndly see if my essay is good enough. thanks

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? One should never judge a person by external appearances. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. Everyone knows that we can’t judge a book by its cover, but is it true when it comes to judging people? For me, external appearances are certainly not a fail-safe indicator to a person’s true character and personality. One of my friends, Jenny, serves to be the perfect example to illustrate the point that outside appearance can be incredibly deceptive. When I first met her, the first thought flashing through my mind was ” What a serious girl!” She dressed like a nun, talked like a nun, and even her name reminded me of a nun! However, as we came to know each other better, all my first impressions about her began to shatter. I found out that she likes to wear mini-skirts and pink tank tops, enjoying eating anything but vegetables, collecting rock music albums and attending all kinds of parties. Except for her name, nothing on her is associated with a nun. External appearances can really trick and deceive people, but I do agree that sometimes, people have no alternative but to judge each other by what is on the surface. For example, a famous international company is going to employ 5 people, and thousands of applicants flooded in. Instead of spending lots of time to understand everyone, the interviewers may very likely filter out thousands of candidates by looking at their photos first. It may sound unfair to a lot of people but it is the harsh reality of life. Besides, I believe that sometimes, appearances are the tell-tale signs of a person’s true character and personality. For example, if a student always wears dirty clothes to school and chews gums/ betel nuts while talking with his/her professors, no matter how bright and diligent the student is, no professors will likely to have a good impression about him/her.

Appearance is not everything, and it can even be totally opposite to a person’s true values and attitudes; thus judging a person only by his/her external appearance is treacherous. Nevertheless, we can never overlook the power of appearances; after all, sometimes, first impressions can mean far more than we have expected. Word count: 352

We don’t check essays on this website, but you certainly have a great command of the English language and would get a very high score on your TOEFL exam if you wrote like that!

All the best to you, Metsm.

i am very proud to look this essay, because i cannot write essay well even i know vocabulary. i think it is due to lack of practice. i tried to make me habutuate in writing essay but cannot be so. so please advise me how is it possible for me. thank you, hope ever

ahm, i am just confused, if we are writing essay what would be the best form of tenses should be apply in writing? is that present tense,continuous, or past tense?

It depends what you are trying to say. Please check some of the free sample essays on my TOEFL website.

Best wishes to you, Raphy.

Thank you for sharing these videos in this website. This will definitely improve my English.

Well, when I was taking English classes… I felt like participating a lot and in so many cases, I felt like taking control of the class and I wanted to do more than just listen to my teacher. I believe a lot of participation is needed everyday so we “students” can practice and show individually what we have learned and what we would like to learn. Thanks for this website.

Yes, you are right. Unfortunately, many English classes are too large to enable students to participate sufficiently and improve their skills effectively. In our private language school, we allow only 8- 10 students in each class so everyone gets a chance to speak.

Best wishes to you, Edwin.

thank you for updoading these useful lessons. I have a question about the agree/disagree topics. do we have to choose one of the two ‘options’ we are given? could our opinion be somewere between?

Rebecca mam, this is the 1st time im visiting this site , and am very much impressed with ur teaching from the 1st class itself . i need to take toefl on july 10,2010 . pls guide me in READING section.thankyou

Please have a look at my goodlucktoefl .com website and you will find many useful tips for the TOEFL Reading section.

My best to you, Akshay.

I have become a huge fan of urs REBECCAESL MAM , even explaining micro details to the viewers like the reason for the noise erupting as a result of MOTOR BIKES, u r a perfect teacher , as per the say “FIRST IMPRESSION IS THE BEST IMPRESSION”…pls mail me

i like the way when you teach i learn a lot watching your videos,tomorrow is going to be my essay test, im so nervious

i think is so good . i can help me very so much in learning englsih

hi rebecca,i m an avid viewver of ur videos.they are really proving very helping in my toefl prep.i have question 4 u.is it mandatory to use GRE(typical n tough) words in r essay?what are the benefits/drawbacks of using/not using them?please give the appropriate suggestion for both the viewpoints.thank you in advance.

What’s important is to use vocabulary that you know how to use correctly. A good essay has some simple vocabulary and some advanced. Of course, if you know advanced level vocabulary very well, then by all means you should use it. Focus on writing relevant content within a clear and logical essay structure. Every sentence should serve a purpose toward supporting your argument.

I have a strong feeling that you will do very well. Your command of English is strong. All the best to you.

hi…,rebecca i should to great on your teaching in english it’s very easy to whom more people interested for studied all them.and also it for me yes!! im happy your website cause look a see at post the website.im a start study english. i want imformation cause i have to planning apply call center..i thought more call services, i think the website in to wellfare share lesson..i also big thing itself for study english.

hellow! Rebicca all good’s your share lesson english i think got a people more learn.but then themselve will to cultovate however to speaking exactly for conversation. that’s great have consent to in shown give to open mind.that’s all i know for every who intended to develope speak in english.will has theme proctice if is a available time.it make will ought more for proctice in english to all,

Hello, it seems to be a good program and i would like to thank Mrs. Rebecca, she is really hare working woman and she provide good lesson i would to thank you just the same Mrs Rebecca.

wooooooooooooooooow i like it the best lessons that i have ever to see about the toefl is yours

Thank you kindly, Roma. My best wishes to you.

Thanks to all for your comments, questions and suggestions.

Dear Rebecca: Curently , I am preparing the test of TOEFL and it will be done in next month.However, for some topics ,I do not have enough idea to write .For example , what music reveals the culture of your country? Would you mind to give me some kek points to hint for this essay? Thank you dear teacher Daqinag

Dear Rebecca: Curently , I am preparing the test of TOEFL and it will be done in next month.However, for some topics ,I do not have enough idea to write .For example , what music reveals the culture of your country? Would you mind to give me some key points to hint for this essay? Thank you dear teacher Daqinag

I am sorry Rebecca becasue this is my first time to use the “Submit Comment.”So in the first section of my writing ,I wrote your name in the name blank. I wish I can see your answer as quick as bossible since before long I will have the severe examination. Or if it is possible for you to allow your students to meet you in your school . I live in Toronto. Help, Help.Without the necessary indication how I can pass the test? Daqiang

Hi Ms Rebecca ,Your Lecture is very good.Now i got confidence in writing essays in toefl.thanks for ur lecture

Hi Ms Rebecca ,Your Lecture is very good.Now i got confidence in writing essays in toefl.thanks for ur lectureI would like to get advice from you on how to write an Essay which in that we should read a paragraph and listen to a conversation…i m confused with these essay..that how to structure it?

i love this leeson..

Where is the lovely teacher ? I have posted my messages more than one week and have got any reply. I am nearly mad due to that I am planning to have the most arduous test next month. Help, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

mam.. plz include explanation through examples atleast one for one topic

and plz teach more how to construct introduction and conclusion.

thanks alot… ur lecture is so worth listening its awesome….

Hi Rebecca your lessons are very easy to understand and also I have improved my English knowledge watching your videos.So thank you very much your help to develop our English.

Hi there, I’m really impressed and interrested about the lessons, I’d like to know what must be done done to study the English by correspondence from your University.

Thanks very much. Jose Zau.

Hi, teacher i’m looking for the english Diploment coure six month to one year, please any information or address to send me,

Thank so much

Hi Rebecca, I love you. You look so hot. Will you marry me?

your lecture is very awesome .Can u tell me how many word require in an essay . My teacher give me a topic which is “I ENCOUNTER WITH ALEIN FROM MARS” plz tell me something about ths topic and I hope u will rply me comment.thx

Thank you a lot. I have a guestion for you. Is there might be an argument essay in the TOEFL exam?

Thanks for your wonderful service to the English community. I am pleased with your explanation.Thank again.

I have few clarifications below.Can you please help me out..

Can you give more details to differentiate between perference type and comparsion and contrast type independant essay..both seems to be alike…

Also shouldn’t we mention our opinion/perference of choice in the beginning of the essay.. (In all type of essays, especially to comparasion & contract type as our perferences are mentoined only in the fourth paragraph)

Thank you, sugandh

hi teacher how are you. you now teacher i went write but my english spiling is problimhow can i lern writeing spileang will you helpme.thinku mesi from Botswana Africa

thank you so much dear teacher for teaching. before this i could not understand English easily but now i do any thing jawad form Afghanistan

How to deal with this topic question in comparison and contrast essay:

“When people move to another country, some of them decide to follow the customs of the new country. Others prefer to keep their own customs. Compare these two choices. Which one do you prefer? Support your answer with specific details.”

The topic question doesn’t say what to compare (advantages, disadvantages or advantages of option 1 and advantages of option 2, etc).

What should we write about in this case?

thank u so much dear teachers for teaching i listened youre teaching now i can speak english easily thanks alot

hi rebecca iam very glad to hear your lessons beacause they are very useful my problem that i find in writing essays is how to arganize the essay and how to find the right words and express my self iam not a native speaker iam from morocco i dont know what is the problem so i hope you will hepl me thank you .

really but can you you are a very interested teacher > but can you please show us an essay about advantagase and disadvantagase as example with all my regards

I love this website very much, and you make English easy, but teacher, can you tell me why I can’t receive my password?

There is a problem with the system right now. It should be fixed by November 5.

please can any one help me>> the vedio is viewd on my page. there is some problem,, on page

it;s wonderful

tahnks a lot:)) this helped me much!!!

thanks a lot:)) it helped me much!

Thanks a lot you are very good teacher

Thank you for your explanation. It is very helpful for me. But I have a question about essay types 1-4: Should these three reason be only positive or only negative? I couldn’t understand exactly what to write.

Thank you Rebecca, for helping me to improve my English, I have to stick to your lessons about TOEFL in order to get a good grade next year on the TOEFL, I have already been studying a TOEFL book called Success at my English School in Brazil, and my teacher is a Great Man, all of that, associated with your explanations about this matter, I think I’ll do well on the TOEFL. Thank you once more!

You are great. I love ur teaching.

thanks alot for the lesson , i find dificulties in wtitter essays , i hope i will improve my writing with your lessons .thanks.

Thanks a lot for all your good efforts. Your lessons have improved my level in English language. Once again thank you very much.

Best regards Salah

it made me very simple in my writing exam……..thankzzz a lot.

hello .. you are awesome. i wanted to ask a doubt which i hold about toefl essays. in essays where we have to present our preference, can we take a mid way stand? if we take one stand,do we need to acknowledge the other side? looking forward to your reply.

how i prepare to give the examination of SAT

U are amazing. Really! I am from Russia and we haven’t some teachers like u. Your video helping me! Thnx!

Hi dear Rebecca Is it possible to use when for present perfect? I know we can use How long, and how You ever but how about when??? Thanks

Hi Rebecca How can I watch your videos?

Dear madam thanks for your kind help , and thanks to your humanity

take care always

what is different futuer possiplity moadl nad conculsion modal

Please, I want to get a good score at toefl ibt which course online must I enter thanks

why I cannot see the vedio? Is anything wrong?

hi rebecca, thank you so much for your resources I was download every one of them, Because I Liked so much,I like your videos and the way that you explain every topic,I think so is a great website and the material is amazing, thank you so much and blessing of every one of you friends as ronnie and jamie they are great teachers. bye bye

hi this is majdi plaese can you tell me how can I write paragragh with out mistak Iive in boston Sencerly,

sory I mean I live

Thank you Rebecca, all your suggestions are very useful! I’m looking forward a way to practice integrated essays writing, I already did all the exercise in the book I bought, then I had a look on line but there is nothing specific about it. Do you know how could I do? I’m looking for reading passages and audio lectures to use for integrated essays practice. Thanks Arianna

i have to admit that rebecca is the smartest teacher in this web site , i highly appreciate her and her lessons thanks alot rebecca

hi i got 29 for the writing section and your information helped a lot thank you

hello miss Rebecca . thank u sooo much for this lesson i got knowledge how i can write essay . i hope the best life for u . may God keep u in safe and protect u and give u what u wish . i love u miss Rebecca so much . your sister : Bashayer from yemen:)

great…thank you very much…this will be help me improve my toefl score… u do a great job..keep on it…

thank u sooooooooooooo much , i was needing this lesson , u gave me points how to write in toefl test , i was writing what’s in my mind but now i understood the steps to write essay in right way . may Allah bless u :)

Its really very very useful site. I met this site today for the first time and i am enjoying it. I hope i can improve my English here. Thank you so much.

Thank you Rebecca for providing such great videos for TOEFL IBT student since a few months ago started to watch your video from Youtube and as well from EnVid.com, and that considerably improved my english efficiency. After all I have a question regarding the exam price for TOEFL IBT test I can’t find out how much it is? more about my other question is about validation of TOEFL Many people says that it expire after every two years and some say vice versa please answer my question if you read my comment Thanks

Thanks for this informative video. I reviewed an interesting subject as preparation for TOFEL.

To Start with, I’d like to say how wonderful are all the courses you gave and that I had the opportunity to discover, these last days. I’m a medical doctor (psychiatrist) in France and I travel a lot around the world. To improve my English, I would appreciate a lot to have EngVid’ courses in DVD. Is it possible to by them somewhere ? I hope you’ll answer to me. Thank yoo so much for your help. Congratulations ! All the best.

its a good help for me and my students..thanks

i really thank u for the amazing explanation……i thank u more for communicating with us n replying to the comments

hi, i am from Bhutan and i am sitting Toefl test but as u have mentioned that it is not easy to appear for the test.as i have praticed the toefl sample paper which i got through mail and i also went through Barrons but i am confused in speaking section and will it be difficult in actual test as i not practiced miuch.and also one i practiced is differnt from Barron.As my test is tomorow.please give me some suggestion/solution.

thanx alot its very helpful lesson am astudent in arab american university in palestine my major is english language iwish if you could visit us in our collage and help us to improve our accent we need anative speaker

Thank you very much ! I really enjoyed your class !!

Best regards, Javier.

Would you mind explain the differents between holiday & holidays? thanks!!

Thank you very much! Very useful

i love it! thanks! ;)

This is a very helpful website.

HELLO TEACHER REBECCA I HOPE FIRST U RE FINE AND I EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO U AND TO ALL ENGLISH TEACHERS AND I WOULD LIKE ALSO TO THANK U FOR UR STRIVING BECAUSE U RE MAKING FOREIGN ENGLISH LEARNERS VERY NIGH TO THE REAL FACTS WAT I WANT TO KNOW AT LAST IS THAT ALL UR LESSONS I REALY DO DO HAVE SOME BUT ACTUALY THEY ARE IN DISORDER ….THANKS AGAIN

I really love your teaching style.

rebecca thank you so much this video is very beneficial =)

can the 1st paragraph be the introduction, 2nd paragraph I give the fact, the 3rd paragraph I give my real life experience and the 4th paragraph be my conclusion?

Thank you alot for making such a helpfull information totally free. I hope it’ll help me on the test day.

thank you a lot your lessons are so helpful. keep up the splendid job

I studied English for a long time, but I never felt so good as these classes. I have fun and learn a lot. Congratulations! Silvia.-

great thank for your lesson but you did not mentioned last one compression and contrast can you tell us how should be ?

thank you you teach very well

thank you teacher.the lecture was very helpful.but while i write essay i cannot generate ideas quickly.can u please give me some suggestion?

wow….i have the same problem!….i think i understand how to write an essay but when i have to do it, i have no idea what to write! :( it’s so frustrating!!!!

can u give some more tips to get understand the given topic well? and if i follow 5 paragraph pattern of writting essay what would be my score range?

i get bad marks in this quiz

thank you for help

Thank you . I definitely can say that I’ve leared something today.

i am in the US. i’m trying to get my GED is this the same type of essay

Dear Teacher, I am really like your lessons, there are very useful for me. I enjoy learning your teaching. I would like to learn more about writing the essays from you. My question is if I choose the topic from 5-types-toefl to write the essay, would you mind to read my essay and score it? So I can know how good I am about writing the essay.

Could you please let me know about my request. Your sincerely. Latsamy

This was incredibly helpful. I am an English teacher in an elementary Academy in Seoul, but have recently been assigned a few older students studying for the TOEFL. I have an English degree and strong background in writing, but I was clueless about what the TOEFL essay expectations were. Thanks for helping me be helpful to my students!

thaaaankss aloooooooooooot it was greeeeeeeeeeeeat

hi, rebbeca thanks for you help, but i will pass my toefl. After i finish my english, but i have a problem in writting what sould i do, please help me.

hey thanks for the amazing video,,im gonna have tofel exam on sunday and i feel afraid and i have to got more than 441 to enter the university tell me some advises to have this mark,,thank you

My students and I have greatly benefitted from your online lessons. Welcome to China.

I got an excellent way of writing essays as well as their types.Thanks a lot.Hope,It will help me in my Toefl.Thanks for your best wishes too. Visit India whenever you are free.

Hi Rebbeca, I have a question to ask you about writing the essay about comparison & contrast. My question is in introduction part do we need a hook, background and the thesis statement?

I’ve been studying English since I was a kid. And now I am staying in US and married with American but I am still not confident with my english:( I will take my TOEFL soon… Dont know what to do

I’m started learn english soon, so give me A good way to be very good in english language by short time and i hope get the ibt certificate . please help me to do my wish . thanks.

I’m wondering what is better, easier: I mean TOEFL or CAE? I really like your lesson! Thank you.

Iwant to speak english perfect

Can I know the difference between the preference types of essay and descriptive & contrast types of essays?

what do u think rebbeca? it`s good or not? can u read this essay and say ur idea?

as u wrote before in ur answers,please wrote more useful vocabulary books?

very good,helpful and useful,and very great teachers

thank you this video has helped me a lot. but i actually have one question in mind to ask. is it always necessary that we write in a certain kind of format that everybody else writes? or do u think it’s too risky to write in a liberal format as in creative writing or etc?

Thank you! and i hope you, too, know that you are an awesome toefl teacher

Its very useful thanks so much

hi, my name is junior A live in Brasil. I loved so much you english class

i some times fine it very had to write good essays because there are some essays i find it very had to understand them and as a result of this i cant wright well on them. i love essays especially when i see good example of written essays.

Hello teacher. How are you doing? I would like to say thanks to you for all hard work you’ve done. I’m absolutely certain that everyone can find something useful to them. I like your website very much!!! I wonder if you could help me overcome my problem. I really want to start writing effectively. But my question is, How to learn to write effectively? What is the first step to good writing? Thanks.

hi teacher i ‘m very happy to you.it’s kind of youand i’m longing to another lesson for which talk how we can improve our sills.i make your lesson of.so i wanted to get your address. thank for all this efforts you do for us.

Do you think if i start to study from this site, i will be excellent in English? what is the best way to pass Tofel Test?. I am a native Arabic man, should i translate to Arabic language all the words i don’t understand? Best Regard Ahmad

thank you teacher for your advice, i know that they they will help in exam

thank you for the test . i got 450 which is the total score in toefl test and i got 4.5 for essay. shall i add 450 to 4.5 to get the final score or what is my final score?

very good exercice1

Hello Rebecca your vidio are realy help me with my IBT But I need someone to correct my essays and give me a mark for each from 1 to 5 as IBT to improve main

I ve heard that the toefl pattern changed now. Can you tell me what are the changes?

good engvid to learn

Please, give me information about the types of TOFEL.

hello,my name is mabiala chance. i want to get toefl lesson on line. i want to how to write a good essay.

thank you Rebecca you are a good teacher I like this lesson

Hi, Rebecca. thank you for you class, there is very interesting and important to improve my English

Dear Rebecca, Your lecture helps me much in understanding and organizing my TOEFL writing responses. But I have a question about the essay pattern in response for compare & contrast questions that should I still organize my body in 3 paragraphs, however the 2 above paragraphs will present 2 major points that make 2 choices significantly different. In each paragraph I will deliver contrast ideas of each and also imply my preference. Then in 3rd paragraph, I will state more easily my preference.

Thank you so much Rebecca!

thank you i got 7 correct answer

thnx mis rebecca this was a very interesting lacture i got 8 out of 8 correct answers

hi, great video, do you teach for the toefl in toronto?

Hi miss I want to know abt integrated writing task…the reading passage would be shown in my screen when i writing the task. Plzz tell me some easy step how to write the task..it seems really hard to me.

i thought it may help you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytubzmj_j94

i do not know how to write an example essay!!!im so confused??

Hi Rebecca, Thank you for thorough explanation. I can’t understand the difference between topics #2 and #5 why do they have different patterns?

Thank you for the videos. Those are very helpful. But I need someone to correct my essays.can you give me a mark for each from 1 to 5 to improve my essay writing

Hi , thank you so much for your valuable time to guide us. I always have problem writing the essay can you give me some example how to began and how to sum up.

thanks very much for you and all the teachers (*_*)

Hi Rebeccca i have serious problems on writing integrated writing?Can you give men an advice?)

Rebecca you’re the Queen

Thank you so much, I`m very happy with this web and I looking this web evreyday before I go to sleep.Merci bcp

That’s good. I hope you dream about us, too.

great video!!! very helpful :)

hello, i live in Vietnam. nice to meet you!

I think it really works .

Hi,Rebecca! THANKS for your valuable suggestions,I really appreciate it.Special thanks for your suggestion about comparison/contrast essay questions.YOU”RE A GREAT TEACHER!You explain everything in such a succinct way!GOD BLESS YOU!GOOD LUCK IN YOUR FUTURE LIFE AND CAREER!Bye

v gain teacher ur efforts r matchless……v gain a great input…….me trying 2 improve ma english through ur efforts……give me some tips teacher…..i will b gratefull

You are a fantastic teacher. After going through your videos on toefl ibt, I have got a lot of clarity on toefl, especially for the writing section. You really are a superb teacher. Wish you all the good luck in you profession.

Thanks & Regards,

I LOVE THIS VIDEO!! Thanks!

me too Valentina .. it soo helpful website

It was a great working from u and I really appreciate you thanks ^_^

Dear Rebecca Hi, I enjoy watching engvid videos. I will be going to sit for TOEFL exam in Feb 2012. I am having difficulty in writing integrated essay. a) How to join the text and lecture in every sentence. b)How to start and end the essay? c ) what are the connector words? Need help. SOS Thank you once again for such a nice video. Mrs.Khan

please teacher i need to help me quikey time i have probelm for the writing thanks so much bay

thanks a lot mrs: rebicca

Ms Rebeca,you are just adorable!Infact you are my Role Model.

Thanks alot mrs Rebicca

This Website (www.engvid.com)is very good. It is useful so much. please Keep it on.

Thank you very much for such a great lesson!

Rebecca if I was asked to write an essay about Agree or disagree, how should I start my essay?

I agree that ….. I disagree ….

could you pleas guide me to the correct way

thank you in advance

you are really good rebeca

it’s clear up everything! thank you very much!

Great lesson! I can feel you!When I was watching this footage it seemed like I was sitting in front of you! I think you’re superb teacher!

i need help with my essay

Hello, I wrote an independent essay on the exam only 294 words long :( How badly it can affect on the score? Thank you in advance!

Hello Rebecca . Thank you very much for such a good and perfect lesson.please, help me ,i need a help, i want to see some essays examples , i need to impove my writing section, it is too bad

thanks foe the lesson…

Thank you so much for your wonderful lesson. i will try to follow all the step you have taught to us.

i would be very much grateful if you could kindly give us the assay topic so that will see whether i can write on it or not….jst my opinon

It’s rather noisy with you, you must leave your studio !!! Bye bye !!!

Nice post. I was watching continuously this site and I’m impressed! Extremely useful info specifically the last part I care for such info much. I was looking for this particular info for a long time. Thank you and best of luck.

I ‘m writing an essay that has 2 questions. I am confuse on where I should put the answer to the second question. Do I write it as a continuation or do I start a new paragraph ? These are my two question, what are the benefits of starting school early? What are some of the problems you see in sending a four year old to school?

It is difficult.

thanks for http://www.engVid , specially to all teacher. The all lesson very important . wonderfull lesson, trims from me at Borneo Indonesia.

Thanks for the vids you have provided, you really get ESL students to learn easily, and be up to date in english.

thank you very much I really learn new things :)

interesting class,,,, thank you so much teacher

Hi Rebeca, That a cool quiz a I heve been learning with this materal!!

Thank you for being an amazing teacher. i’ll do my best using your advices. thanks again.

Hi rebecca, I really wish that I can continue my study in the overseas, to get the scholarship I need the highest score of toefl, but I really weak in listening section n writing, could you give me suggestions????

WOW!!!! Awesome video. It does help me. Thanks you so much!!!!!

TTYL….

hey everyone how’s everything can yu please guy help me in something ??????

Hi, Rebecca this is the web site that my son recommended to me.And first time i try to write this email to you.I’m taking an English course now but i still poor an English and writing,and want to write an essay, I don’t know how to start a paragraph of an essay because my vocabulary and phrase are poor.I hope you can let me know how to improve it. Thank you!

Hi, Rebecca this is the web site that my son recommended me.And it is the first time i try to write this comment to you.I’m taking an English course now but i am still poor in speaking English and writing,and want to write an essay, I don’t know how to start a paragraph of an essay because my vocabulary and Grammar are poor.I hope you can let me know how to improve it. Thank you!

Hi,Rebecca this is the web site that my son recommended me.And it is the first time i try to write this comment to you. I am taking an English course now but i am still weak in English and writing, and want to write an essay,i do not know how to start an essay because my vocabulary and grammar are weak.I hope you can let me know how to improve it. Thank you!

Hi, Rebecca my son recommended me this web site to me.Ane it is the first time i write this comment to you.I am taking an English course now and want to write an essay.i do not know how to write en essay because my vocabulary and grammar is weak. I hope you can let me know how to improve it. Thank you!

Hi, Rebacca I have seen your video and I have learn a lot from u according to my requirement. Rbacca I would like to ask one more question following this video that I understood the tips of rest 3 essay but I NEED MORE EXAMPLE HOW TO EXPLAIN THE REASON 1, REASON 2, AND REASON 3. THANK U VERY MUCH REBACCA.

Thx for information.

The description was apt and i liked the way you explained the independent essay writing. However, i would like to get some ideas about integrated essay writing. Kindly, enlighten me with some ideas

Hi Mrs Rebcca, i love the lesson that u have posted in this net,and i have learn a lot from this lesson. To request you one thing more, i have recently trying to appear in IELTS exam and i have no one to help my work to do necessary correction,so, iam requesting you to help me please. The problem with society today is that it is essentially unbalanced, with some people being paid huge salaries to work very long hours, whilst others do not have a job and have too much time on their hands. There is no middle ground. Do you agree or disagree? Essay

It is certain that, any company, whether Multi-production or single; wish to have limited workers in field experienced, and then are paid very high wedges, as well paid extra work charges, for their extra time works. And then earn huge money. In this assay, I will give brief explanations about how two factors result in the inequality of job.

As it is understood, in year 2011, a great number of people lost their jobs, especially in Europe due to Global Economic crises. The goods and services produced from the factories lost its markets, as a result, income for the company simultaneously reduced. Therefore, workforce has to reduced to small number, selecting by skilled workers, to work more extra hours, in return, they were compensate as per the extra working hours. So they draw more salary in return.

On other hand, fresh graduates from different fields of study do not have work experience, and being so, organizations were reluctant to recruit in their company. Even, if so, in low wedges, but the employee have no interest to work in low salary. By doing so, they were left as unemployed in the job market. Certainly, this increases the unemployment ratio in the global.

In conclusion, the organizations wish to have limited workers, but with far more experienced and long working hours, as to increase their daily income products. Recruiting fresh employee takes time to cope up the organizations work ethic and its rules. These discourage the employer, to employ the newly graduates in their company. Hence, this leads to raise of youth unemployment problems for every country in the world as well as unfairness to human society too.

Thank you very much for explain!!!)

I have a toefl Ibt on 9th of june.I need some useful advice from you to do a better test

thaks a lot

Thanks Engvid.com

Thank you for sharing this great video. This is very helpful.

dear mam you tought me a lot of things today. thankyou.

Hello everybody, I just found a good website to TOEFL IBT where you can follow preparation lessons, and have your test and teacher grading too. if am not wrong. i don’t know if I am authorized to display its link here on this page?

can you send me that link?

Hello! Thank you Rebecca, you’re such a good teacher. I want to know specifically about examples I can find in a TOEFL, besides currently I’m studying for my TOEFL, because the next year I’m goint to take it. Please give me some tips, further I want to apply for a scholarship. Thank you very much! God bless you and take care. =D

Hi Rebecca, congrats for the video. It is cool.I have 3 questions about the independent essays.

1. What type of topic is this question: Salary increases and promotions to new positions are not the only ways to reward employees for good work. What other rewards for good work could be effective in encouraging further good work? Use specific examples to support your response?

This is not really a description type of topic as you have to list more than 1 thing. So what structure would fit this question?

2. I heard the question in the video about the compare topic. It said: Compare the advantages of…..with the advantages of….And then in the structure of the essay you stated that in the body should be used advantages and DISADVANTAGES. So if the question includes only advantages in this case, shall we use the disadvantages too?

3. Could we take the 3rd pharagraph of the body in compare type question into the conclusion. I mean to state our opinion in the conclusion and explain why, there?

till now i didnt have an idea as to how to write an essay , but this video gave me the view to write an essay . i am sure i could do well in writing

Thank you mam for this video. I have a question. For Comparison and contrast question, you mentioned to write advantages and disadvantages of A and advantages and disadvantages of B. What must be in the introduction? Shouldn’t we choose our preference in the thesis statement? and wont it be futile if for reader if we mention the answer to the question only in 4th paragraph?

Thank you!!

Hi dear teacher Rebecca! I’m very disapointed because I wanted to do my MBA in London, but I’m not a native speaker so I need to to TOEFL essay…and now, I’m sure if I’ll be able to do it. I think it’s very difficult…I have to study more english. You are a great teacher. Thank you to inform me about this. Take care

wow! thanks a lot.. this video will help me with the TOEFL i’m sure about that…..you r a nice teacher everything is clear for me…. thanks a lot for helping us. :)

Hi! That’s a really wonderful lesson with the technique of explanation.. Thanks very much.

Dear teacher Rebecca. My name is basir from Indonesia. In my institution regulation that every one should be own a TOEFL certificate if they want to be a manager candidate. I hove that through your material I can improve my TOEFL score. Thanks

thanks rebecca

I have a question about iBT. I need topics for current iBT. Heeeeeeeelp me!

really i love the way to learn thank you

Thaaanks!!! very usefull video:)

can i download the videos at this website?

No. You can watch them.

what is that sites?

i was doing one the of quiz one the question i did said i was wrong but i think, was write “Some students like classes where teachers lecture (do all of the talking) in class. Other students prefer classes where the students do some of the talking. Which type of class do you prefer? Give specific reasons and details to support your choice. i picked preference and i was wrong hmmmmmm

Nice post. I was watching continuously this site and I’m impressed! Extremely useful info especially the last part I care for such info much. I was looking for this specific info for a long time. Thank you and best of luck.

merci énormement Ms. Rebecca, est ce que je peut avoir des lient ou je trouve des examplaire de toefl

Thank you for your helpful video :)

is it possible to have two topic types in one question in the TOEFL exams? i sometimes experience this at school.

I like your teaching method , it is very helpful.Do you have online writing class?

While I was watching your video just the word Toefl. made me scared. I probably fly away from m’y chair.

Wonderful!!!

Dear Mrs Rebecca, Thank so much for your help about the TOEFL. I took last month the TOEFL, I got 18 for the writing part. I am sure if I had visited your website before ,I would have had a better score. As you know it is very difficult to finish the essay in the time alloted for. Could you give me a template for each type of topic that I can study and apply to my essay in order to gain in time ? you can send them onmy email address. Thanks so much.

Hi Rebecca, I found all your lectures (those I have visited so far)on different topics very helpfull. Your way of explaining the topics makes the lecture interesting. Thank you so much and God bless you.

thanks Rebecca great lesson really

thanks Rebecca for your grat lessons could you please explain what the difference between until and by the time ı have looked up some grammar book but ı can’t find enough information about it.if you do ı’ll be pleased thank you again.

Hi how are you I,m in England now to learn English but I still have probalm i can’t speak easy help me pleas thanks

Thank you very much for this enjoyable lesson.

I really like this lesson. You explained plainly the essay patterns.

Thank u so much Rebecca sis… U made me easier for my TOEFL exam…

Thanks a lot!

am not able to score more then 24 on my toefl writing,don’t know what should i do.i follow the 5 paragraph format.

Thanks so much Mrs Rebecca.you are really a wounderful teacher.l think i can make my TOEFL now.

thank’s

Hi Rebecca, very good lesson, congratulation in advance, however I’m not certain about something. In those essays should I use the first person ? I mean, can I refer to myself ? for example using the pronoun “I”

Hello Rebecca! This is really useful, I use the same structures for my essays. However, I have a question and I cannot find an answer to it anywhere. Can the independent essay be longer than 300-350 words? Yesterday I wrote one with 618 words. I think it is a good one and I am able to write long essays for 30 minutes. Would this decrease my score? And can I write a longer answer on the integrated one.. I mean more than 225 words?

Could you give as an example of the integrated writing task? it is quit tricky and the structure and the overal way of writing is a bit difficult. Thank you in advance.

Thank you for your worthy effort ,really its a useful lesson ,what is your advice to got high score in TOEFL exam?

hi Mis , it’s so amazing lesson i realy like it and i learned more ,so thank you so much . mmm actually i have problem with the essay in length especialy of each type of it some times i worry abou t it …..so how i can manage the plan of the essay in each type , also how i can avoid being far away or out from the topic it also happened to me many times i mean in the body of essay how i can make the coherent between paragraphs and make my essays’ body as a one piece more related and avoid irrelevant things , i hope you catch my meaning ,thanks again :)

I really enjoyed watching your English teaching video all day long. You explained very clearly and easy to understand. I am preparing my first time TOEFL IBT test. I found out that you made my life easier and create my confidence for TOEFL exam. Thank you so much for your dedication for all students around the world.

Best regards,

i wonder about the conclusion of the comparison & contrast

i was thought that my opinion is the conclusion isn’t right ? and if it is not what can i write in the conclusion ?

ooh i was able to forget i wanna say THANK YOU A LOOOOOOOOOT really you help me ^_^

Dear Rebecca Thank you very much and this lesson very useful I’m appreciate Good luck

I got by second try :D 100

Thanks a lot.

thank you because you always make it sipmle for us.

Thanks for your help I was really in need of it :)

Hi Rebecca, i want to commend you for taking time to respond to series of questions here andd on your site. My TOEFL exams is in a week’s time and i am slightly nervous. Wish me all the best. Thank you

Well, this sucks

cause it’s too hard to understand

Hi dear teacher. I am very proud of you and thank you for everything. In my opinion you are the best teacher, due to you dear professor I improve my English skills and my pronunciation. Please if it is possible help me. I want to know can I use the word and in one sentence, for example I can never do this work without your helping. I ask because I know that in one sentence can not be two and more negative words. Thank you for helping.

How excellent you are !

Dear Rebeca Your web site is great. I like it. I would like to know some information about the TOEFL JUNIOR test. For example tye a) Essay topics b) Writing topics c) Reading topics Thanks a lot in advance for your kind reply

hello rebecca am having some little issues on compare and contrast essay writing can you tell me more about it or do you have a video about it

I like engvid.com. It’s very useful for all student.:)

Hi,mam i have taken TOEFL in feb 2013.The topic of independent essay is given below. “own reading is important than assigned by teacher” for this question which format need to select among 5 .In the question they haven,t mentioned to write about advantages or disadvantages.please help me,because i got lowest score on this

Hi,you are one of the best teacher ,well tell me essay section will depend on which percentage or how many numbers will it contain?

Hi teacher, I am asking if there website to write essay or paragraph and then correct for ma?

in the other form type essay besides the comparaison and contrast, Do we need to introduce each new idea in a new paragraph?

your teaching style is just amazing! can you give us more detail about this essay? and more examples, please! i really like the way you explain the lectures.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People learn more from their peers than those older than them. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

HI Guys, I am Rahul, searching for a fellow with whom I can chat (Video or Voice both as He/She wants) in English. I am preparing for TOEFL and GRE and I am going to take these exams in the mid of October. In my surroundings I couldn’t get anyone who can talk in English, That’s why I am seeking here. If anyone, who is doing the same and interested to talk to a person who is extremely curious to crack these exams then he or she can contact me through my mail. “[email protected]”. Thax

this is usefull course tank you!!!!

thanks alot

Hello Rebecca. Thank you for the lesson I have a question about the compare & contrast essay. I saw the pattern that we should follow for this question, but my question is do we always have to say the advantages and disadvantages of the topic?, eventhough if in the question is not specify. For example in this one that I found: “Some people enjoy change, and they look forward to new experiences. Others like their lives to stay the same, and they do not change their usual habits. Compare these two approaches to life. Which approach do you prefer? Explain Why”.

Many times it is confused, because we don’t know if we have to write the advantages or disadvantages or just explain them hahah maybe you can find more information in her web site, is this one (www.goodlucktoefl.com) good luck! ^_^

Dear madam, Could you please identify/ clarify me what differences between writing. essay of discussion and argument ? I feel confused. Thnk you very much.

That was a wonderful topic! Thank you so much Rebecca! The engVid is a great place to learn! Thank you guys!

thanks Rebecca,your lesson is very useful,but we need to know about our answer is depend on what the question has or estimate the status.

Hi Rebecca, I am preparing to do IELTS in a few months and I was wondering if anybody from your team can correct my writing, I mean the essays that I do for practice. Do you have this service available, how much will it cost? Thanks

Hi karen””thank u very mutch for this vedio “” but i’ve a issue u know what i want write something but i don’t have any subject to talk about it .So bleace MS.Karen if u can solvt my problem tell me ..

So for the essays Agree/Disagree and Preference I have to write reasons always, right? And for Comparison/Contrast just I have to explain Advantages and Disadvantages. And finally, for the If/Imaginary and Description/Explanation just I have to explain, I don’t have to write specific reasons for them? Thank you very much!

Hello, Rebecca! I greatly admire your lessons – they are are hugely helpful for students who are self-taught in English, just like me. I’m going to take the TOEFL iBT Test in two months and I’ve been looking for lessons on how to structure a phrase/sentence effectively, so I can improve my writing skills. Do you have any lesson video talking about this subject? If not, do you think that could be a good topic to discuss? Thanks for helping and congratulations on your excellent job.

Kind regards,

Matt from Brazil.

I’m taking the TOEFL iBT Test in two months…* (I think it sounds better this way,haha).

I try to answer your quiz teacher and i got 2mistake only but teacher i want to learn more can your help me how to do it? Because i want to learn how to start to write a essay please help me i really want to pass to TOEFL exam so i can pass and join to the higher section please help me

that was great.

Hi Every body Thanks for explanation . this videos was very helpful for me so thanks for present. i appreciate teacher Rebecca i like the way of teaching its so funny , understandable

Rebecca is the best. Would say the greatest. Thanks.

Thanks for the video ! But I wish you had recorded the video in a place less noisy. Because There is so much noise comes from outside ! Although, the microphone was far from you.

Hi Rebecca, thank you for the informative video on how to identify the different essay patterns asked in TOEFL exams.

I will need your help here on a small query I have. It so happens that while I am giving a thought on which topic to choose of the two available ones, I always feel that it is easier to fill in more content when I write the pros and cons about both the topics rather than writing in favour or against one topic only. Can you please help me by stating if this approach by me will be graded with good marks or if it will be gauged to have no certain view and graded to receive lower score.Your help on this will be much appreciated.Thanks in advance.

you’ve got a very clear way to engage with the purpose. thanks so much!

Dear Rebecca, I have to work again and again before to take a TOEFL exam. But why not? Yours sincerely’

oh my god writing essay is so easy to learn with you thnx you sooo much you helped me a lot <3

Hello Rebecca, thank you for this helpful lecture. I got better understandings on TOEFL writing, but I am a little confused. From the examples you give to explain preference type of essay and comparison/contrast type of essay, they are all the same type to me. Could you please explain more about the differences between these types of essay. Thank you very much.

Hi Rebecca, I have a question. In the case of Agree/disagree, what if it is something that I don’t agree or disagree in total in both affirmations? For exemple, if in my opinion the best way is to find a midpoint solution. How should I write? Or, in this case, do you recommend to give preference to one of them even if it’s not my real opinion?

Thank you Rebecca very much, i have a different perspective about help, there are so many ways to help people, and i admire the way how you help us(your students). English – is a hard language to learn to be honest, because there are so many rules and exceptions, but thank you for making it clear, thanks for your explicit answers and definitions. I will take my TOEFL IBT tomorrow, and i will leave my comment about my score as soon as i will get them. Thank you one more time

Hi Rebecca thank you for your lesson. But I can’t detect diferrence between preference type of writing and comparison and compare type. How can I understand whıch one is which one

Hello At first I want to thank you for all these informative videos you have been making. I have question about comparative paragraph. Although I did understand how to structure the body of comparative essay, I am so confused about how to write a thesis statement for this essay. Do I have to state my opinion in the thesis, or to give both sides of comparison the same attention objectively without telling what is my preference?

Thanks a lot madam. But unfortunately I had only 63 as a score. And I want to re take it and maybe there is no way to do it, may you show me how?

Hi madam, it’s ok. I found how to do it. And i got 83. Thanks a lot

Now 88%, really happy

How can I take lesson as special from a teacher in here ?I saw just videos.But I wanna get online TOEFL course from a teacher in this website.Please if you’d help me,I’d appreciate it.

its so workable and thank u soo mush for your effort

As a learners we profoundly thank you for your efforts . hopefully you have a tome to reply my useful question for all of us that if we get the pattern of essay whose kind starts with (if) , what is the verb form we should use in the whole essay to accomplish our task properly ? Kind regards .

Help me a lot to write effective essay . Thank a lot , all the best Rebecca.

Thanks Rebecca. Sometimes we get our mind in black because is already difficult to talk about something when you are not having a conversation, but at least if we have a plan (like the one you just gave us) there is something to begin with.

How can I take lesson as special from a teacher in here ?I saw just videos.But I wanna get online TOEFL course from a teacher in this website.Please if you’d help me,i’d

This is a great lesson

I’d appreciate it

I can easily help to you .I have good TOEFL score and also can speak in turkish.

Good evening! Thanks for this lesson! It helps me a lot) 8/8

i’am happy when lestn these lessons

thank you teacher Rebecca..I really like your way of explaining.

Thanks for the lesson. Very useful!

Very interesting lessons.

My score is 100. Thanks rebbeca. Really helpful

Very useful, not only for TOEFL

You got 6 correct out of 8.

Thank you so much

I want to learn how to write acdemic writting sytle and research paper. please guide me how I shold learn where I can learn about it.

Good morning! Thank you for your video, that was very clear but I have one question: is the essay about the toefl iBt and the toefl rpdt the same? Because the latter is a new format which appeared two years ago, and I can’t find some exercises about it! Thank you.

Thanks Mr. Rebecca.

8/8. Thanks a lot for such simple explanation of essays system.

Exactly, her simple and explanation was fascinating.

Here is a question that I want to ask you. It is about comparison and contrast type of essay in TOEFL, specifically, can you guide me how can we write our thesis in this pattern.

Thanks in advance

Unfortunately, 3 /10

i am sorry 3/8

I watched the video twice on September 25, 2021, and took the quiz after watching it once. I got eight correct out of 8.

I am a student and I should learn English. Thank you, Rebecca!

good to know…

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TOEFL sample essays: Tips and techniques for a high score

The TOEFL exam is a standardised test that measures a non-native English speaker's ability to use and understand English at the university level. One of the components of the TOEFL exam is the writing section, which requires test-takers to write an essay in response to a prompt.

To score well on the writing section, it is essential to understand the requirements of the exam and the characteristics of a high-scoring essay.

In this article, we will explore tips and techniques for writing TOEFL sample essays that will help test-takers achieve a high score.

Table of Contents

Toefl writing section, integrated writing task, independent essay sample, 1. understand the task requirements, 2. plan your essay, 3. use effective paragraph structure, 4. use specific examples, 5. use varied sentence structure, 6. use academic vocabulary, 7. use correct grammar and punctuation, toefl essay #1, toefl essay #2, toefl essay #3, frequently asked questions.

The TOEFL writing section is a crucial component of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), which measures the English language proficiency of non-native speakers of English who wish to study or work in English-speaking countries. The writing section evaluates a test-taker's ability to write effectively and clearly in academic English.

The TOEFL writing section comprises two tasks: the Independent Writing Task and the Integrated Writing Task. Both tasks assess different aspects of the test-taker's writing abilities, including their ability to express ideas clearly, organise thoughts, use appropriate vocabulary and grammar, and demonstrate critical thinking and analytical skills.

Also read: TOEFL Writing Topics

The Integrated Writing Task assesses your ability to comprehend and synthesise information from both a reading passage and a lecture. This section evaluates your ability to use your reading and listening comprehension skills to comprehend the given content and then integrate and organize the information effectively in your writing.

The Integrated Writing Task is composed of two parts: a reading passage and a recorded lecture. The reading passage presents a topic, and the lecture provides additional information on that topic. Both the reading passage and the lecture are related and complement each other. Test-takers must read and listen carefully, as they will be asked to summarise the information presented in both in a written response.

The reading passage is approximately 230-300 words long and usually includes a definition of the topic, background information, and supporting examples. The lecture is approximately 3-5 minutes long and adds additional information and examples to the topic presented in the reading passage.

Independent Writing Task

The Independent Writing Task assesses your ability to write in English on a given topic. The task requires you to express your thoughts, ideas, and opinions coherently and effectively in written form. The task aims to evaluate your ability to organise your thoughts, use appropriate vocabulary and grammar, and develop your ideas with sufficient details and examples.

The Independent Writing Task is a timed exercise, and you will be given 30 minutes to complete it. You will be presented with a prompt or a question, which you will be required to address in your response. The prompt may ask you to express your opinion on a particular issue or to describe a situation, problem or challenge and propose a solution. It is important to read the prompt carefully and understand what it requires you to do before starting to write.

Also read: TOEFL Exam Pattern 2023

Prompt: Some people believe that it is better to live in a small town, while others think that life in a big city is more preferable. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each perspective and give your own opinion.

Living in a small town versus a big city has been a topic of debate for a long time. Some people prefer the peace and quiet of small towns, while others thrive in the hustle and bustle of big cities. In this essay, I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each perspective and provide my own opinion.

Living in a small town has its advantages. First of all, it is generally quieter and more peaceful than living in a big city. There is less noise pollution, less traffic, and fewer crowds. Additionally, small towns are often safer than big cities, with lower crime rates and a stronger sense of community. People in small towns tend to know each other better and are more likely to look out for one another.

However, small towns also have their disadvantages. They can be isolated and lacking in opportunities, particularly when it comes to education and employment. Small towns may not have access to the same resources as big cities, which can make it harder to pursue certain careers or receive a top-notch education. Additionally, small towns can sometimes feel claustrophobic, with everyone knowing everyone else's business and limited options for socialising or entertainment.

Living in a big city, on the other hand, has its own set of advantages. Big cities are often cultural hubs, with access to museums, theatres, concerts, and other forms of entertainment. They also offer more diverse dining options and a wider range of shopping opportunities. In terms of education and employment, big cities often have more options available, with top-notch universities and a greater number of job openings.

However, big cities also have their disadvantages. They can be noisy, polluted, and stressful, with crowds and traffic adding to the chaos. Crime rates are often higher in big cities, and there is often a lack of community and a sense of isolation. Additionally, the cost of living in a big city is often much higher than in a small town, which can be a significant barrier for many people.

In my opinion, both small towns and big cities have their advantages and disadvantages, and which one is preferable depends on individual preferences and priorities. While I appreciate the peace and quiet of small towns, I also value the opportunities and diversity of big cities. Ultimately, the choice between living in a small town versus a big city comes down to personal preference and what one prioritises in life.

Also read: TOEFL study material and resources

Tips for writing high-scoring TOEFL essay

Writing a high-scoring TOEFL essay requires effective preparation, practice, and the use of a clear writing structure. Here are some tips to help you write a high-scoring TOEFL essay:

The first step in writing a high-scoring TOEFL essay is to understand the task requirements. Make sure you read the prompt carefully and understand the topic you are being asked to write about. Additionally, make sure you understand the type of essay you need to write. The TOEFL independent writing task requires you to write an essay expressing your opinion or providing your perspective on a given topic.

Once you understand the prompt and the requirements of the task, take a few minutes to plan your essay. Jot down some notes, create an outline, or even brainstorm on paper to organise your thoughts. Make sure you have a clear idea of the main points you want to make and the evidence you will use to support them. Organising your thoughts and creating an outline will help you stay on track and make your essay more coherent.

Paragraphs are the building blocks of your essay. Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence that relates to the main idea of the essay. Use supporting evidence and examples to back up your main point in each paragraph. Additionally, make sure each paragraph flows smoothly into the next. Using transition words and phrases can help link ideas and make your essay more cohesive.

One of the keys to writing a high-scoring TOEFL essay is to use specific examples to support your ideas. Use real-life examples, statistics, and facts to back up your argument. This will demonstrate your knowledge of the topic and show that you can think critically. Additionally, using specific examples will make your essay more interesting to read and help you stand out from other test-takers.

Varying your sentence structure can make your essay more interesting and engaging to read. Use short and long sentences, questions, and statements to add variety to your writing. This will help you avoid repetition and make your writing more engaging. However, make sure your sentences are grammatically correct and make sense in the context of your essay.

Using academic vocabulary can make your essay sound more professional and knowledgeable. Use vocabulary that is appropriate for the academic level of the test. Avoid slang, colloquialisms, and overly complex language. Additionally, make sure you use words correctly and avoid using words that you do not fully understand.

Using correct grammar and punctuation is essential to getting a high score on the TOEFL writing section. Make sure you use correct verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. Use appropriate punctuation to ensure your writing is clear and easy to read. If you are unsure about a grammar or punctuation rule, look it up or ask a tutor for clarification.

Also Read TOEFL Exam Syllabus

TOEFL writing samples

TOEFL writing samples provide valuable insights into the structure and content expected in the writing section of the exam. These samples showcase both the integrated and independent writing tasks, allowing test-takers to familiarise themselves with the types of prompts and the expected responses. 

Below we have provided three TOEFL writing samples with answers. By analysing and studying these TOEFL sample essays, students can understand the effective use of transitions, supporting evidence, and coherent arguments.

The importance of learning a second language

Learning a second language has become increasingly important in today's globalised world. It offers numerous benefits such as improved cognitive abilities, enhanced cultural understanding, and better job prospects. In this essay, we will explore the advantages of learning a second language and how it can positively impact individuals and society.

Learning a second language has been shown to improve cognitive abilities. It requires mental effort and helps develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and multitasking skills. Research has shown that bilingual individuals exhibit higher levels of creativity and have improved memory and attention spans.

Furthermore, learning a second language enhances cultural understanding. Language is deeply intertwined with culture, and by learning a second language, individuals gain insights into different cultures, traditions, and perspectives. This fosters empathy, tolerance, and a broader worldview, enabling individuals to engage and connect with people from diverse backgrounds.

In addition, knowing a second language opens up better job prospects. In today's global job market, multilingualism is highly valued. It allows individuals to communicate effectively with clients, colleagues, and partners from different countries. Employers often seek candidates with language skills, as it demonstrates adaptability and a willingness to engage in cross-cultural interactions. Thus, learning a second language offers advantages in terms of career opportunities and professional growth.

The impact of technology on education

Technology has revolutionised the field of education, transforming the way students learn and teachers teach. In this essay, we will explore the positive impact of technology on education, including increased access to resources, improved engagement, and enhanced learning outcomes.

One significant impact of technology in education is the increased access to resources. Online platforms, digital libraries, and educational apps provide students with vast amounts of educational materials, regardless of their geographical location. Students can access textbooks, research materials, and interactive learning tools, empowering them to explore and learn at their own pace.

Moreover, technology has improved student engagement in the learning process. Multimedia elements such as videos, simulations, and gamification techniques capture students' attention and promote active participation. This not only enhances their understanding of the subject matter but also fosters creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Additionally, technology facilitates personalised learning experiences. Adaptive learning platforms analyze student performance and provide personalised feedback, allowing for targeted instruction and remediation. Online collaboration tools enable students to work together, fostering teamwork and communication skills. These personalised and collaborative learning experiences contribute to enhanced learning outcomes and student success.

The benefits of exercise for physical and mental health

Regular exercise is essential for maintaining good physical and mental health. It offers numerous benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, increased strength and flexibility, stress reduction, and enhanced mood. In this essay, we will explore the importance of exercise for overall well-being.

Engaging in regular exercise improves physical health. It helps prevent chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Exercise strengthens the cardiovascular system, boosts metabolism, and enhances overall physical fitness. Activities like running, swimming, or weightlifting promote muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility.

Exercise also plays a vital role in stress reduction and mental well-being. Physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins, which are natural mood boosters. These endorphins promote feelings of happiness and well-being, helping to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Regular exercise can also improve sleep quality, increase energy levels, and enhance cognitive function.

Furthermore, exercise provides an opportunity for individuals to unwind, clear their minds, and focus on their physical well-being. It can serve as a form of self-care, allowing individuals to take time for themselves and prioritize their health. Incorporating exercise into one's routine can have a positive impact on their overall mental and emotional state.

In conclusion, regular exercise offers a multitude of benefits for both physical and mental health. It improves cardiovascular health, increases strength and flexibility, reduces stress, and enhances mood. By incorporating exercise into our daily lives, we can experience improved well-being and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

It is important to understand the requirements of the exam and the characteristics of a high-scoring essay to achieve a high score on the TOEFL writing section. By organizing your thoughts, using specific examples, using clear and concise language, focusing on coherence and cohesion, and proofreading and editing carefully, you can improve your essay writing skills and increase your chances of success on the exam.

What is the format of the TOEFL essay?

The TOEFL essay is a 30-minute written task where you are asked to express and support your opinion on a specific topic. The essay is typically four to five paragraphs long and should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Where can I find sample TOEFL essays to practice with?

You can find sample TOEFL essays in TOEFL preparation books or online. The official TOEFL website also provides sample essays and scoring guides.

How can I prepare for the TOEFL writing section?

To prepare for the TOEFL writing section, you should practice writing essays using sample prompts, develop your grammar and vocabulary skills, and learn how to organize and develop your ideas effectively. You may also want to work.

How to write a TOEFL essay?

To write a TOEFL essay, it is important to understand the prompt, brainstorm ideas, create an outline, and then write a well-structured essay with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Practice organising your thoughts and expressing them clearly within the time limit provided.

Is 27 a good writing score in TOEFL?

Yes, a score of 27 is considered a good writing score in TOEFL. It demonstrates a high level of proficiency in writing and indicates strong language skills, coherence, and clarity in expressing ideas.

What is the TOEFL essay format?

The TOEFL essay format consists of an introduction, two or three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction presents the main idea or argument, the body paragraphs provide supporting evidence or examples, and the conclusion summarises the main points and restates the thesis statement.

Is 24 a good TOEFL writing score?

A score of 24 in TOEFL writing is considered a good score. It reflects a strong command of English writing skills, including the ability to organise ideas coherently, use appropriate vocabulary and grammar, and develop well-structured paragraphs.

Is TOEFL writing difficult?

The difficulty level of TOEFL writing can vary from person to person. It requires strong language skills, critical thinking, and the ability to express ideas clearly within a time constraint.

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The best toefl writing templates for any prompt.

Even if English composition isn’t your forte, you can still earn a high score on the TOEFL Writing section by following a template. But what exactly is a TOEFL Writing template? Simply put, TOEFL essay templates teach you how to organize your thoughts, select strong pieces of evidence, and get the Writing score you want .

In this article, we’re providing you with  two high-quality TOEFL essay templates for the Integrated and Independent Writing tasks. Before that, we’ll go over the differences between the two TOEFL Writing tasks and then discuss how our TOEFL essay templates can benefit you. After, we’ll teach you how to customize and use our templates.

What Essays Will You Write on the TOEFL?

The Writing section is the final section you’ll face on the TOEFL, and it consists of two separate tasks: an Integrated Writing task and an Independent Writing task . The Integrated task requires you to write a response comparing a lecture and an article, whereas the Independent task requires you to write an opinionated essay in which you agree or disagree with an idea.

Below, we examine the two TOEFL Writing tasks in detail.

Integrated Writing Task

For the Integrated task, you must read a passage on an academic topic for three minutes and then listen to a short lecture on the same topic. This lecture will either support or challenge what’s written in the passage. Your response must  summarize the main points discussed in the lecture and explain how these points relate to the reading .

You’ll have a total of  20 minutes to write your response. Your response should be around  150-225 words . During this time, you may reread the passage; however, you may not listen to the lecture again.

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The score you receive for this task will be on a scale of 0-5 . According to the official rubric , a level-5 essay (i.e., a perfect essay) selects the most crucial information from the lecture and presents it in a coherent, accurate, and well-organized manner. A level-3 essay is satisfactory but overall vague, with fewer key points and several grammatical errors. Finally, a level-1 essay offers minimal coherency and fails to address any of the main points in the lecture. ETS (the creators of the TOEFL) offers  several samples of scored Integrated essays  online.

Below is an example of an Integrated Writing task borrowed from  ETS :

Reading Passage

Critics say that current voting systems used in the United States are inefficient and often lead to the inaccurate counting of votes. Miscounts can be especially damaging if an election is closely contested. Those critics would like the traditional systems to be replaced with far more efficient and trustworthy computerized voting systems.

In traditional voting, one major source of inaccuracy is that people accidentally vote for the wrong candidate. Voters usually have to find the name of their candidate on a large sheet of paper containing many names—the ballot—and make a small mark next to that name. People with poor eyesight can easily mark the wrong name. The computerized voting machines have an easy-to-use touch-screen technology: to cast a vote, a voter needs only to touch the candidate’s name on the screen to record a vote for that candidate; voters can even have the computer magnify the name for easier viewing.

Another major problem with old voting systems is that they rely heavily on people to count the votes. Officials must often count up the votes one by one, going through every ballot and recording the vote. Since they have to deal with thousands of ballots, it is almost inevitable that they will make mistakes. If an error is detected, a long and expensive recount has to take place. In contrast, computerized systems remove the possibility of human error, since all the vote counting is done quickly and automatically by the computers.

Finally some people say it is too risky to implement complicated voting technology nationwide. But without giving it a thought, governments and individuals alike trust other complex computer technology every day to be perfectly accurate in banking transactions as well as in the communication of highly sensitive information.

Lecture Transcript

(Narrator) Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.

(Female professor) While traditional voting systems have some problems, it’s doubtful that computerized voting will make the situation any better. Computerized voting may seem easy for people who are used to computers. But what about people who aren’t? People who can’t afford computers, people who don’t use them on a regular basis—these people will have trouble using computerized voting machines. These voters can easily cast the wrong vote or be discouraged from voting altogether because of fear of technology. Furthermore, it’s true that humans make mistakes when they count up ballots by hand. But are we sure that computers will do a better job? After all, computers are programmed by humans, so “human error” can show up in mistakes in their programs. And the errors caused by these defective programs may be far more serious. The worst a human official can do is miss a few ballots. But an error in a computer program can result in thousands of votes being miscounted or even permanently removed from the record. And in many voting systems, there is no physical record of the votes, so a computer recount in the case of a suspected error is impossible! As for our trust of computer technology for banking and communications, remember one thing: these systems are used daily and they are used heavily. They didn’t work flawlessly when they were first introduced. They had to be improved on and improved on until they got as reliable as they are today. But voting happens only once every two years nationally in the United States and not much more than twice a year in many local areas. This is hardly sufficient for us to develop confidence that computerized voting can be fully trusted.

Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage.

Independent Writing Task

For the Independent task, you will write about your opinion on a certain topic . You must provide clear reasons and specific examples for why you agree or disagree with the issue or statement. (This doesn’t have to be your real opinion, though!) You’ll have 30 minutes to write your response. A typical high-scoring essay is at least 300 words .

You’ll receive a score on a scale of 0-5 . According to the official rubric , a level-5 essay effectively addresses the topic, provides clear and ample details, and contains at most only minor issues with grammar and word choice. A level-3 essay offers a generally coherent response with occasional slips in clarity. Finally, a level-1 essay offers little to no detail and contains multiple technical errors. You can look at samples of Independent essays  on the ETS website.

Here is an example of an Independent Writing task taken from ETS :

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

Always telling the truth is the most important consideration in any relationship.

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Integrated Task vs. Independent Task

So far we’ve covered all of the basic components of the TOEFL Writing tasks. To briefly recap, here is an overview of the Integrated and Independent Writing tasks:

What Is a TOEFL Writing Template?

The purpose of a TOEFL Writing template is to help you compose a detailed and eloquent essay — and of course get you a high Writing score! But what exactly is a template?

It’s easiest to think of an essay template as a skeleton . While a skeleton is the framework for a body, a template is the framework for an essay . Thus, a TOEFL Writing template highlights basic structural patterns and phrases you can integrate into your own writing. What a template doesn’t do is write your essay for you. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how you’ll add the skin and muscles (i.e., the details and supporting evidence) to your “skeleton.”

Furthermore, writing templates are typically created to suit different types of essays . For example, a template for a compare/contrast essay will differ from a template for an editorial piece. This is why it’s so important you use a writing template specifically geared toward the TOEFL!

What Are the Benefits of a TOEFL Writing Template?

There are three major benefits to using a TOEFL Writing template.

It Organizes Your Thoughts

Using a TOEFL Writing template ensures you’ll have a focused and well-organized response . A high-quality template teaches you how to structure your response so that your introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs are all clearly defined. This way, even if your grammar and spelling aren’t perfect, your response will still have an overall strong framework that’s easy to follow.

TOEFL essay templates also show you  what kinds of transitions you can use and where . Transitions are a key component of essays that allow you to connect your thoughts and progress to new ideas smoothly. Truth be told, you probably won’t score super highly on the TOEFL Writing section if you don’t use any transitions!

It Saves You Time

Another big benefit of using a TOEFL Writing template is that it saves you time on the Writing section. Since you’ll already have a sense of how you’re going to structure your essay,  you’ll spend less time planning it out and   coming up with transitions, openings, and closings. As a result, you’ll get more time to actually write out your response!

It Gives You Confidence

Lastly, a TOEFL Writing template allows you to  feel more prepared on test day. Many test takers find it difficult to write out responses to English-language prompts in only 20 or 30 minutes. But TOEFL essay templates equip you with the skills you’ll need to feel more confident in your writing skills — and confidence is the first step toward getting a great TOEFL score!

2 TOEFL Essay Templates for You to Use

In this section, we offer you   a TOEFL Integrated Writing template and an Independent Writing TOEFL template . We also provide you with a handy list of key transitional words and phrases  you can incorporate into your essays.

Please note that you do not need to follow these templates directly. In fact, we strongly encourage you to replace our sample words and phrases with your own . We will talk more about how to customize our TOEFL essay templates in the following section. But for now, let’s take a look at the templates!

Template 1: Integrated Writing Task

Before we dive into our TOEFL Integrated Writing template, let’s get a quick reminder of what the Integrated task entails.

For this task, you’ll read a passage and then listen to a lecture. Your task is to summarize the lecture and explain whether the lecture challenges or supports what’s written in the passage. You’ll have 20 minutes to compose a response of around 150-225 words .

We’ll divide our template into four paragraphs:  an introduction and three body paragraphs . You shouldn’t need a separate concluding paragraph for this task, as you can still score a 5 without one (plus, you likely won’t have enough time to write one!). But if you want to write a conclusion, just be sure you keep it short —  two to three sentences  at most.

Now, on to the TOEFL Integrated Writing template!

Paragraph 1 (Introduction)

Your first paragraph will introduce the lecture and how it relates to the reading. This paragraph doesn’t need to be long; a simple  two or three sentences should suffice.

1. Begin with a topic sentence that summarizes the main point of the lecture.

• According to the lecture, …
• Based on the lecture, …
• The lecturer states/believes that …
• The lecturer talks about …
• The lecturer discusses …

2. Next, explain whether the passage refutes or supports the main point of the lecture.

Examples (Contrast):

• By contrast, the author of the passage explains/states/posits that …
• The author of the passage, however, disagrees with this idea/belief. Instead, he/she believes that …
• The author of the passage, however, doubts this idea/belief and thinks that …
• The author challenges this point, however, by explaining/suggesting/positing that …

Examples (Agreement):

• This line of thinking agrees with that of the author, who states that …
• The author of the passage agrees with this notion/idea/belief, stating that …
• Likewise, the author of the passage explains/states/posits that …
• The author of the passage supports this idea/belief, explaining that …

Paragraph 2 (Body)

In this paragraph, you’ll want to focus on one of the key points in the lecture and explain whether the passage refutes or supports this idea.

1. Introduce the main point you’ll be discussing.

• First, the lecturer asserts/claims/suggests that …
• For one, the lecturer thinks/believes that …
• The first point the lecturer makes is that …

2. Next, describe this particular point in more detail and then discuss how the passage either refutes or supports it. I suggest using one to two sentences here.

• On the other hand, the author asserts/claims/suggests that …
• Likewise, the author thinks/believes that …
• This concept is refuted/supported by the passage, which asserts/claims/suggests that …

3. Finally, conclude your paragraph by explaining what this difference or similarity means .

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• This difference/similarity ultimately means/indicates that …
• Basically, the lecturer/author is saying that …
• The lecturer and author are essentially in agreement with each other. Both think/believe that …
• Clearly, the lecturer and author maintain different views on …

Paragraph 3 (Body)

In this paragraph, you’ll focus on another key point in the lecture and again discuss how the passage either agrees or disagrees with this idea. The structure here is essentially identical to that of paragraph 2, so make sure you are using new transitions and varying your word choice.

1. Start by introducing the second point  in the lecture you’ll be discussing. Because this is your second body paragraph, do not use transitions such as “first” or “first of all.”

• Second, the lecturer argues/contends/asserts that …
• Next, the lecturer suggests/proposes that …
• Another key point the lecturer makes is that …

2. Next, explain this key point in more detail  and elaborate on how it is either refuted or supported by the passage. As with paragraph 2, I recommend using one to two sentences here.

• In other words, the lecturer is suggesting/proposing that …
• The author, however, agrees/disagrees with this idea/belief, suggesting/proposing that …
• Similarly, the author argues/contends/asserts that …

3. Finally, explain what this difference or similarity means .

• What this difference/similarity means is that …
• This difference/similarity in thinking tells us that …
• Evidently, the lecturer thinks/believes that … , whereas the author thinks/believes that …

Paragraph 4 (Body + Conclusion)

This final body paragraph will offer  your last key point in addition to a brief conclusion . Once again, try to vary your transitions and words here so that your body paragraphs do not sound redundant.

1. Introduce and summarize the third point in the lecture . This is your third and final body paragraph, so do not use transitions such as “first” or “next.” Instead, use transitions such as “third,” “finally,” “last,” and “lastly.”

• Third, the lecturer explains/states that …
• Finally, the lecturer introduces the idea that …
• Lastly, the lecturer goes on to say that …

2. Then, explain this point in more detail and discuss whether the passage matches or challenges it. Use one or two sentences here.

• This point is also made in the passage, which argues/contends/asserts that …
• The passage supports this idea, suggesting/proposing that …
• On the contrary, the author writes that …

3. Finally, conclude your paragraph by explaining the significance of this similarity or difference . You should also look at this sentence as the conclusion to your entire response . Remember, you do not need to write a separate concluding paragraph for this task; it’s perfectly OK to combine it with your last body paragraph!

• In conclusion, the lecturer and author appear to be in agreement/disagreement about …
• All in all, the lecturer argues/contends/asserts that … , whereas the author argues/contends/asserts that …

Template 2: Independent Writing Task

For this task, you will read a short prompt and then write a response explaining whether you agree or disagree with the issue or idea. Unlike the Integrated task, here you’ll be writing an opinionated response  (though you do not have to write about your actual opinion).

You’ll have 30 minutes to write an essay of at least 300 words . Because this essay should be longer than the Integrated task, it’s best to use the basic five-paragraph structure, with an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Note that many of the example sentences below are based on the sample Independent Writing prompt used above . This means that these sentences will not apply exactly to other prompts! So don’t simply copy the sentences onto your test; instead, use them as a general guide to help you develop a better sense of style and flow in your writing.

Now, let’s take a look at our Independent Writing TOEFL template.

In this paragraph, you’ll introduce the main issue or idea and rephrase the prompt in your own words. Then, you’ll state whether you agree or disagree with the statement and why.

1. For your first sentence, you’ll want to come up with a hook  that introduces the topic of your essay in a unique and creative way. Most people  start broad and then get specific . This sentence is also a great opportunity to insert a hypothetical question.

• There is great debate about .. .
• It is said that .. . But is this always true?
• Many people wonder  whether telling the truth at all times is necessary in order to maintain a healthy relationship with someone .

2. Next, introduce your opinion on the topic . You may list your specific reasons for your opinion here or in the following sentence(s). Remember, this doesn’t need to be your real opinion!

• In my opinion, …
• I believe that … is important because …
• I agree/disagree with this idea/suggestion because …
• For me, although telling the truth is important , there are many cases in which it’s OK to lie .

3. Here, state how many points (three is ideal) you’ll be discussing in your essay and then  briefly summarize what these reasons for agreeing or disagreeing are . Your reasons may come from facts, predictions, personal beliefs, experiences, etc.

• In this essay, I will address three potential problems with lying in relationships .
• Lying is never a smart idea because it undermines trust in relationships, causes feelings of betrayal, and often leads to more lying.

In this paragraph, you’ll introduce  your first key point about the issue and offer specific examples illustrating why you agree or disagree.

1. For the first sentence, introduce the key point you want to talk about.

• First of all, lying can make it difficult to trust someone in a relationship.

2. Next, provide an example to explain why you believe this is the case . I suggest using a hypothetical situation somewhere in your essay to help illustrate one of your points.

• For example, if a father lied to his daughter by telling her she was good at drawing, the daughter might begin to wonder whether her father has lied to her about other things, too.

3. Continue your paragraph by elaborating on your example . Explain any effect or consequence of the example and discuss how this outcome supports your viewpoint.

• The next time the father praises his daughter for something, she might believe he is lying, even if he isn’t. In other words, the daughter might find it difficult to trust her father, thereby damaging their relationship.

This paragraph will follow a similar structure to that of paragraph 2, only this time you’ll discuss your second key point . To prevent this paragraph from sounding too similar to the one before it, vary your word choice and choose a different type of example on which to focus.

1. In the first sentence, introduce your second key point . Because this is your second body paragraph (and second point), make sure you employ appropriate transitions, such as “second,” “secondly,” and “next.”

• Second, lying can cause feelings of betrayal in relationships.

2. As you did in paragraph 2, use these next few sentences to elaborate on your point and offer specific examples . Always clarify how your examples support your stance (agree or disagree) and how they relate back to the issue stated in the prompt.

• When I was young, I lied to my best friend about being able to attend her birthday party. She later told me I’d betrayed her and that we couldn’t be friends anymore. Essentially, because I’d lied to her, I destroyed our relationship.

Paragraph 4 (Body)

This is the last body paragraph in which you will introduce and explain your third and final key point .

1. First, introduce your third point . As this is your final body paragraph, make sure you’re using appropriate transitions, such as “finally,” “last,” “lastly,” and “third,” to introduce your point.

• Lastly, lying often begets more lying. This means that once you tell a lie, you will become more likely to tell other lies.

2. As you did in paragraphs 2 and 3, elaborate on this point by providing new evidence, details, and/or examples. Explain why this point is important and how it supports your stance on the issue.

• If you lie but nobody knows you’ve lied, you might begin to believe it’s OK to lie. As a result, you start to lie more and more. However, once people realize how often you lie, they’ll likely lose all trust in you and might even decide to end their relationships with you.

Paragraph 5 (Conclusion)

Like the Integrated Writing task, a separate concluding paragraph isn’t always necessary here . That said, if you have time, I recommend quickly wrapping up your points in a concise yet effective conclusion. One to three sentences should suffice.

1. In the first sentence or two, summarize your stance and explain why you feel this way . You may re-introduce your three main points here. You may also paraphrase the prompt and explain once more whether you agree or disagree with the issue and why.

• In the end, I believe telling the truth is the most important consideration in a relationship.
• Ultimately, lying can easily destroy relationships because it weakens trust, results in feelings of betrayal, and often causes more lying.

2. Finally, if you have time, bring together your concluding paragraph with a single general statement about your viewpoint .

• This is why it is imperative we always refrain from lying.
• Thus, the only way to ensure your relationships with others are healthy is to always tell the truth.

54 Key Transitions & Phrases

In addition to TOEFL essay templates, we offer you an assortment of  common transitions and phrases you can use in your TOEFL responses. These words will allow your writing to flow more smoothly and connect your thoughts in a clearer, more logical manner.

To add information to a point, or to introduce a new (related) point:

• In addition, …
• Additionally, …
• Furthermore, …
• Moreover, …
• Besides, …
• Also, …

To introduce an example:

• For example, …
• For instance, …

To introduce an opinion:

• I believe that …
• I think that …

To start a new body paragraph:

• First off, …
• First of all, …
• To begin/start, …
• Secondly, …
• Last, …

To add similar or related information:

• Likewise, …
• Similarly, …
• On a related note, …

To restate information in a shorter or clearer way:

• In other words, …
• In short, …
• Simply put, …
• Essentially, …
• In essence, …
• Basically, …

To contrast information:

• That (being) said, …
• Nevertheless, …
• Nonetheless, …
• By/in contrast, …
• On the contrary, …
• On the other hand, …

To show cause and effect:

• As a result, …
• Because of this, …
• As such, …
• Consequently, …
• Therefore, …

To emphasize information:

• Evidently, …
• Clearly, …
• Certainly, …

To conclude information, a paragraph, or your overall response:

• In conclusion, …
• All in all, …
• As you can see, …
• In the end, …
• Ultimately, …

How to Customize a TOEFL Writing Template

Below, we offer you a few pieces of advice to help you customize your TOEFL Writing template.

Integrated Writing Template

Here are two ways to customize our TOEFL Integrated Writing template.

#1: Tweak Sample Sentences & Openers

The sample sentence and openers we’ve provided above don’t contain any specific information, so you are welcome to incorporate these examples into your own Integrated Writing response however you like.

That said, you don’t need to use these examples exactly as they are . If you’d like to tweak them, try replacing the verbs and transitions with other (synonymous) words. I also suggest adding adverbs to emphasize certain words. So for example, instead of writing, “The author, however, disagrees with this belief,” you could write, “The author, on the other hand, strongly challenges this concept.”

Just be sure that the examples you’re using in your essay fit with the type of lecture-passage relationship you’re given. Remember, this relationship can be either supportive (in which the lecture agrees with the passage) or contrastive (in which the lecture disagrees with the passage).

#2: Use Different Words to Emphasize Contrast

Most Integrated Writing tasks will give you a lecture that challenges  what’s written in the passage. In these cases, it’s important you use a variety of transitions, conjunctions, and prepositions to emphasize this important contrast throughout your essay.

There is one caveat, though:  do not use a single transition more than once in your response . For instance, if you were to consistently start your supporting sentences with “however,” your essay would lack balance and begin to sound redundant. So be sure to vary your word choice!

Here is a list of strong contrastive words you can use in your Integrated Writing response:

• Nonetheless …
• Even though
• In spite of

Independent Writing Template

Here are three ways you can customize our Independent Writing TOEFL template.

#1: Choose the Side That’s Easier to Support

Although the Independent Writing task asks specifically whether you agree or disagree with an idea, you do not need to write about your real opinion . What you should really do is choose the side that’s easier to argue — regardless of whether you actually agree or disagree with it!

In other words, it’s perfectly OK to make things up for this response and pretend you support something you don’t actually believe. Remember, you are not being judged on which stance you choose but on  how effectively you support your stance.

#2: Do Not Copy Sample Sentences Word for Word

For this task’s examples, I’ve primarily supplied you with whole sentences, all of which were based on the sample Independent Writing prompt used above. Because our examples refer to a specific prompt, you cannot  copy these sample sentences word for word and use them in your own essay . Failing to change these sentences means your essay won’t make a whole lot of sense, if any at all!

Therefore, what you should actually be doing is using these example sentences to learn what types of details to include in your Independent Writing response. You may also use our examples to get a feel for how you can change up your sentences and word choice.

#3: Vary Your Supporting Details

For your response, you must come up with specific details and examples to support your viewpoint. These examples can range from facts and statistics to experiences and hypothetical situations.

In order to produce a truly compelling response (and get a high essay score), you must incorporate a variety of effective examples into your essay. This means you’ll want to  avoid using the same types of examples for each point you make . So if you were to discuss a personal experience for your first body paragraph, focus on a different type of detail, such as a universally accepted fact or a hypothetical scenario, for your second body paragraph.

How to Use a TOEFL Writing Template: 4 Tips

Finally, here are four general tips for using a TOEFL Writing template effectively.

#1: Employ a Variety of Transitions

The sample sentences and openers we’ve given you for each template above contain different transitions to help link ideas together; thus, we encourage you to use a variety of transitions in your own essays . For ideas, refer to our transition list above. This list can help you swap out some of our sample transitions for other ones you believe fit better with your writing.

Ultimately, varying your word choice is critical to ensuring your essay is well written . This means that a high-scoring TOEFL essay will not simply use transitions but use them well . So if you’ve already inserted “therefore” in one area, try using “as a result” or “thus” in another area. You’ll still get the same meaning but with a stronger, more versatile effect.

#2: Add Details Without Rambling

Don’t feel limited by the number of sentences we’ve included in each body paragraph in our templates. If you need to use two or three sentences to explain a point, that’s OK! You should always give a lot of detail for your points — so long as you are staying concise and focused.

For example, if you spend a paragraph discussing a hypothetical scenario but fail to offer any analysis, you probably won’t receive a high TOEFL score. Likewise, if you write a verbose introduction or conclusion, your score may end up being lower than you wanted it to be.

Basically, you must find the perfect balance between detail and analysis. A good way to monitor this balance is to  always try to hit the word minimum for each task . Doing this means you’ll likely have an essay that’s sufficiently detailed. Just try not to exceed the maximum or you’ll risk rambling!

#3: 2 Strong Points Is Better Than 3 Weak Ones

Each of our TOEFL essay templates above has three body paragraphs and three main points. Although three points is a solid number of points, if you can only think of two points, just stick with those and try to   support them as clearly and effectively as possible.

As you can see in the sample TOEFL essays here , many essays with scores of 2 and 3 actually address three points — but their points are altogether weak, with few supporting details and insufficient analysis. What this means is that just having three points in your essay isn’t enough to guarantee you a high essay score . Thus, it’s far better to write an essay with two strong points than three weak ones.

#4: Do Not Copy Entire Sentences From the Prompt

If you struggle with English, you might be tempted to borrow some sentences and phrases from the prompt. While it’s OK to paraphrase sentences, you should never copy exact sentences from your prompt .

Copying the prompt shows evaluators that you lack the English level necessary for writing creatively and analytically. On top of this, copying is also a form of plagiarism, which means you are essentially “stealing” another’s work.

So what does this mean for your score? If you copy entire sentences and phrases from the reading or topic, you will receive a score of 0 .

Additional Resources for TOEFL Essay Templates

In addition to our templates above, here are a couple of online resources offering high-quality TOEFL essay templates you can use for free.

• TOEFL Resources : This resource offers detailed templates for the Integrated and Independent Writing tasks along with useful transitional phrases and sentence openers.
• Magoosh : This handy PDF contains a lengthy list of transitions as well as various sample TOEFL essays.

Recap: How Can a TOEFL Writing Template Help You?

TOEFL essay templates are an especially useful component of TOEFL prep because  they raise your chance of achieving a high TOEFL Writing score .

With TOEFL essay templates, you can organize your thoughts more clearly, spend less time outlining your responses, and prepare for the TOEFL with increased confidence. Our templates are also flexible , allowing you to customize certain elements to your liking and cater the templates to many different prompts.

When using a TOEFL template, always remember the following four tips:

• Employ a variety of transitions throughout your essay
• Add details but try not to ramble
• Two strong point are better than three weak ones
• Do not copy exact sentences from the prompt

Now that you’re equipped with our TOEFL essay templates and the knowledge of how to use them, you should have no trouble getting a great TOEFL Writing score!

What’s Next?

Seeking additional help with the TOEFL Writing section?  Start practicing with our 13 Writing topics  and get information on what resources you can use for high-quality Writing topics .

What does a high-scoring TOEFL essay look like? Take a look at our analyses of two perfect-scoring TOEFL essays  to learn what you can do to guarantee yourself a high essay score on test day.

Want more TOEFL templates?  Check out our TOEFL Speaking templates to improve your English-speaking skills and confidence.

Ready to improve your TOEFL score by 15 points?

Author: Hannah Muniz

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in English and East Asian languages and cultures. After graduation, she taught English in Japan for two years via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. View all posts by Hannah Muniz

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TOEFL Writing Techniques for the Independent Writing Task

In the TOEFL Writing Section , you are given two writing tasks. The Independent Writing task is the second task in the Writing Section and final task in the TOEFL Exam.

In the Independent Writing task, you are given 30 minutes to outline, write and edit an essay. This essay is based on your opinion from the question. Before you begin writing, it is important to understand what you are expected to do in this task.

WHAT TO DO THE INDEPENDENT WRITING TASK

The Independent Writing task question will typically be one of these three types: 1) Agree/Disagree, 2) Pick a Side, or 3) Pros/Cons. What you need to do in your essay depends on which type of question you get during the exam.

• Agree/Disagree

This question form is by far the most common type of questions in the TOEFL Independent Writing task . For this question type, you will usually be given a statement and then will be asked if you agree or disagree with that statement.

• Pick a Side

Also often called the “preference” question, this prompt is asking what you would prefer or choose. Most often the choices, typically two or three, are provided, but sometimes they are not.

Finally, the rarer question type is where you have to write about both sides of a topic. This question will most often ask you to explain the advantages and disadvantages of a topic. Unlike the other two forms, you should cover both sides of this question equally. Make sure you use your time wisely and don’t dedicate too much of your essay writing about only one side because then your essay will not be well balanced.

Now that you know what you are expected to do in this task, you need to know how to spend time brainstorming and outlining your essay.

HOW TO PREPARE AN OUTLINE FOR THE INDEPENDENT WRITING TASK

It is extremely important to spend the first few minutes of your time outlining your essay. Students often think they don’t have enough time to bother with outlining, but this is a huge mistake. While 30 minutes doesn’t seem like much time, a large portion of your grade comes from the way you are able to structure and articulate your opinion, which is best done by following an outline. You will find that writing your Independent essay is easier and will ultimately flow better by following an outline when you’re writing. Your outline will be your guide as you are writing so that you don’t lose track of the question.

Your outline will depend on the kind of question you are asked. For the first two types of questions (Agree/Disagree and Pick a Side), you are advised to outline your two reasons for your opinion and two personal experiences, one for each reason. Your outline will follow a structure like this:

For the third question type (Pros/Cons), you are advised to outline the pros and cons of the topic from the question and one supporting reason based on a personal experience for each. Your outline will follow a structure like this:

When you do your outline, you should not write in full sentences. Instead, only write key words and use short-hand words or symbols. For example, instead of spelling out a long word, write only a few letters, such as information = info or technology = tech. Also, use symbols for words, such as: -> means cause , <-> means contrast or ^ means increase . Whatever short-hand words and symbols you use should make sense to you.

The best structure for the Independent Writing Task is to write four paragraphs: an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion.

The introduction paragraph should be short – only two to four sentences. In these sentences, you should introduce the topic, very clearly and passionately state your opinion (for Agree/Disagree and Pick a Side questions), and then state your two supporting reasons.

In the first body paragraph, you will write about your first supporting reason for your opinion (or the advantages for the third Pros/Cons question type). Then you should write 3 or 4 sentences telling a personal experience or anecdote to further explain your supporting reason. The last sentence of your body paragraph should be a conclusion sentence that links your personal experience to your overall opinion. The second body paragraph follows the same structure as the first body paragraph about your second supporting reason (or the disadvantages for the third Pros/Cons question type).

In the conclusion paragraph, write one or two sentences summarizing your opinion on the topic from the question and your two supporting reasons.

Here is a sample template of how your Independent essay should be structured:

WRITING TECHNIQUES

In the Independent Writing task, it is important to show that you have excellent writing skills. In order to show these skills to the examiners, use complex grammatical structures and a wide range of vocabulary. Also use transitional words and phrases to give your essay a nice flow from one point to another.

While using complex grammar, vocabulary and transitional words is important, it is wasted if used incorrectly. Below are some writing techniques that are sure to improve your TOEFL independent essay.

To show off your grammar skills , use a variety of complex grammar structures in the Independent Writing task correctly. This means that it is important to know when to use the correct verb tense in your essay. Use the present tense (simple or continuous) to talk about general facts. Use the present perfect (simple or continuous) for something that started in the past and continues into the present. Use the past tense (simple and perfect) to talk about previous experiences, especially when supporting your reasons with personal past experiences. Also, use conditional sentences as much as possible to talk about things you will/would do or would have done if something happens or happened. And, don’t forget that with any tense it is important to make sure that the subject and verb agree. Singular subject should be used with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs.

The Independent Writing task is also a great place to show off your vocabulary skills. However, make sure you use vocabulary you actually know. Sometimes students mix up similar words or try to use words they don’t fully understand in the TOEFL essays . You should only use vocabulary you are familiar and confident with, and that you are able to spell. There is no spell check function in the TOEFL test , so if you are not sure how to spell a certain word, don’t use it. Finally, save an extra minute or two at the end of your time to go back and read through your essay to correct any spelling mistakes.

• Transitions

A final technique to show off your writing skills, and add some sophistication to your writing, is to use transitional words and phrases. Conjunctions , such as and, but, or, so, because and connectors, such as therefore, moreover, however, can be a writer’s best friend. They allow you to smoothly express and connect your ideas in your essay. Try to use these transitional words and phrases as much as possible, and correctly, in the independent essay.

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• TOEFL Writing
• TOEFL Integrated Writing
• TOEFL Independent Writing
• TOEFL Writing Practice
• TOEFL SAMPLE ESSAYS
• TOEFL Reading
• TOEFL Speaking
• TOEFL Listening
• TOEFL Grammar

Test Resources

TOEFL® Resources by Michael Goodine

How to write a fantastic toefl integrated essay (2023).

Here’s how the TOEFL Integrated Essay works:

• It is the first writing task on the TOEFL test.
• First, you will have three minutes to read an article (four paragraphs, 250 to 300 words) about an academic topic.
• Next, you will listen to a lecture (about 2 minutes) about the same topic.
• Finally, you will have 20 minutes to write an essay about the relationship between the two sources.  I recommend that you write about 280 words.
• You can see the article while writing your essay, but you cannot hear the lecture again.

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The Relationship

The relationship between the article and the lecture will be one of the following.

Argument Style (Frequent)

The reading presents an argument and the lecture presents a counter-argument.

Problems and Solutions Style (less common)

The reading presents a problem and the lecture presents solutions to the problem.

Solutions and Problems Style (less common)

The reading presents solutions to a problem and the lecture challenges the solutions.

The Article 

The article begins with an introduction which mentions the topic and the author’s main idea. Next are three body paragraphs.  Each body paragraph contains one supporting argument (opposition style), one problem (problems and solutions style), or one solution (solutions and problems style).

Here’s an example:

The idea of colonizing asteroids has long been a topic of fascination and speculation in science fiction and popular culture. In recent years, however, the idea of asteroid colonization has become more realistic and feasible, thanks to advances in technology and space exploration. There are many potential benefits to colonizing asteroids, and these benefits make the pursuit of asteroid colonization a worthwhile endeavor. One of the most obvious benefits of asteroid colonization is the scientific potential. Asteroids provide a unique environment for scientific research due to their small size, low gravity, and lack of atmosphere. Research conducted in these environments could provide valuable insights related to many different academic fields. Not only that, but asteroids could also serve as stepping stones for future missions to other destinations in the solar system, such as Mars or the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Another benefit of asteroid colonization is the potential for economic growth and development. Natural resources mined on asteroids could create new industries and job opportunities, which would generate significant revenue for both governments and private companies. Asteroid mining could also reduce the need for resource extraction on Earth, which could help to preserve our planet’s natural environment. In addition to economic benefits, asteroid colonization could also have important implications for the long-term survival of humanity. Asteroids could serve as potential refuge for humans in the event of a large-scale disaster on Earth, such as an asteroid impact or a nuclear war. Even if such a disaster doesn’t occur, asteroids could provide valuable information regarding the origins and evolution of the solar system, and how life emerged here in the first place.

You have three minutes to read it and take notes.  Then you hear the lecture. You will be able to see the article again when the lecture is finished.

The Lecture

The lecture is on the same topic, and it is about two minutes long.  You can only hear it once, so take notes.

At the beginning of the lecture, you will hear the lecturer’s main idea.   The rest of the lecture consists of three opposing arguments, three solutions, or three problems.  These directly respond to  the three arguments/problems/solutions mentioned in the reading.  Not only that, but they are  in the same order as the reading. 

Here’s a transcript of that:

While some people argue that starting colonies on asteroids could have many benefits, this claim is not necessarily supported by evidence. In fact, there are several reasons why starting colonies on asteroids may not provide the advantages that are often claimed. One reason why asteroid colonization may not provide significant scientific benefits is our lack of knowledge about asteroids. Despite decades of space exploration and study, our knowledge of asteroids is still limited. We do not know how many asteroids exist, what resources they contain, or what conditions are like on their surfaces. Until we have a better understanding of asteroids, it is difficult to predict what scientific benefits colonization might provide. Next, we can’t exactly predict the economic benefits of settling on asteroids. While asteroids are known to contain valuable resources, such as metals and minerals, it’s not clear how much of these resources exist on asteroids, or how much they would be worth when transported back to Earth. We don’t know whether mining for resources in space would be more cost-effective or efficient than simply getting them through conventional methods here on earth. Finally, asteroids are just not suitable for long-term human settlement right now. Most asteroids are small and do not have enough mass to generate significant gravitational pull. This means that any human settlements on asteroids would need to be designed to cope with the challenges of low gravity, such as serious difficulty moving around and possible damage to our bones and muscles. These challenges could make living on asteroids extremely uncomfortable and dangerous.

The Question

After the lecture finishes, the question will be shown.  It will look something like this:

• Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage.
• Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they answer the specific problems presented in the reading passage.
• Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they cast doubt on specific solutions presented in the reading passage.

After you see the question, you will have 20 minutes to plan, write and revise your essay.  Have fun!

Taking Notes

If you understand how the sources are structured, note-taking should be easy.  You can do something like this:

Here are my notes from the above samples (colonizing asteroids):

Note-Taking Tips

• Prepare your paper before the question beings by writing “reading” and “listening” and drawing arrows.
• Even though you will see the article as you write, it is a good idea to take notes.  That will force you to pay attention during the three minutes you have to read it.
• Use short forms like “grav” and “cond” and “effec” to save time.
• Use “x” to refer to negatives (not, no, can’t, etc).
• Immediately after the lecture finishes expand your notes with details still fresh in your head.  I used blue ink to show what I did.
• You will use a pencil on test day.  Not a pen.  Practice with a pencil.

Writing Your Essay with Templates

Your TOEFL integrated essay should include an introduction  and  three body paragraphs . You don’t need to write a conclusion.

The following templates suggest a way to structure your paragraphs.  I don’t really think you should use the templates below word for word. Instead, use something similar to this and personalize it as you like.

The Introduction

No matter what question style is used, you can write an introduction that looks something like this.

• The reading and the lecture are both about _____. 
• While the author of the article argues that _____, the lecturer disputes the claims presented in the article.
• His position is that _____.

The Body Paragraphs

You can use something like the following templates for the body paragraphs:

• According to the reading  _____.
• The article mentions that ____.
• This argument is challenged by the lecturer.
• He claims that ____.
• Additionally, he points out that ______.
• Secondly, the author suggests ______.
• In the article notes that _____.
• The lecturer, however, asserts that ______.
• He goes on to say that ______.
• Finally, the author puts forth the idea that _____.
• The author contends that ____.
• In contrast, the lecturer’s stance is  _____.
• He says that _____.

You don’t need to write a conclusion.

Sample Essay 

Using the above notes and suggested templates I created this essay. Notice how I gently modified the template.  I didn’t use it word for word.  Feel free to follow it 100% or to personalize it to suit your preferences!

The reading and the lecture are about the possibility of starting colonies on asteroids. While the author feels that this is a good idea due to scientific benefits, economic benefits and the long-term survival of humans, the lecturer does not believe that the author’s claims are correct. His position is that it might not be a good idea to colonize asteroids. First of all, the author argues that asteroids are a great environment for scientific research because they are small, with low gravity and no atmosphere. Moreover, the article notes that they could be a way to start missions to more distant locations in the solar system. This argument is challenged by the lecturer. He says that we just don’t know enough about asteroids to be sure of their scientific value. We don’t know how many exist, or about conditions on their surfaces so it is difficult to really predict the scientific benefits of colonizing them. Second, according to the article, there could be great economic benefits of colonizing asteroids because they contain natural resources. Mining the resources could be very profitable, and reduce the need to mine them on Earth. In contrast, the lecturer notes that we don’t know exactly how many resources asteroids contain, nor how much they would be worth back on Earth. As a result, it isn’t clear if mining in space is more cost-effective than doing so on Earth. Finally, the author claims that colonies on asteroids could ensure the long-term survival of humanity. To be more specific, we could survive on them if a war or disaster affects the Earth. In contrast, the lecturer’s stance is that human settlements would have to be designed to deal with the unique challenges of the gravity found on asteroids. These challenges could make living on them extremely uncomfortable and dangerous in the long run.

• The lecture summary is the most important part of the essay.  Shorten the reading summary if you need to save time.
• I recommend between 280 and 300 words.
• Use transitional phrases like “in contrast” and “moreover” and “finally” just like I did.
• Always be sure to indicate where the details are from (the reading or the lecture).
• Avoid copying from the reading word for word. Paraphrase as much as you can.
• You don’t need fancy grammatical structures.  The accuracy of your details is more important in this task.
• Save about one minute to proofread your work.
• I maintain a collection of complete sample essays written using the above technique. Read them!

How about the Independent Essay?

If you haven’t seen it already, you might want to read my article about the independent writing task .

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