Writing is the last section you will be solving on the test. If you have a good general ability at English writing, you may find it the most interesting to write. However, it requires hard work and a sound understanding of structuring your essays to score more than 25/30 on your writing section.

Let’s understand the structure of the writing section and the preparation you need to ace it!

Structure of TOEFL Writing Section

The writing section is a 30 minute test in which you need to write two essays. Writing two essays in this short time can sound impossible, but if you follow a set pattern to answer the essays, you will comfortably do the task. Let’s break down the two tasks first,

Task 1: Integrated Writing

In this task you will find a reading passage, after which you will listen to an audio that is directly contradicting this passage. The passage will be an academic discussion in which you will find 2 or 3 main arguments. In the audio a professor will disagree with all these arguments, with reasoning. In your essay you will be asked to summarize how the professor is opposing what the passage has said. You will be writing things exactly from what you heard in the audio, and you will not be quoting an of your opinions.  

Task 2: Writing For an Academic Discussion

 In this task you will be reading a discussion taking place in a class room. At first you will find a professor who introduces a topic and provides a short context. Then the professor asks students opinion on this topic. Next you will find a dialogue from two students. Usually, these students will be taking opposite positions as they answer. You will be the third student, and will have to present your opinion on the topic as instructed in the task question.

How to Prepare for TOEFL Writing Section?

The preparation you need for TOEFL writing depends upon your command on the rules of English writing. If you can write well in English, are good with grammer and punctutation, and know how to write essays you will not need extensive preparation. Starting one month before your test date is a good time. However, if you are not confident about these you should start at least three months in advance, as you need to write differently in both the tasks. Let’s first see the general preparation you need to answer any of the tasks.

1. Learn the Use of English Grammar

Scoring well on the written test requires you to be highly proficient at grammar. This means that you should have a sound understanding of tenses, forms of verbs, nouns, adjectives, and so on. Remember, being good at grammar does not only mean that you must understand these. You have to carefully use grammar such that evety word you write is correctly used and placed in your text. This will help you maintain a good score as you will not lose any points for any grammatical errors.

2. Learn How to Use Punctuation Marks

Punctuation marks are symbols like full stop, comma, exclamation mark, colon etc. While learning the use of comma and full stop is the most important here, a good grip on the use of other punctuations can enrich your text and increase your chances of scoring high on the test. However, make sure that you write a balanced essay. Essays full of exclamation marks or colons etc. can be difficult to read and may reduce your chance of securing good marks.  

3. Make Sure You Know the Correct Sentence and Paragraph Structure

Besides grammar and punctuation your sentence structure and the flow of paragraphs will also be decisive factors in your writing scores. So, make sure you turn back to ‘Wren and Martin’ if you have to, and practice writing in a good flow, with each of your sentences making complete sense. Writing longer complex sentences with phrases can reflect your abilities with advance writing, but if you get these sentences wrongly structured you can also lose points. It is better to practice sentence structures for complex sentences, but on your test day, use them if you find them completely accurate.

4. Practice Writing More in Less Time

You will have 20 minutes for task 1, and 10 minutes for task two. Although the recommended word limit is shorter you should write at least 350-400 words for task 1 and 250-300 words for task two. This means that you must solve a number of writing tests to ensure you score well.

For task 1 give yourself at least two minutes to recheck your writing. For task 2 you must use at least the last 1 minute to check your answers. For all of this, you need to be comfortable with typing fast on a computer key board, and have a pre-planned strategy to write both the essays. Make sure you use the correct templates, and take good notes from the listening audios to save time thinking about what and how to write.

5. Take Good Notes

For the writing section you will be able to access the reading passage even after the audio. So, it’s okay if you do not take any notes from the passage. But you will only hear the audio once, and then you can’t take notes. So, make sure you take notes about every argument the professor makes and write down the most important details. Remember, you will have to write more from the audio, as the task mainly demands you to refer to the audio and summarize. For this, you should also take short notes to save time, and maintain your focus as you note and listen simultaneously.

Here's how you can do that,

1. Do not write full words. You can avoid the vowels and add in the consonants for different words. For example, write ‘prsnt’ instead of ‘present’ and ‘slp’ instead of ‘sleep’

2. Instead of writing full sentences write nouns, verbs and adjectives as clues for every important info you need

3. If you find any important factual info which can be a part of a one or two words answer, note it in a larger writing

4. Use symbols instead of words. You can use arrows, equal to sign, plus sign, and other symbols to denote different kind of information

6. Practice For Both the Tasks Differently!

Task 1 and 2 are both different in their structure and responses. You will need to practice for these separately. If you follow a proper template for these answers, you will be able to get good grades and solve the questions on time. Let’s look at the preparation for both tasks,

A. Preparation for TOEFL Writing Task 1

For writing task 1 follow this pattern as you attempt your test,

1. Read the passage and take short notes if you can

2. Listen to the audio carefully, and must note all the arguments and the reasoning behind them. You can refer to the reading passage later as you attempt the test, but you will only listen to the audio once.

3. Plan your answer in a 4 to 5 paragraph format. Here is a structure for each paragraph

Para 1

Introduce the topic in the first paragraph. Also write that the professor has opposed these views for two/three reasons.

Para 2

Write 1 line about what the paragraph proposes in the first argument.  Then add two to three lines about why the professor is disagreeing.

Para 3

Write 1 line about what the paragraph proposes in the second argument.  Then add two to three lines about why the professor is disagreeing.

Para 4

Write 1 line about what the paragraph proposes in the third argument.  Then add two to three lines about why the professor is disagreeing.

Note: If the number of paragraphs is more or less than 3, you can adjust this format accordingly

Para 5

This paragraph is optional. If you have time, you can write a line or two stating that the professor does not find the arguments in the passage correct because of the reasons described above. You can alter this line according to your own style.

B. Preparation for Writing Task 2

In the second writing task you will be contributing to a class discussion. Answer in the following pattern,

1. Read the professor’s dialogue

2. Then read and analyze the opinions of the two students

3. Think about what stance you want to take

4. Once you start writing, acknowledge the complexity of a topic and the opinion of one of the students. For example,

The inclusion of death penalty in law is a complicated choice to make. While I understand Alex’s concern about taking strict and discouraging measures to curb the increasing number of murder crimes, I agree with Mark’s position regarding human rights violations through such an inclusion in law.

5. After you write your introductory lines, write your own new arguments which have not already been presented in the conversation. Make sure that you provide solid arguments to support your stance.

6. Once you are done you can add one more line to conclude your discussion if you have time. Remember the concluding line is not necessary. 

15 Words and Phrases You Need to Score 30/30 at your TOEFL Writing Test!

Do you know your writing score also depends on the variations you are bringing to your test. While the template for solving the tasks is fixed, you can use alternative and newer words to increase the readability of your text, and reflect your command on English vocabulary.

Here is a list of 15 words which you can use,

1. Which
2. While
3. Believes
4. Casts doubt on
5. According to
6. Critical
7. Flaws
8. Position
9. Moreover
10. Complicated
11. Touch on
12. Raise a point
13. Concern
14. Focus on
15. Strengthen

Now you have the guidance, the templates, and the specific words to score really well on the TOEFL writing section. We hope this helps you achieve your TOEFL targets and get into your dream study or work destinations.

So, what are you waiting for! Register for your test and start practicing now!

Also read
TOEFL: Types, Score, Structure, Registration, and Fee
How To Prepare for TOEFL Reading Section? 
How To Prepare for TOEFL Speaking Section?
How To Prepare for TOEFL Listening Section?
 

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