how to write an essay for toefl

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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.

Practice Your Writing Skills

Explore a variety of official prep offerings to practice your English-writing skills with TOEFL ® TestReady ™ . Get insights and feedback on your grammar, usage, mechanics and more.

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.

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• How to Write a TOEFL Essay
• Learn English
• James Prior
• No Comments
• Updated May 17, 2024

In this article, we’ll look at how to write a TOEFL essay covering both the integrated essay and the independent essay tasks.

Are you gearing up to tackle the TOEFL exam? Whether you’re aiming to study abroad or enhance your career prospects, achieving a high score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) essay section is crucial.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essentials of crafting both the integrated and independent essays, providing you with the strategies and tips you need to excel.

Table of Contents

What is TOEFL?

TOEFL is an acronym for Test of English as a Foreign Language . It is a testing service that allows non-native English speakers to certify their English language skills on an international scale.

The test is offered by Educational Testing Service (ETS), which is one of the largest private educational organizations in the world.

Like its counterpart (IELTS), the TOEFL test consists of four main sections: reading , writing , listening , and speaking.

In this post, we will be focusing on TOEFL’s writing section, which is comprised of two separate writing tasks, to help you learn how to write great TOEFL essays.

If you use the right essay writing techniques it can help you uplift the overall scores for the test, and in turn, land your dream job or degree placement abroad!

Understanding the TOEFL Essay Section

Before delving into the specifics of each essay task, it’s essential to understand the structure and objectives of the TOEFL essay section. The TOEFL consists of two writing tasks: the Integrated Writing Task and the Independent Writing Task.

Integrated Writing Task: In this task, you’ll read a passage and listen to a lecture. Your goal is to write an essay that synthesizes information from both sources. You’ll need to demonstrate your ability to comprehend the main points of the passage and lecture, as well as to convey how they relate to each other.

Independent Writing Task: For this task, you’ll be presented with a prompt and asked to provide a well-organized essay expressing your opinion on the topic. You’ll need to support your viewpoint with reasons and examples drawn from your own experience, observations, or readings.

Tips on Writing Winning Essays on the TOEFL Test

Below, we have written down the tips and techniques to help you write the best essays for your TOEFL. We have divided this section into two parts to correspond to the two types of essays that come in the paper.

Writing An Integrated Essay (Task 1)

The integrated task consists of a passage of about 250 to 300 words and an audio of a professor’s lecture on a similar topic. The following tips will help you excel in this essay.

• Understand The Instructions Carefully

The integrated essay task requires you to write a summary of the given passage and audio. The text generally contains an opinion about something, which is often opposed by the professor in the audio file.

The general instruction is to spend 3 minutes reading the passage and 2 to 2.5 minutes are reserved for the audio clip. The total time allotted for this task is 20 minutes, so managing time is critical.

Take the time to carefully read the prompt and understand what is being asked of you. Identify the main topic and the specific points that need to be addressed in your essay.

• Read The Given Passage Attentively

Read the passage attentively, noting the main arguments and supporting evidence. Similarly, listen to the audio lecture with a critical ear, identifying the speaker’s perspective and how it contrasts with or complements the passage.

When reading the passage try to pay attention to each word and sentence. We know 3 minutes is quite a short time for an academic-style passage. However, it’s doable using techniques like skimming and scanning . This can enable you to extract the maximum amount of information from the passage in the least time.

You should always practice TOEFL tests regularly before taking the real exam to keep honing your skimming skills. Plus, time yourself properly so that you get accustomed to the challenge of the big day. You can use one of these online timers or just set the time on your phone.

• Highlight The Key Points

When reading the passage, highlight key points using a pen, pencil, or a highlighter. Don’t highlight too much, otherwise, you will forget what was important and what was not.

You can also jot down key points and relevant examples. Organize your notes in a way that allows you to easily reference them when writing your essay.

Brainstorm and list all the points in chronological order . Try to keep the points short. Use short phrases, words, or sentences to avoid wasting too much time and energy on note-taking. However, good note taking IS a determining factor for the quality of your work and is a must-have skill .

• Connect The Dots To Summarize

After you’re done listening to the correspondent audio clip , refer back to your notes. See how each main point of the given passage relates to the ones presented in the audio. Are the points supporting each other? Is there an opposition? If so, where?

When you’re done determining the nature of the provided materials, refer back to your notes. You are now ready to write your essay.

• Create a Structure

Plan your essay before you start writing. Decide on the main points you want to cover and the order in which you’ll present them. This is where your note-taking should be really helpful. If you’ve taken notes well, you should already have a structure in mind. A clear and logical structure will make your essay more cohesive and easier to follow.

• Synthesize Information

In your essay, aim to integrate information from both the passage and the lecture. Compare and contrast their perspectives, highlighting similarities and differences. Avoid simply summarizing each source; instead, focus on how they interact with each other.

• Provide Examples

Support your analysis with specific examples from the passage and lecture. These examples should illustrate the points you’re making and strengthen your argument.

• Use Transitional Phrases

To ensure smooth transitions between ideas, use transitional phrases such as “in addition,” “furthermore,” “on the other hand,” etc. These help guide the reader through your essay and signal shifts in your argument.

• Edit and Revise

Leave time at the end to review and revise your essay. Check for grammatical errors, clarity of expression, and coherence of ideas. Make any necessary adjustments to strengthen your essay before submitting it.

Writing An Independent Essay (Task 2)

In this writing task, the job is to respond to a question prompt. Unlike task 1, the writing style must be personal . You should include your opinions and feelings towards the topic and gravitate to the narrative, accordingly.

Task 2 is allotted 30 minutes. The question can be about anything, but it mostly covers education, society, or work in general. The topic will be open-ended so you would get complete liberty to choose your stance for it.

Remember, there isn’t any word limit defined by ETS for the task. However, we would personally recommend writing somewhere around the 300-word mark. Here’s how to go about it:

• Understand the Prompt

Carefully read the prompt and make sure you understand what is being asked of you. Identify the main topic and the specific aspects you need to address in your essay.

• Brainstorm Ideas

Take a few minutes to brainstorm potential arguments and examples to support your viewpoint. Consider different perspectives on the topic and how you can effectively argue your position.

• Make A Clear Structure For The Essay

Plan your essay for a smoother workflow. Create a clear structure for the document as the following.

Introduction:

Must contain your main stance on the topic. In other words, you need to create a Thesis Statement. Formulate a clear and concise thesis statement that outlines your main argument. This statement should appear in the introduction of your essay and provide a roadmap for the reader.

Body paragraphs:

These contain all the main points that you have for the topic. Usually, 2 to 3 points are enough to support a stance and each point must be represented in a new paragraph.

In the body paragraphs of your essay, you should elaborate on your thesis statement by presenting supporting reasons and examples. Each paragraph should focus on a single idea and provide evidence to strengthen your argument.

Support your arguments with specific examples drawn from your own experiences, observations, or readings. These examples should be relevant to the topic and help illustrate your points effectively.

You can also use these paragraphs to anticipate possible counterarguments to your viewpoint and address them in your essay. Acknowledging opposing perspectives demonstrates critical thinking and strengthens your argument.

To maintain the reader’s interest and demonstrate your language proficiency, try to vary your sentence structure. Incorporate complex sentences, transitions, and cohesive devices to enhance the flow of your essay.

• Follow A TEAR Structure For The Body Paragraphs

The acronym TEAR stands for:

• Topic sentence
• Relate to the main topic

A topic sentence is a declaration of what the paragraph is about and must be written at the start. This should be followed by evidence (can be an anecdote) used to support your argument, followed by an analysis of the evidence that kicks back to the main topic.

Conclusion:

In your conclusion, summarize your main points and restate your thesis statement or reiterate your stance backed up by the points you used in your body paragraphs. Keep the points summarized to aid the reader’s understanding of the whole essay. End with a strong closing statement that reinforces the significance of your argument and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Also, quickly check for a logical flow of ideas in the essay. Ensure solid readability by keeping the tone consistent throughout the essay.

General Techniques For Both Tasks

• Manage Your Time

Allocate your time wisely during the exam to ensure you have sufficient time to complete both tasks. Consider setting aside a few minutes at the end to review and revise your essays.

• Write With Clarity And Conciseness

This is a general tip for both tasks, don’t write moot points, write clearly and concisely to stick to the point. If you try to inflate your word count with redundant arguments, the examiner will know.

Overly wordy answers can result in a bad impression of your work, possibly reducing your chances of doing well on the test.

• Use Transitional Words And Phrases

Transitional words like ‘Furthermore’ , ‘Consequently’ , ‘Nevertheless’ , etc., can be used to shift the momentum of your thoughts smoothly. This helps the reader understand the tone and flow of your essay.

If you need help practicing this and don’t have access to a tutor, an AI essay typer might be a good option to review these transitional writing techniques and assess your overall writing skills. Such tools leverage their ML and NLP algorithms to assess tone and generate relevant responses. So, you can see what works and what doesn’t and get some writing inspiration.

• Keep Things Nice And Simple

Many students make the mistake of writing very complicated, high-level English. Don’t do this unless you know exactly how to use it!

Stick to what you know and write as simply as you can. Try to include some high-level words and sentence structures sparingly if you’re confident with them, but don’t overdo it.

• Stay Calm and Confident

Approach the TOEFL essay section with a positive attitude and confidence in your abilities. Remember to breathe and stay calm, even if you encounter challenging prompts.

• Proofread To Correct Mistakes

Finally, proofread your work for any mistakes. Check your essay for any grammatical errors to avoid any deductions in your scores.

Proofread your work as the examiner. This role-play will result in an unbiased editing of the material from your side to produce a solid essay.

How Else Can You Prepare?

Aside from knowing what to do in the exam, there are some other things that you can do to help prepare you for the TOEFL writing tasks:

• Practice Regularly

Familiarize yourself with the format and requirements of the TOEFL essay section by practicing regularly. Utilize sample prompts and timed writing exercises to improve your writing skills and build confidence.

• Expand Your Vocabulary

Enhance your vocabulary by regularly reading English texts and noting down unfamiliar words. Incorporate these words into your writing to demonstrate a rich and varied vocabulary.

• Seek Feedback

Share your practice essays with teachers, tutors, or peers for feedback. Pay attention to their comments and suggestions for improvement, and incorporate them into your future writing.

Final Thoughts

By following these strategies and tips, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle the TOEFL essay section with confidence and achieve your desired score. Remember to practice regularly, stay focused, and strive for clarity and coherence in your writing. Good luck!

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TOEFL Writing Practice: Improve Your Writing Skills with Free TOEFL Writing Sample Essays & Lessons

In this guide you can start a free TOEFL writing practice test with sample essays and learn some basic and advanced independent & integrated writing lessons to help improve your writing skills and successfully prepare you for your TOEFL writing test. This page contains everything you need to know and the essential skills for a high writing score.

First off, if you're looking to take a free TOEFL writing practice test or are just curious what taking an official TOEFL writing test is like, then click the START TOEFL writing SAMPLE TEST button below.

Next up is a list of all our TOEFL writing questions where you can study each question at your own pace. To start a free TOEFL writing test question, click the Mock Test 1 link.

TOEFL writing practice questions - integrated writing Task

TOEFL writing practice questions - academic discussion Task

Table Of Contents

Toefl writing introduction, toefl integrated writing task, toefl academic discussion writing task.

• How the TOEFL Writing Section is Scored
• TOEFL Writing Preparation

The writing section is the fourth section of the TOEFL iBT test and takes about 50 minutes to complete. It consists of two separate tasks: an Integrated Writing task and an Academic Discussion Writing task . The Independent task requires you to write an opinionated essay based on your own knowledge and experience, whereas the Integrated task requires you to write a response synthesizing a lecture and a reading passage. Below, we examine the two TOEFL Writing tasks in detail.

When you start the TOEFL Integrated writing task, you will be given 3 minutes to read an academic passage. After reading the passage, you will then listen to a lecture on the same topic. 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.

The reading passage may or may not have a different point of view from the lecture. There are a total of two different scenarios that you can encounter.

• Contradiction: The lecture contradicts or casts doubt on the key points in the reading passage.
• Supporting with Examples: The lecture supports the key points in the reading passage.

It doesn’t matter which scenario you encounter. Your response must summarize the key points discussed in the lecture and explain how these points relate to the reading.

In this task, taking good notes is critical.

When taking notes for the reading passage, make sure to write down the position or opinion of the author and the main supporting reasons for that position or opinion. In most cases, there will be three main supporting ideas. Note that the reading passage are always presented in a point-by-point fashion. That is, the article begins with a main statement, followed by three paragraphs, each of which gives a main point supporting the main statement.

For the lecture, it’s the same basic idea as the reading passage. The lecture follows the same pattern, with the main points matching up with the main points in the reading passage. In other words, the main points directly support or refute the points made in the article, usually in the same order. You must be aware of this in order to take appropriate notes. One more thing! The lecture might include information that is not related to the reading. Remember this! You don’t need to write irrelevant information down in your notes!

In addition to taking good notes, you’ll need to write at least 5 paragraphs that synthesize the main points of the reading passage and lecture . You should also paraphrase when you write your response. DO NOT copy the exact words from the reading passage or lecture. Your score will suffer, if you do.

Here is the breakdown of your essay structure:

• Introduction

The introductory paragraph should contain the following:

• The main topic of both the reading passage and the lecture
• A paraphrase of the question describing the number of points made that were used to cast doubt on the reading passage.

Each body paragraph should cover one main point from the listening and explain in detail how it relates to the main points in the reading passage.

Finally, the conclusion paragraph should summarize the introductory paragraph ...and yes...you guessed it...you should paraphrase . Do not use the same wording you used in the introduction paragraph.

Now, let’s examine the two scenarios ("Contradiction" and "Supporting with Examples") in more detail. In the following section, we will provide you with TOEFL writing sample questions, sample writing responses, and useful writing templates for each of them.

TOEFL Integrated Writing Task: Scenario 1 - Contradiction

This scenario is the most common scenario. In this scenario, the lecture will contradict or cast doubt on the key points in the reading passage. Here is a TOEFL Integrated Writing Task sample question:

Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture and explain how the speaker casts doubt on specific points made in the reading passage.

As you can see, the main points of the lecture contradict the main points in the reading passage. The passage states that pollution was the cause of the declining population of sea otters, while the lecture states that the predation is the most likely cause of the decrease in sea otter populations. Here is the sample essay:

TOEFL Integrated Writing Template: Scenario 1 - Contradiction

Now, let's look at the writing template for scenario 1 - Contradiction.

TOEFL Integrated Writing Task: Scenario 2 - Supporting with Examples

In this scenario, the main points of the lecture are examples that support the key points in the reading passage. Here is a TOEFL Integrated Writing Task sample question:

Question: Summarize the points in the lecture, being sure to explain how they address the specific concerns for social media described in the reading passage.

To learn how to tackle this scenario, sign up for a 7 day free trial.

When you start the TOEFL academic discussion writing task, you will be asked a question. Your job is to plan and write an essay in response to this question. It’ll help if you understand the different types of writing questions you may encounter. Let’s take a look at them now.

TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Task Type: Agree or Disagree

The first independent question type on our list is “Agree or Disagree“ . An "Agree or Disagree" question will give you a statement of opinion and ask you whether you agree or disagree with the statement. You will also have to provide specific reasons and examples to support your position. Here are examples:

• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All students should be required to study art and music in secondary school. Use specific reasons to support your answer.
• Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? High schools should allow students to study the courses that students want to study. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
• When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.” Do you agree or disagree with the quotation above? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.

TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Task Type: Support or Oppose

This type of question is very similar to the Agree or Disagree question. However, Instead of asking you to agree or disagree with the statement, the “Support or Oppose” question will ask you to support or oppose a situation. Here is an example:

• It has recently been announced that a new restaurant may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan?

TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Task Type: Preference

"Preference" questions give you a choice between two options and ask which option you prefer. You must provide specific reasons and examples to explain why you prefer the option you choose. Here are two examples:

• 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.
• 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.

TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Task Type: If / Imaginary

"If / Imaginary" questions give you a hypothetical – or imagined – situation and ask what you would do or what you would choose. Rather than choosing between two things or two opinions, you are typically not limited in your choice. That is, you can choose anything that fits the situation. Here are three examples:

• 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.
• If you were asked to send one thing representing your country to an international exhibition, what would you choose? Why? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.
• If you could invent something new, what product would you develop? Use specific details to explain why this invention is needed.

TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Task Type: Description or Explanation

A "Description or Explanation" question will ask you to describe a certain type of person – especially the good qualities of a person – or explain something in the world. You might have to choose something to explain, or you might be given something specific to explain. You might have to explain why something is beneficial, important, or significant, or you might have to explain the reasons for or effects of something. Here are three examples:

• How do movies and television influence people's behavior.? Give reasons and examples to support your answer.
• 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.
• Neighbors are the people who live near us. In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good neighbor? Use specific details and examples in your answer.

TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Task Type: Compare and Contrast

This is our last question type on our list and is a little tricky. The “Compare and Contrast" Question can be fool you, so you need to pay attention to what it’s really asking. Generally speaking, you will see 2 variations of this type of question.

First, the question might give you two subjects and could ask you to compare and contrast them. That is, to show the similarities and differences between them. However, the question might ask you to compare the advantages and disadvantages of only one subject, so read the question carefully.

Both variations could also ask you to state your personal opinion or your personal preference.

Here are examples of the first variation:

• 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 important? Why?
• Some people trust their first impressions about a person’s character because they believe these judgments are generally correct. Other people do not judge a person’s character quickly because they believe first impressions are often wrong. Compare these two attitudes. Which attitude do you agree with? Support your choice with specific examples.
• 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 of learning about life. Which do you think is preferable? Use specific examples to support your preference.

Here are examples of the second variation:

• Some young children spend a great amount of their time practicing sports. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
• A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position.

So! Can you see the difference between them? When you write a comparison and contrast essay, you need to be aware of what the question is asking. Is it asking for the comparison of two different things or is it asking you to describe advantage and disadvantage of one thing? Okay! Let’s look at the essay structure of both variations.

As you can see, the major difference is how you write your two body paragraphs.

When the question is asking you to compare aspects of two subjects, each body paragraph compares and contrasts two subjects in one aspect.

When the question is asking you to compare pros and cons of one subject, your first body paragraph discusses the advantage and your second body paragraph discusses the disadvantages.

TOEFL Academic Discussion Essay Structure

This 5 paragraph structure approach can be used for 5 out of the 6 essay question types. The “Compare and Contrast” question type is the only essay question that will require a different structure.

How to Write a High-scoring TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Essay

Now, let's learn how to write a good introductory, body, and conclusion paragraph for the TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Task.

How to write a high-scoring introductory paragraph - Part 1

How to write a high-scoring introductory paragraph - part 2, how to write a high-scoring body paragraph, how to write a high-scoring conclusion paragraph.

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access this lesson.

How is the TOEFL Writing Section Scored?

When you complete your TOEFL test, your writing must be evaluated. This is done by a combination of human readers and a computer program called e-rater®. Each of your essays is given a score from 0 to 5. Your combined essay scores are converted to a section score of 0 to 30.

There are four basic criteria on which your essay is evaluated. These four criteria are:

• How well you address the topic .
• How well you develop and support your ideas.
• How well you organize the essay and connect your ideas.
• How well you use the English language , including grammar, vocabulary, and writing conventions.

"Writing conventions" are the special rules of writing in English, including spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.

As for the TOEFL Integrated Writing Task, here are four basic criteria on which your essay is evaluated. These four criteria are:

• How well you select important information from the lecture.
• How well you relate the lecture points to the reading points.
• How well you organize the essay and provide details

How to Prepare for the TOEFL Writing Test

It takes time to develop good writing skills. Chances are a good English writer already has years of experience writing English and using English in their daily life. If you are not a good English writer, do not get frustrated.

The good news is that you only need to be able to write well on TOEFL independent and integrated tasks. Here are a few things we suggest you do in order to complete the TOEFL Writing section in the most effective manner.

• To write well, first you need to read good essays so your brain has a database of good English structures and vocabulary you can use when writing. That being said, we recommend that you read and learn from our sample essays as much as possible. When learning these sample essays, do not just memorize them, but study how a paragraph is formed with different sentence structures, what words are used, and what main ideas are included. Ask yourself “Can I write similar sentence structures?” and “Can I form a sentence with these vocabulary words?”. The more you study, the more your writing skills will improve. The next time you write about a similar topic, you will be able to utilize them in your writing and add your own ideas.
• If you are not a good writer, spend at least an hour a day practicing academic discussion writing and integrated writing tasks.
• Spend some time brainstorming ideas for all academic discussion writing essays.
• Complete our writing lessons to ensure you know what characteristics a high-scoring TOEFL essay should have. In short, the following are key factors in scoring well on the TOEFL Writing section
• Understand the different types of prompts that appear in the academic discussion writing section.
• Write a clear opinion or position on an issue.
• Write a good introduction and a good conclusion paragraph.
• Write 3 main body paragraphs. Each body paragraph should consist of a main idea and specific examples with details that support the main idea.
• Make good use of transition words to connect your ideas.
• Use a variety of words, both common and academic, correctly and appropriately.
• Use a variety of sentence structures correctly and appropriately.
• Master paraphrasing, synthesising, citing, and note-taking skills.
• Utilize all of our writing lessons

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Sample Essays for the Writing Section of the TOEFL® Test

Did you hear about the updated TOEFL iBT Writing section?

On July 26, 2023, ETS introduced  a new TOEFL Writing question : Writing for an Academic Discussion.

That’s right. The Independent Writing question has been retired from the official TOEFL iBT test.

Before we get into the topics and sample essays for the new TOEFL Writing question, let’s start with the first task, which hasn’t changed, the Integrated Writing.

TOEFL Integrated Writing Topics

In the TOEFL Writing Section, there are two questions you must respond to. The first question is called the TOEFL Integrated Writing task. The second question is called the TOEFL Writing for an Academic Discussion task.

The integrated question presents a reading and listening passage, followed by a question, which is a bit more complicated.

Simple, right?

No? Still confused.

No worries. The best way to understand something better is through examples.

Let’s do one together.

This TOEFL integrated writing topic deals with the use of Corn Ethanol.

Give yourself three minutes to read it:

The chemical compound, ethanol, has risen in recent years as the most viable alternative to fossil fuels. Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from crops, mainly from corn in the United States, which can power engines. There are many who argue that corn ethanol should replace fossil fuel gas as the primary source for running cars.

One major benefit of using corn ethanol is that it uses less energy than gasoline. Using less energy means that people can get better gas mileage while driving these more fuel-efficient cars. In the long-run, this will be cheaper for consumers because they can drive further than they do now with fossil-fueled cars. People will spend less money on gas because they won’t have to stop to fill up as frequently.

Another advantage of switching to corn ethanol is that it helps the American economy become less reliant on energy sources from other countries. Petroleum is not readily available in the U.S., so it must be imported from other countries. Depending on foreign relations with those countries, fuel becomes a political issue. Corn is a crop that America has in abundance. By using corn ethanol instead, the cost of gas will decrease because now the import taxes on fossil fuels are calculated into the price. This also means that we will be putting the money into our own economy, thus helping local corn farmers.

One of the most attractive aspects of corn ethanol is how environmentally friendly is when compared to current automobile gasoline. Fossil fuels release carbon that has been stored for years from the earth. Burning biofuels, like corn ethanol, is better for the environment because it releases less greenhouse gas emissions. Lessening the amount of carbon emissions will help prevent global warming and all of the other negative effects of climate change.

Once three minutes have ended, listen to a conversation about the same topic

Now, it’s time to write your TOEFL essay.

Stop reading.

Start writing.

Write your essay before you look at this TOEFL Writing sample. You will learn a lot more if you actually write the essay and then compare this to your own.

Here’s an expert TOEFL teacher’s sample essay to this particular TOEFL Writing topic.

The article introduces the topic of corn-based ethanol. More specifically, the writer discusses the advantages of switching from fossil fuels to this alternative energy source. The lecturer in the listening passage disagrees. He believes that the benefits the author mentions are misleading and attacks each of the claims made in the reading.

In the reading, the author begins by stating that drivers will get better gas mileage on corn ethanol than on fossil fuels, and therefore save money on gas. The speaker, however, disagrees. He states that the production of corn ethanol is very expensive. He says that in order to make for the costs to create and distribute this biofuel, the price of ethanol gas will increase.  Therefore, it will not be any cheaper for consumers in the long run.

The writer also claims that making the switch to corn ethanol will help the American economy because it will make the United States less dependent on foreign oil. Again, the lecturer believes there are flaws in the writer’s argument. He holds instead that mass use of corn-based ethanol will hurt the economy. He elaborates this by point out that the inevitable competition for corn by multiple consumers, including beef and dairy farmers, will drive the price of corn up.

Another reason why the author feels that moving from traditional gasoline to corn ethanol is a good idea is that they are more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels. The professor in the listening passage is doubtful that this is accurate. He suggests that as more farmlands are created to support the demands for more corn, more carbon will be absorbed by the land. This means that these emissions will still be released to negatively affect the environment.

As you can see the author and speaker hold very different views about the use of corn ethanol.

The author here clearly defined the main idea, organized the supporting points from both the reading and listening passage, and showed how they differ from each other. 

I know it may seem a bit difficult, which is why I recommend that you start off with a TOEFL Writing template for both the Writing for an Academic Discussion task and Integrated essay.

Writing for an Academic Discussion Question

You will have 10 minutes to complete the  Writing for an Academic Discussion question .

For this task, you will participate in an online discussion. After you read the question and student responses, you will have to write a response that adds to the conversation.

Here’s the breakdown:

This question is straightforward, but let’s do a sample together.

When the question appears on the screen, take two minutes to scan the passage and the student’s opinions.

Start to write your response. Be sure to add to the discussion and avoid repeating the same points as the other students.

Aim to write at least 120 words.

Get peace of mind with these TOEFL Writing Templates

Now that you have a few TOEFL Writing topics and sample essays to study from, you may want to use a writing template to help guide your writing.

A TOEFL template is basically a pre-organized set of words and phrases that you can use in almost any TOEFL Writing response.

Here’s TST Prep’s template for the integrated TOEFL Writing question (question one):

And here’s our template for the independent TOEFL Writing for an Academic Discussion (question two):

The article introduces the topic of (general topic) . More specifically, the writer discusses (stance of the author on the topic) . The lecturer in the listening passage disagrees. He believes that (stance of the professor on the topic) and attacks each of the claims made in the reading.

In the reading, the author begins by stating that (first point made to support stance) . The lecturer, however, disagrees. He states that (first counterargument by the professor) . He goes on to say that (additional detail about first counterargument) .

The author also claims that (second point made to support stance) . Again, the lecturer believes there are flaws in the writer’s argument. The speaker holds that (two sentences about the professor’s second counter-argument) .

Another reason why the author feels that (restate stance of author) is that (third point made to support stance) . The professor in the listening passage is doubtful that this is accurate. He suggests that (two sentences about the professor’s third counter argument) .

To sum up, both the writer and professor hold conflicting views about (general topic) . It’s clear that they will have trouble finding common ground on this issue.

You will notice that the sample essays in this article differ from the templates.

You do not have to use templates, it’s up to you. Some people prefer to write in their own unique fashion for the entire exam. However, you will notice that the structure of the templates is similar to the TOEFL example essays.

These templates follow the exact organization and structure you are expected to use on test day, so don’t hesitate to use them in your writing.

Also, don’t forget to download the free  24+ TOEFL Writing Guide   if you would like more example essays, templates, and exclusive tips to help you earn the best possible TOEFL Writing score on test day.

If you read this far, it means you are serious about your TOEFL studies. Don’t hesitate to send us an email and let us know how we can help you earn the TOEFL score of your dreams – [email protected]

Did we forget anything? Please comment and let us know how we can improve our TOEFL Writing advice (or if you want to just say hi that would be great too).

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113 Comments

Hello, Josh. Firstly, thanks for the useful tips. I wonder if I can get a point if I don’t understand the lecture but write everything about reading. Should every idea in the passage and audio be matched?

Hi Ella, Thanks for your question. In general, the listening points should correspond with the reading. This is because the listening usually argues the opposite points.

Hi, Josh. I have a question about copying and pasting in TOEFL writing. I heard some TOEFL teachers say it should be avoided because ETS will consider it a potential form of plagiarism in future academic study.

Could you please provide some suggestions in terms of this issue? Is it ok to copy and paste, since it saves a lot of time in writing, especially on the test day. Thank you!

Great question. The copy-and-paste feature will not work at the test center, and I do not believe it works on the Home Edition either. Regardless, copying and pasting or manually copying the exact words should be avoided. You are always better off putting the answer into your own words.

Abdul Siyar Azizi

Hello Josh, I have a question regarding how we can write an advanced writing that will be scored 25+?

Thanks very much for your question. We do have some templates that can help to increase your score. However, to give you a more detailed answer, I would suggest you consider doing an essay evaluation with us so we can help you determine specific areas for improvement. In the meantime, here are some articles that can help.

https://tstprep.com/articles/toefl/ten-awesome-tips-for-the-writing-section-of-the-toefl-test/

https://tstprep.com/articles/toefl/sample-essays-for-the-writing-section-of-the-toefl-test/

Hi Josh! For the academic writing, I only gave my reason for the topic, and I forgot to mention the opinion of the other student. I checked my word count. It is already past 100 words, and I do not want it to be too long. Do we really need to mention the other students’ opinion?

Hi Ireen. Great question! We often suggest mentioning one of the other students, but it is not required. As long as what you said was on topic, you “added to the discussion,” and gave specific reasons and examples, you should be okay with the 100 words you wrote.

Hello, I have a question about the independent writing: Is it a problem if I just give one reason in my essay (but detailed enough)? Thank you

Hi there and thank you for your question. There are no specific grading criteria that say you MUST give two reasons for your opinion, so, in theory, yes, you can just give one reason. I don’t think you will be marked down for it. If possible, try to give two though. It will make your word count higher.

Lobna Helali

Hello Josh, I was wondering if you have more integrated writing questions that we could do for practice, do you know where to find them?

Hi there and thank you for your question. If you search “TOEFL Writing Practice test” on Youtube you will find 2-3 TST Prep practice videos with an Integrated Writing practice question. I’m sure there will be tests from other providers as well.

Hey Josh, I have been following your YouTube channel for my TOEFL preparation, where I learned a lot. My question is that I got stuck between 15-17 scores in the reading section and could not figure out what I would do to enhance my scores. Any suggestions?

Hi there Ashina, and thank you for your question.

It is, indeed, a difficult question to answer. Here are two pieces of advice on how to practice at home and how to improve time management:

HOW TO DO A PASSAGE

I am going to breakdown the process you should go through when you do a TOEFL Reading passage:

1. Copy the test conditions (set a timer to complete the passage and all the questions in 18 minutes)

2. Check your answers

3. Identify the reason you got a specific question wrong (or didn’t understand why you were correct) and write down what you can do to avoid the same mistake next time. Step #3 is the most important and the one often overlooked because most test-takers are pretty tired after reading and answering questions. This will help you notice patterns in incorrect choices and apply what you have learned later.

4. (Optional) Do the same passage again two weeks later. (You will remember much of what you did before, but it should help remind you of what you have learned)

TIME MANAGEMENT

My advice is pretty simple here, practice with LESS TIME. If it is not too stressful, try to complete a passage and all of the questions in 16 minutes (instead of 18). This usually does the trick for most students over time.

I hope you find some of this helpful. Good luck, and let me know if you need anything.

Hey Josh, in the Reading section the last question holds two marks where we are asked to pick three choices. I have always have a hard time getting the perfect score here. any suggestions, please…

Hi Kiba, this is a popular complaint. I posted a video about summary questions here. You might find it helpful.

Hey Josh, I have a question. If the question is saying a good essay is between 200 and 300, and I wrote more than 300, is this okay? Or should I make it only as maximum as they are saying?

Hi Joud and great question. Definitely write MORE. There is a direct correlation between test scores and word count, so the more you write the better. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should write as much as possible as fast as possible, but anything between 350-450 words would be great.

Hey Josh, I think I do well in my writing section, but my score doesn’t improve. Is there anything that I can do to know my mistakes from the ETS?

Hi Aziz, good question, and unfortunately, no, they do not release that information. The best you can do is work with an experienced teacher who can point out your weaknesses and work on them at home before test day.

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How to Write a Great Essay for the TOEFL or TOEIC

The Five Paragraph Essay for the TOEFL or TOEIC

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• B.A., English, University of Michigan

Writing an essay can be a difficult enough task as it is; writing it a language that is your first language is even harder.

If you're taking the TOEFL or the TOEIC and have to complete a writing assessment, then read these instructions for organizing a great five-paragraph essay in English.

Paragraph One: The Introduction

This first paragraph, made up of 3-5 sentences, has two purposes: grabbing the reader's attention, and providing the main point (thesis) of the whole essay.

To get the reader's attention, your first few sentences are key. Use descriptive words, an anecdote, a striking question or an interesting fact related to your topic to draw the reader in.

To state your main point, your last sentence in the first paragraph is key. Your first few sentences of the introduction basically introduce the topic and grab the reader's attention. The last sentence of the introduction tells the reader what you think about the assigned topic and lists the points that you're going to write about in the essay. Here's an example of a good introductory paragraph given the topic, "Do you think teenagers should have jobs while they are still students?" :

I've worked ever since I was twelve. As a teenager, I cleaned houses for my family members, made banana splits at an ice cream parlor, and waited tables at various restaurants. I did it all while carrying a pretty good grade point average in school, too! I definitely believe that teenagers should have jobs while they are still students because a job teaches discipline, earns them cash for school, and keeps them out of trouble.

Paragraphs Two - Four: Explaining Your Points

Once you've stated your thesis, you have to explain yourself! The thesis in the example introduction was "I definitely believe that teenagers should have jobs while they are still students because a job teaches discipline, earns them cash for school, and keeps them out of trouble".

The job of the next three paragraphs is to explain the points of your thesis using statistics, examples from your life, literature, the news or other places, facts, examples, and anecdotes.

• Paragraph Two: Explains the first point from your thesis: Teenagers should have jobs while they are still students because a job teaches discipline.
• Paragraph Three: Explains the second point from your thesis: Teenagers should have jobs while they are still students because a job earns them cash for school.
• Paragraph Four: Explains the third point from your thesis: Teenagers should have jobs while they are still students because a job keeps them out of trouble.

In each of the three paragraphs, your first sentence, called the topic sentence, will be the point you're explaining from your thesis. After the topic sentence, you'll write 3-4 more sentences explaining why this fact is true. The last sentence should transition you to the next topic. Here's an example of what paragraph two would look like:

First, teenagers should have jobs while they are still students because a job teaches discipline. When I was working at the ice cream store, I had to show up every day on time or I would have gotten fired. That taught me how to keep a schedule, which is a big part of learning discipline. As I cleaned the floors and washed the windows of my family members' homes, I knew they would be checking up on me, so I worked hard to do my best, which taught me an important facet of discipline, which is thoroughness. But being disciplined isn't the only reason it's a good idea for teenagers to work during school; it can also bring in the money!

Paragraph Five: Concluding the Essay

Once you've written the introduction, explained your main points in the body of the essay, transitioning nicely between them all, your final step is to conclude the essay. The conclusion, made up of 3-5 sentences, has two purposes: to recap what you've stated in the essay, and leave a lasting impression on the reader.

To recap, your first few sentences are key. Restate the three major points of your essay in different words, so you know the reader has understood where you stand.

To leave a lasting impression, your last sentences are key. Leave the reader with something to think about before ending the paragraph. You could try a quote, a question, an anecdote, or simply a descriptive sentence. Here's an example of a conclusion:

I can't speak for anyone else, but my experience has taught me that having a job while being a student is a very good idea. Not only does it teach people to have character in their lives, it can give them the tools they need to succeed like money for college tuition or a good reputation. Sure, it's hard to be a teenager without the added pressure of a job, but with all the benefits of having one, it's too important not to make the sacrifice. Like Mike would say, "Just do it."

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• Before You Take a Test

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

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.

TOEFL essay sample #1

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 demonstrate 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.

TOEFL essay sample #2

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.

TOEFL essay sample #3

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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Step-by-Step Guide to Improve Your Writing for the TOEFL Writing Section

The TOEFL Writing Section will test how well you can write in English. In order to become a better writer, follow this step-by-step guide and you will improve your writing for the TOEFL exam.

Step 1 – Start Small

The first place to start is to read, study and practice writing academic sentences. To do this, find articles and passages in college textbooks, language books or reading materials online on academic subjects. The best ones to look at will contain reading comprehension follow-up questions at the end of the passage.

Once you find your academic article or passage, read it thoroughly. You should not only pay attention to the content of the passage, but also the way the main ideas are laid out. See the way the paragraphs and sentences are structured and examine the vocabulary and grammar variations used. Take notes on the article, and underline or circle words you think are important.

Finally, after you read the passage, answer the follow-up questions at the end. Use the same academic style of writing you saw in the passage. And then check your answers with an answer key or by asking a teacher to review your work.

Step 2 – Paraphrasing and Summarizing

Often in academic writing, and in the TOEFL Integrated Writing task , you are expected to write about something else you have read or listened to. This can be done in three ways: quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing.

When you directly use the exact words of another in your writing, then you are quoting them. In order to avoid plagiarism, you must use quotation marks (“ ”) around the text. To be a good writer, you should rarely use quoting. In the TOEFL exam, especially, quoting another does not show your writing skills and should be avoided.

Paraphrasing is similar to quoting, but you don’t use the exact words of another. You come up with your own, different words to say the same thing. When you paraphrase, you still need to give credit to the original source. In an academic paper, this is known as a citation. You won’t need to use citations in the TOEFL exam, but you will need to give credit to the source. You can do this by starting your sentence with, “According to the author/speaker…”

Step 3 – Make a List

Now that you have read several academic articles and have written about them, it is time to try your hand at writing. Practice writing your opinion on a given topic. This is what you will be expected to do in the second TOEFL writing task, the Independent Writing .

To prepare for this, first make a list of topics to write about. Think about some of the topics you saw in the academic passages. Were you interested in any of them? The best place to start is with controversial topics that you are passionate about and opinionated on. For example, maybe you are passionate about global warming or gun control. Also write down topics from everyday life like getting married or travelling. Lastly, you should also write down some topics that you are not that interested in. You never know what kind of topic you will get in the TOEFL exam, so you should prepare for topics that both interest you and ones you don’t care about.

There are many online sources with lists of opinion topics. Search for questions like, “Do you agree or disagree…” and “Which would you prefer…” to compile your list of topics.

Step 4 – Brainstorming

Once you have your list of topics you are ready to start brainstorming on those topics. First, choose a topic. Then, spend two to three minutes brainstorming about this topic.

Your ultimate goal should be to think about only one side of the issue and expand your ideas. What experience do you have that causes you to feel this way? Have you read or seen anything in the news that has persuaded you? This may be easy for the topics you care about, but for others, your brainstorming may be all over the place. That’s okay at first, but eventually, you want to be able to write passionately and persuasively about only one side.

In the TOEFL exam, you won’t have a lot of time for brainstorming, so having a large list of topics and brainstorming on each of them in advance will help you save time on test day.

Step 5 – Debating

Now that you have brainstormed a topic and thought of ways to persuasively argue one side of the issue, it is time to debate that topic. Before you start writing down your ideas, say them out loud. Are you convinced with that position? Are there other ways to better elaborate your point? Maybe ask a friend to help and debate the other side of the topic. Through debate, you will discover more ways to add support to your opinion in your writing.

Creating an outline is one of the most important steps in essay writing . An outline provides you with the structure of your essay and makes it easier for you when you are writing. A traditional academic essay looks like this: 1. Introduction Paragraph = State the thesis statement (your opinion) and 3 main reasons 2. Body Paragraph 1 = restate 1st main reason with 2-3 supporting details 3. Body Paragraph 2 = restate 2nd main reason with 2-3 supporting details 4. Body Paragraph 3 = restate 3rd main reason with 2-3 supporting details 5. Conclusion Paragraph = summarize the thesis statement and 3 main reasons

Your outline should follow a similar structure: 1. Thesis statement (your opinion) = 2. Reason 1 = a. Supporting detail 1 = b. Supporting detail 2 = 3. Reason 2 = a. Supporting detail 1 = b. Supporting detail 2 = 4. Reason 3 = a. Supporting detail 1 = b. Supporting detail 2 =

Note, in the TOEFL exam, you will probably only have time to write about 2 reasons for your opinion, and only 1 supporting detail for each reason.

At first, your outline may take you 5-10 minutes to write. In the TOEFL exam, you should only spend 2-3 minutes on your outline, so practice getting faster at outlining each time you do it.

Step 7 – Start Writing

Now that you have an outline, and know the structure of your essay, it is time to start writing. Start with your introduction, where you advocate your position on the topic, and name your reasons for that position. In each body paragraph, cover one of your reasons with supporting details. The best supporting details for the TOEFL come from past personal experiences. End your essay with a conclusion that summarizes your position and reasons.

While you write, keep in mind the academic writing style you studied before. Use transitional words and phrases to connect one concept with the next. Use a wide range of grammatical structures and vocabulary as much as possible.

Try to write your essay in 20 minutes or less and aim to write about 350-400 words. This is the recommended time limit and recommended length in the TOEFL exam.

Step 8 – Review

Once you have finished writing, it is very important to review what you wrote. In the TOEFL exam, you should only have about 1-2 minutes left for editing, so first do a quick read through. Then take more time to analyze what you have written a second time more slowly. Check your grammar and spelling. Did you overuse the same word or use simple words when there is a better synonym? Correct your essay and make changes to it. Revising and reflecting on how you did is the best way to improve.

After reviewing your essay by yourself, ask for help. If you need someone to read your writing, we have a team of TOEFL-trained teachers who can correct your mistakes and give you detailed comments. Click here for more information.

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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 .

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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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Ultimate guide to toefl integrated writing: tips and practice.

Writing English essays can be difficult for non-native speakers—especially on TOEFL Integrated Writing. For this task, you must compose a short essay comparing a lecture with a reading passage. And to get a high Integrated Writing score, you’ll need to know which resources to use as well as how to prepare effectively for the task.

In this guide, we’ll explain what TOEFL Integrated Writing entails and go over the best resources you can use for quality TOEFL Integrated Writing topics and practice. In addition, we give you six key tips to help you get the Integrated Writing score you deserve.

What Is TOEFL Integrated Writing?

There are two Writing tasks on the TOEFL: an Integrated Writing task and an Independent Writing task. The Integrated Writing task, which comes first, requires you to combine multiple skills. You must not only be able to write in English but also be able to read and listen to it. By contrast, the Independent Writing task only requires you to read a brief prompt and then write an essay explaining your opinion on the topic.

So what exactly does the Integrated Writing task entail? You’ll start by reading an academic passage. This passage is about 300 words long, and you’ll have  three minutes to read it.

Next, you’ll listen to an audio clip of a professor giving a lecture on the same topic as that of the passage. This lecture will usually be about two minutes long and will either agree or disagree with points made in the passage.

Finally, you’ll have 20 minutes to plan and compose a short essay of about 150-225 words. This essay must summarize the points made in the lecture and explain how they support or challenge what’s written in the passage. You will not write about your own opinion for this task (though you will for the Independent Writing task).

As you write, you’ll be able to look at the reading passage again if you need to. (You can also finish reading it during this time if you didn’t get to do so before.) However, you may not listen to the audio clip again. This is why it’s best to take notes while you listen to the audio clip (we’ll talk more about how to do this later).

By the way: we have built the world's best online TOEFL course . Get online practice (TPO-sytle!) and individual grading and feedback on Speaking and Writing.

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Now, let’s turn our attention to scoring. The Integrated Writing task—like the Independent Writing task—is scored on a scale of 0-5. According to the official rubric , a 5 response “successfully selects the important information from the lecture and coherently and accurately presents this information in relation to the relevant information presented in the reading.”

On the other hand, a 1 response “provides little or no meaningful or relevant coherent content from the lecture.” (Note that a score of 0 means you did not fulfill the prompt correctly—for example, you copied sentences from the passage, wrote in a foreign language, or didn’t write anything at all.)

After, your Integrated and Independent scores are combined and converted to a scaled Writing score on a scale of 0-30 (i.e., the same scale used for all sections of the TOEFL).

Here is an example of a complete TOEFL Integrated Writing task :

Read the following passage and the lecture which follows. In an actual test, you would have 3 minutes to read the passage. Then, answer the question. In the test, you would have 20 minutes to plan and write your response. Typically, an effective response will be 150 to 225 words. Test takers with disabilities may request additional time to read the passage and write the response.

READING PASSAGE

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.

14 Resources for TOEFL Integrated Writing Practice

Now that you understand what a TOEFL Integrated essay entails, let’s take a look at some of the best resources you can use for TOEFL Integrated Writing topics and practice.

Note that most of these resources are geared toward the entire TOEFL test and therefore will contain practice questions and tips for other TOEFL sections as well.

Official Prep Materials

Official resources (i.e., those created by ETS) are far and away the best resources to start with when you want to find quality TOEFL Integrated Writing practice questions. All official TOEFL resources offer authentic test questions and prompts similar to those you’ll see on test day. And the best part is that many of these resources are entirely free!

TOEFL Online Practice (TPO) Tests

By far the most authentic TOEFL Integrated Writing practice you can get is through official TPO tests. These full-length TOEFL practice tests are real, retired exams and thus offer a highly realistic TOEFL Integrated Writing test-taking experience.

Once you finish a test, your Integrated essay is immediately graded by a computer. However, I’m not a huge fan of this scoring system since it isn’t clear why the computer grader assigns certain scores.  By contrast, on the actual TOEFL, your Integrated Writing task will be graded by a combination of human raters and a computer .

Unfortunately, each TPO test is quite costly:  45.95 USD.  So don’t buy one of these tests unless you’re 100 percent sure it’ll help you on the Integrated Writing task and other sections of the exam as well.

TOEFL iBT Interactive Sampler

One of the best TOEFL practice resources you can use is the TOEFL Interactive Sampler. This free, downloadable software contains an abbreviated TOEFL test, complete with a full Writing section.

What’s especially great is that the Integrated Task comes with  three sample responses: a high-level response, a mid-level response, and a low-level response. These are helpful in that they show you what kinds of details, structures, grammar, and vocabulary you’ll be expected to use in your own essay.

There are a couple of downsides to this resource, though. For one, the sampler doesn’t work with Macs. Another issue is that you can’t write your essay directly in the program. Rather, once the prompt is shown, all you’re given are the three sample responses. But you can still complete the task by opening Microsoft Word or another writing program and typing your essay there.

Once you’ve finished writing your essay, I suggest either using the TOEFL Integrated Writing rubric to score your response or asking a native English speaker to grade your essay for you.

TOEFL iBT Quick Prep

This free set of four PDFs offers a ton of high-quality sample TOEFL questions, including two Integrated Writing tasks (in Volume 1 and Volume 3 ).

Volume 1 provides you with a transcript of the lecture instead of an audio clip, so it’s not the most realistic test-taking experience you can get. But Volume 3’s TOEFL Integrated Writing task uses an MP3 for the lecture, making it far more similar to what you’ll get on the actual test.

Since these volumes are both PDFs and not software programs, you’ll once again need to use a separate computer program to type out your responses.

TOEFL iBT Writing Sample Responses

Another free resource by ETS, this PDF presents  a number of TOEFL Integrated Writing sample responses, from low- to high-scoring ones.

With this resource, you’ll get one TOEFL Integrated Writing task  with a passage and lecture transcript. And as for sample essays, you’ll get:

• Two level-5 essays
• Three level-4 essays
• Three level-3 essays
• Three level-2 essays
• Two level-1 essays

What I particularly love about this PDF is that it includes  detailed feedback on why certain essays received the scores they got.  Therefore, I strongly suggest reading these explanations to learn more about how ETS expects you to write and organize your Integrated essay on test day.

Official TOEFL Prep Books

Another solid option is to buy an official TOEFL prep book. Official books are excellent, comprehensive resources for TOEFL Integrated Writing practice, as well as Reading, Listening, and Speaking practice.

The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test  is perhaps your best bet. This resource offers a CD-ROM with three full-length practice tests in addition to 600 practice questions.

However, its Integrated Writing information isn’t all new. For example, many of its sample scored responses are the same as those in the TOEFL iBT Writing Sample Responses PDF above. Moreover, its first practice test uses the same Integrated Writing prompt contained in the free TOEFL Interactive Sampler.

Other official prep books include Official TOEFL iBT Tests Volumes 1 and 2 . Each volume contains five unique full-length practice tests, giving you a grand total of 10 Integrated Writing tasks  to practice with. Unlike The Official Guide, though,   which offers several sample responses for each scoring level,   each Writing task here comes with just one high-scoring sample response.

Official TOEFL prep books are usually reasonably priced at around 25 USD a piece.

TOEFL iBT Sample Questions

This free, handy PDF is similar to Quick Prep but contains far fewer practice questions. With this resource, you get one Integrated Writing task  (which we used above as an example).

Unfortunately, this PDF doesn’t contain any audio files, so you’ll need to read a transcript for the lecture. This, along with the lack of additional TOEFL Integrated Writing practice questions, ultimately makes this resource less realistic and less useful than some of the other ones on this list.

Unofficial Prep Materials

While official materials are hands down your best bet for quality TOEFL Integrated Writing practice, some unofficial resources offer a solid array of TOEFL Integrated Writing practice questions as well.

The problem, however, is that most unofficial TOEFL resources are low quality, so you’ll need to learn how to distinguish the ones that are worth using from the ones that aren’t. Generally speaking, a solid TOEFL resource is one that offers realistic practice questions, comprehensive answer explanations, and useful test-taking strategies.

Below are our top picks for the best unofficial resources for TOEFL Integrated Writing topics. Like our list above, the majority of resources here are completely free to use!

Unofficial TOEFL Prep Books

There are many high-quality unofficial TOEFL prep books available on the market. The key is to know which ones are worth buying—that is, which ones will offer you the most authentic TOEFL Integrated Writing tasks you can practice with. Our guide to the best TOEFL prep books  includes three unofficial TOEFL prep books to consider incorporating into your prep.

As with any dense resource, unofficial TOEFL prep books come at a price. However, they’re not normally that expensive, with prices typically hovering around  10-30 USD.  (That’s cheaper than one TPO test!)

Strictly English

This website offers one free Integrated Writing task as well as several additional tasks you can only access if you are a paid member. Both the passage and audio clip for the free task are extremely high quality, making it an ideal resource to include in your prep.

Strangely,  the free Integrated task doesn’t include a prompt.  That said, you don’t actually need a prompt to write an Integrated essay anyway, as the prompt is always the same: compare a lecture with a passage.

Another convenient feature of this website is a box that you can type your essay in. Once you finish typing, though, ignore the “Submit My Essay” button below. This feature only works for paid members, so nothing will happen if you click it.

Like Strictly English, BestMyTest offers one free Integrated Writing task, though you can access many more Integrated Writing tasks with paid membership. The free task is high quality and consists of a decent reading passage and a clear, easy-to-follow audio clip.

One especially helpful feature is the timer,  which makes it easier to keep track of how much time you have left for each part of the task.

A solid choice, Magoosh offers one TOEFL Integrated Writing task that’s fairly high quality. The reading passage is very similar to those on the TOEFL, especially in length, and the audio clip is crisp and easy to understand.

While you won’t get a lecture transcript, you will get  a sample level-5 essay  with an in-depth analysis of what makes this essay strong.

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PrepScholar TOEFL is online and it features thousands of practice questions and 1-on-1 Speaking and Writing review and feedback.

English Club

This free website offers one TOEFL Integrated Writing task with a passage, audio clip, and sample response. You’ll also get a transcript of the lecture, which is helpful if you’re struggling to understand any parts of it (though you won’t get a transcript on test day).

There are two drawbacks to this website, however. First, the reading passage, though good quality, is quite short.  Integrated Writing passages are generally around 300 words, but the passage here is only about half that length, making it not as realistic as it could be.

In addition, the audio clip quality isn’t particularly good. The voice often sounds muffled, making it difficult to understand at times.

PrepScholar

At PrepScholar, we offer   an original TOEFL Integrated Writing task,  complete with a reading passage, lecture transcript, and prompt similar to what you’ll get on test day.

As with any TOEFL task, make sure to abide by the official time limits so that you’re getting as realistic practice as possible. For Integrated Writing, this means you’ll have:

• Three minutes to read the passage
• About two minutes to read the lecture transcript
• 20 minutes to plan and write a response

After you finish typing your essay on a computer, use our analysis of two high-scoring essays to grade your response and give yourself a rough idea as to how you can improve your spelling, grammar, organization, time management, and overall writing skills for the test.

Study.com offers one TOEFL Integrated Writing task, which you can access (mostly) via a free lesson preview. Included is an entire reading passage and lecture transcript—but no prompt, as that’s where the preview gets cut off.

In reality, though,  you don’t actually need a prompt  since all Integrated tasks require you to do the same thing: compare a lecture with a passage. Nonetheless, if you’d like to see the full TOEFL Integrated Writing lesson, you can make an account by signing up for a free five-day trial.

TOEFL Resources

Though TOEFL Resources doesn’t offer any original Integrated Writing tasks for you to practice with, it does contain a large assortment of sample Integrated Writing essays,  which you can compare with your own responses to get a better understanding of what a high-scoring TOEFL essay looks like.

Many of this website’s sample essays are based on Integrated tasks from popular TOEFL prep books, including The Official Guide and Official TOEFL iBT Tests, so if you’ve got any of these and want to see more high-scoring sample responses, this resource is definitely helpful!

What’s more, all sample essays were written by native English speakers, so you can be sure they’re grammatical and structurally solid.

How to Prepare for TOEFL Integrated Writing: 6 Tips

So far, we’ve gone over all of the major resources you can use to strengthen your TOEFL Integrated Writing practice. Now, let’s take a look at our top six tips to help you get the Integrated Writing score you want.

#1: Strengthen Your Reading & Listening Skills

Since you must read a passage and listen to an audio clip for the TOEFL Integrated Writing task, it’s important to hone your reading and listening skills in addition to your writing skills.

To get better at reading, make sure you have a broad knowledge of  English vocabulary , particularly academic vocabulary.  I recommend reading real-life newspapers and magazines, such as The New York Times  and  The Atlantic .  Additionally, try reading introductory notes and paragraphs in university-level textbooks. For more tips on what to read, take a look at  our guide to TOEFL Reading resources .

As for listening practice , take time to listen to spoken English by watching  YouTube videos and English news channels or listening to English podcasts. Some free, helpful resources for English-listening practice include VOA Learning English and EnglishClass101 .

#2: Keep a Journal

To do well on TOEFL Integrated Writing, you need to be a good writer. And to be a good writer, you need to write!

One great way to practice writing in English is to write in a journal (almost) every day. This allows you to consistently practice your writing skills and learn how to write more quickly and with better grammar.

Because you’ll be typing your Integrated essay on a computer, I recommend keeping a digital journal. You can do this online through a free website called Lang-8 . On this website, users write diary entries and other notes in their target languages. These entries are then posted and corrected by native speakers of the target language.

I myself have used Lang-8 many times while studying Japanese. All in all, it’s an incredibly fun and supportive resource that also offers a convenient way to connect with others studying English like you.

#3: Memorize Useful Transitions

The best writers are those who can effectively connect their thoughts to make their writing compelling. And one of the easiest ways to do this is to use transitions.

Transitions are words and short phrases that connect ideas in writing (as well as in speech). They often come at the beginning of paragraphs and sentences and can be used to:

• Link similar ideas
• Contrast different ideas
• Emphasize ideas

We’ve compiled an extensive list of 54 transitions  to use in your Integrated and Independent Writing essays. Briefly, though, here are some of the most common transitions you should know:

• In addition
• Additionally
• For example
• For instance
• In conclusion

#4: Do Timed Writing Exercises

You can’t expect to do well on TOEFL Integrated Writing unless you actually sit down and practice. This is why you should use the resources above (particularly the official ones) to  carve out time to practice answering TOEFL Integrated Writing questions.

Each time you practice,  time yourself using the official time limits for Integrated Writing. In other words, give yourself:

• About two minutes to read the lecture transcript (if not available as an audio clip)
• 20 minutes to plan and type your response

Once you’ve finished reading the passage and listening to the audio clip, begin to type your response on a computer. Although you may write out your response on paper, a computer is preferable, as it more accurately recreates the TOEFL test-taking experience. After you’ve completed a task, use the official Integrated Writing rubric to score yourself and determine what you did well—and what you could improve.

If your Integrated task comes with any sample essays, use these to help score your response. High-scoring essays can help you understand what specific details to include in your essay and what stylistic or structural features ultimately make an essay more compelling.

If possible, ask a native English speaker to offer feedback on your practice essays as well. This will give you a more objective view of the overall strength and quality of your writing.

#5: Use Scratch Paper Wisely

You’ll have scratch paper to use throughout the exam, so make sure to use it wisely on the Integrated Writing task, too.

Since you’ll only get to hear the audio clip once, use your scratch paper to  take notes as you listen. (You can reread the passage, so you don’t need to take notes on it.)   As you listen,   write down the main point of the lecture and any important terms, concepts, steps, or examples the professor mentions.

Then, once your writing time begins,  spend the first three minutes or so outlining your essay on your scratch paper. Try to jot down the three main points you want to discuss as well as any key details or examples you can use to illustrate them. Don’t get too elaborate with your outline—just get the main points down and let the rest of the details come naturally as you write.

We cover more TOEFL note-taking tips in our in-depth guide (coming soon).

#6: Follow a TOEFL Writing Template

Finally, if you’re worried about your ability to coherently structure an essay, consider practicing with a TOEFL Writing template . A template offers you a basic framework to start with, which you can then modify to suit any Integrated Writing prompt.

The benefits of a template are numerous. For one, you’ll always have a sentence opener or transition to fall back on in case you’re unsure what to write next, giving you more confidence on test day. You’ll also have a clearer idea as to how to structure your thoughts and will therefore spend less time worrying about your essay’s organization and flow.

Recap: What Is TOEFL Integrated Writing?

The TOEFL Integrated Writing task is the first of two Writing tasks. For this task, you must combine your reading, listening, and writing skills to produce a compelling essay that compares a passage with a lecture on the same topic.

In order to get a high score on TOEFL Integrated Writing, try to practice with high-quality resources. Several official resources are free and offer a broad assortment of Integrated Writing prompts. Unofficial TOEFL resources, too, can be helpful, though you’ll need to be careful with what you choose since most unofficial materials are not as reliable as official ones.

As you prepare for TOEFL Integrated Writing, be sure to do many timed writing exercises and  get feedback on your practice essays. You should also:

• Strengthen your reading and listening skills
• Keep an English journal to further hone your writing skills
• Memorize transitional words you can use in your essays
• Use scratch paper to take notes on the audio clip and to outline your essay
• Consider practicing with an Integrated Writing template to help you feel more prepared for test day

What’s Next?

Want more TOEFL Writing practice? Then check out our original list of 13 TOEFL Writing topics  as well as  our picks for the best TOEFL Writing resources .

Aiming for a high TOEFL Writing score?  Read our guide to learn what a good TOEFL Writing score is (coming soon), and then get a rundown of everything you need to know in order to ace the TOEFL Writing section .

Looking for more general TOEFL tips?  Learn how to prepare for the TOEFL with our eight expert tips.

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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How to Write a Successful TOEFL Essay: 10 Best Practices

If you are in the process of preparing for the TOEFL exam, this article will help guide you through the writing section of the test. We will discuss the independent writing task and ten best practices to follow which will help make sure you give it your best shot. Continue reading to find out how to write a successful TOEFL essay!

What is the TOEFL?

TOEFL stands for “Test of English as a Foreign Language” and is basically that—a way for educational institutions and even potential employers to assess your level of fluency in English. The greatest advantage of TOEFL is that it offers people a reliable way to measure and compare English language skills. The test is composed of four sections—reading, writing, listening and speaking.

What is the TOEFL essay?

When we say “the TOEFL essay” we are referring to the independent writing task of the exam, which is essentially the second and lengthier part of the writing section. In addition, there is an integrated writing task based on the reading and listening sections. In this EDUopinions blog, we mostly will focus on the independent writing task, which requires students to write a short argumentative essay in response to a prompt in 30 minutes.

How to write a successful TOEFL essay:

1. planning.

The first step for how to write a successful TOEFL essay is planning. Even though you only have 30 minutes to complete the task, spending 2-4 minutes planning will most likely pay off. After reading the prompt, use your planning time to decide on your clear and specific response—kind of like a thesis—and then create an effective structure to argue your point of view. Doing so will not only help you stay on topic; it will also help the marker follow your line of argument and more easily award points to your writing.

2. vocabulary

Next, a robust and varied vocabulary will also help you write a successful TOEFL essay. In the independent writing task, you should strive to be as concise and detailed as possible. Instead of writing that you are “not very good at tennis,” describing yourself as an “amateur” will score you more vocabulary marks. Another good tip: because the integrated writing task is based on the reading and listening sections, it is important that you paraphrase what was said in those sections rather than using the same vocabulary you encountered earlier in the exam.

3. Structure

As mentioned above, the structure is another important component for how to write a successful TOEFL exam. Since this task only lasts 30 minutes, your structure will be fairly basic, but that does not mean it is any less important. Right off the bat, you should state your response to the prompt (your thesis)—you can think of this as a condensed introductory paragraph. Next, the ‘body’ should include two reasons why you have taken this opinion as well as personal examples or evidence for your claim after each reason. After both body paragraphs, provide a brief conclusion that ties the two points you just made back to your opening line.

4. Transitions

Another great tip for how to write a successful TOEFL essay is to include smooth transitions in your writing. Rather than abruptly changing topic or immediately introducing an idea, incorporating transition words/phrases will help make your writing easier to read and demonstrate a greater depth of knowledge and skill. Think of words and phrases like ‘in addition,’ ‘moreover,’ ‘generally,’ ‘aside from,’ or ‘all in all’—using language like this in your TEOFL essay is a great way to elevate both your writing and score.

5. Paraphrase

This tip is specifically for the integrated writing task, which requires students to write extended responses to questions based on the reading and listening section materials and lasts 20 minutes. This section of the TOEFL assess your ability to engage with written and oral English, not your ability to repeat what you just read/heard. For this reason, paraphrasing is especially important for this section of the test. Instead of writing “the text says that ‘Annie was deeply saddened by the death of her dog.’” You should reword to include your own writing: “The text explains Annie’s profound sadness as a result of her dog’s death.”

6. Time management

Time management is another best practice for how to write a successful TOEFL essay. Because the independent writing section is so short (only 30 minutes), it is imperative that you work efficiently yet calmly. In practice, this means allocating certain amounts of time to certain parts of the task. For instance, you could aim to spend 2-3 minutes creating a plan, 1-2 minutes writing your main point, 15 minutes writing your body paragraphs, 5 minutes of the conclusion and 5 minutes to make final touches. Ultimately, how you decide to structure your time depends on you, your strengths and your goals, but sticking to a time management arrangement can be a helpful way to reach your potential.

7. Know the question type

In the independent writing task, knowing what type of question/prompt you answering is essential to a successful TOEFL essay. Broadly, there are four types of questions asked in the independent writing task. Commonly, students must choose to defend one side of a debate. Another common prompt allows students to respond to an open-ended and oftentimes personal question or statement. Other less common question types include evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of something and choosing between three options presented in the prompt. Being able to identify which question type you are asked will help you write a detailed and relevant essay.

8. Practice tests

One of the best tips for how to write a successful TOEFL essay is taking practice tests. While the above points have hopefully been helpful, there is no way for you to know what taking the TOEFL will be like unless you practice under similar conditions. Doing so will allow you to identify your strengths and weaknesses as a test-taker and highlight specific areas you may need to revise. Check out the TOEFL website for resources on how to access practice tests.

9. Study companion

Study companions can also be great resources to help you write a successful TOEFL essay. Be it a textbook, a tutor or online learning materials, test preparation is a surefire way to improve your TOEFL essay. A good study companion will clue you in to the test’s format, what you will be assessed on, how to manage your time and more! In addition, many study companions include practice tests packs, meaning you will have multiple opportunities to put your skills to the test.

10. Confidence

Last but not least, confidence is another essential for how to write a successful TOEFL essay. Though it may be easy to overlook, being confident in your English level and the preparation you have invested into the TOEFL exam will hopefully help reassure you and calm your nerves. In addition, keep in mind that while the TOEFL may be an important step in your academic/professional career, it is not the be-all end-all of your English fluency.

Hopefully, you have found these ten tips on how to write a successful TOEFL essay helpful. If you have any questions about the TOEFL exam or other standardized tests used for university admissions, feel free to get in touch with one of EDUopinions advisors for free, individual support!

Check out these related articles on IELTS vs TOEFL. Which one to choose? and the 5 best English tests to get admitted to universities .

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Test Resources

TOEFL® Resources by Michael Goodine

Toefl® writing practice questions (2024 update), about these toefl ® writing samples, toefl integrated writing practice.

The first TOEFL writing question is the Integrated Writing Task. 

You will first read an article, then listen to a lecture, and finally write an essay using details from both.  Your essay should be about 280 words.  You will have 20 minutes to write.

Below are some practice questions you can use to get ready for the test.

Complete Sample Questions and Responses!

These practice questions all include a reading and lecture.  They closely resemble the real TOEFL Test.

• Colonizing Asteroids  
• Protecting Peregrine Falcons  
• Paradox of Choice  
• The Phoenicians  
• Bronze Age Collapse  
• Quick Decline Syndrome
• Living on the Moon  
• Machu Picchu
• REM Sleep (new) 
• The Cave of the Hands (new)
• Volcanic Building Materials (new)
• Moai of Easter Island (really old) 

Writing for an Academic Discussion Questions

The second TOEFL writing question is the “Writing for an Academic Discussion” task.  This  looks like a question was posted to a university discussion group. 

You will read a question posted by a professor, and then read two responses posted by students.  Your job is to read everything and then answer the question.  You should write about 120 words.  You will have 10 minutes to do everything.

Each link below includes a complete sample question and two possible responses.

• Targeted Advertising
• Social Media
• Grading Students
• Taxing Unhealthy Products
• University Spending
• Economic Growth vs the Environment
• City Spending
• Corporate Impact
• Work From Home
• Online Classes
• Smart Phones
• Learning Styles
• Influencers
• Starting a Business
• Space Exploration
• Looking for the free sample questions from ETS?  They are no longer available, but there are usually some questions in the new TOEFL Test Ready page from ETS .

More Integrated Essays

These essays are all based on questions from famous books.

• Television Appearances by University Professors (ETS Official)
• Portrait of an Elderly Woman in a White Bonnet (ETS Official)
• Incan Fortress of Sacsayhuaman (casting doubt)
• Iron Fertilization (solution and problem)
• Humpback Whales (casting doubt)
• Going to Mars (Problem and Solution)
• The Usefulness of Coal (casting doubt)
• Monarch Butterflies (casting doubt)
• Large Animals (casting doubt)
• Wheat and Beer (from Princeton Review)
• Forest Fires (from Princeton Review)
• Endotherms (from “ETS Official Collection”)
• Online Encyclopedias (from “ETS Official Collection”)
• Buying a Franchise (from “ETS Official Collection”)
• Great Houses (from “ETS Official Collection”)
• Smart Cars (from “ETS Official Collection”)
• Eco-Friendly Wood (from ETS Website)
• The Chevalier (from “TOEFL Sample Test”)
• Wave Farms (from “Hackers Actual Test”)
• The Anasazi (from “Hackers Actual Test”)
• Trans Lunar Phenomena (from “Hackers Actual Test”)
• Four-day Workweek

TOEFL Writing Guides and Templates

• Complete templates for both writing questions .
• A detailed master guide to the integrated essay task .
• A detailed master guide to the academic discussion task .

( get a free evaluation in the comments )

How to Score a 5/5 on the TOEFL Essay: Integrated Task

For many students taking the TOEFL, scoring a 5 out of 5 on each of the two TOEFL essays—which would lead to a perfect score of 30 in the writing section—is the ultimate goal. Getting there takes a lot of practice , but it pays off nicely! Scoring so high in one section can counterbalance slightly lower scores in other sections, helping you to get to your total target score with more ease (be sure to check your institution’s requirements, however; some universities will require a minimum score per section).

Because the two essays require slightly different skills, the ETS (the organization that administers the TOEFL) provides two separate rubrics for how to obtain a top score on the TOEFL essays. For those of you who are curious about the criteria for other scores, you can find that information here: at the test maker’s website . For those of you aiming to get a five, let’s keep going! Let’s start where the TOEFL writing section itself begins: with the integrated task.

The integrated essay will provide you with a lecture and a written passage on different aspects of the same topic. According to the ETS, the criteria for a top score on this essay include:

• Correctly selecting all important information
• Accurately and clearly representing the information.
• Showing good organization
• Having minimal errors in language use. If there are errors, they must not cause the information itself to become inaccurate or unclear.

Breaking that down, the first important task in getting that top score is going to be selecting the relevant information from the lecture, and then the reading. Good note-taking is vital here, and good note-taking takes practice! Listen to the emphasis that the speaker places on keywords, and look out for the thesis statement and supporting examples in the reading. Circle them in your notes.

The second important task is relating the lecture to the reading. Look at what you’ve circled. Does one contradict the other? Build on the other? Elaborate on a different aspect of the other? Figure out how they relate before you go on to the next important step: writing a well-organized response. To do this, you’ll want to create an outline.

Make sure that your outline has your thesis statement clearly defined. This thesis statement should explain how the lecture and the reading relate to one another. You’ll also want to have a brief summary of the lecture and the reading (one to two sentences is sufficient for this!) Then, build your body paragraphs around your main examples, which you’ll already have circled in your notes.

As you write, don’t worry about everything being perfect. That said, leave 2-3 minutes at the end of the exam to proofread what you’ve written. Because these essays are graded holistically, you won’t lose points for minor errors as long as they don’t change the meaning of your ideas. However, a lot of errors can add up to a confusing essay, which will definitely lead to a lower score.

The integrated task is only one of the two essays you’ll write on test day. Next time, we’ll take a look at the independent task, and how that differs from the integrated task you’ve mastered!

Rachel is one of Magoosh’s Content Creators. She writes and updates content on our High School and GRE Blogs to ensure students are equipped with the best information during their test prep journey. As a test-prep instructor for more than five years in there different countries, Rachel has helped students around the world prepare for various standardized tests, including the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT, and she is one of the authors of our Magoosh ACT Prep Book . Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from Brown University, an MA in Cinematography from the Université de Paris VII, and a Ph.D. in Film Studies from University College London. For over a decade, Rachel has honed her craft as a fiction and memoir writer and public speaker. Her novel, THE BALLERINAS , is forthcoming in December 2021 from St. Martin’s Press , while her memoir, GRADUATES IN WONDERLAND , co-written with Jessica Pan, was published in 2014 by Penguin Random House. Her work has appeared in over a dozen online and print publications, including Vanity Fair Hollywood. When she isn’t strategically stringing words together at Magoosh, you can find Rachel riding horses or with her nose in a book. Join her on Twitter , Instagram , or Facebook !

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Latest TOEFL Independent Writing Topics: Syllabus, Question Types & More

The TOEFL Independent Writing section challenges test-takers to express their thoughts clearly and effectively on a variety of topics. In this section, you will encounter prompts that require you to present and support your opinion, making it crucial to practice and familiarize yourself with common TOEFL Independent Writing topics . This guide provides a comprehensive list of these topics, along with tips and strategies to help you craft strong, coherent essays that meet the expectations of the examiners. Whether you’re aiming for a high score or simply looking to improve your writing skills, mastering these topics is essential for success on the TOEFL.

TOEFL Independent Writing Task

Table of Content

• TOEFL Independent Writing Task Syllabus 
• TOEFL Writing Independent Question Types 

TOEFL Independent Writing Topics 

• TOEFL Independent Writing Tips 

TOEFL Independent Writing Task Format

How to structure your response, practice exercise with sample response, common mistakes to avoid, toefl independent writing task- faqs, toefl independent writing task syllabus  .

Candidates are required to complete an essay expressing their viewpoint within a 30-minute timeframe for the TOEFL independent writing task. Unlike the integrated writing task, this segment does not involve any reading passages or recordings.

In the TOEFL independent writing task, candidates are prompted to either agree or disagree with a given statement, or to support or oppose an idea. They must furnish relevant evidence or opinions to address the TOEFL independent writing topics effectively. Scores for this task range from 0 to 5, with the raw score being converted to a scaled TOEFL score ranging from 0 to 30. The TOEFL writing score encompasses both the independent and integrated tasks.

TOEFL Writing Independent Question Types  

The TOEFL independent writing task encompasses four primary question types, each requiring a distinct approach:

• Agree or Disagree (65% weightage): In this type, candidates articulate their stance on a given subject, providing logical reasoning and relevant examples to support their viewpoint. Accessing TOEFL independent writing sample essays online can aid in comprehending this question type.
• Multiple Choice Type questions (15% weightage): Candidates are presented with a scenario and several options, from which they select one and construct an independent essay elucidating their support for that particular idea. Familiarizing oneself with TOEFL independent writing essay samples can facilitate understanding of this question format.
• Preference Type of questions (15% weightage): Here, candidates are offered two or more situations and are tasked with explaining their preference. Their rationale and examples should effectively bolster their chosen stance. TOEFL independent writing sample essays are valuable resources for honing skills in this area.
• Good Idea (Rarely comes): This type of question prompts candidates to assess whether they perceive a given idea as good or bad. Subsequently, they must craft an essay outlining their reasons for supporting their chosen answer.

Each question type demands a nuanced approach, and practicing with TOEFL independent writing topics and sample essays can enhance candidates’ proficiency in addressing them effectively.

TOEFL Independent Writing Tips  

Here are some TOEFL preparation pointers tailored for the independent writing section:

• Regularly practice timed TOEFL practice tests to maintain a suitable pace. This ensures candidates are adept at planning, writing, and revising within the 30-minute timeframe.
• Focus on crafting a concise, factual, and coherent paragraph. Quality over quantity is key; a well-structured paragraph can earn a score of 4 or 5, while a lengthy but irrelevant essay may not fare as well.
• Utilize vocabulary that you’re comfortable with to construct your own sentences. Examiners appreciate a varied range of vocabulary and sentence structures.
• Formulate opinions on various topics, even if you have to “fake it.” Staying informed about current events helps cover the latest issues likely to appear in the exam.
• Practice with time constraints to simulate exam conditions effectively.
• Pay attention to the spelling of words you intend to use in your TOEFL independent writing.
• Ensure that your essay demonstrates grammatical accuracy in words, idioms, phrases, and sentence structures.
• Avoid introducing irrelevant arguments or logic that may confuse the examiner, a principle also applicable in TOEFL integrated writing practice questions.
• Keep your response concise; avoid unnecessary lengthiness that could dilute the clarity and coherence of your essay.

The TOEFL Independent Writing Task presents test takers with a specific prompt or question and requires them to formulate and support their argument or opinion on the given topic. Understanding the format and requirements of this task is essential for effectively tackling it on test day:

The Independent Writing Task prompt typically presents a controversial issue, a general statement, or a question related to a specific topic. Test takers are required to respond to this prompt by expressing their viewpoint or perspective.

Response Format

Test takers are expected to write an essay in response to the prompt. The essay should be well-structured, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of the argument or opinion being presented.

The time allotted for completing the Independent Writing Task is usually 30 minutes. Within this timeframe, test takers need to plan, write, and revise their essays efficiently.

While there is no strict word limit for the Independent Writing Task, test takers are advised to aim for an essay length of approximately 300-400 words. Writing too little may result in an incomplete response, while writing too much may lead to lack of time for revision.

Scoring Criteria

Essays are evaluated based on several criteria, including the clarity and coherence of the argument, the relevance and quality of supporting examples and details, the organization and structure of the essay, and the command of English language conventions.

Use of Examples

Providing relevant examples and details to support the main argument is crucial in the Independent Writing Task. Test takers are encouraged to draw from personal experiences, observations, or general knowledge to strengthen their arguments.

Language Proficiency

Showing a strong command of English language conventions, including grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure, is essential for achieving a high score on the Independent Writing Task.

Structuring your response effectively is crucial for achieving a high score on the TOEFL Independent Writing Task. Here’s a breakdown of how to structure your response into an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion:

1. Introduction

• Hook: Begin with an engaging opening sentence to grab the reader’s attention and introduce the topic. This could be a thought-provoking question, a startling statistic, or a relevant quotation.
• Thesis Statement : Clearly state your main argument or position on the topic. This should be a concise sentence that outlines the stance you will be defending throughout your essay.
• Overview: Provide a brief overview of the main points you will be discussing in the body paragraphs. This gives the reader a roadmap of your essay and sets the stage for what’s to come.

2. Body Paragraphs

• Topic Sentence : Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main point or argument of that paragraph.
• Supporting Evidence : Provide specific examples, reasons, or details to support your argument. These could include personal experiences, real-life examples, or hypothetical scenarios.
• Explanation: After presenting your evidence, explain how it relates to your main argument and why it supports your position. This helps to clarify your reasoning and strengthen your argument.
• Transition: Use transitional phrases or sentences to smoothly transition between paragraphs and ensure a logical flow of ideas throughout your essay.

3. Conclusion

• Restate Thesis: Begin your conclusion by restating your thesis statement, but do so in a slightly different way to avoid redundancy.
• Summarize Main Points : Summarize the main points you made in the body paragraphs, highlighting the key arguments and evidence that support your position.
• Closing Statement : End with a concluding statement that reinforces the significance of your argument or offers a final thought on the topic. This could be a call to action, a prediction, or a suggestion for further exploration.
• Closure: Provide a sense of closure by tying your conclusion back to your introduction or by offering a final thought that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Here is a practice exercise for the TOEFL Independent Writing Task along with sample response:

Practice Exercise

Prompt: Some people believe that it’s better to live in a small town, while others argue that life in a big city offers more opportunities. Which do you prefer and why?

Sample Response Living in a small town versus a big city is a topic that often sparks debate. Personally, I prefer the charm and peace of small towns over the hustle and bustle of big cities. While cities may offer more opportunities in terms of career advancement and cultural activities, small towns provide a sense of community and a slower pace of life that I find appealing. In small towns, people tend to know each other, promoting a strong sense of belonging and support. This close-knit community allows for meaningful connections and a sense of security that can be lacking in large urban centers. Additionally, small towns often have beautiful surroundings and a relaxed atmosphere, making them ideal for those seeking a peaceful environment away from the chaos of city life. Although big cities offer a lot of job prospects and entertainment options, they also come with challenges such as traffic congestion, high living costs, and increased competition. Moreover, the fast-paced lifestyle of cities can lead to feelings of isolation and stress, making it difficult to find balance and happiness. In conclusion, while big cities may offer more opportunities on paper, the quality of life and sense of community found in small towns outweigh the benefits of urban living for me. Ultimately, the choice between living in a small town or a big city depends on individual preferences and priorities, but for me, the charm and serenity of small-town living hold greater appeal.

Avoiding common mistakes is crucial for performing well on the TOEFL Independent Writing Task. Here are some common errors to watch out for:

Lack of Clear Thesis Statement

Failing to clearly state your main argument or position in the introduction can weaken the coherence and persuasiveness of your essay. Make sure your thesis statement is concise and clearly articulates your stance on the topic.

Insufficient Development of Ideas

Providing shallow or underdeveloped arguments without sufficient supporting evidence can undermine the strength of your essay. Take the time to elaborate on your ideas, provide relevant examples, and explain how they support your main argument.

Inadequate Organization

Poor organization can make your essay difficult to follow and diminish its overall impact. Ensure that your essay has a logical structure with well-defined paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of your argument. Use transitional phrases or sentences to guide the reader through your essay smoothly.

Limited Vocabulary and Sentence Variety

Using repetitive language and simplistic sentence structures can detract from the sophistication of your writing. Make an effort to incorporate a variety of vocabulary and sentence structures to demonstrate your language proficiency and enhance the clarity and richness of your writing.

Grammatical Errors

Grammatical mistakes can detract from the clarity and credibility of your essay. Review your writing carefully for errors in subject-verb agreement , verb tense consistency, word order, and punctuation. Pay particular attention to common grammatical pitfalls for non-native English speakers.

In conclusion, knowing the TOEFL Independent Writing Task is essential to doing well on the test and in the future. You may write an engaging and convincing essay by properly organizing your response, making solid points that are supported by relevant examples, and showing your command of language standards. Also, the abilities acquired by the completion of the Independent Writing Task—such as logical reasoning, critical thinking, and effective communication—are extremely relevant in both academic and professional settings.

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What is the TOEFL Independent Writing Task?

The Independent Writing Task is a section of the TOEFL exam where test takers are required to write an essay expressing their own opinion on a given topic.

How much time do I have for the Independent Writing Task?

You have 30 minutes to plan, write, and revise your essay for the Independent Writing Task.

Is there a word limit for the Independent Writing Task?

There is no strict word limit, but aiming for around 300-400 words is recommended to ensure thorough development of ideas within the time limit.

Can I use personal examples in my essay for the Independent Writing Task?

Yes, incorporating personal experiences or examples can strengthen your argument and make your essay more persuasive.

How is the Independent Writing Task scored?

Essays are evaluated based on factors such as clarity of ideas, coherence and organization, use of examples, and language proficiency, with scores ranging from 0 to 5.

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