Hi there! In this part of the course, we will be describing the Writing Section of the TOEFL Exam. Remember, just like the reading section of the exam, there are certain types of questions that you will be made to answer, and certain skills that will help you achieve a higher score. Make yourself aware of the questions, formulate a strategy, and bring your knowledge and talent with you when you do your exam, and you will be successful. So, let’s jump in.
The writing section consists of two separate writing tasks. One will be an essay based on the student’s opinion and one will be a comparison of an argument or opinion between a reading and a listening. The topics for the first writing task will be more academic and the topics for the second writing task will be more general. The common theme for many questions regarding the second writing task deals with University Life.
The first writing task, the academic topic, deals with factual subjects, so you will not be asked to give your opinion. Keep that in mind when coming up with your answer. This writing task should be between one hundred and fifty to two hundred words. With the second writing task, a statement will be put to you, and you will be asked whether you agree or disagree with it. Make sure that your answer is at least three hundred words, and written in the proper format. We will be going over that in the next video.
A couple of things to remember when you’re completing the writing section of the TOEFL: One – Like the reading section, you will input your answers on the computer, and not by hand. Two – Your word count and time limit will be shown on the screen while you’re answering. Finally, number three – You will have to use a standard QWERTY style keyboard, so if you’re from France or Belgium, and you’re used to the AZERTY keyboard layout, take some time, and familiarize yourself with the QWERTY layout to prevent yourself from spending too much time writing your responses. Remember that every second counts when doing the exam.
The writing section will be graded by two different ETS examiners and you will have the option to have your essays checked again and re-graded if you feel the score that you initially receive is unfair.
In this task, first you will be given 3 minutes to read an academic passage. After reading the passage, you will listen to a lecture on the same topic. You will then write an essay summarizing the lecture and the reading passage and showing the relationship between them. You should not express your own opinion of the issues and you should not bring in any information from outside the passage and the lecture.
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. To review them in detail click on Writing 1 Overview button above.
Reading time: 3 minutes
Writing time: 20 minutes
In this task you will be given a prompt (a topic) and will be asked to express your opinion in your written response. Your response will be based entirely on your own knowledge and experience. There is a total of 6 question types you may encounter at the exam: Agree or Disagree; Support or Oppose; Your Preference; If / Imaginary; Description or Explanation; Compare and Contrast.
We recommend using a 5-paragraph structure approach 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 essay structure. We will be reviewing all 6 of the possible question types in detail and providing you with two structures we recommend for your response in the Writing 2 Overview section.
Writing time: 30 minute
Well, there you have it. The writing section of the TOEFL Exam in a nutshell, but there is still much to cover. In the writing portion of the course, we will be going into each writing task to give you not only an idea of what to expect, but also how to effectively approach each task. So, get out your pens and pencils, and let’s get started.