types of essay toefl

TOEFL iBT ®

The premier test of academic English communication

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.

• All Lessons
• business english
• comprehension
• culture & tips
• expressions
• pronunciation

5 Types of TOEFL Essays & TOEFL iBT Essay Patterns

Test your understanding of this English lesson

453 comments.

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

[email protected]

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

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

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

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

Thanks, Manish. Best of luck to you.

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

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

yo! i can talk english with you!

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

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

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

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

i want to learn english

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

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

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

All the best to you, in any case.

some thing is better than nothing

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

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

I went subscribe gave my awy

Hope you enjoy the website.

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

i learn a some thing from this mam

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

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

Hi Rebecca!

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

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

Thanks for your feedback.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks to all for your feedback.

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

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

Thanks for your feedback and best of luck to you.

Dear Rebecca,

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

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

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

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

Hope that helps, Sohail.

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

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

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

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

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

My best wishes to you with your English.

Hi Mrs Rebecca

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

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

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

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

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

Best of luck to you, Tarek.

Hi teacher!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

hi is it totally free??

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

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

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

to see the way they took the exams

My best to you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best regards, Nasarin

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

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

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

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

Thanks for your questions and feedback.

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

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

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

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

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

MY best wishes to you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good luck, Esha.

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

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

thank you very much

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

Thanks for your kind compliments.

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

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

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

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

All the best.

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

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

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

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

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

All the best to you, Robert.

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks a lot! Hope for your help!!!

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

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

My best wishes to you, Azamat.

Hi Rebecca,

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

Glad I could help you. All the best.

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

You’re welcome.

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

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

Good luck on your exam, Adnan.

Dear Rebecca

First of all, thanks a lot for your lecture.

your explanation is so definite and clear~!

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

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

Warm wishes to you, Kim.

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

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

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

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

You can check my TOEFL website for free sample essays .

All the best to you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hope that helps you.

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

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

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

Thankou for your lesson

Hi Rebecca:

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

Thank you so much Rebecca.

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

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

All the best!

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

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

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

Thanks, Rani. I try my best.

All the best to you, too.

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

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

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

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

You’re absolutely right about that!

all the best to you, Elnara.

wow this really helped me ..

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

thanks a lot

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

I have some questions about comparison and contrast essays.

Question 1:

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

Question 2:

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

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

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

Question 3:

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

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

Thank you very much in advance.

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

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

All the best to you, Mouhcine.

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

Thank You a lot

thank you!!!

Thank you ,miss Rebecca and the web!!

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

KIndly see if my essay is good enough. thanks

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

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

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

All the best to you, Metsm.

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

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

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

Best wishes to you, Raphy.

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

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

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

Best wishes to you, Edwin.

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

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

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

My best to you, Akshay.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks to all for your comments, questions and suggestions.

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

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

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

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

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

i love this leeson..

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

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

and plz teach more how to construct introduction and conclusion.

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

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

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

Thanks very much. Jose Zau.

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

Thank so much

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you, sugandh

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

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

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

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

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

What should we write about in this case?

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

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

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

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

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

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

it;s wonderful

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

thanks a lot:)) it helped me much!

Thanks a lot you are very good teacher

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

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

You are great. I love ur teaching.

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

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

Best regards Salah

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

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

how i prepare to give the examination of SAT

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

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

Hi Rebecca How can I watch your videos?

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

take care always

what is different futuer possiplity moadl nad conculsion modal

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

why I cannot see the vedio? Is anything wrong?

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

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

sory I mean I live

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best regards, Javier.

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

Thank you very much! Very useful

i love it! thanks! ;)

This is a very helpful website.

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

I really love your teaching style.

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

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

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

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

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

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

thank you you teach very well

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

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

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

i get bad marks in this quiz

thank you for help

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

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

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

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

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

thaaaankss aloooooooooooot it was greeeeeeeeeeeeat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iwant to speak english perfect

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

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

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

very good,helpful and useful,and very great teachers

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

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

Its very useful thanks so much

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

very good exercice1

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

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

good engvid to learn

Please, give me information about the types of TOFEL.

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

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

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

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

Thank you so much Rebecca!

thank you i got 7 correct answer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rebecca you’re the Queen

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

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

great video!!! very helpful :)

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

I think it really works .

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

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

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

Thanks & Regards,

I LOVE THIS VIDEO!! Thanks!

me too Valentina .. it soo helpful website

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

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

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

thanks a lot mrs: rebicca

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

Thanks alot mrs Rebicca

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

Thank you very much for such a great lesson!

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

I agree that ….. I disagree ….

could you pleas guide me to the correct way

thank you in advance

you are really good rebeca

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

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

i need help with my essay

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

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

thanks foe the lesson…

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

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

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

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

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

It is difficult.

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

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

thank you very much I really learn new things :)

interesting class,,,, thank you so much teacher

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

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

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

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

TTYL….

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thx for information.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you very much for explain!!!)

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

thaks a lot

Thanks Engvid.com

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

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

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

can you send me that link?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you!!

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

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

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

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

thanks rebecca

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

really i love the way to learn thank you

Thaaanks!!! very usefull video:)

can i download the videos at this website?

No. You can watch them.

what is that sites?

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

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

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

Thank you for your helpful video :)

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

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

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

Wonderful!!!

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

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

thanks Rebecca great lesson really

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

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

Thank you very much for this enjoyable lesson.

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

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

Thanks a lot!

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

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

thank’s

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best regards,

i wonder about the conclusion of the comparison & contrast

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

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

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

I got by second try :D 100

Thanks a lot.

thank you because you always make it sipmle for us.

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

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

Well, this sucks

cause it’s too hard to understand

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

How excellent you are !

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

this is usefull course tank you!!!!

thanks alot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kind regards,

Matt from Brazil.

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

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

that was great.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now 88%, really happy

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

its so workable and thank u soo mush for your effort

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

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

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

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

This is a great lesson

I’d appreciate it

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

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

i’am happy when lestn these lessons

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

Thanks for the lesson. Very useful!

Very interesting lessons.

My score is 100. Thanks rebbeca. Really helpful

Very useful, not only for TOEFL

You got 6 correct out of 8.

Thank you so much

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

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

Thanks Mr. Rebecca.

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

Exactly, her simple and explanation was fascinating.

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

Thanks in advance

Unfortunately, 3 /10

i am sorry 3/8

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

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

good to know…

about engVid

Learn English for free with 2113 video lessons by experienced teachers. Classes cover English grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, IELTS, TOEFL, and more. Join millions of English learners worldwide who are improving every day with engVid.

• 2-Intermediate

• Privacy Policy

© 2024 LearnVid Inc.

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  
• The Cave of the Hands (new)
• Volcanic Building Materials (new)
• New Light Bulbs (new, hard)
• 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 )

• TOFEL Exam 2024
• TOFEL Registration 2024
• TOFEL Exam Date
• TOFEL Eligibility
• TOFEL Exam Fee
• TOFEL Exam Pattern
• TOFEL Syllabus
• TOFEL Practice Papers
• TOFEL Documents Required
• TOFEL Slot Booking
• TOFEL Result 2024
• Types of TOFEL Exam
• Books for TOFEL
• TOFEL Exam Tips
• TOFEL Fee Waiver

Types of Essay in TOEFL: Check Samples and Important Questions

Understanding the types of essays in TOEFL is crucial for achieving a high score in the writing section. TOEFL essays generally fall into two main categories: Independent Essays and Integrated Essays . In the Independent Essay , you’re asked to express your personal opinion on a given topic, while the Integrated Essay requires you to combine information from a reading passage and a lecture. Mastering both formats is essential to showcase your critical thinking, writing skills, and ability to analyze and synthesize information.

This guide will help you understand the differences and provide practical tips for improving your TOEFL essay responses.

Table of Content

Types of Essays in TOEFL

Types of essays in toefl: agree/disagree essays, types of essays in toefl: multiple choice essays, types of essays in toefl: paired choice essays, types of essays in toefl: good idea essays, sample essay.

Various online resources offer samples of essays along with their solutions, catering to the four primary essay types found in the TOEFL exam.

These categories include essays for building arguments, disagreeing/agreeing on something, providing an explanation, or stating a preference. The selection of essay type depends on the specific question given to the test-taker. Typically, the independent writing section mandates a minimum word count of 300-350 words. Here, we outline some essay styles along with questions.

Question : Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The widespread usage of the internet has a positive impact on modern life.

Question : Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? When conducting research, it is always preferable to utilize articles, books, and other printed materials over internet resources. Provide examples and reasons to support your answer.

Question 1: What is the most ideal type of neighbor for an individual? Options provided:

• A neighbor who is amicable and provides assistance.
• A neighbor who is easygoing.
• A neighbor who shares similar preferences, habits, and lifestyle.

Question 2: What is the optimal strategy for addressing a problem? Options offered:

• Conducting thorough research and gathering information about the problem.
• Seeking guidance from someone experienced.
• Taking a break to rejuvenate, reflect, and contemplate on the issue.

Question: Some students prefer traditional offline classes with face-to-face interactions between instructors and peers, while others advocate for online classes with limited discussions. Which option do you prefer? Support your answer with specific examples and reasoning.

Question : Some individuals favor solo travel for the freedom it provides, while others opt to travel with companions. Which do you prefer? Provide examples and instances to justify your choice.

Question : The administration of an institution is reallocating its financial resources, opting to prioritize the enhancement of sports facilities while reducing investments in campus libraries. Do you consider this decision to be advantageous? State your stance with examples and reasoning.

Question : Many residents welcome the establishment of shopping malls near their homes for convenient access to amenities. However, some oppose such developments, citing concerns about noise, traffic congestion, and environmental impact. Would you support or oppose the opening of a shopping mall in your locality? Justify your position with specific reasons and examples.

Question: “Some people believe that it is better to live in a small town, while others think that life in a big city is more advantageous. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of living in a small town versus living in a big city. Use specific examples and reasons to support your answer.”

Living in a Small Town vs. Living in a Big City: Exploring the Pros and Cons

Choosing between living in a small town and residing in a big city is a decision that greatly influences one’s lifestyle and overall experience. While some may argue that the charm of a small town offers a more peaceful and close-knit community, others may advocate for the opportunities and excitement that come with urban living. In this essay, we will delve into the advantages and disadvantages of both settings to understand their implications on daily life.

Living in a small town presents several notable advantages. Firstly, small towns often offer a strong sense of community. With fewer residents, people tend to know each other well, fostering close relationships and a supportive network. This tight-knit community can lead to a greater sense of belonging and security. Additionally, small towns are typically characterized by a slower pace of life, providing residents with a peaceful environment away from the hustle and bustle of city living. The tranquil surroundings of nature and open spaces in small towns can also promote a healthier lifestyle, encouraging outdoor activities and relaxation.

However, small towns also have their drawbacks. One of the main disadvantages is limited access to amenities and services. Small towns may lack diverse shopping options, entertainment venues, and healthcare facilities, requiring residents to travel to nearby cities for certain necessities. Moreover, job opportunities in small towns may be scarce and limited in scope, leading to economic challenges for residents seeking career advancement or specialized employment.

On the other hand, living in a big city offers a myriad of opportunities and conveniences. Cities are hubs of economic activity, providing abundant job opportunities across various industries. The diversity of businesses and organizations in cities also fosters innovation and creativity, attracting ambitious individuals seeking career growth and professional development. Furthermore, big cities boast a rich cultural scene with numerous museums, theaters, restaurants, and nightlife options, catering to a wide range of interests and tastes.

Despite these advantages, big city living comes with its own set of challenges. The fast-paced lifestyle and crowded environment can lead to increased stress levels and feelings of isolation among residents. Additionally, the high cost of living in cities, including housing expenses, transportation costs, and daily expenditures, can place a significant financial burden on individuals and families. Moreover, the anonymity of city life may hinder the development of close interpersonal relationships, leading to a sense of social detachment and loneliness for some residents.

In conclusion, the choice between living in a small town and residing in a big city ultimately depends on individual preferences, priorities, and lifestyle preferences. While small towns offer a sense of community and tranquility, big cities provide abundant opportunities and cultural diversity. By weighing the pros and cons of each setting, individuals can make informed decisions that align with their personal values and goals.

Also Check: TOEFL Preparation Strategy 2024 – TOEFL Preparation Plan & Materials TOEFL Exam Pattern 2024: Check Question Types & Scores TOEFL Exam 2024: Fees, Syllabus, Dates, Registration & More Best TOEFL Exam Preparation Books & Resources 2024: List of Top TOEFL Books

Types of Essay in TOEFL- FAQs

What are the key differences between the integrated writing task and the independent writing task in the toefl exam.

The integrated writing task involves reading a passage and listening to an audio recording, which can assist in understanding or expanding upon the text. Participants have 20 minutes to compose an essay based on this material, with a word limit of 150-225 words. Conversely, the independent writing task requires candidates to express their opinions, highlight specific facts, or take a particular stance without any accompanying material. This section typically necessitates a minimum word count of 300-350 words.

What are the primary categories of essays in the TOEFL exam, and how are they selected for test-takers?

The four main categories of essays in the TOEFL exam include building arguments, disagreeing/agreeing on a statement, providing explanations, and stating preferences. The selection of essay type depends on the specific question presented to the test-taker.

How should one approach multiple choice essays in the TOEFL exam?

Multiple choice essays in the TOEFL exam present questions where one must choose from several options to express their opinions or preferences. For instance, one might be asked to identify the ideal type of neighbor or the most effective approach to resolving an issue. Students should carefully consider each option and select the one that best aligns with their views.

What are some of the most common topics in TOEFL writing?

The most common topics in TOEFL writing include education, social media, mobile devices, and technology, among various others.

Similar Reads

• Study Abroad

Please Login to comment...

Improve your coding skills with practice.

What kind of Experience do you want to share?

TOEFL Prep Online Guides and Tips

How to ace the toefl writing section: 7 expert tips.

Want to know all the information you need to write two great essays and ace the TOEFL Writing section?

This guide has all the tips you need to do well on TOEFL Writing. We’ll explain exactly what you can expect to see in this section, then give TOEFL Writing tips tips on how to answer both essay types, how you should study, and what you should do on test day to make sure you ace this section.

Overview of the TOEFL Writing Section

The TOEFL Writing section lasts 50 minutes and contains two tasks: Integrated Writing and Independent Writing. It’s the final section of the TOEFL. After this, you’re done!

You’ll have 20 minutes to plan and write the Integrated Writing Task and 30 minutes to plan and write the Independent Writing Tasks. Both essays will be written on the computer. We’ll discuss the tasks and what you’re expected to write in more detail in the next section.

After you complete the exam, your essays will be graded by several (typically four) graders. Each essay will receive a score from 0-5. The sum of those two scores will then be scaled to a score from 0-30, which is your official Writing score. The Writing section makes of 25% of your total TOEFL score (from 0-120).

What Types of Questions Are on TOEFL Writing?

The Writing section contains two tasks. In this section, we’ll explain the format and content of the tasks and give an official example question and response tips for each question type.

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.

Learn how you can improve your TOEFL score by 15 points today .

TOEFL Integrated Writing

The TOEFL 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.

During the writing time, you’ll be able to look at the written passage again, but you won’t be able to re-hear the audio clip. You’ll be able to take notes while you listen to it though.  The suggested response length for this task is 150-225 words. You’ll be graded on the quality of your writing as well as how well your response represents the main points of the audio clip and written passage and how they relate to each other.

Sample TOEFL Integrated Writing Question

(On the real TOEFL, the lecture would be an audio clip instead of a transcript.)

TOEFL Writing Tips for Answering

• Frequently refer back to the audio clip and written passage when making an argument. A key part of your grade is how well you show you understood the information these two pieces contained.
• However, don’t just copy portions of the audio clip or passage into your essay; that doesn’t show your English skills. Always rewrite the main ideas in your own words.
• When answering this question, pay careful attention to any differences between the information in written passage and the information in the audio clip. These differences are often an important part of your response.
• Take good notes when the audio clip is playing. You won’t have an opportunity to listen to it again.
• Don’t inject your own opinion. Only discuss what the audio clip and passage are saying. You’ll only discuss your own opinion on the Independent Writing Task.

TOEFL Independent Writing

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.

It’s recommended that your response to this task be at least 300 words, and you’ll be graded on how well you develop your ideas, how well your essay is organized, and how accurately you use English to express your ideas.

Sample TOEFL Independent Writing Question

• Don’t be afraid to make things up. This essay is all about creating a strong argument for your opinion on a topic. If you don’t really care about the topic you’re supposed to write about, choose whichever side you can write a stronger essay for, and act like that’s your opinion.
• Make your opinion clear within the first paragraph of your essay. There should be no doubt as to how you feel about the topic.
• Longer isn’t always better. The minimum recommended length for this essay is 300 words. If you have spare time and points you still want to make, keep writing, but don’t feel like your essay needs to be 600 words. Aim for your essay to be at least 300 words, but if it’s only, say, 320 words, it’s still possible for it to get a top score if you’ve written it well.

TOEFL Writing Study Strategies

You should absolutely study the TOEFL Writing section and do practice essays before exam day. Below are some tips to help you get the most out of your studying.

Study Strategy 1: Study the 2 Essay Types

The two essays you need to write for this section are more different than they may appear at first glance, and it’s important to be aware of those differences to understand how to get top scores for both essays.

For the Integrated essay, you should not give your own opinion on the topic, and you’ll need to refer to specific points in the audio and written passages to back up your claims. For the Independent essay, you will have to give your own opinion, along with specifics to back it up.

Completing practice essays will help you become more familiar with what the prompts will look like (see next section), and you should also look at the rubrics TOEFL graders will use when grading your essays so you get a better understanding of what you need for a high score.

Study Strategy 2: Take TOEFL Writing Practice Essays

Any writing you do in English can help strengthen your skills and help you do better on TOEFL Writing, but it’s especially important to take practice TOEFL essays. Completing practice essays will help you become more familiar with the different essay prompts, strengthen your writing skills, and learn how to manage your time when writing essays.

We have a guide to all the best TOEFL Writing practice resources, including numerous free and official practice essays. Check it out to get some great study materials for the Writing section.

Study Strategy 3: Time Yourself When Writing Practice Essays

When you’re doing practice essays, you should also be sure to time yourself. Give yourself 20 minutes to plan and write an Integrated Writing essay and 30 minutes to write an Independent Writing essay.

Timing yourself when you write will help you be more prepared for test day since you’ll get practice planning and writing essays within a limited time frame. When you first start writing your practice essays, it can be easy to spend too much time preparing which will cause you to run out of time before you finish writing. Completing timed practice essays will help you avoid this.

You should also count how many words 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.

Study Strategy 4: Review Your TOEFL Writing Practice Essays

After you write each 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.

TOEFL Writing Tips for Acing the Section on Test Day

The last step in acing TOEFL Writing is having a great exam day. Follow these TOEFL writing tips to help ensure everything goes smoothly while you’re completing the Writing section.

Test Tip 1: Take a Few Minutes to Plan Your Essays

Since you only have a limited amount of time to complete your essays, it can be tempting to start writing the second your time starts. You want to avoid doing this, however. Spending just a few minutes planning your essay can help keep your writing focused and on topic, and it can often help you write faster because you know what you’ll be discussing next.

Spend a max of two to three minutes writing a basic outline for your essay. It should include:

• Your thesis statement (the main point you’re making and will discuss throughout the essay)
• The main point of each paragraph you’ll have in your essay
• Any specific examples you can quickly think of (either from the included passages or your own opinion, depending on the essay) to back up your claim

Before you begin writing, reread the essay prompt again to make sure your outline answers the question well (see next section for more details).

Test Tip 2: Keep Referring Back to the Question

Even if you craft a beautiful essay with perfect English, you won’t get a good score if you don’t answer the question properly.  It can be easy to go off on a tangent or begin to discuss something other than what the question is asking.

For example, the Independent Writing sample question above asks you to explain whether it’s more important for teachers to relate well to students or have excellent knowledge of the subject they’re teaching. In your essay, you might include an example of a great teacher you had and spent the majority of the essay explaining why that teacher was your favorite. Even if your writing is flawless, you wouldn’t get a good score because you’re not discussing the question the essay prompt is asking.

This is something practice and making an outline before you begin writing can help you avoid, so be sure to do both, and remember to reread the prompt as you write your essay to make sure you’re on track.

Test Tip 3: Leave Some Time to Review Your Essays

After you’ve finished writing your essay, it’s helpful if you can spend a little bit of time looking it over.  Even setting aside 60 seconds can give you enough time for you skim your essay and catch and spelling or grammar errors or any sentences that aren’t clear. F ixing these little mistakes can help you from losing points when your essays are scored. Doing practice essays will help you get better at managing your time so it’ll become easier to finish your essays with some time to spare for reviewing.

Acing TOEFL Writing: What You Need to Know

In order to do well on the TOEFL Writing section, it’s important to first learn exactly what types of essays you’ll be expected to write, what they should include, and how you’ll be graded on them. While you’re studying for this section, be sure to study the two essay types, take practice essays, time yourself when writing essays, and review your practice essays.

On exam day, during the Writing section you should outline your essays before you begin writing, refer back to the essay prompts regularly, and leave yourself a bit of time at the end to review what you’ve written. Keep these TOEFL Writing tips in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to writing great essays. And remember, this is the last section of the TOEFL. Once you finish the Writing section, you’re done!

What’s Next?

Not sure what TOEFL score you should be aiming for?  Learn what a good TOEFL score is based on the schools you’re interested in.

Want more tips on how to prepare for TOEFL Writing questions? Check out our guide to the best ways to practice for TOEFL Writing!

Once you’ve taken the TOEFL, how do you send your scores to schools?   Learn the six tips you need to know for sending your TOEFL Scores.

Ready to improve your TOEFL score by 15 points?

Author: Christine Sarikas

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. View all posts by Christine Sarikas

Comments are closed.