All right, here we
are. The TOEFL Writing
explained in five minutes.
I don't have a lot of time, let's get right
into it. So, this is what you're going to
learn. By the end of this short little video,
you're going to learn the general
structure of the TOEFL Writing,
how the TOEFL Writing will look and feel.
You're going to learn about the first
and second writing task,
and the possible topics and question
types. So, a lot of good stuff here,
and of course, you can download our TOEFL
Quick Guide in the description below.
It has all of this information packed in
one little PDF.
Okay, so the first question, writing task
number one is called the
Integrated Writing. You have to read a
passage for three minutes,
you have to listen to a lecture about
the passage,
and then you're going to have 20 minutes
to write. The TOEFL test will look
something like this. This is actually
from ETS.
You'll see the reading passage on the
left, and you'll have space
on the right, where you can actually type
your essay.
The reading passage will go away and
then it'll come back after the listening
is finished.
There are a couple of different passage
types you can expect to read about. This
is
academic one, could be supporting a plan
theory or point of view,
for example, the reasons why children
learn languages better than adults,
I don't think that's true. The second
type is
proposing solutions to a problem, for
example, ways to reduce the speed of global warming.
And another type of passage could be
speculating on the past;
evidence suggests ceratopsian dinosaurs
lived in herds. So, those are a couple
different passage types.
And just something to keep in mind, the
listening passage will always oppose the
ideas in the reading.
The reading thinks children learn better
languages than adults,
the listening thinks they don't learn.
It'll always contrast. A couple quick
tips about the Integrated Essay.
You want to write four paragraphs; your
conclusion is optional. If you put a
conclusion, that's a fifth paragraph.
You want it to be at least 250 words.
It'll look something like this when it's
all set and done.
As you can see, my conclusion is just a
sentence.
Use a template so it'll help you
structure your essay. I've highlighted
the parts of my essay here
that used a template. If you'd like to
look at this deeper, you can pause the video
and look at them. Tip number four. Write
more about the listening than the
reading. You can see the reading
when you write, so a good rule of thumb
is to write one sentence about the reading,
two sentences about the listening in
each body paragraph.
A fifth tip here is to make sure that
you leave enough time
to edit your essay. Very important, make
sure you edit your essay,
there's no spell-check on the test. Let's
move on to the second question,
writing task number two, Independent
writing.
You have to read a simple question about
your opinion and then you'll have 30
minutes to write.
Very simple and straightforward. You have
a question on the left,
and this is from ETS again, and there
will be a timer that starts counting
down
and you type it in, that right-hand side there.
Topics that you can expect for writing
task number two, they usually have
something to do with school
or work, or your lifestyle; lifestyles
like maybe your habits, or routines, or
hobbies.
So, pretty simple. Here are a couple of
different
types, besides the topics here. There's
agree or disagree.
Do you agree or disagree: all university
students should be required to volunteer
in order to graduate?
There's also personal preference. Would
you prefer a high paying job with longer
hours or a lower-paying job with shorter hours?
And then, finally, there's three choices.
You want to choose a new hobby. Would you
like to study a new language, play an
instrument, or join
a sports team? So, there are questions
that you can relate to.
They're not going to ask you questions
about politics or anything like that.
Quick tips about the Independent Essay.
You should write four paragraphs.
That includes a conclusion, you should
write at least 350
words, so about 100 words more than your
integrated essay. So this essay will be a bit
longer, and this will look something like
this. This is about 400 words.
Make sure that you use a template, it'll
help structure your essay.
There's not as much language here, That's
part of a template.
The integrated essay has more template
language,
but again, it'll just help you structure
your essay,
especially if you're just beginning.
Write more in your body paragraphs.
You'll notice that in my body paragraphs,
they're very long
compared to my introduction and
conclusion. So, you want to make sure that
most of the important information is in
your bodies. Your body paragraphs are
where you're going to get your score.
And finally, leave enough time to edit
your essay. Same thing
as the Integrated question. This is
what it'll look like on test day.
There's no spell-check. We're very used to
having spell-check for Microsoft word or
Google Docs,
so you want to make sure that you mimic
the test conditions and you write in a way
so you're prepared. You have no Google, no
spell-check, you just have to type your essay.
So, make sure when you're practicing, to
leave yourself enough time to edit.
I'm talking too much. I think that's
about five minutes. Thank you guys for
listening.