What is the TOEFL Writing Exam Pattern?
This section measures the test takers English writing proficiency in an academic setting and consists of two parts.
Integrated
Writing
Independent Writing
The TOEFL Writing
E¡exam duration is 50 minutes.
The time allotted to the Integrated writing task is 20 minutes, and that for the independent task is 30 minutes.
Independent Writing Task
TOEFL Independent Writing topics require that the candidate writes an essay of approximately 300 words on a specific issue based on their knowledge and experience.
The Independent writing essay task is assessed on the basis of the quality of your writing.
The parameters of assessment are development,
organization, and correct usage of grammar and vocabulary. The people who check the writing tests do not
judge you on the basis of whether you agree or disagree with the topic, they
are trained to accept varied opinions.
Integrated Writing Task
The Integrated writing part first requires the test taker to read a passage on an
academic topic for 3 minutes. Then, the candidate
listens to a lecture that analyzes the reading material presented before. After
this comes the real task for the test-taker, wherein they have to write a short summarized essay of around 150-225 words, expressing their opinions about how points in the lecture relate to those expressed in the reading
passage.
How to Prepare for the TOEFL Writing
Section?
With the right
preparation, test takers can definitely reduce the stress involved with taking the TOEFL test. They can easily get through some of the most intimidating sections of the
test by inculcating the following TOEFL writing section prep tips, tricks, and
strategies.
Developing TOEFL
writing skills is essential for students as this skill will help them to perform
the written tasks better in the test. There are some general writing skills you
can practice before you move on to more targeted writing practice.
You can start by
learning the all-important rules of spelling, punctuation, and paragraph
creation.
Learn the basic
organization of paragraphs in an essay. The answer should start with the topic
of the essay. Each subsequent paragraph should discuss one aspect of the main
topic or idea.
Before you start
practicing TOEFL writing topics, think about the verb tense that will best suit
the idea.
Read your writing 3 or 4 times, and make a checklist of common errors to improve on.
Reread and replace
uninteresting expressions with stronger words.
Do your TOEFL writing
practice using transition phrases such as “on one hand” or “in
conclusion”.
Since the exam is
computer-based, practice on a QWERTY keyboard to gain typing speed.
For a more targeted
practice, students need to follow the tips below.
It is important to
learn paraphrasing skills to avoid plagiarism.
Study the most important grammar structures that relate specifically to the TOEFL test.
Practice finding
synonyms. Pick up words from a reading passage and think of their synonyms
without looking at a dictionary or a thesaurus.
Another useful skill to develop is to practice using the noun form of the word and verb form of the word. Learn the difference between these forms and try writing sentences with both forms.
Start by paraphrasing
2 or 3 sentences and then move on to longer passages.
TOEFL Writing Section Preparation Practice
for the Integrated Task
For TOEFL target
practice, you can take a textbook of English, read the chapters given, and
practice answering the questions at the end of the chapter.
To practice academic
topics, read academic letters, magazines, websites, and watch documentaries. Take copious amounts of notes and highlite major points and
important details.
Use your notes (from
the previous point) to write a summary essentially paraphrasing the original
text using different words and grammatical structures.
Gradually get into a
habit of paraphrasing faster.
Pick recorded
lectures or talks on academic topics. Listen for 30 seconds and try writing a
summary of what you heard. Re-listen the recording to check your summary.
Read different
articles on the same topic. Write separate summaries for each and an integrated
summary to explain the similarities and differences between the texts.
The newspaper is another source. Read the editorial section, interview a friend or a
relative on the same topic, and write a summary comparing the interview and the
written section.
Note - Paraphrasing is an extremely
important skill that you need to develop to avoid losing marks in the TOEFL
writing section.
TOEFL Writing Section Preparation Practice for the Independent Task
Start off with making
a list of familiar topics.
After picking a topic from your list, the next important step is ‘pre-writing - you need to think, plan, and list the important ideas about the topic. Identify the main ideas and write down points to support your ideas. Develop the essay further with the help of explanations and details.
Always re-read what you have written.
Read articles and
essays by professional writers and study them in detail. Identify the opinions
made by the writer and how he addresses the main points.
See and try solving
as many TOEFL writing examples as you can.
Some
Additional Tips -
Plan your time
carefully - you have to plan, write and edit your answers for a good
score.
Do not just
summarize. Connect your points to the points in the reading passage.
What really forms the
base is your general knowledge. The more you know about varied issues, the
better you can discern and present your views. Undoubtedly, a known topic gives
you more clarity and confidence to present your ideas clearly.
As the old expression goes
“Practice makes a man perfect,” ensure a rigorous TOEFL writing practice. The
more you practice, the more you score.
What are the General TOEFL Preparation
Tips?
The test taker must
start the preparation on time in order to get enough time to get fully prepared.
Making a time-table
and assigning specific time blocks for practice as well as revision is
crucial.
Conceptual clarity is
what happens to be the cornerstone of your TOEFL preparation. Instead of
cramming your preparation, students should focus on understanding the fundamental concepts so
that they can easily tackle any question based on that concept.
Solving TOEFL writing
samples is indispensable for achieving a high score. Practice as many mock
tests as you can so that you are acquainted with the difficulty level, pattern,
and usual content of the TOEFL exam.
Clarifying your
doubts is essential for TOEFL preparation. You can consult your teachers or mentors about this.
At last, time-management is what happens to be one of the most important aspects of exam preparation. Test takers need to decide how much time they need to devote to each section, both while preparing and attempting the test.
What are the Tips to Keep in Mind While
Attempting TOEFL Writing Section?
‘Paraphrasing’ is
considered to be a pre-requisite for the integrated writing section; else, it
is easy to lose points due to plagiarism.
For the TOEFL
independent writing section, pre-writing is considered extremely important.
Outline the key takeaways from the topic presented to you and then build a
coherent and organized write-up.
Test takers need to be very
attentive while listening to the clip of Integrated writing. This enables them to deliver a concise and summarized passage of the idea presented in
the audio. Also, avoid repeating the same ideas.
Syntax of sentence,
vocabulary (it should be relevant and understandable), and grammar are the
basic yet imperative components of any type of writing.
Stay on the topic and
avoid writing unnecessary things.
The Week Before the
Exam.
Practice writing in a
time-bound frame.
Learning some of the
basic sentence patterns can be beneficial.
Practice as many mock
tests as you can.
Learn new vocabulary
only if you are able to take it all in. It’s better to revise the stock you
have already learned before moving on to new words.
I hope that these tips help you as you prepare for the TOEFL test.
Good luck.
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