TOEFL Writing | 5 expert tips to ace this section

The TOEFL Writing section tests your ability to write academic English. It requires you to write two essays and a letter, answer questions about a reading passage and review a graph. The two essays are similar in that they require you to choose a topic, develop an argument and support it with evidence. The first essay analyses an objective source (a newspaper article), while the second essay analyses an argument put forth by an expert on the topic.

The letter you must write is a response to another student’s question about how to improve at writing for the TOEFL exam. It should be written in a way so it can be published in an academic journal. In addition to these three writing tasks, there will be questions about the passage and graph. For instance, you may be required to summarize the passage or interpret the graph.

You can perform well in the TOEFL writing section with the help of the following tips- 

Read everything carefully

While taking a TOEFL writing exam, you will be given prompts on which you must write a response. While you may be able to guess what the prompt asks you to do from the title, take the time to read through it carefully before writing anything down.

Make sure that your sentences are written in an appropriate way for the TOEFL writing exam. The last thing you want is your essay to get marked down simply because it doesn’t follow grammatical rules. So make sure that all of your sentences are complete and sound good when read aloud.

Focus on understanding the question

Understanding the question and understanding how to answer it are two different things. While memorizing answers and phrases for the TOEFL writing test is tempting, you must focus on understanding the question. This will help you write a well-organized essay with a logical progression of ideas that addresses both parts of the question. It will also help you avoid common mistakes many students make when taking this exam. 

For example, if you’re asked to “describe a place where you have lived and what was special about it,” but your answer is just about a time when you lived in a place, then your essay will not score as well as it could have if you had focused on describing the special qualities of the place instead of just mentioning where it was located.

Understanding what is being asked for also helps prevent writer’s block or writer’s fatigue when your mind starts going blank because there’s too much information to process. It also enables you to write more clearly and concisely.

Take your time and ask for clarification

It’s important not to be afraid to take your time and ask for clarification when you’re giving a TOEFL writing exam. You’ll need to know the exact language and phrasing that is required, and it can be hard to keep track of all those details in one sitting. If you’re unsure about something, don’t be afraid to ask.

It is also important not to let yourself get overwhelmed by the amount of time you have. The TOEFL-IBT gives you over 30-40 minutes for each essay prompt, which may seem like a lot at first glance. But as you start reading through your prompt, it will become clear that you can get through everything easily within the time limit if you just focus on one thing at a time.

The best way to do this is by dividing your essay into sections: introduction, body paragraphs, possible sub-points, and conclusion. Then work on one section at a time. This will help keep things organized and prevent confusion.

Be consistent in your approach

It is important to be consistent in your approach when answering questions so that you’re not jumping between different strategies or methods of answering each question type while giving a TOEFL writing exam.

The TOEFL writing test is challenging because it requires you to show that you can write clearly and effectively about various topics. If you’re not consistent in your approach, then the reader might think that your essay was written by someone else or that you didn’t understand what the prompt asked for.

You should also be consistent in your use of language and tone. Your readers will notice when things sound off, like if you use slang in one sentence and formal language in another. They’ll also notice if your tone changes from one paragraph to another—for example, if one paragraph is formal, but the other sounds casual or informal.

Let us understand this with the help of an example.

Imagine you have a question asking what you think about something you read. 

• Read the prompt closely and make sure you’re clear on what they’re asking. 
• Think about why they might ask this question and formulate an answer based on that.
• If any more details in the prompt could help you, add them to your response.
• Write about how you feel about this topic, including any personal experiences that relate it back to yourself (this is called “supporting evidence”).

This structure will help ensure that your answer flows logically from start to finish.

Don’t rush

If you have time left over at the end of a section, don’t rush through your answers just so that you can finish quickly. Take your time and do your best.

The TOEFL writing exam has four sections: a pre-writing section, an essay prompt, and two sentences to write about. Each section has a different time limit. The pre-writing section is timed for eight minutes, and the other three sections have only six minutes.

Each task gives you an introductory paragraph with some information about a topic or concept. Your task will be to write an essay about this topic using specific ideas and details provided in the introductory paragraph. You’ll also need to ensure that you don’t use too many direct quotations from sources.

While you may be unable to finish all these sections in their allotted time, you must try to complete as much as possible within those six minutes. You’ll want to save at least two minutes for revising and proofreading your work; otherwise, you’ll probably find yourself rushing through everything to finish it on time.

You should also remember that these questions are designed analytically, so there’s no single correct answer. They’re meant to test your critical thinking skills and how well you can think on your feet, so don’t be afraid to go back and change your mind if something doesn’t seem right anymore!

Review your essays

Taking the TOEFL writing exam can be a daunting task. It’s important to leave yourself time to review your essays after you’ve written them. Here are some tips for how to do this effectively-

• Set aside some time for reviewing your essays. This is especially important if you are taking the test in a computer lab, as it will allow you to take your time and not worry about other people waiting for their turn.

• After you have written your essay, take a break for one minute or so before reading over it again. You will be more likely to spot mistakes or improvements when you aren’t exhausted from writing!

• Don’t read too much into any one mistake or improvement—it’s easy to get discouraged by just one mistake if you’re working on multiple essays at once! Instead, try focusing on improving one thing at a time and then moving on when you feel satisfied with your progress in that area.

Key takeaways

The TOEFL writing section is a different beast from the other sections of the test. It’s not just about writing but also reading comprehension and language usage. You can ace this section by practicing your skills in all three areas-

• Practicing reading passages and answering questions about them. The more you read, the better you’ll understand what you’re reading.

• Reading articles online that are similar to those found on the TOEFL exam – especially if they have similar vocabularies, sentence structures, and tone as those found on the exam itself.

• Keep a handy vocabulary list so that when you encounter unfamiliar words in text-based questions, you can look them up and ensure they’re included in your essay.

• Try reading aloud while listening to music or podcasts to practice your pronunciation and fluency with English-speaking voices (and accents!).

Liked this blog? Read TOEFL Preparation | Best section-wise practice tips

Feel free to reach out to us regarding any queries about studying abroad and other essential exams.

FAQs

Q1. Is writing in TOEFL hard?

Answer – No, writing in TOEFL is not hard. It’s a test of your ability to write coherently and accurately, which is something you should be able to do in your native language.

Q2. What is the hardest section in TOEFL?

Answer – The hardest section of the TOEFL is the Listening section. It is challenging because there are no visual clues or text to help you answer the question and different accents and voices make it harder to understand what they’re saying. You have to listen to the audio and choose one of four answers based on what you hear.

Q3. How do I start preparing for TOEFL writing?

Answer – You should also consider using a study guide or book, such as ETS Official Guide to the TOEFL Test, designed specifically for students preparing for the TOEFL exam. You can supplement this by reading articles from different sources about topics that interest you.

Q4. Which section is easiest in TOEFL?

Answer – The Reading section is the easiest part of the TOEFL test. The Reading section will test your ability to understand an academic passage, and it’s not timed. The questions in this section are similar to those in a high school or college class reading comprehension section.

Q5. Can we give personal examples in TOEFL exams?

Answer – Yes, you can give personal examples in TOEFL writing. You just have to be careful that the example is relevant and that it doesn’t distract from the main idea of your essay.