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Using Transitional Phrases in the TOEFL Essay

A transitional phrase helps you move from one paragraph to the next. It also helps
you move from sentence to sentence.
Transitional phrases help the reader understand your essay. Learning how to use them will
really make your TOEFL essay flow. They can be used in two places: at the beginning of a
paragraph or at the beginning of a sentence. Here's how:
At the beginning of a paragraph
Pargraph 1
This is your introduction. Do not use any transitional words or phrases at the beginning of
this paragraph.
Pargraph 2
This is the first paragraph of the essay body. Use any of these at the beginning of this
paragraph:

first, first of all, for a start, for starters, in the first place, for one thing, to begin with Pargraph 3
This is the second paragraph of the essay body. Use any of these at the beginning of this
paragraph:
second, next, in addition to the previous point, more importantly, more important than, another key point is
Pargraph 4
This is your conclusion. Use any of these at the beginning of this paragraph:
in conclusion, in closing, to summarize, in sum, in summary
Using Transitional Phrases in the TOEFL Essay
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At the beginning of a sentence
There are many transitional words and phrases that we can use at the beginning of a
sentence. These words have many different meanings, and this makes it more difficult for
us to use them correctly.
However
in spite of that; on the other hand; but

It is true that guns are dangerous. However, they are not responsible for the sudden rise in violent crime.
Moreover
here is some more information; in addition; also
Television is a complete waste of time. Moreover, there is never anything good to watch. Nevertheless
but; however; in spite of that
Sometimes my boyfriend makes me crazy. Nevertheless, I still love him.
For example
here is one example of what I mean
A dog is a wonderful pet. For example, it always comes when you call its name.
For instance
here is one example of what I mean
The internet is one of the greatest achievements in history. For instance, people can now learn about almost
anything online--it has more information than most libraries!
For one thing
this is my first example; one example is this
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I hate my car! For one thing, it never starts in the morning.

In fact
here is some more specific information
Americans are fat people! In fact, statistics show that 4 out of 5 Americans are overweight. In point of fact
but here is some surprising information
Some people argue that guns are responsible for violence in our society. In point of fact, most violent crimes do
not involve guns.
Similarly
in the same or similar way
Both of my parents were teachers. Similarly, I am also a teacher.
Likewise
in the same or similar way
All machines require some kind of energy. Likewise, the human body also requires energy--in the form of food.
In contrast
on the other hand
Animals just make sounds. In contrast, humans can speak and communicate.
In other words
what I mean to say is this
All politicians lie, cheat, and steal. In other words, the only people they really care about are themselves.
All in all
in general; overall
My town has a library, a swimming pool, and a few good places to eat. All in all, it's a nice place to live.
In short
here is a summary in very simple language
Pollution causes global warming, destroys the environment, and endangers human life. In short, there is nothing
good about pollution.
Grammar note: don't forget the comma!
Transitional phrases are usually used at the beginning of a sentence. They are always
followed by a comma. Examples:
In contrast,, humans can speak and communicate.
For example,, it always comes when you call its name.
Moreover,, there is never anything good to watch.
Never forget your comma! This is a very, very important part of writing your TOEFL essay.

Using Active Sentences in Your TOEFL Essay

Active sentences improve your TOEFL iBT essay writing. They strengthen opinions
and make arguments powerful.
When writing your TOEFL iBT essay, try to use the active voice. It makes your argument
stronger. It also makes your writing easier to understand!
When we write a sentence in English, the sentence can be either active or passive. There is
an active voice and a passive voice for for every tense in English. Here's a chart to help you
understand:
tense

active voice

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passive voice

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Present simple

Teachers help students.

Students are helped by teachers.

Present continuous

Teachers are helping students.

Students are being helped by teachers.

Past simple

Teachers helped students.

Students were helped by teachers.

Past continuous

Teachers were helping students.

Students were being helped by teachers.

Future simple

Teachers will help students.

Students will be helped by teachers.

Future continous

Teachers will be helping students.

Students will be being helped by teachers.

"going to" future

Teachers are going to help students.

Students are going to be helped by teachers.

Present perfect

Teachers have helped students.

Students have been helped by teachers.

Present perfect
continuous

Teachers have been helping students. Students have been being helped by teachers.

Past perfect

Teachers had helped students.

Students had been helped by teachers.

Past perfect continuous

Teachers had been helping students.

Students had been being helped by teachers.

Future perfect

Teachers will have helped students.

Students will have been helped by teachers.

Future perfect continuous

Teachers will have been helping

students.

Students will have been being helped by

teachers.

Hopefully you have a general idea of what active and passive are. On the next page you'll
find out why it is important to use the active voice as much as possible.
Why use the active voice?
When you write your TOEFL iBT essay, it is important that your writing is clear and easy to
understand. Using the active voice helps to achieve this. Here's why:
1. Sentences in the active voice are usually shorter. This makes
your writing easier to understand. It also reduces the risk of
making mistakes in grammar.
2. The active voice is more direct, and this is especially important
when you are giving your opinion.
3. Active sentences are strong sentences. They are more
powerful because they add color and emphasis to your
writing.
Still not convinced that you should use active voice? It's true! In fact, when native speakers
of English first begin attending classes in universities and colleges, many professors
instruct them to write essays in the active voice. This really does help to make your writing
clear.
But when can I use the passive voice?
If you are just now learning how to write a TOEFL iBT essay, it's a good idea to avoid the
passive voice. On the other hand, if you already have experience writing TOEFL essays,
here are the general rules for when you can use the passive voice :
1. Use passive when you don't know who performed an action:

My car was stolen last night!

In this example, we don't know who stole the car. The
important thing is that the car is gone!

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2. Use passive when it is not important who performed the

action:

The cathedral was built in 1643.

In this example, we are talking only about the building--it is
not important who built it.
3. Use passive when you want to stress the importance of an
object, not the action:

Somebody broke into my house last night. My computer

was stolen. My television was stolen. My money was
even stolen!
Here we have four sentences. The first sentence is
active --we are stressing the action. The last three sentences
are passive --we are stressing the importance of the things
that were stolen.
10 Common TOEFL Essay Mistakes
Improve your TOEFL essay writing score by avoiding these 10 mistakes.
There are a few mistakes that you should never make in your TOEFL iBT essays. Here is
our list of 10 things you should never do:
1. Never use abbreviations
Students often make the mistake of using inappropriate abbreviations in their writing. Never
do this. Never write u instead of you. Don't write l8r instead of later. These are great
abbreviations for writing quick SMS messages, but not for an academic essay such as the
TOEFL writing.
2. Never end a sentence with three dots...
When you end a sentence with three dots (...), you are telling the reader that you don't have
the words and vocabulary to complete your thought. Don't do this. Ending your sentences in
this way is simply bad English...
3. Don't use slang
The TOEFL writing tests your ability to write an academic essay, not to use slang with your
friends in the pub. Never use any words or phrases that could be considered slang: coulda,
woulda, shoulda, gonna, wanna, blah blah blah. Slang will not impress the TOEFL assessor,
but it will lower your essay score.
4. Don't use emoticons :-)
Agan, the TOEFL writing is academic in nature, and this is not the same as the writing you
use when sending SMS messages. Always avoid smileys and other emoticons. :-(
5. Don't use big words and complicated language
Many students think that their TOEFL iBT writing score will improve if they use big words
and complicated language. This is not true. In fact, the opposite is true. If you try to use big
words and complicated language, it will not sound natural. There is also a chance that you
will use the words incorrectly or make mistakes in grammar. It is important to express
yourself naturally, in a simple and elegant way, as a native English speaker would.
6. Never memorize a text

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Never memorize an essay text, format, or template to use in the TOEFL iBT writing. The
assessors have a lot of experience correcting essays, and it is very easy to recognize when
a student has simply memorized text.
7. Do not begin a sentence with a conjunction
A conjunction is a word that is used to connect two words, phrases, or sentences. Here are
some examples: and, but, or. Only use these words for connections. Never begin a
sentence with one of these words.
8. Do not use contractions
A contraction is the combined form of two words. For example, if we have the words are and
not, they can be combined as aren't. Theoretically, this is good English. In academic writing,
however, it is usually not acceptable to use these short forms.
9. Do not write more than 5 paragraphs
Most TOEFL iBT essays are 4 paragraphs long. An essay with 5 paragraphs is possible, but
it is difficult to write because your time is limited. Our recommendation: 4 paragraphs.
10. Never leave a sentence, paragraph, or idea incomplete
Always write in complete sentences and make sure that each sentence ends with the
proper punctuation. Similarly, when you write a paragraph, be sure to develop your ideas.
You always need at least two or three supporting sentences after the topic sentence. It is
usually not possible to have a paragraph with only two sentences.

10 Tips to Improve Your TOEFL Essays

By following this simple advice you may see a big improvement in your TOEFL
writing score.
There are many ways to improve your TOEFL writing, and a lot of these don't involve
studying at all. Here's our top ten list:
1. Answer the question
Your grammar may be perfect and your ideas may be great. Even so, if you don't answer
the TOEFL question, none of that matters. If the question asks for your opinion, be sure to
write about what you think--don't write about what other people think. On the other hand, if
the question is about what other people think or do, don't write about yourself.
2. Use short and simple sentences
Good writers can express complex ideas in a very simple way. If you are able to do this, you
will demonstrate strong writing skills. More importantly, short and simple sentences mean
fewer grammatical mistakes.
3. Give your essays a beginning, middle, and end
Learn the TOEFL essay structure. Your essay should have an introduction, a body, and a
conclusion. This structure helps organize your thoughts and makes it easier for readers to
understand.
4. Have a thesis statement
The thesis statement is the most important sentence in the essay. It is last sentence in the first
paragraph (the introduction), and it tells the reader exactly what your opinion is. Not writing a
thesis statement is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.
5. Use topic sentences

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A topic sentence is the first sentence of each paragraph in the essay's body. It gives the reader
two things: 1) a summary of what will be in the paragraph, and 2) one reason that supports your
thesis statement.
6. Learn the conditionals: first , second , and third
Learning the conditionals may actually help you more than studying the tenses. Conditionals are
especially useful when expressing opinions and giving reasons, two things that you must do in
the TOEFL independent writing tasks.
Each conditional, however, has a slightly different meaning. This depends on reality, possibility,
and time. Learn how to use the conditionals, and practice them often. Not using the conditionals
correctly is one of the most common mistakes in TOEFL essays.
7. Never begin a sentence with a conjunction
The words and, but, and because are all conjunctions. In English, we only use conjunctions to
connect sentences--we almost never begin a sentence with one.
8. Learn how to use the comma (,) in English
Using the comma correctly will bring your writing to life. The good news is that many languages
use the comma. The bad news is that the rules for using the comma are often different in each
language! Learn the rules for using them in English--it will make your writing much easier to
understand.
9. Use the active voice
There are two "voices" in English: active and passive. Here they are:
ACTIVE:

Cats eat birds.

PASSIVE: Birds are eaten by cats.

The active voice is much stronger than the passive voice. Use the active voice as much as
possible.
10. Use transitional words and phrases
Transitional words and phrases make your writing easier to understand. They connect ideas and
present them to the reader in a logical order. Here are some examples: First of all..., In addition...,
More importantly..., In closing..., In conclusion....
TOEFL Essay Writing Time Management Tips
Improve your TOEFL essay writing score by learning how to manage your time effectively.
You only have 30 minutes to write your TOEFL essay, so it's important to use your time wisely. Many teachers recommend a
three-step writing process:
Step 1: organize and plan (4 to 5 minutes)
Organize your thoughts. Create an outline that follows the proper TOEFL essay structure. If you're not sure how to do this, watch
the video tutorial that teaches students the basics of essay organization and planning.
Step 2: write the essay (20 to 22 minutes)
Use your outline as a guide to put your ideas into complete sentences. Make sure your thesis statement, topic sentences and
supporting ideas all work together to give your essay a clear and logical structure.
Step 3: review and revise (4 to 5 minutes)
Leave a few extra minutes to review your essay before submitting it. This way you'll be able to catch some of your spelling and
grammar mistakes.

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