Purpose and the Writing Section

Clearly express your purpose in your introductory paragraph. In general, your introduction needs
to accomplish the following tasks:
1. Introduce the topic of your discussion
2. Present your ​thesis ​statement

Writing an Effective Introductory Paragraph

Step 1: Pick a side
Step 2: State Your Position
Make a clear direct statement of your position. Try using some of the following phrases:

I believe I feel that In my opinion

In my view I think that I do not believe

I do not feel that My position is It is my belief that

Step 3: State the Reason for Your Opinion

Explain why you believe your position is correct.
When stating why you believe your position, it may be helpful to use some of the
following phrases:

I believe this because I feel this way because The reason I think this is

This is because Since

In summary:
1. Decide what your purpose is:​ Know what your task is. Are you trying to convince or
inform? Are you picking one option over another?
2. State the thesis:​ Always include a simple and direct statement of the topic
3. State why:​ This is your connection between the task and topic.
Persuading the Reader:
The Example Template:
When you use an example in an essay, try to follow this template
Sentence 1: Introduce the example and tie it back to the thesis
Sentence 2: State one reason why your example is important or relevant to your thesis
Sentence 3: Add detail to reason #1
Sentence 4: State another reason why your example is important or relevant to your thesis
Sentence 5: Add detail to reason #2
Sentence 6 (optional): Provide a summary to your reasons and relate them back to your
thesis.

Template in Action:

Task: Describe a book you have read and why that book was important to
you
(1)One book that is extremely important to me is ​The Suffrage of Elvira ​by V.S. Naipaul. (2) One
reason I enjoy this book so much is that I like its subject matter. (3) The book provides a humorous
look at local politics, and I find politics a fascinating subject. (4) Naipaul is skilled at critically
examining his topics, and I think his depiction of politics is very interesting. (5) In this book, he
presents a satire of the political process that is both witty and insightful. (6) Because of my
interest in politics, T
​ he Suffrage of Elvira​ is an important book.
Speaking section
Scoring for the Speaking Section
The speaking section is judged to have accomplished the following:
● The response fulfills the demands of the task
● The response presents a clear progression of ideas
● The response includes appropriate details
These standards conform to our three basic Core Concept Reading skills: ​purpose, main idea,
and ​structure.

Your score depends on:

1. Delivery
2. Language use
3. Topic development

Purpose and the Speaking Section

​

The speaking tasks on the TOEFL usually require you to do one of the following:
● Present your opinion on an issue
● Explain the facts presented in a lecture or reading.
● Summarize someone else’s position
● Describe something of importance to you
Go back to the writing steps to know more about an effective format for speaking.

Introduction
Since you won’t have much time to give your spoken response, make sure your introduction is
short and concise.
The three points you need to convey in your introduction are:
1. Purpose:​ Your task
2. Thesis: ​Your topic. The thesis is basically a statement of your position or belief on a
topic or your main idea. It will be slightly different based on what you are trying to
accomplish in your spoken response.
3. Why: ​After introducing the topic state why you are discussing it. The answer to this ​why
question should relate back to the purpose.
In your introduction, don’t go into specific details about your examples. You’ll get to those later
in the body of your speech. ​Avoid​ repeating the prompt word-for-word.
Body Paragraphs When Speaking
While the introduction states your purpose, the body paragraphs provide specific details to
support that purpose.

Note:​ Your response will only be 45 or 60 seconds, which means you have limited
time to develop your body paragraphs.
This is where you present facts, arguments, and evidence.
A good body paragraph contains the following elements:
● A ​topic sentence​ that introduces the main point of the paragraph
● Examples, facts, and evidence​ that help the author achieve his or her purpose.

Step 1: Provide a Topic

A good topic sentence does two things: It provides a transition between ideas and clearly states
the main idea of the paragraph

Words that help show the progression:

Another reason Additionally First Moreover

Second Third Furthermore

Step 2: Make Your Case with Examples

Your examples should be
● Specific: They should not be vague or too general
● Explained: Make sure you give details to support your examples

Examples template is similar to the one used while writing.

Summary
Remember the following:
● State​ the example
● Explain ​how the example supports your position
● Transitions:​ Provide a topic sentence or transition statement to move from one example
to the next
● Details: ​Support each example with details
Your time is limited be sure you use few examples providing them with specific details and
explaining their significance.
Concluding Your Response
Because you only have 45 or 60 seconds for a spoken response, you won’t have a lot of time to
wrap up your thoughts. But you always need a concluding sentence so make it short and simply
restate your thesis.
One important point to remember is: Don’t introduce any new ideas or examples. It will leave
your listener or reader feeling as though you should have explained those new examples in more
details.

Summary of All Core Concepts: Reading,

Writing, Listening, and Speaking
● For each passage that you read, write on, speak about, or listen to on the TOEFL, you
should focus on the purpose, examples, and conclusion. Practice identifying these parts.
Reading section
The reading section consists of three to four passage, each approximately 700 words long
● Each passage is followed by about 12 to 14 questions
● You will have 60 to 100 minutes to complete the entire section
Typically, questions that are worth more appear at the end of the section. Some words/phrases
will be underlined in blue; if you click on these phrases a definition is provided.

Cracking the Reading Section: Basic Approach

1. Actively read the passage,​ look for the purpose, structure, and main idea.
2. Attack the questions​ based on question type
3. Find the answer​ to the question in the passage
4. Use the process of elimination​ to eliminate bad answers
Writing Section
There are only two writing tasks, and they combine many of the qualities present in the Reading,
Listening, and Speaking sections. On the writing section you will be to do the following:
● Read ​a passage on academic subjects, ​listen ​to a lecture on the same topic, and ​write​ an
essay that discusses the relationship between the two. You will have three minutes to read
and 20 minutes to respond
● Write​ an essay that states, explains, and supports your position on an issue.
You will have 50 minutes to complete both tasks.

How Your Writing will be Scored

A top-scoring essay on the TOEFL accomplishes the following:
● Addresses the topic and the task
● Is well organized and uses appropriate examples
● Displays unity, progress, and coherence
● Displays consistent facility in the use of language

Cracking the Writing Section: Basic Principles

When writing your essay, be aware of the following important points:
● Make sure you answer the question appropriately
● Make sure your essay is long enough
● Make sure your essay is clearly organized

Cracking the Writing Section: Basic Approach

1. Know what you are going to write before you write.​ Master some writing templates so
you are confident on the test day.
2. Organize your essay first.​ Don’t just start writing; spend a few minutes outlining your
essay. It will make writing it much easier.
3. Consider your audience.​ TOEFL graders are trained to look for certain things in an
essay. Make sure your essay contains these key elements.
4. Use your time wisely.​ You have only 20 or 30 minutes to write. Make efficient use of
your time.
Listening Section
It consists of the following tasks:
● Four to six ​academic lectures​ at least two of which contain classroom dialogue
○ Each lecture is three to five minutes long
○ A lecture may involve one speaker or multiple speakers
○ Each lecture is followed by six questions.
● Two to three ​conversations​ involving two or more speakers
○ Each conversation is three to four minutes long
○ A conversation has 12-25 exchanges
○ Each conversation is followed by five questions
● You will have 60-90 minutes to complete the entire Listening section

Speaking Section
It consists of the following tasks:
● Two Independent Tasks, ​with one question asking about personal preference and
another asking you to choose an option.
○ 15 seconds preparation time
○ 45 seconds speaking time
● Two Integrated Tasks ​that require you to read a passage, listening to a conversation or a
lecture, and respond.
○ 45 seconds reading time
○ 60- to 90-seconds conversation/lecture
○ 30 seconds preparation time
● Two Integrated Tasks​ that require you to listen to a conversation or lecture and respond.
○ 1- to 2-minute conversation/lecture
○ 20 seconds preparation time
○ 60 seconds speaking time
● You will have 20 minutes to complete the entire Speaking section
Remember​ you are scored on:
1. Delivery
2. Language use
3. Topic development
Go back to the speaking section in here for additional notes on how to prepare
and present.
Additional Resources:
https://www.graduateshotline.com/sampletoefl.html
https://www.prepscholar.com/toefl/blog/toefl-tips-strategies/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfJXyGkDLZc
https://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/scores/improve/advice_reading_high

Ones Advised by the test site:

https://www.edx.org/course/toeflr-test-preparation-insiders-guide-etsx-toeflx-4