Are you looking for an efficient TOEFL test preparation guide? Then you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we will be addressing the following key points:
- Know what abilities are going to be assessed during the TOEFL Writing test;
- An overview on the topic and texts you can have to work on;
- Discover what GlobalExam has to offer if you want to train to ace your TOEFL test.
Ready to maximize your chances to successfully pass the TOEFL IBT exam? Then keep reading!
What Are the Assessed Abilities in the TOEFL Writing Section
The writing part of the official TOEFL test will allow you to assess the level of your written English in an academic context as well as your ability to structure writing in a fluid and synthetic way. You will have to answer questions related to essays talking about various topics for the Integrated Writing Question part of the test. The second part of the test, the Independent Writing Questions, will ask you to give your opinion on a particular subject.
We will be addressing the writing section in this article, however if you wish to get access to more resources, be sure to take a look at our article on TOEFL practice tests and questions for all the sections.
TOEFL Writing Samples: Examples of Topics and Texts
We will be going over some exercises for both types of essays for the TOEFL Writing section. If you wish to train for the other sections, please refer to these articles :
TOEFL Essay Sample 1 – Integrated Writing Question
You will find various sample essays for the TOEFL integrated writing task. If you wish to train more in-depth, make sure you take TOEFL mock tests regularly to practice for the exam in real conditions.
Sample Text 1: Stonehenge – Glacial Erratics
Several of the rocks which make up Stonehenge, one of England’s most famous historical sites, have been found to come from a nearby quarry in Salisbury, around 25 miles away from the site. These could have been transported by men using sleds or other rudimentary tools. Others, however, have been traced to another location in Wales, almost 200 miles away.
So, how did those rocks, called bluestones, make the long and arduous journey? It is unlikely that the prevailing theory is true; namely, that these bluestones were transported from one location to the other. The technology of the time would have made this back-breaking work, and it is unlikely that they would have gone to so much trouble, when they could simply have used rocks of a different type found closer to the site.
A new and exciting theory is called glacial erratics. This theory states that the rocks were, in fact, transported to the area far earlier by glacial movements during an icier interval in the Earth’s climate, and not instead by a phantom brigade of men.
Such erratics are widely known; we tend to think of the Earth’s climate as calm and tranquil, but on a historical basis, there have been several hundred thousand years where half of the planet was covered in glaciers. These tend to be slow but violent in nature; calmly and methodically carving their way through rock and earth.
Over many thousand years, it’s entirely possible that these glacial erratics transported the requisite materials to the site, thus solving the conundrum of how they came to be used in a field near Salisbury. It might also explain the unfinished-looking nature of Stonehenge itself; the interior part of it looks as though it’s missing a few pieces. Perhaps there were no more bluestones to use.
Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they cast doubt on specific points made in the reading passage.
Sample Text 2:
Supply side economics is an economic theory which states that the best way to run an economy is by lowering taxes and cutting regulations, thereby removing barriers to business and stimulating growth by putting more money into the hands of both businesses and consumers.
While the theory has its detractors, they cannot deny the benefits of this approach. During the 1980s, both Great Britain and the United States pursued this approach with great success. The economies of both countries grew exponentially during this period, and unemployment fell to near record levels.
In the United States, taxes were cut from a high of 50% in the early eighties to nearly 30% in the late eighties, something which caused the GDP of the country to shoot up, and also created the conditions for the economic boom in the nineties. In the UK, too, the cut in taxes stimulated the British economy a great deal. Indeed, in the seventies, the British economy was known as the ‘sick man of Europe’, due to anaemic growth rates and high unemployment.
Many at the time theorised that the United Kingdom was in permanent and possibly terminal decline. With the reduction in taxes, the removal of burdensome regulations on businesses and the corresponding growth caused by these actions, it is fair to say that the country recovered its erstwhile reputation as a good place to do business.
Question: Summarise the main points in the lecture. Be sure to talk about how they cast doubt on the points raised in the text.
Sample Text 3:
In response to rising concerns over the global obesity epidemic, an international health body is lobbying for additional taxation on unhealthy food. Under such a policy, the producers of these junk foods, which typically are nutritionally-low with high fat and sugar content, would have to pay extra in order to sell them in supermarkets or serve them in restaurants. However, opponents believe it will not succeed in making the population healthier for a number of reasons.
Firstly, people should be allowed to eat whatever they like without being punished for their decisions. When people choose to eat unhealthy things, they are aware that these foods are unhealthy but feel that the enjoyment they get from eating it outweighs the long-term health costs. Additional taxation would therefore only prevent people from eating what they enjoy.
Secondly, taxation would increase the price of certain types of food, but this increase would not be enough to affect purchasing behaviour. If a meal or an item at the supermarket were only one or two percent higher in price, it would be unlikely that consumers would even notice the tax. Ultimately it would simply mean these consumers would have less disposable income to spend on a more varied diet.
Lastly, it is not entirely evident that taxing junk food would result in people eating more healthy food. In this view, the problem is not the low price of less healthy food but the high price of healthier options. These would remain the same as before and these are what generally prevent consumers from purchasing them regularly. As a result, this policy does nothing to promote healthier food or cultivate more wholesome eating habits among the population.
Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they cast doubt on specific points made in the reading passage.
TOEFL Essay Sample 2 – Independent Writing Question
Here are some more essay sample questions for the second part of the TOEFL iBT test. However, be sure to practice with TOEFL sample tests on top of these examples to be fully prepared for the test day.
- Question 1: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A mother is more essential to a child’s upbringing than a father. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
- Question 2: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The internet has been a good thing for society. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
- Question 3: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People who work in public services, such as doctors, nurses and teachers, should earn more money than people who are paid to entertain, like actors and sports stars. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
- Question 4: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Countries are becoming increasingly similar because people are able to buy the same products anywhere in the world. Use reasons and examples to support your answer.
- Question 5: Some people prefer going to live music events like festivals to listen to music. Other people prefer to listen to music at home. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
- Question 6: Some people prefer to learn a second language using blending learning which combines online lessons with exercises on a digital platform. Do you think this is a good idea? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
- Question 7: A large advertising company is looking for a new location for one of their billboards. They have identified an ideal position, which is clearly visible from a highly frequented central area of town. It happens to be on the side of one of the city’s high-school buildings.
Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
- Question 8: Some people prefer reading news and magazine content online. Other people prefer to read the news in print. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
- Question 9: Some people prefer living in the countryside while others disagree and prefer to live in modern areas of the city. Which option do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
- Question 10: Some people prefer living in the countryside while others disagree and prefer to live in modern areas of the city. Which option do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Train to Ace Your TOEFL Test With the Help of GlobalExam
The TOEFL certifies your academic level and your ability to follow the lessons given in an English-speaking university course. GlobalExam allows you to support you in your language learning via our online learning platform. An ergonomic and intuitive solution thanks to which you can train by accessing our extensive online resources:
- Vocabulary review sheets;
- Training exercises;
- Mock exams;
- Personal statistics to measure your progress.
Easy online preparation, useful tools to gain confidence and optimize your TOEIC score in general and TOEFL Writing in particular! We will be sure to polish your writing skills to ensure that you get a high score at the TOEFL writing tasks.
To go further, you can read our summary of recommendations for the TOEFL test. You can also read our tip sheets on the other sections of the exam.
