toefl essay compare and contrast

TOEFL Essay Question Types –  Compare and Contrast

The lists of ' Compare and Contrast' TOEFL Independent Writing topics below will help you prepare for this type of question on your exam. Look at questions in the following four categories as well, to be prepared for all the types of TOEFL essays.

• Agree or Disagree
• Description / Explanation
• If / Imaginary

1. It has been said, “Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?

2. When people move to another country, some of them decide to follow the customs of the new country. Others prefer to keep their own customs. Compare these two choices. Which one do you prefer? Support your answer with specific details.

3. Some people trust their first impressions about a person’s character because they believe these judgments are generally correct. Other people do not judge a person’s character quickly because they believe first impressions are often wrong. Compare these two attitudes. Which attitude do you agree with? Support your choice with specific examples.

4. Some young children spend a great amount of their time practicing sports. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

5. A friend of yours has received some money and plans to use all of it either:

to go on vacation to buy a car

Your friend has asked you for advice. Compare your friend’s two choices and explain which one you think your friend should choose. Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.

6. Movies are popular all over the world. Explain why movies are so popular. Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.

7. Some people believe that the best way of learning about life is by listening to the advice of family and friends. Other people believe that the best way of learning about life is through personal experience. Compare the advantages of these two different ways of learning about life. Which do you think is preferable? Use specific examples to support your preference.

8. You need to travel from your home to a place 40 miles (64 kilometers) away. Compare the different kinds of transportation you could use. Tell which method of travel you would choose. Give specific reasons for your choice.

1. TOEFL BASICS

Toefl overview.

• TOEFL Exam Details
• Registration
• Administration

TOEFL iBT Format

2. toefl skills, primary skills.

• Reading Skills
• Listening Skills
• Speaking Skills
• Speaking Tips
• Free TOEFL Speaking Samples
• Writing Skills
• Free Sample TOEFL Essays
• TOEFL Writing Topics

Secondary Skills

• Pronunciation

Support Skills

• Summarizing
• Paraphrasing
• Mind Mapping
• Synthesizing

3. TOEFL RESOURCES

Toefl books, in-class training.

• TOEFL Prep Centres
• ESL Schools

Online Training

Studying toefl abroad, 4. attitude, test anxiety.

• Types of Anxiety
• Causes of Anxiety
• Symptoms of Anxiety
• Reducing Anxiety

5. TOEFL Videos

6. toefl blog.

Guidance from our top admission experts — for free!

• Admit Finder

Discover Past Admits, Gauge Your Chances!

• Shortlist Builder

Personalized University Picks, Just a Click Away.

• Course Finder

Navigate Global Courses Tailored for You

• Scholarship Finder

Unlock Funding Opportunities Worldwide.

Get tailored study abroad advice.

Sign in for exclusive content!

Planning to study abroad?

Build your target shortlist and see your odds of getting into top schools with Ambitio's AI shortlist builder!

Heading Out Already?

Our Ivy League mentors and top admission experts can help with personalized tips to get you into your dream school

1 September 2023

5 minutes read

TOEFL Writing: A Guide to Compare and Contrast Essays in 2023

Dirghayu Kaushik

Worried about the cost of Studying Abroad?

Sign up to access 25 game-changing scholarships that could cover your costs.

• Introduction

The TOEFL writing section can be intimidating for many test-takers, especially when it comes to writing compare-and-contrast essays. This type of essay is common in the TOEFL independent writing section, and it’s crucial to understand its structure and requirements.

In this guide, we will focus on the compare and contrast essay, TOEFL writing questions, and essay topics, and provide writing samples and test resources to help you prepare for your TOEFL test in 2023.

Stuck on How to Pick Your Ideal College?

Sign up to access your tailored shortlist and simplify finding your ideal college.

• What is a Compare and Contrast Essay in TOEFL Writing?

Defining the Compare and Contrast Essay

A compare and contrast essay is a type of essay that requires you to identify the similarities and differences between two subjects or ideas. In the TOEFL writing section, particularly the TOEFL independent writing part, you’ll often find this type of essay. It requires analytical thinking and a well-structured format to convey your understanding effectively.

Importance in TOEFL Writing Section

The TOEFL writing section has two main tasks: integrated writing and independent writing. The compare and contrast essay mainly appears in the TOEFL independent writing task, where you need to form and articulate your own thoughts.

Mastering this type of essay is vital because it not only your writing skills but also your ability to think critically and compare various elements while presenting a cohesive argument.

See how Successful Applications Look Like!

Access 350K+ profiles of students who got in. See what you can improve in your own application!

• Structure of a Compare and Contrast Essay

Understanding the structure of a compare and contrast essay is paramount for a good score in the TOEFL writing section. Here are the key elements:

• Introductory Paragraph : Introduces the two subjects to be compared and contrasted and contains the thesis statement.
• Body Paragraphs : Discuss the similarities and differences.
• Concluding Paragraph : Summarizes the main points and restates the thesis in a new light.

A Deep Dive into the Introductory Paragraph

The introductory paragraph is like a roadmap for the reader. It sets the stage for what’s to come. In the TOEFL essay, your introduction should not only present the subjects to be compared but also articulate a clear thesis statement.

The thesis statement usually comes at the end of the introductory paragraph and gives the reader an overview of what to expect in the body paragraphs. It should be specific and clear to guide the reader through your argument.

Body Paragraphs: Point-by-Point vs. Subject-by-Subject

There are two main ways to organize the body of your compare-and-contrast essay: point-by-point and subject-by-subject.

• Point-by-Point : This method involves discussing one point of comparison or contrast at a time, alternating between the two subjects. For example, if you are comparing and contrasting two cities, you might first discuss the cost of living in each city, then move on to compare their climates, and then their cultural scenes.
• Subject-by-Subject : This method involves discussing all the points of comparison or contrast for one subject first and then moving on to the other subject. For example, you might discuss all the points about one city first and then move on to the other city.

Both methods are acceptable, and you should choose the one that you feel most comfortable with and that best suits your essay topic.

Start Your University Applications with Ambitio Pro!

Get Ambitio Pro!

Begin your journey to top universities with Ambitio Pro. Our premium platform offers you tools and support needed to craft standout applications.

Unlock Advanced Features for a More Comprehensive Application Experience!

Start your Journey today

• How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay for TOEFL

Analyze the Essay Topic

The first step to writing a great compare and contrast essay for the TOEFL is to analyze the essay topic thoroughly. Reading the essay prompt carefully is crucial to understanding what is being asked.

TOEFL essay topics for compare and contrast essays can range from comparing cities, jobs, schools, ideologies, or virtually any subject under the sun. Understanding the essence of the question can give you an upper hand in drafting a compelling essay.

Plan Your Essay

Once you have a good understanding of the essay topic, the next step is planning. A well-planned essay is like a well-executed game plan in sports; it sets you up for success.

Outline the main points you want to discuss and the examples you will use to support your points. You may also want to decide whether you’ll use a point-by-point or subject-by-subject structure for the body paragraphs. Planning will save you time and make the writing process much more straightforward.

Use Specific Reasons and Examples

The TOEFL writing section expects you to use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. This means that your essay should be grounded in concrete facts and not just abstract ideas.

For instance, if you are comparing two policies, it’s not enough to say that one policy is better than the other; you must provide concrete examples and reasons why one is better. This could be statistics, historical events, or any other factual information that supports your argument.

• Sample Essays and Writing Samples

Where to Find Sample Essays

Sample essays can be invaluable resources for preparing for the TOEFL writing test. They provide insights into the essay structure, the type of language used, and the level of detail expected.

You can find these resources on the ETS website, which is the organization that administers the TOEFL test. Other test resources for sample essays can be found in TOEFL preparation books, online forums, and educational websites focused on TOEFL preparation.

How to Use Writing Samples Effectively

Just finding writing samples is not enough; you must know how to use them effectively. When you look at a sample essay, don’t just read it passively.

Instead, analyze its structure, the thesis statement, the topic sentences, and the types of supporting details and examples used. Then, try to apply these insights when you write your own essays. Practice makes perfect, and the more you write, the more natural it will become.

• Mastering the TOEFL Writing Section in 2023

Updated Test Resources for 2023

The TOEFL test evolves over time, and so do the test resources. In 2023, new types of questions and topics may be introduced. Always make sure you’re using the most current test resources to prepare for the TOEFL writing questions. You can keep up-to-date by visiting the official ETS website or following reputable TOEFL preparation websites and online forums.

Leveraging Technology for TOEFL Preparation

The modern world provides several digital tools that can aid your TOEFL preparation, particularly in mastering compare and contrast essays. Various mobile apps can guide you through the entire process of essay writing, offering real-time feedback.

Moreover, there are online courses solely focused on TOEFL writing, providing a detailed walkthrough of each type of essay, including compare and contrast essays.

Writing a great compare and contrast essay for the TOEFL test is both an art and a science. It requires a good understanding of the essay structure, impeccable writing skills, and the ability to think critically.

By analyzing the essay topic, planning your essay, using specific reasons and examples, and revising diligently, you can master this type of essay. With focused effort and the right resources, you can improve your TOEFL writing score in 2023.

What is a compare and contrast essay?

A compare and contrast essay is a type of essay that requires you to identify the similarities and differences between two subjects or ideas.

What is the structure of a compare and contrast essay?

A typical structure includes an introductory paragraph, a body paragraph, and a concluding paragraph.

How can I practice writing compare and contrast essays for the TOEFL test?

You can practice by analyzing sample essays and writing your own. Online platforms and TOEFL preparation books are excellent resources for this.

What are the latest test resources for TOEFL writing in 2023?

Always make sure you’re using the most current test resources, which can be found on the official ETS website and other reputable TOEFL preparation platforms.

Spread the Word!

Share across your social media if you found it helpful

Table of Contents

• • Introduction
• • What is a Compare and Contrast Essay in TOEFL Writing?
• • Structure of a Compare and Contrast Essay
• • How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay for TOEFL
• • Sample Essays and Writing Samples
• • Mastering the TOEFL Writing Section in 2023
• • Conclusion

Build your profile to get into top colleges

Phone Number

What level are you targetting

Almost there!

Just enter your OTP, and your planner will be on its way!

Code sent on

Resend OTP (30s)

Your Handbook Is Waiting on WhatsApp!

Please have a look, and always feel free to reach out for any detailed guidance

Click here to download

Meanwhile check out your dashboard to access various tools to help you in your study abroad journey

Recent Blogs

Mastering Environmental Science in the UK: Global Perspectives on MSc Programs and Degrees for 2024

Mastering English Vocabulary: Essential Strategies for GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, and SAT Test Prep

Crafting Your Personal Statement: Mastering English Literature and Creative Writing Applications

Find your Dream school now⭐️

Welcome! Let's Land Your Dream Admit.

Let us make sure you get into the best!

• 2024 Winter
• 2024 Spring
• 2024 Summer

Enter verification code

Code was sent to

• Our Experts

Connect with us on our social media

• All Lessons
• business english
• comprehension
• culture & tips
• expressions
• pronunciation

5 Types of TOEFL Essays & TOEFL iBT Essay Patterns

Test your understanding of this English lesson

453 comments.

you made me love writing essay !!! what nice your lesson was ??? thank you a lot teacher …

[email protected]

Wow, that’s really inspiring. Thanks for your feedback. All the best to you.

Awesome!! Thanks Rebecca :) That’s make me easier to write an essay..

thank you so much for your wonderful lecture,in fact i’m working hard for the toefl exam,and writing is my weakest part,i am looking forward to receiving more instruction from you.

Hi Rebecca:) I have to write an essay on subject Why do you want to attend(name of the high school)? and i really dont know how to start, and what should my email contain.I hope you can help me:)

Thanks, Manish. Best of luck to you.

Do you know Rebecca what is the cheapest place to buy textbooks for TOEFL?

Hi Karen I want to boost up my confidence by talking to you if you don’t mind.

yo! i can talk english with you!

I m man I can speak English language very good and I can help you

Hello Karen, I would like to practice speaking with you. thanks

Very useful indeed. The video explains in details each TOEFL writing task.

HI ,brother ,i agree with you ,Good luck ,and thanks for our amazing teachers

i want to learn english

Then you will, Naveed. Desire is the first step. Best of luck to you.

In my view, uniforms are good idea, three reasons convince me that will improve the educational experience of students. In the first place, new school uniforms cost about 30$ but designer jeans and brand name shirt will cost five time that amount. The book would be better an investment. Second it is easier to get ready for school. If there are five choices that is may be take time and thought to choose furthermore, selecting socks and shoes to go with them. Took time and divert attention from preparing classes. Finally the student will identify themselves their school. Then if they see one student wearing colors school uniforms he is part of this group. In conclusion, I think that schools require uniforms send a positive message to their students. That Is more important for best student it is have best clothing.

Sorry, we do not actually correct essays on this website.

All the best to you, in any case.

some thing is better than nothing

i to become more familier with english and i try my best to learn these lectures with great carefully

Yes you are right ,its happens to me as well ,i feel that i am perfect in english ,hhhh ,but i reality still bad ,

I went subscribe gave my awy

Hope you enjoy the website.

dear mis Rebecca ESL goon evening…Im Ozz, from Jakarta, Indonesia. now, I’m in learning english. I just want to say thankful to you for a good lesson about english. And I will always search and brows your site especially for your english video lesson. i.m really helped whit it. but problem is i get difficult to download your video. thank you

i learn a some thing from this mam

Thank you for your kindness Ms. Rebecca in sharing your knowledge to us, TOEFL takers. I want to ask if you have a pattern or any suggestions in TOEFL-ibt integrated writing task because I need to have a good grade on that part. Please help me Mam.

I saw your comment and want to congratulate you for the scores. I’d like to improve my scores too, how did you prepare for the test? Would you mind sharing some tips.bye xiany

Hi Rebecca!

Thank you for that wonderful lesson. I hope you could also help me in structuring the TOEFL writing integrated part. Please help me I need to have a good grade on that part.

I already passed the other three tasks (27/30 reading, 27/30 listening, 26/30 speaking and writing 21/30). I’m desperately eager to have a 24 score in the writing section in order for me to work as Physical Therapist in Texas, USA. Pls help me!

Thanks for your feedback.

The first important element of successful integrated writing in the TOEFL iBT is taking detailed notes during the listening portion. That way you have enough information to build your response, whatever you are asked to do.

The integrated writing is more flexible in terms of pattern. It could be structured in different ways and still be effective. It could have only three paragraphs – a basic intro, body and conclusion, in which you place all the requested info in the body paragraph. Alternatively, you could have an intro and conclusion, and any number of shorter body paragraphs, each devoted to an additional fact or supporting detail from the reading and the listening.

Try to address each point from the reading and the listening together, in the same paragraph. Move from point to point. Avoid explaining everything from the reading in one paragraph and everything from the listening in another paragraph. Blend, or integrate the information you present in your response.

Look into Delta’s guide to the TOEFL iBT for some more examples of good integrated writing techniques.

Also, do look at the sample essays on my goodlucktoefl.com website for ideas on how to improve the second essay task. There are also videos on engvid on How to Structure Your TOEFL Essay, which will help.

My best wishes to you. I hope you’ll be certified as a Physical Therapist very soon.

Hi, I am in the same situation. May I know how you handled it? Even, it would be great if I have your contact email to reach you… Best,

Thanks to all for your feedback.

Thank you so much , i learnt a lot from you ,but there is one thing > please do a lesson how to write a paragraph ,i really can’t start writing ,

Okay, I will plan a lesson on that for you. Thanks for your suggestion.

Thanks for your feedback and best of luck to you.

Dear Rebecca,

I would like to know that essay that is mainly based on current affairs and is required to be around 2500-3000. Under which category of essay it comes?

I’m not sure which exam you are speaking about. On the TOEFL iBT, the essay needs to be 300-350 words in length. On the IELTS, it needs to be 250 words.

The length you have mentioned is much longer than this, so I’m not sure what that’s about.

To know the essay category, you need to look at the way in which the question is framed. Perhaps if you write me the whole essay topic, I could tell you which type it belongs to.

Hope that helps, Sohail.

Hi Rebecca! Thanks for having paved the way for us. Before, we found it a little bit difficult to develop anything about writing, but now it’s rather inspiring to do such a task.

Hi , its rarely to find an Algerian speaks English very well like you ! ,so are you from Algiers ?

you are wrong with that, lot of algerian speak good english u want a prove ?

Thanks so much for your kind comments, Urcupido. It means a lot.

Yes, as you have realized, it can be a lot of fun to write essays actually, once you learn how to organize and present your thoughts.

My best wishes to you with your English.

Hi Mrs Rebecca

I would like to ask you whether to generalize my essay or write something that fits me specifically..I mean for example on “Agree/Disagree” type; shell I answer the right thing or the thing that I really do.

Actually, the “right thing” is not limited to any one way.

I usually recommend that you write from whichever point of view you have more to say. That way you will have lots of good ideas to add to your essay.

You can write whatever you believe. It doesn’t matter whether you agree or disagree. What matters is that you explain your answer well, using your best grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, punctuation, spelling and so on…

And of course the structure and content should address teh question asked,

Best of luck to you, Tarek.

Hi teacher!

Thank you so much for helping us!!! I’m in Toronto and I’d like to know where you teach here? I’m gonna take TOEFL soon and I really need help!!! Cheers!!!

i really liked the way you are teaching, so i would like to aske you a question out of this topic if you let me. I confused what Theme is and how to use it. thanks for your helping

Sorry, Mohammed, I’m not exactly sure what you mean by the theme.

Perhaps you mean what is the broad area you are reading or writing about, such as holidays, education, technology, etc.

Tell me a little more and I will try and help you some more.

hank you Hi Mrs Rebeca I’m in New Jersey I went this country two years ego and I study the english in College de Passaic on second grade. I essay in http://www.engvid.com thank you so much for helping us.

It’s a pleasure. Keep on studying English and write as much as you can. You will surely reach your goal. My best to you, Armida.

hi is it totally free??

I thank you for sharing ways to use, if you need to pass Toefl exams. iam also prepraring for this paper.thank you.

You’re welcome. All the best with your exam, Isaac.

i like to write toefl exam but can you bring for us previous exams how

to see the way they took the exams

My best to you.

Thank you Mrs Rebeca, I am preparing myself to get IELTS , so if you have any information that you believe will be useful especially in writting part and speaking. Best regards

Please watch my videos on IELTS letter writing , if you are doing the General IELTS.

Also, my video on How to Structure Your TOEFL Essay will help you with your IELTS essay too. You can use the same strategy, but your essay needs to be shorter than TOEFL, only about 250 words, or 4 paragraphs.

First, I want to say that I really admire you : ) Now I have some question about writing part of TOEFL , Independent Writing: If I wrote that “I disagree”, (just in first sentense) but all the passage(supporting detail) is “agree with the topic) I would like to ask you that how many scores I will be decreased TT and is it minor or major mistake. I’m really worried nervous and worry now. I will look forward to your answer. Best regards,

If you explained your point of view clearly throughout your essay, it should be fine. So don’t worry.

My best wishes to you and thank you kindly for your feedback.

Oh.. I’m sorry for the last comment I did because I typed by using phone, so it’s kind of hard to read and there are a lot of mistakes. Just forget my last comment :) I will type a new one for you.

Question -> About Independent Writng Part (Agree or Disagree) First, I hesitated between disagree or agree, and I decided to write “disagree.” After that, I gave the supporting idea, and I’ve found that I’d better write in the way of “agreement.” The result is, all my supporting ideas support the topic. The big problem is… I didn’t edit the word “disagree” in the first sentense. Teacher.. .. I’m really worried now.. TT I would like to ask you that “Is it minor or major mistake?” and “How many scores will be decreased?” Would you mind answering me for the question. I will look forward to reading your answer :)

Best regards, Nasarin

As you said, you did explain clearly throughout the rest of the essay so I think it will be fine. Actually, that is why it is helpful to spend a few minutes planning before you start to write. In any case, there are many different factors that affect your score, so don’t worry.

Let me know what happens. From your message,I would say you have a good command of written English so you should get a good score.

Oh.. thank you teacher. I’m very glad to read your message. Happy New Year 2010 : )

Hello ma’am, your lesson is great and effective. However, when i took your quiz i got only 6 out of 8, I confused when did i get wrong. I just follow your guide. My mistakes are no.4 and 8 question. In no. 4, i was confused with If( My answer) and Explanation/Description(Your answer). And no.8 with Preference(My answer) and Explanation/Description(Your answer). I hope you could help to explain my mistakes. Thank you !

Thanks for your questions and feedback.

You are right about question 4. We made a mistake in that answer; it should have been an If question. Thanks for pointing that out. It has now been changed.

Number 8 is not a preference question, because they do not give you two choices. In a preference question, they will say, ” Some people…..” and then, “Other people think….” That is how you can identify a preference question. It’s not just a question of which animal you prefer out of all possible animals.

Hope this helps you, and thanks for helping us. My best wishes to you

thank u teacher how can i improve my english language to take TOEFL i want to speak fluently. ur teaching wondeful

There are so many ways to improve your English. The best way to prepare for the TOEFL exam is to join a good exam preparation class and to work with some good TOEFL exam prep books, such as Delta or Barron’s.

MY best wishes to you.

hii, friends im new comer to learn something about tofele. so please guide me everyone and teach me to please my dear friends

Thanx a lot Mrs Rebecca, Your lessons give inspiration for studying. I also want to speak English Fluently. Please suggest me, What should I do??

Immerse yourself in English. Find a good private teacher or class. Get hold of some good grammar books, such as Raymond Murphy’s Grammar in Use.

Listen, speak, read and write but also have someone give you feedback on your English. All the best.

Hi,thank you so much for your lesson.I want to improve my spoken English.Will you please help me?

There are many ways to improve your spoken English. If you can, try and join a class, or find a private teacher, or make an English-speaking friend who can help you.

Good luck, Esha.

Hi Rebecca, I’m from Costa Rica. Just discovered this site. I love your lessons so much, very simple and easy to understand. I’d like to improve my toefl score, but need some tips on reading, and listening.

Please have a look at the tips in my website, goodlucktoefl.com, as well as some of the other lessons here on engvid.

thank you very much

before any thing i would like to thank you for the great effort you made and still making so as to help us improving our english level in writing. i want you to know that i have decided to pass the tofel exam lots of times but i couldn’t because i felt and still having the same felling that i am not ready for this:i fell i have a lack in vocbulary and a good style of writing assays as well.i hope that you serve me with some kinds of essays which will surely help me in developping my writing style. i don’t know how to thank you my best teacher your new student najib

Thanks for your kind compliments.

Re your TOEFL, please check the free essay samples on the goodlucktoefl.com website.

Also check my video lesson on How to Structure Your TOEFL Essay on this website.

You also need to improve your grammar and spelling, because that counts too. The TOEFL is not an easy exam and you need to prepare well for it.

Do some practice tests from a good TOEFL preparation book. They will also help you to know when you;re ready.

All the best.

Hello every one in this website, when i was just surfing on the internet i found your site here. It is very interesting thought, i love and like your all video lessons you done. Nowadays everything costs, but you all are giving priceless and usefull lessons for every one, it is very good. I hope! You can do much more than this. I wanna be your student, teachers! All the best wishes to u.

Thanks. Please do tell your friends so we can continue to offer this service. Best wishes to you.

Hello Rebeca, I have been studying English for a year, and I still have grammar problems I would like to became an English Teacher, but it’s HARD I don’t going to give up, but belived me it’s Hard. Please give me a Good Advice, to learn Grammar, Also I like the way you teach, clear and straight, Thank You.

I wish you all the best with your chosen career. Please refer to Raymond Murphy’s Basic Grammar in Use and work through it steadily. It will help you a lot.

Also, most mistakes that students make are covered in this book.

All the best to you, Robert.

Hi, Rebecca!!! I’m preparing for the TOEFL iBT. Independent writing.

First, I want to notice that your lessons are so wonderful: clear, simple, powerful.

But now I’m confused about Comparison & Contrast topic type. I’ve just finished “Barrons How to prepare for the TOEFL essay” book. There the author divided essay questions into 1) Making an argument; 2) Agreement/Disagreement; 3) Stating a preference (Advantages/Disadvantages, Compare/Contrast); 4) Giving an explanation. These types are very similar to what you have shown, except Stating a preference type. You have separated it into two independent types: Preference and Comparison/Contrast. The Author of that book provides the same structure for every type of question. However, you ordered separate pattern for the Comparison/Contrast type.

It’s said in that book every paragraph of body should be started with topic sentence which gives general view of the whole paragraph.

My question is how to write topic sentences correctly for each body paragraph? And if you have some sample essays of that type of topic, organized in the way you provided, could you show it.

Thanks a lot! Hope for your help!!!

There are many ways to write an effective essay and I offer one easy way. You could check essay samples on hte goodlucktoelf.com website.

Topic sentences should be general, so that you can develop your paragraph. If the topic sentences are too detailed, then you have difficulty knowing how to expand the point into a full paragraph.

My best wishes to you, Azamat.

Hi Rebecca,

I should like to thank you for the useful info you have given us. I really find it very helpful.

Glad I could help you. All the best.

thank you so much for helping us and i like to improve my writing fast because i have exam after one month i need argumentative essay can you help me this is my email [email protected]

You’re welcome.

Please check my answer to najib, easyenglish, above. That will help you.

Hi I’m one of the student whom working to get the TOEFL . Your lessons helped me

Good luck on your exam, Adnan.

Dear Rebecca

First of all, thanks a lot for your lecture.

your explanation is so definite and clear~!

p.s- i also like as you smile :)

Thank you. Being friendly and kind is so important in life, isn’t it? Sure you are the same, if you noticed that quality.

Warm wishes to you, Kim.

This lecture is useful to me in many ways. Thanks a lot! :)

Dear Miss rebecca I am from Peru, I am pursuing a postgraduate in Aerospace Engineering in Texas, i found your lectures very useful. Than you very much. Marcell

hi Rebecca: I did read your following TOEFL video, and I really want to read your simple of that topic, could you show me your essay ? thank you so much

https://www.engvid.com/how-to-structure-your-toefl-essay/

You can check my TOEFL website for free sample essays .

All the best to you.

so sorry, I typed wrong word yesterday I should be:

hi Rebecca: I did read your following video on youtube, and I really want to read your sample of that topic, could you show me your essay ? thank you so much

Thank you very much for your lesson. And I have some question. I don’t understand between If and Explanation/description what about different?

The main difference is that the If question is more imaginary.

Like,” If you could change one thing about your hometown, what would you change?”

The explanation question just asks you to explain something ordinary and not imaginary.

For example, ” In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good neighbour?”

Hope that helps you.

hello , i would like to improve my language and acually i no know how do this..

There are so many ways to improve – through reading, writing, listening, speaking, singing, watching TV and movies, joining a class…and so much more.

Also, through engVid, of course! My best wishes to you.

Thankou for your lesson

Hi Rebecca:

I have a question about independent task: can I use preposition in my writing, such as I,you,she, and he? I tend to use my own experience when I write a essay, so it is difficult to avoid from using. Also, can I use “I think/ believe/insist” in my writing ?

Thank you so much Rebecca.

Yes, you can certainly use pronouns, such as I, you, he, she etc.

In fact, you are being asked your opinion on the Independent Essay task, so you do need to say, “In my opinion…” or “I think…” etc.

All the best!

it is astonishing lessons’ topics, and so the teachers’ performance would you please introduce a topic about negotiations and what phrases used at different levels of it. As in place where contradicting opinions prevail, also when trying to keep counterparts more close to our opinons. what language to use to make rivals more convinced in our pinions.

Thanks for the lesson idea. I will try and do a lesson on that for you.

first f all i wuld lik 2 congragulate u for almost replying for evry response vth patience and care………… hope u keep up vth dis in future as well

Thanks, Rani. I try my best.

All the best to you, too.

thank you very much you are agood teacher . I hope one day be like you

Rebecca, thank you very much for your wonderful lectures! I’m attending special courses to prepare for TOEFL in Russia now, but our teacher isn’t so good as you.

Thank you a lot , i walys take low digree in subject of essay ,and i don’t know the wrong that i have. but after this lesso i learned the basic which i need it to learn . thanx

thanx a lot. I also want to take TOEFL exams but I have problems in writting section. But I know that if I will work hard I can do it. i think that BELIEVING IS JUST THE BEGINNING. I mean if someone wants to do smth first he or she must believe that he or she can do it.

You’re absolutely right about that!

all the best to you, Elnara.

wow this really helped me ..

I have been able to differentiate .. and I can answer questions on any 1 give only because I am still in doubt

thanks a lot

This is a very nice video. I like the way you explain things. : o)

I have some questions about comparison and contrast essays.

Question 1:

I think the system you showed on the video is called ‘block system’, right? I have heard that there is another system called ‘point by point system’. It is Okay to use any system you want?

Question 2:

Also, you mentioned that we should use another paragraph about the preference. In other words, which position do we like the most and why. Can we write that even if it is not asked on the topic question? For example, let us consider this topic question:

“The government has announced that it plans to build a new university. Some people think that your community would be a good place to locate the university. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a new university in your community. Use specific details in your discussion.”

I think the topic question does not say anything about the write preference. Would it be OK if I write my preference even though it is not required (or is it?)?

Question 3:

What about the other essays? Is there a system we should follow to write the other types of the TOEFL essays?

A lot of question, I know. But I’d be most grateful if you would give me some answers.

Thank you very much in advance.

How you structure your answer depends very much on the question. In your Question 2, it is possible to have two body paragraphs – one for the advantages and one for the disadvantages. It is possible to mention your own opinion briefly in the conclusion.

Please check my goodlucktoefl.com website for more info and sample essays.

All the best to you, Mouhcine.

Thank you for your efforts ,really you explaining in very good way , you simplify and facilitate points that appear complex in the beginning.

Thank You a lot

thank you!!!

Thank you ,miss Rebecca and the web!!

can I have all your lectures and quiz by email? I found your teaching style the best.

KIndly see if my essay is good enough. thanks

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? One should never judge a person by external appearances. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. Everyone knows that we can’t judge a book by its cover, but is it true when it comes to judging people? For me, external appearances are certainly not a fail-safe indicator to a person’s true character and personality. One of my friends, Jenny, serves to be the perfect example to illustrate the point that outside appearance can be incredibly deceptive. When I first met her, the first thought flashing through my mind was ” What a serious girl!” She dressed like a nun, talked like a nun, and even her name reminded me of a nun! However, as we came to know each other better, all my first impressions about her began to shatter. I found out that she likes to wear mini-skirts and pink tank tops, enjoying eating anything but vegetables, collecting rock music albums and attending all kinds of parties. Except for her name, nothing on her is associated with a nun. External appearances can really trick and deceive people, but I do agree that sometimes, people have no alternative but to judge each other by what is on the surface. For example, a famous international company is going to employ 5 people, and thousands of applicants flooded in. Instead of spending lots of time to understand everyone, the interviewers may very likely filter out thousands of candidates by looking at their photos first. It may sound unfair to a lot of people but it is the harsh reality of life. Besides, I believe that sometimes, appearances are the tell-tale signs of a person’s true character and personality. For example, if a student always wears dirty clothes to school and chews gums/ betel nuts while talking with his/her professors, no matter how bright and diligent the student is, no professors will likely to have a good impression about him/her.

Appearance is not everything, and it can even be totally opposite to a person’s true values and attitudes; thus judging a person only by his/her external appearance is treacherous. Nevertheless, we can never overlook the power of appearances; after all, sometimes, first impressions can mean far more than we have expected. Word count: 352

We don’t check essays on this website, but you certainly have a great command of the English language and would get a very high score on your TOEFL exam if you wrote like that!

All the best to you, Metsm.

i am very proud to look this essay, because i cannot write essay well even i know vocabulary. i think it is due to lack of practice. i tried to make me habutuate in writing essay but cannot be so. so please advise me how is it possible for me. thank you, hope ever

ahm, i am just confused, if we are writing essay what would be the best form of tenses should be apply in writing? is that present tense,continuous, or past tense?

It depends what you are trying to say. Please check some of the free sample essays on my TOEFL website.

Best wishes to you, Raphy.

Thank you for sharing these videos in this website. This will definitely improve my English.

Well, when I was taking English classes… I felt like participating a lot and in so many cases, I felt like taking control of the class and I wanted to do more than just listen to my teacher. I believe a lot of participation is needed everyday so we “students” can practice and show individually what we have learned and what we would like to learn. Thanks for this website.

Yes, you are right. Unfortunately, many English classes are too large to enable students to participate sufficiently and improve their skills effectively. In our private language school, we allow only 8- 10 students in each class so everyone gets a chance to speak.

Best wishes to you, Edwin.

thank you for updoading these useful lessons. I have a question about the agree/disagree topics. do we have to choose one of the two ‘options’ we are given? could our opinion be somewere between?

Rebecca mam, this is the 1st time im visiting this site , and am very much impressed with ur teaching from the 1st class itself . i need to take toefl on july 10,2010 . pls guide me in READING section.thankyou

Please have a look at my goodlucktoefl .com website and you will find many useful tips for the TOEFL Reading section.

My best to you, Akshay.

I have become a huge fan of urs REBECCAESL MAM , even explaining micro details to the viewers like the reason for the noise erupting as a result of MOTOR BIKES, u r a perfect teacher , as per the say “FIRST IMPRESSION IS THE BEST IMPRESSION”…pls mail me

i like the way when you teach i learn a lot watching your videos,tomorrow is going to be my essay test, im so nervious

i think is so good . i can help me very so much in learning englsih

hi rebecca,i m an avid viewver of ur videos.they are really proving very helping in my toefl prep.i have question 4 u.is it mandatory to use GRE(typical n tough) words in r essay?what are the benefits/drawbacks of using/not using them?please give the appropriate suggestion for both the viewpoints.thank you in advance.

What’s important is to use vocabulary that you know how to use correctly. A good essay has some simple vocabulary and some advanced. Of course, if you know advanced level vocabulary very well, then by all means you should use it. Focus on writing relevant content within a clear and logical essay structure. Every sentence should serve a purpose toward supporting your argument.

I have a strong feeling that you will do very well. Your command of English is strong. All the best to you.

hi…,rebecca i should to great on your teaching in english it’s very easy to whom more people interested for studied all them.and also it for me yes!! im happy your website cause look a see at post the website.im a start study english. i want imformation cause i have to planning apply call center..i thought more call services, i think the website in to wellfare share lesson..i also big thing itself for study english.

hellow! Rebicca all good’s your share lesson english i think got a people more learn.but then themselve will to cultovate however to speaking exactly for conversation. that’s great have consent to in shown give to open mind.that’s all i know for every who intended to develope speak in english.will has theme proctice if is a available time.it make will ought more for proctice in english to all,

Hello, it seems to be a good program and i would like to thank Mrs. Rebecca, she is really hare working woman and she provide good lesson i would to thank you just the same Mrs Rebecca.

wooooooooooooooooow i like it the best lessons that i have ever to see about the toefl is yours

Thank you kindly, Roma. My best wishes to you.

Thanks to all for your comments, questions and suggestions.

Dear Rebecca: Curently , I am preparing the test of TOEFL and it will be done in next month.However, for some topics ,I do not have enough idea to write .For example , what music reveals the culture of your country? Would you mind to give me some kek points to hint for this essay? Thank you dear teacher Daqinag

Dear Rebecca: Curently , I am preparing the test of TOEFL and it will be done in next month.However, for some topics ,I do not have enough idea to write .For example , what music reveals the culture of your country? Would you mind to give me some key points to hint for this essay? Thank you dear teacher Daqinag

I am sorry Rebecca becasue this is my first time to use the “Submit Comment.”So in the first section of my writing ,I wrote your name in the name blank. I wish I can see your answer as quick as bossible since before long I will have the severe examination. Or if it is possible for you to allow your students to meet you in your school . I live in Toronto. Help, Help.Without the necessary indication how I can pass the test? Daqiang

Hi Ms Rebecca ,Your Lecture is very good.Now i got confidence in writing essays in toefl.thanks for ur lecture

Hi Ms Rebecca ,Your Lecture is very good.Now i got confidence in writing essays in toefl.thanks for ur lectureI would like to get advice from you on how to write an Essay which in that we should read a paragraph and listen to a conversation…i m confused with these essay..that how to structure it?

i love this leeson..

Where is the lovely teacher ? I have posted my messages more than one week and have got any reply. I am nearly mad due to that I am planning to have the most arduous test next month. Help, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

mam.. plz include explanation through examples atleast one for one topic

and plz teach more how to construct introduction and conclusion.

thanks alot… ur lecture is so worth listening its awesome….

Hi Rebecca your lessons are very easy to understand and also I have improved my English knowledge watching your videos.So thank you very much your help to develop our English.

Hi there, I’m really impressed and interrested about the lessons, I’d like to know what must be done done to study the English by correspondence from your University.

Thanks very much. Jose Zau.

Hi, teacher i’m looking for the english Diploment coure six month to one year, please any information or address to send me,

Thank so much

Hi Rebecca, I love you. You look so hot. Will you marry me?

your lecture is very awesome .Can u tell me how many word require in an essay . My teacher give me a topic which is “I ENCOUNTER WITH ALEIN FROM MARS” plz tell me something about ths topic and I hope u will rply me comment.thx

Thank you a lot. I have a guestion for you. Is there might be an argument essay in the TOEFL exam?

Thanks for your wonderful service to the English community. I am pleased with your explanation.Thank again.

I have few clarifications below.Can you please help me out..

Can you give more details to differentiate between perference type and comparsion and contrast type independant essay..both seems to be alike…

Also shouldn’t we mention our opinion/perference of choice in the beginning of the essay.. (In all type of essays, especially to comparasion & contract type as our perferences are mentoined only in the fourth paragraph)

Thank you, sugandh

hi teacher how are you. you now teacher i went write but my english spiling is problimhow can i lern writeing spileang will you helpme.thinku mesi from Botswana Africa

thank you so much dear teacher for teaching. before this i could not understand English easily but now i do any thing jawad form Afghanistan

How to deal with this topic question in comparison and contrast essay:

“When people move to another country, some of them decide to follow the customs of the new country. Others prefer to keep their own customs. Compare these two choices. Which one do you prefer? Support your answer with specific details.”

The topic question doesn’t say what to compare (advantages, disadvantages or advantages of option 1 and advantages of option 2, etc).

What should we write about in this case?

thank u so much dear teachers for teaching i listened youre teaching now i can speak english easily thanks alot

hi rebecca iam very glad to hear your lessons beacause they are very useful my problem that i find in writing essays is how to arganize the essay and how to find the right words and express my self iam not a native speaker iam from morocco i dont know what is the problem so i hope you will hepl me thank you .

really but can you you are a very interested teacher > but can you please show us an essay about advantagase and disadvantagase as example with all my regards

I love this website very much, and you make English easy, but teacher, can you tell me why I can’t receive my password?

There is a problem with the system right now. It should be fixed by November 5.

please can any one help me>> the vedio is viewd on my page. there is some problem,, on page

it;s wonderful

tahnks a lot:)) this helped me much!!!

thanks a lot:)) it helped me much!

Thanks a lot you are very good teacher

Thank you for your explanation. It is very helpful for me. But I have a question about essay types 1-4: Should these three reason be only positive or only negative? I couldn’t understand exactly what to write.

Thank you Rebecca, for helping me to improve my English, I have to stick to your lessons about TOEFL in order to get a good grade next year on the TOEFL, I have already been studying a TOEFL book called Success at my English School in Brazil, and my teacher is a Great Man, all of that, associated with your explanations about this matter, I think I’ll do well on the TOEFL. Thank you once more!

You are great. I love ur teaching.

thanks alot for the lesson , i find dificulties in wtitter essays , i hope i will improve my writing with your lessons .thanks.

Thanks a lot for all your good efforts. Your lessons have improved my level in English language. Once again thank you very much.

Best regards Salah

it made me very simple in my writing exam……..thankzzz a lot.

hello .. you are awesome. i wanted to ask a doubt which i hold about toefl essays. in essays where we have to present our preference, can we take a mid way stand? if we take one stand,do we need to acknowledge the other side? looking forward to your reply.

how i prepare to give the examination of SAT

U are amazing. Really! I am from Russia and we haven’t some teachers like u. Your video helping me! Thnx!

Hi dear Rebecca Is it possible to use when for present perfect? I know we can use How long, and how You ever but how about when??? Thanks

Hi Rebecca How can I watch your videos?

Dear madam thanks for your kind help , and thanks to your humanity

take care always

what is different futuer possiplity moadl nad conculsion modal

Please, I want to get a good score at toefl ibt which course online must I enter thanks

why I cannot see the vedio? Is anything wrong?

hi rebecca, thank you so much for your resources I was download every one of them, Because I Liked so much,I like your videos and the way that you explain every topic,I think so is a great website and the material is amazing, thank you so much and blessing of every one of you friends as ronnie and jamie they are great teachers. bye bye

hi this is majdi plaese can you tell me how can I write paragragh with out mistak Iive in boston Sencerly,

sory I mean I live

Thank you Rebecca, all your suggestions are very useful! I’m looking forward a way to practice integrated essays writing, I already did all the exercise in the book I bought, then I had a look on line but there is nothing specific about it. Do you know how could I do? I’m looking for reading passages and audio lectures to use for integrated essays practice. Thanks Arianna

i have to admit that rebecca is the smartest teacher in this web site , i highly appreciate her and her lessons thanks alot rebecca

hi i got 29 for the writing section and your information helped a lot thank you

hello miss Rebecca . thank u sooo much for this lesson i got knowledge how i can write essay . i hope the best life for u . may God keep u in safe and protect u and give u what u wish . i love u miss Rebecca so much . your sister : Bashayer from yemen:)

great…thank you very much…this will be help me improve my toefl score… u do a great job..keep on it…

thank u sooooooooooooo much , i was needing this lesson , u gave me points how to write in toefl test , i was writing what’s in my mind but now i understood the steps to write essay in right way . may Allah bless u :)

Its really very very useful site. I met this site today for the first time and i am enjoying it. I hope i can improve my English here. Thank you so much.

Thank you Rebecca for providing such great videos for TOEFL IBT student since a few months ago started to watch your video from Youtube and as well from EnVid.com, and that considerably improved my english efficiency. After all I have a question regarding the exam price for TOEFL IBT test I can’t find out how much it is? more about my other question is about validation of TOEFL Many people says that it expire after every two years and some say vice versa please answer my question if you read my comment Thanks

Thanks for this informative video. I reviewed an interesting subject as preparation for TOFEL.

To Start with, I’d like to say how wonderful are all the courses you gave and that I had the opportunity to discover, these last days. I’m a medical doctor (psychiatrist) in France and I travel a lot around the world. To improve my English, I would appreciate a lot to have EngVid’ courses in DVD. Is it possible to by them somewhere ? I hope you’ll answer to me. Thank yoo so much for your help. Congratulations ! All the best.

its a good help for me and my students..thanks

i really thank u for the amazing explanation……i thank u more for communicating with us n replying to the comments

hi, i am from Bhutan and i am sitting Toefl test but as u have mentioned that it is not easy to appear for the test.as i have praticed the toefl sample paper which i got through mail and i also went through Barrons but i am confused in speaking section and will it be difficult in actual test as i not practiced miuch.and also one i practiced is differnt from Barron.As my test is tomorow.please give me some suggestion/solution.

thanx alot its very helpful lesson am astudent in arab american university in palestine my major is english language iwish if you could visit us in our collage and help us to improve our accent we need anative speaker

Thank you very much ! I really enjoyed your class !!

Best regards, Javier.

Would you mind explain the differents between holiday & holidays? thanks!!

Thank you very much! Very useful

i love it! thanks! ;)

This is a very helpful website.

HELLO TEACHER REBECCA I HOPE FIRST U RE FINE AND I EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO U AND TO ALL ENGLISH TEACHERS AND I WOULD LIKE ALSO TO THANK U FOR UR STRIVING BECAUSE U RE MAKING FOREIGN ENGLISH LEARNERS VERY NIGH TO THE REAL FACTS WAT I WANT TO KNOW AT LAST IS THAT ALL UR LESSONS I REALY DO DO HAVE SOME BUT ACTUALY THEY ARE IN DISORDER ….THANKS AGAIN

I really love your teaching style.

rebecca thank you so much this video is very beneficial =)

can the 1st paragraph be the introduction, 2nd paragraph I give the fact, the 3rd paragraph I give my real life experience and the 4th paragraph be my conclusion?

Thank you alot for making such a helpfull information totally free. I hope it’ll help me on the test day.

thank you a lot your lessons are so helpful. keep up the splendid job

I studied English for a long time, but I never felt so good as these classes. I have fun and learn a lot. Congratulations! Silvia.-

great thank for your lesson but you did not mentioned last one compression and contrast can you tell us how should be ?

thank you you teach very well

thank you teacher.the lecture was very helpful.but while i write essay i cannot generate ideas quickly.can u please give me some suggestion?

wow….i have the same problem!….i think i understand how to write an essay but when i have to do it, i have no idea what to write! :( it’s so frustrating!!!!

can u give some more tips to get understand the given topic well? and if i follow 5 paragraph pattern of writting essay what would be my score range?

i get bad marks in this quiz

thank you for help

Thank you . I definitely can say that I’ve leared something today.

i am in the US. i’m trying to get my GED is this the same type of essay

Dear Teacher, I am really like your lessons, there are very useful for me. I enjoy learning your teaching. I would like to learn more about writing the essays from you. My question is if I choose the topic from 5-types-toefl to write the essay, would you mind to read my essay and score it? So I can know how good I am about writing the essay.

Could you please let me know about my request. Your sincerely. Latsamy

This was incredibly helpful. I am an English teacher in an elementary Academy in Seoul, but have recently been assigned a few older students studying for the TOEFL. I have an English degree and strong background in writing, but I was clueless about what the TOEFL essay expectations were. Thanks for helping me be helpful to my students!

thaaaankss aloooooooooooot it was greeeeeeeeeeeeat

hi, rebbeca thanks for you help, but i will pass my toefl. After i finish my english, but i have a problem in writting what sould i do, please help me.

hey thanks for the amazing video,,im gonna have tofel exam on sunday and i feel afraid and i have to got more than 441 to enter the university tell me some advises to have this mark,,thank you

My students and I have greatly benefitted from your online lessons. Welcome to China.

I got an excellent way of writing essays as well as their types.Thanks a lot.Hope,It will help me in my Toefl.Thanks for your best wishes too. Visit India whenever you are free.

Hi Rebbeca, I have a question to ask you about writing the essay about comparison & contrast. My question is in introduction part do we need a hook, background and the thesis statement?

I’ve been studying English since I was a kid. And now I am staying in US and married with American but I am still not confident with my english:( I will take my TOEFL soon… Dont know what to do

I’m started learn english soon, so give me A good way to be very good in english language by short time and i hope get the ibt certificate . please help me to do my wish . thanks.

I’m wondering what is better, easier: I mean TOEFL or CAE? I really like your lesson! Thank you.

Iwant to speak english perfect

Can I know the difference between the preference types of essay and descriptive & contrast types of essays?

what do u think rebbeca? it`s good or not? can u read this essay and say ur idea?

as u wrote before in ur answers,please wrote more useful vocabulary books?

very good,helpful and useful,and very great teachers

thank you this video has helped me a lot. but i actually have one question in mind to ask. is it always necessary that we write in a certain kind of format that everybody else writes? or do u think it’s too risky to write in a liberal format as in creative writing or etc?

Thank you! and i hope you, too, know that you are an awesome toefl teacher

Its very useful thanks so much

hi, my name is junior A live in Brasil. I loved so much you english class

i some times fine it very had to write good essays because there are some essays i find it very had to understand them and as a result of this i cant wright well on them. i love essays especially when i see good example of written essays.

Hello teacher. How are you doing? I would like to say thanks to you for all hard work you’ve done. I’m absolutely certain that everyone can find something useful to them. I like your website very much!!! I wonder if you could help me overcome my problem. I really want to start writing effectively. But my question is, How to learn to write effectively? What is the first step to good writing? Thanks.

hi teacher i ‘m very happy to you.it’s kind of youand i’m longing to another lesson for which talk how we can improve our sills.i make your lesson of.so i wanted to get your address. thank for all this efforts you do for us.

Do you think if i start to study from this site, i will be excellent in English? what is the best way to pass Tofel Test?. I am a native Arabic man, should i translate to Arabic language all the words i don’t understand? Best Regard Ahmad

thank you teacher for your advice, i know that they they will help in exam

thank you for the test . i got 450 which is the total score in toefl test and i got 4.5 for essay. shall i add 450 to 4.5 to get the final score or what is my final score?

very good exercice1

Hello Rebecca your vidio are realy help me with my IBT But I need someone to correct my essays and give me a mark for each from 1 to 5 as IBT to improve main

I ve heard that the toefl pattern changed now. Can you tell me what are the changes?

good engvid to learn

Please, give me information about the types of TOFEL.

hello,my name is mabiala chance. i want to get toefl lesson on line. i want to how to write a good essay.

thank you Rebecca you are a good teacher I like this lesson

Hi, Rebecca. thank you for you class, there is very interesting and important to improve my English

Dear Rebecca, Your lecture helps me much in understanding and organizing my TOEFL writing responses. But I have a question about the essay pattern in response for compare & contrast questions that should I still organize my body in 3 paragraphs, however the 2 above paragraphs will present 2 major points that make 2 choices significantly different. In each paragraph I will deliver contrast ideas of each and also imply my preference. Then in 3rd paragraph, I will state more easily my preference.

Thank you so much Rebecca!

thank you i got 7 correct answer

thnx mis rebecca this was a very interesting lacture i got 8 out of 8 correct answers

hi, great video, do you teach for the toefl in toronto?

Hi miss I want to know abt integrated writing task…the reading passage would be shown in my screen when i writing the task. Plzz tell me some easy step how to write the task..it seems really hard to me.

i thought it may help you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytubzmj_j94

i do not know how to write an example essay!!!im so confused??

Hi Rebecca, Thank you for thorough explanation. I can’t understand the difference between topics #2 and #5 why do they have different patterns?

Thank you for the videos. Those are very helpful. But I need someone to correct my essays.can you give me a mark for each from 1 to 5 to improve my essay writing

Hi , thank you so much for your valuable time to guide us. I always have problem writing the essay can you give me some example how to began and how to sum up.

thanks very much for you and all the teachers (*_*)

Hi Rebeccca i have serious problems on writing integrated writing?Can you give men an advice?)

Rebecca you’re the Queen

Thank you so much, I`m very happy with this web and I looking this web evreyday before I go to sleep.Merci bcp

That’s good. I hope you dream about us, too.

great video!!! very helpful :)

hello, i live in Vietnam. nice to meet you!

I think it really works .

Hi,Rebecca! THANKS for your valuable suggestions,I really appreciate it.Special thanks for your suggestion about comparison/contrast essay questions.YOU”RE A GREAT TEACHER!You explain everything in such a succinct way!GOD BLESS YOU!GOOD LUCK IN YOUR FUTURE LIFE AND CAREER!Bye

v gain teacher ur efforts r matchless……v gain a great input…….me trying 2 improve ma english through ur efforts……give me some tips teacher…..i will b gratefull

You are a fantastic teacher. After going through your videos on toefl ibt, I have got a lot of clarity on toefl, especially for the writing section. You really are a superb teacher. Wish you all the good luck in you profession.

Thanks & Regards,

I LOVE THIS VIDEO!! Thanks!

me too Valentina .. it soo helpful website

It was a great working from u and I really appreciate you thanks ^_^

Dear Rebecca Hi, I enjoy watching engvid videos. I will be going to sit for TOEFL exam in Feb 2012. I am having difficulty in writing integrated essay. a) How to join the text and lecture in every sentence. b)How to start and end the essay? c ) what are the connector words? Need help. SOS Thank you once again for such a nice video. Mrs.Khan

please teacher i need to help me quikey time i have probelm for the writing thanks so much bay

thanks a lot mrs: rebicca

Ms Rebeca,you are just adorable!Infact you are my Role Model.

Thanks alot mrs Rebicca

This Website (www.engvid.com)is very good. It is useful so much. please Keep it on.

Thank you very much for such a great lesson!

Rebecca if I was asked to write an essay about Agree or disagree, how should I start my essay?

I agree that ….. I disagree ….

could you pleas guide me to the correct way

thank you in advance

you are really good rebeca

it’s clear up everything! thank you very much!

Great lesson! I can feel you!When I was watching this footage it seemed like I was sitting in front of you! I think you’re superb teacher!

i need help with my essay

Hello, I wrote an independent essay on the exam only 294 words long :( How badly it can affect on the score? Thank you in advance!

Hello Rebecca . Thank you very much for such a good and perfect lesson.please, help me ,i need a help, i want to see some essays examples , i need to impove my writing section, it is too bad

thanks foe the lesson…

Thank you so much for your wonderful lesson. i will try to follow all the step you have taught to us.

i would be very much grateful if you could kindly give us the assay topic so that will see whether i can write on it or not….jst my opinon

It’s rather noisy with you, you must leave your studio !!! Bye bye !!!

Nice post. I was watching continuously this site and I’m impressed! Extremely useful info specifically the last part I care for such info much. I was looking for this particular info for a long time. Thank you and best of luck.

I ‘m writing an essay that has 2 questions. I am confuse on where I should put the answer to the second question. Do I write it as a continuation or do I start a new paragraph ? These are my two question, what are the benefits of starting school early? What are some of the problems you see in sending a four year old to school?

It is difficult.

thanks for http://www.engVid , specially to all teacher. The all lesson very important . wonderfull lesson, trims from me at Borneo Indonesia.

Thanks for the vids you have provided, you really get ESL students to learn easily, and be up to date in english.

thank you very much I really learn new things :)

interesting class,,,, thank you so much teacher

Hi Rebeca, That a cool quiz a I heve been learning with this materal!!

Thank you for being an amazing teacher. i’ll do my best using your advices. thanks again.

Hi rebecca, I really wish that I can continue my study in the overseas, to get the scholarship I need the highest score of toefl, but I really weak in listening section n writing, could you give me suggestions????

WOW!!!! Awesome video. It does help me. Thanks you so much!!!!!

TTYL….

hey everyone how’s everything can yu please guy help me in something ??????

Hi, Rebecca this is the web site that my son recommended to me.And first time i try to write this email to you.I’m taking an English course now but i still poor an English and writing,and want to write an essay, I don’t know how to start a paragraph of an essay because my vocabulary and phrase are poor.I hope you can let me know how to improve it. Thank you!

Hi, Rebecca this is the web site that my son recommended me.And it is the first time i try to write this comment to you.I’m taking an English course now but i am still poor in speaking English and writing,and want to write an essay, I don’t know how to start a paragraph of an essay because my vocabulary and Grammar are poor.I hope you can let me know how to improve it. Thank you!

Hi,Rebecca this is the web site that my son recommended me.And it is the first time i try to write this comment to you. I am taking an English course now but i am still weak in English and writing, and want to write an essay,i do not know how to start an essay because my vocabulary and grammar are weak.I hope you can let me know how to improve it. Thank you!

Hi, Rebecca my son recommended me this web site to me.Ane it is the first time i write this comment to you.I am taking an English course now and want to write an essay.i do not know how to write en essay because my vocabulary and grammar is weak. I hope you can let me know how to improve it. Thank you!

Hi, Rebacca I have seen your video and I have learn a lot from u according to my requirement. Rbacca I would like to ask one more question following this video that I understood the tips of rest 3 essay but I NEED MORE EXAMPLE HOW TO EXPLAIN THE REASON 1, REASON 2, AND REASON 3. THANK U VERY MUCH REBACCA.

Thx for information.

The description was apt and i liked the way you explained the independent essay writing. However, i would like to get some ideas about integrated essay writing. Kindly, enlighten me with some ideas

Hi Mrs Rebcca, i love the lesson that u have posted in this net,and i have learn a lot from this lesson. To request you one thing more, i have recently trying to appear in IELTS exam and i have no one to help my work to do necessary correction,so, iam requesting you to help me please. The problem with society today is that it is essentially unbalanced, with some people being paid huge salaries to work very long hours, whilst others do not have a job and have too much time on their hands. There is no middle ground. Do you agree or disagree? Essay

It is certain that, any company, whether Multi-production or single; wish to have limited workers in field experienced, and then are paid very high wedges, as well paid extra work charges, for their extra time works. And then earn huge money. In this assay, I will give brief explanations about how two factors result in the inequality of job.

As it is understood, in year 2011, a great number of people lost their jobs, especially in Europe due to Global Economic crises. The goods and services produced from the factories lost its markets, as a result, income for the company simultaneously reduced. Therefore, workforce has to reduced to small number, selecting by skilled workers, to work more extra hours, in return, they were compensate as per the extra working hours. So they draw more salary in return.

On other hand, fresh graduates from different fields of study do not have work experience, and being so, organizations were reluctant to recruit in their company. Even, if so, in low wedges, but the employee have no interest to work in low salary. By doing so, they were left as unemployed in the job market. Certainly, this increases the unemployment ratio in the global.

In conclusion, the organizations wish to have limited workers, but with far more experienced and long working hours, as to increase their daily income products. Recruiting fresh employee takes time to cope up the organizations work ethic and its rules. These discourage the employer, to employ the newly graduates in their company. Hence, this leads to raise of youth unemployment problems for every country in the world as well as unfairness to human society too.

Thank you very much for explain!!!)

I have a toefl Ibt on 9th of june.I need some useful advice from you to do a better test

thaks a lot

Thanks Engvid.com

Thank you for sharing this great video. This is very helpful.

dear mam you tought me a lot of things today. thankyou.

Hello everybody, I just found a good website to TOEFL IBT where you can follow preparation lessons, and have your test and teacher grading too. if am not wrong. i don’t know if I am authorized to display its link here on this page?

can you send me that link?

Hello! Thank you Rebecca, you’re such a good teacher. I want to know specifically about examples I can find in a TOEFL, besides currently I’m studying for my TOEFL, because the next year I’m goint to take it. Please give me some tips, further I want to apply for a scholarship. Thank you very much! God bless you and take care. =D

Hi Rebecca, congrats for the video. It is cool.I have 3 questions about the independent essays.

1. What type of topic is this question: Salary increases and promotions to new positions are not the only ways to reward employees for good work. What other rewards for good work could be effective in encouraging further good work? Use specific examples to support your response?

This is not really a description type of topic as you have to list more than 1 thing. So what structure would fit this question?

2. I heard the question in the video about the compare topic. It said: Compare the advantages of…..with the advantages of….And then in the structure of the essay you stated that in the body should be used advantages and DISADVANTAGES. So if the question includes only advantages in this case, shall we use the disadvantages too?

3. Could we take the 3rd pharagraph of the body in compare type question into the conclusion. I mean to state our opinion in the conclusion and explain why, there?

till now i didnt have an idea as to how to write an essay , but this video gave me the view to write an essay . i am sure i could do well in writing

Thank you mam for this video. I have a question. For Comparison and contrast question, you mentioned to write advantages and disadvantages of A and advantages and disadvantages of B. What must be in the introduction? Shouldn’t we choose our preference in the thesis statement? and wont it be futile if for reader if we mention the answer to the question only in 4th paragraph?

Thank you!!

Hi dear teacher Rebecca! I’m very disapointed because I wanted to do my MBA in London, but I’m not a native speaker so I need to to TOEFL essay…and now, I’m sure if I’ll be able to do it. I think it’s very difficult…I have to study more english. You are a great teacher. Thank you to inform me about this. Take care

wow! thanks a lot.. this video will help me with the TOEFL i’m sure about that…..you r a nice teacher everything is clear for me…. thanks a lot for helping us. :)

Hi! That’s a really wonderful lesson with the technique of explanation.. Thanks very much.

Dear teacher Rebecca. My name is basir from Indonesia. In my institution regulation that every one should be own a TOEFL certificate if they want to be a manager candidate. I hove that through your material I can improve my TOEFL score. Thanks

thanks rebecca

I have a question about iBT. I need topics for current iBT. Heeeeeeeelp me!

really i love the way to learn thank you

Thaaanks!!! very usefull video:)

can i download the videos at this website?

No. You can watch them.

what is that sites?

i was doing one the of quiz one the question i did said i was wrong but i think, was write “Some students like classes where teachers lecture (do all of the talking) in class. Other students prefer classes where the students do some of the talking. Which type of class do you prefer? Give specific reasons and details to support your choice. i picked preference and i was wrong hmmmmmm

Nice post. I was watching continuously this site and I’m impressed! Extremely useful info especially the last part I care for such info much. I was looking for this specific info for a long time. Thank you and best of luck.

merci énormement Ms. Rebecca, est ce que je peut avoir des lient ou je trouve des examplaire de toefl

Thank you for your helpful video :)

is it possible to have two topic types in one question in the TOEFL exams? i sometimes experience this at school.

I like your teaching method , it is very helpful.Do you have online writing class?

While I was watching your video just the word Toefl. made me scared. I probably fly away from m’y chair.

Wonderful!!!

Dear Mrs Rebecca, Thank so much for your help about the TOEFL. I took last month the TOEFL, I got 18 for the writing part. I am sure if I had visited your website before ,I would have had a better score. As you know it is very difficult to finish the essay in the time alloted for. Could you give me a template for each type of topic that I can study and apply to my essay in order to gain in time ? you can send them onmy email address. Thanks so much.

Hi Rebecca, I found all your lectures (those I have visited so far)on different topics very helpfull. Your way of explaining the topics makes the lecture interesting. Thank you so much and God bless you.

thanks Rebecca great lesson really

thanks Rebecca for your grat lessons could you please explain what the difference between until and by the time ı have looked up some grammar book but ı can’t find enough information about it.if you do ı’ll be pleased thank you again.

Hi how are you I,m in England now to learn English but I still have probalm i can’t speak easy help me pleas thanks

Thank you very much for this enjoyable lesson.

I really like this lesson. You explained plainly the essay patterns.

Thank u so much Rebecca sis… U made me easier for my TOEFL exam…

Thanks a lot!

am not able to score more then 24 on my toefl writing,don’t know what should i do.i follow the 5 paragraph format.

Thanks so much Mrs Rebecca.you are really a wounderful teacher.l think i can make my TOEFL now.

thank’s

Hi Rebecca, very good lesson, congratulation in advance, however I’m not certain about something. In those essays should I use the first person ? I mean, can I refer to myself ? for example using the pronoun “I”

Hello Rebecca! This is really useful, I use the same structures for my essays. However, I have a question and I cannot find an answer to it anywhere. Can the independent essay be longer than 300-350 words? Yesterday I wrote one with 618 words. I think it is a good one and I am able to write long essays for 30 minutes. Would this decrease my score? And can I write a longer answer on the integrated one.. I mean more than 225 words?

Could you give as an example of the integrated writing task? it is quit tricky and the structure and the overal way of writing is a bit difficult. Thank you in advance.

Thank you for your worthy effort ,really its a useful lesson ,what is your advice to got high score in TOEFL exam?

hi Mis , it’s so amazing lesson i realy like it and i learned more ,so thank you so much . mmm actually i have problem with the essay in length especialy of each type of it some times i worry abou t it …..so how i can manage the plan of the essay in each type , also how i can avoid being far away or out from the topic it also happened to me many times i mean in the body of essay how i can make the coherent between paragraphs and make my essays’ body as a one piece more related and avoid irrelevant things , i hope you catch my meaning ,thanks again :)

I really enjoyed watching your English teaching video all day long. You explained very clearly and easy to understand. I am preparing my first time TOEFL IBT test. I found out that you made my life easier and create my confidence for TOEFL exam. Thank you so much for your dedication for all students around the world.

Best regards,

i wonder about the conclusion of the comparison & contrast

i was thought that my opinion is the conclusion isn’t right ? and if it is not what can i write in the conclusion ?

ooh i was able to forget i wanna say THANK YOU A LOOOOOOOOOT really you help me ^_^

Dear Rebecca Thank you very much and this lesson very useful I’m appreciate Good luck

I got by second try :D 100

Thanks a lot.

thank you because you always make it sipmle for us.

Thanks for your help I was really in need of it :)

Hi Rebecca, i want to commend you for taking time to respond to series of questions here andd on your site. My TOEFL exams is in a week’s time and i am slightly nervous. Wish me all the best. Thank you

Well, this sucks

cause it’s too hard to understand

Hi dear teacher. I am very proud of you and thank you for everything. In my opinion you are the best teacher, due to you dear professor I improve my English skills and my pronunciation. Please if it is possible help me. I want to know can I use the word and in one sentence, for example I can never do this work without your helping. I ask because I know that in one sentence can not be two and more negative words. Thank you for helping.

How excellent you are !

Dear Rebeca Your web site is great. I like it. I would like to know some information about the TOEFL JUNIOR test. For example tye a) Essay topics b) Writing topics c) Reading topics Thanks a lot in advance for your kind reply

hello rebecca am having some little issues on compare and contrast essay writing can you tell me more about it or do you have a video about it

I like engvid.com. It’s very useful for all student.:)

Hi,mam i have taken TOEFL in feb 2013.The topic of independent essay is given below. “own reading is important than assigned by teacher” for this question which format need to select among 5 .In the question they haven,t mentioned to write about advantages or disadvantages.please help me,because i got lowest score on this

Hi,you are one of the best teacher ,well tell me essay section will depend on which percentage or how many numbers will it contain?

Hi teacher, I am asking if there website to write essay or paragraph and then correct for ma?

in the other form type essay besides the comparaison and contrast, Do we need to introduce each new idea in a new paragraph?

your teaching style is just amazing! can you give us more detail about this essay? and more examples, please! i really like the way you explain the lectures.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People learn more from their peers than those older than them. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

HI Guys, I am Rahul, searching for a fellow with whom I can chat (Video or Voice both as He/She wants) in English. I am preparing for TOEFL and GRE and I am going to take these exams in the mid of October. In my surroundings I couldn’t get anyone who can talk in English, That’s why I am seeking here. If anyone, who is doing the same and interested to talk to a person who is extremely curious to crack these exams then he or she can contact me through my mail. “[email protected]”. Thax

this is usefull course tank you!!!!

thanks alot

Hello Rebecca. Thank you for the lesson I have a question about the compare & contrast essay. I saw the pattern that we should follow for this question, but my question is do we always have to say the advantages and disadvantages of the topic?, eventhough if in the question is not specify. For example in this one that I found: “Some people enjoy change, and they look forward to new experiences. Others like their lives to stay the same, and they do not change their usual habits. Compare these two approaches to life. Which approach do you prefer? Explain Why”.

Many times it is confused, because we don’t know if we have to write the advantages or disadvantages or just explain them hahah maybe you can find more information in her web site, is this one (www.goodlucktoefl.com) good luck! ^_^

Dear madam, Could you please identify/ clarify me what differences between writing. essay of discussion and argument ? I feel confused. Thnk you very much.

That was a wonderful topic! Thank you so much Rebecca! The engVid is a great place to learn! Thank you guys!

thanks Rebecca,your lesson is very useful,but we need to know about our answer is depend on what the question has or estimate the status.

Hi Rebecca, I am preparing to do IELTS in a few months and I was wondering if anybody from your team can correct my writing, I mean the essays that I do for practice. Do you have this service available, how much will it cost? Thanks

Hi karen””thank u very mutch for this vedio “” but i’ve a issue u know what i want write something but i don’t have any subject to talk about it .So bleace MS.Karen if u can solvt my problem tell me ..

So for the essays Agree/Disagree and Preference I have to write reasons always, right? And for Comparison/Contrast just I have to explain Advantages and Disadvantages. And finally, for the If/Imaginary and Description/Explanation just I have to explain, I don’t have to write specific reasons for them? Thank you very much!

Hello, Rebecca! I greatly admire your lessons – they are are hugely helpful for students who are self-taught in English, just like me. I’m going to take the TOEFL iBT Test in two months and I’ve been looking for lessons on how to structure a phrase/sentence effectively, so I can improve my writing skills. Do you have any lesson video talking about this subject? If not, do you think that could be a good topic to discuss? Thanks for helping and congratulations on your excellent job.

Kind regards,

Matt from Brazil.

I’m taking the TOEFL iBT Test in two months…* (I think it sounds better this way,haha).

I try to answer your quiz teacher and i got 2mistake only but teacher i want to learn more can your help me how to do it? Because i want to learn how to start to write a essay please help me i really want to pass to TOEFL exam so i can pass and join to the higher section please help me

that was great.

Hi Every body Thanks for explanation . this videos was very helpful for me so thanks for present. i appreciate teacher Rebecca i like the way of teaching its so funny , understandable

Rebecca is the best. Would say the greatest. Thanks.

Thanks for the video ! But I wish you had recorded the video in a place less noisy. Because There is so much noise comes from outside ! Although, the microphone was far from you.

Hi Rebecca, thank you for the informative video on how to identify the different essay patterns asked in TOEFL exams.

I will need your help here on a small query I have. It so happens that while I am giving a thought on which topic to choose of the two available ones, I always feel that it is easier to fill in more content when I write the pros and cons about both the topics rather than writing in favour or against one topic only. Can you please help me by stating if this approach by me will be graded with good marks or if it will be gauged to have no certain view and graded to receive lower score.Your help on this will be much appreciated.Thanks in advance.

you’ve got a very clear way to engage with the purpose. thanks so much!

Dear Rebecca, I have to work again and again before to take a TOEFL exam. But why not? Yours sincerely’

oh my god writing essay is so easy to learn with you thnx you sooo much you helped me a lot <3

Hello Rebecca, thank you for this helpful lecture. I got better understandings on TOEFL writing, but I am a little confused. From the examples you give to explain preference type of essay and comparison/contrast type of essay, they are all the same type to me. Could you please explain more about the differences between these types of essay. Thank you very much.

Hi Rebecca, I have a question. In the case of Agree/disagree, what if it is something that I don’t agree or disagree in total in both affirmations? For exemple, if in my opinion the best way is to find a midpoint solution. How should I write? Or, in this case, do you recommend to give preference to one of them even if it’s not my real opinion?

Thank you Rebecca very much, i have a different perspective about help, there are so many ways to help people, and i admire the way how you help us(your students). English – is a hard language to learn to be honest, because there are so many rules and exceptions, but thank you for making it clear, thanks for your explicit answers and definitions. I will take my TOEFL IBT tomorrow, and i will leave my comment about my score as soon as i will get them. Thank you one more time

Hi Rebecca thank you for your lesson. But I can’t detect diferrence between preference type of writing and comparison and compare type. How can I understand whıch one is which one

Hello At first I want to thank you for all these informative videos you have been making. I have question about comparative paragraph. Although I did understand how to structure the body of comparative essay, I am so confused about how to write a thesis statement for this essay. Do I have to state my opinion in the thesis, or to give both sides of comparison the same attention objectively without telling what is my preference?

Thanks a lot madam. But unfortunately I had only 63 as a score. And I want to re take it and maybe there is no way to do it, may you show me how?

Hi madam, it’s ok. I found how to do it. And i got 83. Thanks a lot

Now 88%, really happy

How can I take lesson as special from a teacher in here ?I saw just videos.But I wanna get online TOEFL course from a teacher in this website.Please if you’d help me,I’d appreciate it.

its so workable and thank u soo mush for your effort

As a learners we profoundly thank you for your efforts . hopefully you have a tome to reply my useful question for all of us that if we get the pattern of essay whose kind starts with (if) , what is the verb form we should use in the whole essay to accomplish our task properly ? Kind regards .

Help me a lot to write effective essay . Thank a lot , all the best Rebecca.

Thanks Rebecca. Sometimes we get our mind in black because is already difficult to talk about something when you are not having a conversation, but at least if we have a plan (like the one you just gave us) there is something to begin with.

How can I take lesson as special from a teacher in here ?I saw just videos.But I wanna get online TOEFL course from a teacher in this website.Please if you’d help me,i’d

This is a great lesson

I’d appreciate it

I can easily help to you .I have good TOEFL score and also can speak in turkish.

Good evening! Thanks for this lesson! It helps me a lot) 8/8

i’am happy when lestn these lessons

thank you teacher Rebecca..I really like your way of explaining.

Thanks for the lesson. Very useful!

Very interesting lessons.

My score is 100. Thanks rebbeca. Really helpful

Very useful, not only for TOEFL

You got 6 correct out of 8.

Thank you so much

I want to learn how to write acdemic writting sytle and research paper. please guide me how I shold learn where I can learn about it.

Good morning! Thank you for your video, that was very clear but I have one question: is the essay about the toefl iBt and the toefl rpdt the same? Because the latter is a new format which appeared two years ago, and I can’t find some exercises about it! Thank you.

Thanks Mr. Rebecca.

8/8. Thanks a lot for such simple explanation of essays system.

Exactly, her simple and explanation was fascinating.

Here is a question that I want to ask you. It is about comparison and contrast type of essay in TOEFL, specifically, can you guide me how can we write our thesis in this pattern.

Thanks in advance

Unfortunately, 3 /10

i am sorry 3/8

I watched the video twice on September 25, 2021, and took the quiz after watching it once. I got eight correct out of 8.

I am a student and I should learn English. Thank you, Rebecca!

good to know…

about engVid

Learn English for free with 2059 video lessons by experienced teachers. Classes cover English grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, IELTS, TOEFL, and more. Join millions of English learners worldwide who are improving every day with engVid.

• 2-Intermediate
• Uncategorized

• Privacy Policy

© 2024 LearnVid Inc.

To improve your experience with our site, we use cookies for personalization and technical reasons. By proceeding to use the website, you agree with our Cookies Policy .

• Essay writing service
• Research Paper Writing Service
• Dissertation writing services
• Thesis writing services
• Additional Services
• Math/Science
• Testimonials
• Our Writers

Writing the TOEFL Essay – Your Guide to Common Errors, Sample Topics and Tutorial Help

If you are a student who wishes to study at a college or university in the United States, there are chances that you will be required to take the TOEFL exam as a part of your application process. TOEFL stands for “Test of English as a Foreign Language,” and it is designed to evaluate a person’s proficiency in English.

The reasoning behind the test is this: If you are going to compete with native English-speaking students, especially in the writing of essays and papers in American universities, then you have to have a good command of the language. Professors tend to have the same high expectations for scholarly writing no matter where a student may be from. This does not mean that a low score will always eliminate you, but it will mean that you will have to take ESL classes and get tutoring while you write your essays and papers.

The TOEFL Essay - Types of TOEFL Writing Topics

The TOEFL test is in four parts, and the final part is TOEFL writing – a one-hour session in which you will have to write an essay based upon a prompt that is given. Because you will not have an option of TOEFL writing topics, you will need to be prepared for any type of essay you may need to write. Here are the five types of essays that you may be required to write with a topic example of each type. Hopefully, these  writing tips  will help you prepare for this essay.

1.       The Agree or Disagree Essay TOEFL

For this essay, you will be given a statement or a quotation and be asked to write an essay agreeing or disagreeing with the statement. Your essay should be five paragraphs long, and you should have three reasons for your opinion, each one of them contained in a body paragraph. Writing topics for TOEFL essays of this type might be the following:

• Only people who make a great deal of money can be considered successful
• Parents are the best and most important teachers of children
• High-quality health care is a basic right for everyone
• Every student should study arts in secondary school
• Reading books brings more joy that watching films
• The children should be raised in a countryside and not in a large city
• Visiting live performances is much better than watching them recorded
• People shouldn’t make crucial decisions alone

2.       The Preference Essay

Lots of TOEFL writing topics will be of this type. You will be given two options and asked to state your preference for one or the other and then to give the reasons for that preference. You will need at least three reasons – one for each body paragraph of your essay. Here is a topic example or two of this type of essay:

• When you have free time, do you prefer to spend it on indoor or outdoor activities?
• Would you prefer a dog or a cat for a pet?
• Do you prefer social activities with just a few close friends or large gatherings with lots of different people?
• Does family or friends influence the most youngsters and children?
• Which of learning methods is the most convenient for you?

Your introduction will state your preference and then each body paragraph will provide one reason for that preference.

3.       The “What If” Question

These writing topics for TOEFL allow you to use your imagination but also require you to give at least three reasons for your decision. Here are some typical essay topics that will be given:

• If you were given a large piece of land, what would you do with it?
• If you could meet any famous person in the world, who would you choose to meet?
• If you knew you were dying and had the opportunity to do three things, what would they be?
• If you could visit any country in the world which one would you choose?
• If you could ask your president only one question, what would you ask?
• If you had the opportunity of traveling in time, where and when would you go?

Your introduction will focus on your choice, but a word of caution here. Each of your body paragraphs must be a reason for your choice, not talking about the choice itself.

4.       The Explanation or Description Essay

These TOEFL writing topics will ask you to describe something, and they will not be technical or difficult explanations. Here are a few possible topics that you might expect:

• What are the traits of a good neighbor?
• What are the characteristics of a good boss?
• Describe a good teacher.
• What do you think are the most important characteristics of a good roommate?
• What should a tourist visit in your country if they have only one day there?

Again, you will need to have at least three points to make, each one for a body paragraph. You may need to search for  samples  of these types of essays, so that you can study the types of points that are made.

Before we look at the last type of TOEFL writing essay type, let’s review the commonalities of these first four. Each one will require five paragraphs – an introduction in which you state your thesis or main point, three body paragraphs, each of which will give a reasons or a characteristic, and then a conclusion that will wrap up and summarize your three points. This structure is extremely important and should be followed without exception.

5.       The Compare/Contrast Essay

This essay TOEFL is different than the other four and can be a bit trickier. The structural pattern will differ from the others as well. You will not be giving reasons – you will be comparing and contrasting two things. Here is an example of a typical compare/contrast writing topics for TOEFL you might face:

• College students have a choice to live on campus, in dormitories, or off campus, in apartments. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each and which would you prefer?
• Imagine that you have got enough money to buy a car or to go on vacation. What would you choose?
• Compare and contrast different kinds of transportation. Which one do you prefer?
• What are the Pros & Cons of watching television?
• When moving to another country you can either follow their traditions or keep your own ones. Which way would you choose and why?

The structural pattern will be a bit different, because the essay may only be four paragraphs as opposed to five for the other types. Your introduction will introduce the topic and state that there are advantages and disadvantages of both types of living arrangements. Your first body paragraph will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of living on campus; your second body paragraph will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of living off campus. Your conclusion will need to answer the question of which one you prefer and why?

These body paragraphs and the conclusion will probably be longer than those of the other essay types, but the scorers understand this and will not take off points because you have four longer paragraphs rather than five shorter ones.

Common Errors in TOEFL Writing

The TOEFL writing score is a holistic one, with a student getting anywhere from a 1-6, 6 being the best. It is important to get above a 3 on this essay, so avoiding some common errors will be important:

• Not sticking to the topic. If, for example you are asked to describe something, don’t go off on a tangent giving your opinion about a trait or characteristic or going into long stories about your experiences. Write down the three points you plan to cover in each paragraph and stick to those points.
• Not following the accepted structure. The first four types should have five paragraphs; the fifth will often have only four. Trying to separate your essay into many short paragraphs will confuse the reader and lower your score. It will lack coherency.
• Not using good transitional sentences. At the end of each body paragraph, you should have a sentence that prepares the reader for the next paragraph. This is important, so make sure you do this.
• Not varying sentence length. You should have short simple sentences and then longer, more complex sentences. Use short sentences to make a big initial point; use longer sentences to further explain that point.

Getting TOEFL Writing Practice

You can go online and search for potential TOEFL writing essay topics, and you will find many. Then you can practice writing an essay of that type. If you really struggle with writing these types of essays, another option is this: While you cannot  buy TOEFL essay  products that you actually submit on the test day, you can contact an essay writing service and order some on common topics. These you can use to study and then try to write your own for TOEFL writing practice. 

Using this guide, studying samples of TOEFL essays, and practicing writing each type will ensure that you get a good score on this part of the test. Start early and give yourself plenty of practice time.

Posted by: Natalie

Natalie Andersen The blogger and writing expert for GetGoodGrades.com

over 127 subscribers

• Essay Writing
• Conquer Essay Phobia: The Perfect Formula for a Good Grade
• How to write an essay like greatest writers did?
• The SAT: Making it Less Scary
• Returning Singaporeans - Primary School Placement
• Our Official List of Great Video Game Essay Topics

Price per {{texts.perpage}}:

Total price:

Limitless Amendments

Bibliography

Plagiarism Report

Get all these features for $70.94 FREE

Check the discount here

Make sure you can get 15% discount right now!

Using GetGoodGrade.com for the first time? Get 15%OFF discount - 15OFF!

• Terms of Use
• Money Back Guarantee
• Cookie Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Write My Essay
• Dissertation Writing Services
• Thesis Writing Service

Shopping Cart

No products in the cart.

Sample Essays for the Writing Section of the TOEFL® Test

Sample Essays for the Writing Section of the TOEFL Test ( document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) )

Did you hear about the updated TOEFL iBT Writing section?

On July 26, 2023, ETS introduced a new TOEFL Writing question : Writing for an Academic Discussion.

That’s right. The Independent Writing question has been retired from the official TOEFL iBT test.

Before we get into the topics and sample essays for the new TOEFL Writing question, let’s start with the first task, which hasn’t changed, the Integrated Writing.

TOEFL Integrated Writing Topics

In the TOEFL Writing Section, there are two questions you must respond to. The first question is called the TOEFL Integrated Writing task. The second question is called the TOEFL Writing for an Academic Discussion task.

The integrated question presents a reading and listening passage, followed by a question, which is a bit more complicated.

Simple, right?

No? Still confused.

No worries. The best way to understand something better is through examples.

Let’s do one together.

This TOEFL integrated writing topic deals with the use of  Corn Ethanol .

Give yourself three minutes to read it:

The chemical compound, ethanol, has risen in recent years as the most viable alternative to fossil fuels. Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from crops, mainly from corn in the United States, which can power engines. There are many who argue that corn ethanol should replace fossil fuel gas as the primary source for running cars.

One major benefit of using corn ethanol is that it uses less energy than gasoline. Using less energy means that people can get better gas mileage while driving these more fuel-efficient cars. In the long-run, this will be cheaper for consumers because they can drive further than they do now with fossil-fueled cars. People will spend less money on gas because they won’t have to stop to fill up as frequently.

Another advantage of switching to corn ethanol is that it helps the American economy become less reliant on energy sources from other countries. Petroleum is not readily available in the U.S., so it must be imported from other countries. Depending on foreign relations with those countries, fuel becomes a political issue. Corn is a crop that America has in abundance. By using corn ethanol instead, the cost of gas will decrease because now the import taxes on fossil fuels are calculated into the price. This also means that we will be putting the money into our own economy, thus helping local corn farmers.

One of the most attractive aspects of corn ethanol is how environmentally friendly is when compared to current automobile gasoline. Fossil fuels release carbon that has been stored for years from the earth. Burning biofuels, like corn ethanol, is better for the environment because it releases less greenhouse gas emissions. Lessening the amount of carbon emissions will help prevent global warming and all of the other negative effects of climate change.

Once three minutes have ended, listen to a conversation about the same topic

Now, it’s time to write your TOEFL essay.

Stop reading.

Start writing.

Write your essay before you look at this TOEFL Writing sample. You will learn a lot more if you actually write the essay and then compare this to your own.

Here’s an expert TOEFL teacher’s sample essay to this particular TOEFL Writing topic.

The article introduces the topic of corn-based ethanol. More specifically, the writer discusses the advantages of switching from fossil fuels to this alternative energy source. The lecturer in the listening passage disagrees. He believes that the benefits the author mentions are misleading and attacks each of the claims made in the reading.

In the reading, the author begins by stating that drivers will get better gas mileage on corn ethanol than on fossil fuels, and therefore save money on gas. The speaker, however, disagrees. He states that the production of corn ethanol is very expensive. He says that in order to make for the costs to create and distribute this biofuel, the price of ethanol gas will increase.  Therefore, it will not be any cheaper for consumers in the long run.

The writer also claims that making the switch to corn ethanol will help the American economy because it will make the United States less dependent on foreign oil. Again, the lecturer believes there are flaws in the writer’s argument. He holds instead that mass use of corn-based ethanol will hurt the economy. He elaborates this by point out that the inevitable competition for corn by multiple consumers, including beef and dairy farmers, will drive the price of corn up.

Another reason why the author feels that moving from traditional gasoline to corn ethanol is a good idea is that they are more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels. The professor in the listening passage is doubtful that this is accurate. He suggests that as more farmlands are created to support the demands for more corn, more carbon will be absorbed by the land. This means that these emissions will still be released to negatively affect the environment.

As you can see the author and speaker hold very different views about the use of corn ethanol.

The author here clearly defined the main idea, organized the supporting points from both the reading and listening passage, and showed how they differ from each other. 

I know it may seem a bit difficult, which is why I recommend that you start off with a TOEFL Writing template for both the Writing for an Academic Discussion task and Integrated essay.

Looking for more example essays?

Download our TOEFL Writing 24+ Guide if you would like more sample essays. It includes extra tips, tricks, and strategies you will not find anywhere else. Download it for free here

Too complicated? Don’t worry.

I will share TOEFL writing templates for the Integrated Writing question, which will make your life a whole lot easier.

We have to talk about the Writing for an Academic Discussion question.

Writing for an Academic Discussion Question

You will have 10 minutes to complete the Writing for an Academic Discussion question .

For this task, you will participate in an online discussion. After you read the question and student responses, you will have to write a response that adds to the conversation.

Here’s the breakdown:

This question is straightforward, but let’s do a sample together.

When the question appears on the screen, take two minutes to scan the passage and the student’s opinions.

Start to write your response. Be sure to add to the discussion and avoid repeating the same points as the other students.

Aim to write at least 120 words.

Get peace of mind with these TOEFL Writing Templates

Now that you have a few TOEFL Writing topics and sample essays to study from, you may want to use a writing template to help guide your writing.

A TOEFL template is basically a pre-organized set of words and phrases that you can use in almost any TOEFL Writing response.

Here’s TST Prep’s template for the integrated TOEFL Writing question (question one) :

The article introduces the topic of (general topic). More specifically, the writer discusses (stance of the author on the topic). The lecturer in the listening passage disagrees. He believes that (stance of the professor on the topic) and attacks each of the claims made in the reading.

In the reading, the author begins by stating that (first point made to support stance). The lecturer, however, disagrees. He states that (first counterargument by the professor). He goes on to say that (additional detail about first counterargument).

The author also claims that ( second point made to support stance). Again, the lecturer believes there are flaws in the writer’s argument. The speaker holds that (two sentences about the professor’s second counter-argument).

Another reason why the author feels that (restate stance of author ) is that ( third point made to support stance). The professor in the listening passage is doubtful that this is accurate. He suggests that (two sentences about the professor’s third counter argument ).

To sum up, both the writer and professor hold conflicting views about (general topic). It’s clear that they will have trouble finding common ground on this issue.

And here’s our template for the independent TOEFL Writing for an Academic Discussion (question two) :

You will notice that the sample essays in this article differ from the templates.

You do not have to use templates, it’s up to you. Some people prefer to write in their own unique fashion for the entire exam. However, you will notice that the structure of the templates is similar to the TOEFL example essays.

These templates follow the exact organization and structure you are expected to use on test day, so don’t hesitate to use them in your writing.

Also, don’t forget to download the free 24+ TOEFL Writing Guide if you would like more example essays, templates, and exclusive tips to help you earn the best possible TOEFL Writing score on test day.

If you read this far, it means you are serious about your TOEFL studies. Don’t hesitate to send us an email and let us know how we can help you earn the TOEFL score of your dreams – [email protected]

Did we forget anything? Please comment and let us know how we can improve our TOEFL Writing advice (or if you want to just say hi that would be great too).

Other articles

Ten Awsome Tips for the Writing Section of the TOEFL Test

100 Free Questions for the Listening Section of the TOEFL Test

Check other articles on TOEFL

111 Comments

Hi, Josh. I have a question about copying and pasting in TOEFL writing. I heard some TOEFL teachers say it should be avoided because ETS will consider it a potential form of plagiarism in future academic study.

Could you please provide some suggestions in terms of this issue? Is it ok to copy and paste, since it saves a lot of time in writing, especially on the test day. Thank you!

Great question. The copy-and-paste feature will not work at the test center, and I do not believe it works on the Home Edition either. Regardless, copying and pasting or manually copying the exact words should be avoided. You are always better off putting the answer into your own words.

Hello Josh, I have a question regarding how we can write an advanced writing that will be scored 25+?

Thanks very much for your question. We do have some templates that can help to increase your score. However, to give you a more detailed answer, I would suggest you consider doing an essay evaluation with us so we can help you determine specific areas for improvement. In the meantime, here are some articles that can help.

https://tstprep.com/articles/toefl/ten-awesome-tips-for-the-writing-section-of-the-toefl-test/

https://tstprep.com/articles/toefl/sample-essays-for-the-writing-section-of-the-toefl-test/

Hi Josh! For the academic writing, I only gave my reason for the topic, and I forgot to mention the opinion of the other student. I checked my word count. It is already past 100 words, and I do not want it to be too long. Do we really need to mention the other students’ opinion?

Hi Ireen. Great question! We often suggest mentioning one of the other students, but it is not required. As long as what you said was on topic, you “added to the discussion,” and gave specific reasons and examples, you should be okay with the 100 words you wrote.

Hello, I have a question about the independent writing: Is it a problem if I just give one reason in my essay (but detailed enough)? Thank you

Hi there and thank you for your question. There are no specific grading criteria that say you MUST give two reasons for your opinion, so, in theory, yes, you can just give one reason. I don’t think you will be marked down for it. If possible, try to give two though. It will make your word count higher.

Hello Josh, I was wondering if you have more integrated writing questions that we could do for practice, do you know where to find them?

Hi there and thank you for your question. If you search “TOEFL Writing Practice test” on Youtube you will find 2-3 TST Prep practice videos with an Integrated Writing practice question. I’m sure there will be tests from other providers as well.

Hey Josh, I have been following your YouTube channel for my TOEFL preparation, where I learned a lot. My question is that I got stuck between 15-17 scores in the reading section and could not figure out what I would do to enhance my scores. Any suggestions?

Hi there Ashina, and thank you for your question.

It is, indeed, a difficult question to answer. Here are two pieces of advice on how to practice at home and how to improve time management:

HOW TO DO A PASSAGE

I am going to breakdown the process you should go through when you do a TOEFL Reading passage:

1. Copy the test conditions (set a timer to complete the passage and all the questions in 18 minutes)

2. Check your answers

3. Identify the reason you got a specific question wrong (or didn’t understand why you were correct) and write down what you can do to avoid the same mistake next time. Step #3 is the most important and the one often overlooked because most test-takers are pretty tired after reading and answering questions. This will help you notice patterns in incorrect choices and apply what you have learned later.

4. (Optional) Do the same passage again two weeks later. (You will remember much of what you did before, but it should help remind you of what you have learned)

TIME MANAGEMENT

My advice is pretty simple here, practice with LESS TIME. If it is not too stressful, try to complete a passage and all of the questions in 16 minutes (instead of 18). This usually does the trick for most students over time.

I hope you find some of this helpful. Good luck, and let me know if you need anything.

Hey Josh, in the Reading section the last question holds two marks where we are asked to pick three choices. I have always have a hard time getting the perfect score here. any suggestions, please…

Hi Kiba, this is a popular complaint. I posted a video about summary questions here. You might find it helpful.

Hey Josh, I have a question. If the question is saying a good essay is between 200 and 300, and I wrote more than 300, is this okay? Or should I make it only as maximum as they are saying?

Hi Joud and great question. Definitely write MORE. There is a direct correlation between test scores and word count, so the more you write the better. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should write as much as possible as fast as possible, but anything between 350-450 words would be great.

Hey Josh, I think I do well in my writing section, but my score doesn’t improve. Is there anything that I can do to know my mistakes from the ETS?

Hi Aziz, good question, and unfortunately, no, they do not release that information. The best you can do is work with an experienced teacher who can point out your weaknesses and work on them at home before test day.

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cancel reply Submit Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Related Articles

TOEFL iBT® Paper Edition: Your Top 10 Questions Answered by ETS®

Registration has already begun for the brand new TOEFL iBT Paper Edition test, with the first tests scheduled to be administered in Colombia, Mexico, the United States, and India in December 2021.

Wait, wait, wait… what?

A TOEFL iBT Paper Edition? I thought you had to take the TOEFL iBT on a computer.

Questions, Topics and Sample Answers for the Speaking Section of the TOEFL® Test

TOEFL Speaking practice questions. You need them, we’ve got them.

And not only that, but we have included sample answers so you know exactly how to speak to score high on test day.

These TOEFL Speaking topics and sample answers were carefully crafted to show you the ideal structure for each question type. Check them out.

Complete Practice Test for the TOEFL® Test

What you need is a free and complete TOEFL practice test with an answer key that explains the answer to each question. Not only that, but this test should include speaking responses and essay samples so you know how to speak and write on test day.

This is the free practice test you’ve been looking for.

And not only do you get access to a free TOEFL practice test, but we will also break down each section of the test and provide five study tips to help you improve your TOEFL score.

Duolingo English Test® vs. the TOEFL iBT®

Your dream is to study abroad, but the entire process is a massive headache. You have to fill out applications, research visa requirements, and prepare for exams.

One common requirement is an English language proficiency exam. You have probably heard about the TOEFL iBT® before, but there is a chance you might be able to take a new test: the Duolingo English Test®

Ten Awesome Tips for the Writing Section of the TOEFL® Test

We know it can feel impossible to write two complete essays in under 40 minutes! But that’s exactly what you have to do in the TOEFL Writing section.

That’s why we have compiled a list of ten of our best TOEFL Writing tips so you feel cool and confident on test day.

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

TOEFL Prep Online Guides and Tips

The best toefl writing templates for any prompt.

Even if English composition isn’t your forte, you can still earn a high score on the TOEFL Writing section by following a template. But what exactly is a TOEFL Writing template? Simply put, TOEFL essay templates teach you how to organize your thoughts, select strong pieces of evidence, and get the Writing score you want .

In this article, we’re providing you with  two high-quality TOEFL essay templates for the Integrated and Independent Writing tasks. Before that, we’ll go over the differences between the two TOEFL Writing tasks and then discuss how our TOEFL essay templates can benefit you. After, we’ll teach you how to customize and use our templates.

What Essays Will You Write on the TOEFL?

The Writing section is the final section you’ll face on the TOEFL, and it consists of two separate tasks: an Integrated Writing task and an Independent Writing task . The Integrated task requires you to write a response comparing a lecture and an article, whereas the Independent task requires you to write an opinionated essay in which you agree or disagree with an idea.

Below, we examine the two TOEFL Writing tasks in detail.

Integrated Writing Task

For the Integrated task, you must read a passage on an academic topic for three minutes and then listen to a short lecture on the same topic. This lecture will either support or challenge what’s written in the passage. Your response must  summarize the main points discussed in the lecture and explain how these points relate to the reading .

You’ll have a total of  20 minutes to write your response. Your response should be around  150-225 words . During this time, you may reread the passage; however, you may not listen to the lecture again.

By the way: we have built the world's best online TOEFL course . Get online practice (TPO-sytle!) and individual grading and feedback on Speaking and Writing.

Learn how you can improve your TOEFL score by 15 points today .

The score you receive for this task will be on a scale of 0-5 . According to the official rubric , a level-5 essay (i.e., a perfect essay) selects the most crucial information from the lecture and presents it in a coherent, accurate, and well-organized manner. A level-3 essay is satisfactory but overall vague, with fewer key points and several grammatical errors. Finally, a level-1 essay offers minimal coherency and fails to address any of the main points in the lecture. ETS (the creators of the TOEFL) offers  several samples of scored Integrated essays  online.

Below is an example of an Integrated Writing task borrowed from  ETS :

Reading Passage

Critics say that current voting systems used in the United States are inefficient and often lead to the inaccurate counting of votes. Miscounts can be especially damaging if an election is closely contested. Those critics would like the traditional systems to be replaced with far more efficient and trustworthy computerized voting systems.

In traditional voting, one major source of inaccuracy is that people accidentally vote for the wrong candidate. Voters usually have to find the name of their candidate on a large sheet of paper containing many names—the ballot—and make a small mark next to that name. People with poor eyesight can easily mark the wrong name. The computerized voting machines have an easy-to-use touch-screen technology: to cast a vote, a voter needs only to touch the candidate’s name on the screen to record a vote for that candidate; voters can even have the computer magnify the name for easier viewing.

Another major problem with old voting systems is that they rely heavily on people to count the votes. Officials must often count up the votes one by one, going through every ballot and recording the vote. Since they have to deal with thousands of ballots, it is almost inevitable that they will make mistakes. If an error is detected, a long and expensive recount has to take place. In contrast, computerized systems remove the possibility of human error, since all the vote counting is done quickly and automatically by the computers.

Finally some people say it is too risky to implement complicated voting technology nationwide. But without giving it a thought, governments and individuals alike trust other complex computer technology every day to be perfectly accurate in banking transactions as well as in the communication of highly sensitive information.

Lecture Transcript

(Narrator) Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.

(Female professor) While traditional voting systems have some problems, it’s doubtful that computerized voting will make the situation any better. Computerized voting may seem easy for people who are used to computers. But what about people who aren’t? People who can’t afford computers, people who don’t use them on a regular basis—these people will have trouble using computerized voting machines. These voters can easily cast the wrong vote or be discouraged from voting altogether because of fear of technology. Furthermore, it’s true that humans make mistakes when they count up ballots by hand. But are we sure that computers will do a better job? After all, computers are programmed by humans, so “human error” can show up in mistakes in their programs. And the errors caused by these defective programs may be far more serious. The worst a human official can do is miss a few ballots. But an error in a computer program can result in thousands of votes being miscounted or even permanently removed from the record. And in many voting systems, there is no physical record of the votes, so a computer recount in the case of a suspected error is impossible! As for our trust of computer technology for banking and communications, remember one thing: these systems are used daily and they are used heavily. They didn’t work flawlessly when they were first introduced. They had to be improved on and improved on until they got as reliable as they are today. But voting happens only once every two years nationally in the United States and not much more than twice a year in many local areas. This is hardly sufficient for us to develop confidence that computerized voting can be fully trusted.

Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage.

Independent Writing Task

For the Independent task, you will write about your opinion on a certain topic . You must provide clear reasons and specific examples for why you agree or disagree with the issue or statement. (This doesn’t have to be your real opinion, though!) You’ll have 30 minutes to write your response. A typical high-scoring essay is at least 300 words .

You’ll receive a score on a scale of 0-5 . According to the official rubric , a level-5 essay effectively addresses the topic, provides clear and ample details, and contains at most only minor issues with grammar and word choice. A level-3 essay offers a generally coherent response with occasional slips in clarity. Finally, a level-1 essay offers little to no detail and contains multiple technical errors. You can look at samples of Independent essays  on the ETS website.

Here is an example of an Independent Writing task taken from ETS :

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

Always telling the truth is the most important consideration in any relationship.

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Integrated Task vs. Independent Task

So far we’ve covered all of the basic components of the TOEFL Writing tasks. To briefly recap, here is an overview of the Integrated and Independent Writing tasks:

What Is a TOEFL Writing Template?

The purpose of a TOEFL Writing template is to help you compose a detailed and eloquent essay — and of course get you a high Writing score! But what exactly is a template?

It’s easiest to think of an essay template as a skeleton . While a skeleton is the framework for a body, a template is the framework for an essay . Thus, a TOEFL Writing template highlights basic structural patterns and phrases you can integrate into your own writing. What a template doesn’t do is write your essay for you. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how you’ll add the skin and muscles (i.e., the details and supporting evidence) to your “skeleton.”

Furthermore, writing templates are typically created to suit different types of essays . For example, a template for a compare/contrast essay will differ from a template for an editorial piece. This is why it’s so important you use a writing template specifically geared toward the TOEFL!

What Are the Benefits of a TOEFL Writing Template?

There are three major benefits to using a TOEFL Writing template.

It Organizes Your Thoughts

Using a TOEFL Writing template ensures you’ll have a focused and well-organized response . A high-quality template teaches you how to structure your response so that your introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs are all clearly defined. This way, even if your grammar and spelling aren’t perfect, your response will still have an overall strong framework that’s easy to follow.

TOEFL essay templates also show you  what kinds of transitions you can use and where . Transitions are a key component of essays that allow you to connect your thoughts and progress to new ideas smoothly. Truth be told, you probably won’t score super highly on the TOEFL Writing section if you don’t use any transitions!

It Saves You Time

Another big benefit of using a TOEFL Writing template is that it saves you time on the Writing section. Since you’ll already have a sense of how you’re going to structure your essay,  you’ll spend less time planning it out and   coming up with transitions, openings, and closings. As a result, you’ll get more time to actually write out your response!

It Gives You Confidence

Lastly, a TOEFL Writing template allows you to  feel more prepared on test day. Many test takers find it difficult to write out responses to English-language prompts in only 20 or 30 minutes. But TOEFL essay templates equip you with the skills you’ll need to feel more confident in your writing skills — and confidence is the first step toward getting a great TOEFL score!

2 TOEFL Essay Templates for You to Use

In this section, we offer you   a TOEFL Integrated Writing template and an Independent Writing TOEFL template . We also provide you with a handy list of key transitional words and phrases  you can incorporate into your essays.

Please note that you do not need to follow these templates directly. In fact, we strongly encourage you to replace our sample words and phrases with your own . We will talk more about how to customize our TOEFL essay templates in the following section. But for now, let’s take a look at the templates!

Template 1: Integrated Writing Task

Before we dive into our TOEFL Integrated Writing template, let’s get a quick reminder of what the Integrated task entails.

For this task, you’ll read a passage and then listen to a lecture. Your task is to summarize the lecture and explain whether the lecture challenges or supports what’s written in the passage. You’ll have 20 minutes to compose a response of around 150-225 words .

We’ll divide our template into four paragraphs:  an introduction and three body paragraphs . You shouldn’t need a separate concluding paragraph for this task, as you can still score a 5 without one (plus, you likely won’t have enough time to write one!). But if you want to write a conclusion, just be sure you keep it short —  two to three sentences  at most.

Now, on to the TOEFL Integrated Writing template!

Paragraph 1 (Introduction)

Your first paragraph will introduce the lecture and how it relates to the reading. This paragraph doesn’t need to be long; a simple  two or three sentences should suffice.

1. Begin with a topic sentence that summarizes the main point of the lecture.

• According to the lecture, …
• Based on the lecture, …
• The lecturer states/believes that …
• The lecturer talks about …
• The lecturer discusses …

2. Next, explain whether the passage refutes or supports the main point of the lecture.

Examples (Contrast):

• By contrast, the author of the passage explains/states/posits that …
• The author of the passage, however, disagrees with this idea/belief. Instead, he/she believes that …
• The author of the passage, however, doubts this idea/belief and thinks that …
• The author challenges this point, however, by explaining/suggesting/positing that …

Examples (Agreement):

• This line of thinking agrees with that of the author, who states that …
• The author of the passage agrees with this notion/idea/belief, stating that …
• Likewise, the author of the passage explains/states/posits that …
• The author of the passage supports this idea/belief, explaining that …

Paragraph 2 (Body)

In this paragraph, you’ll want to focus on one of the key points in the lecture and explain whether the passage refutes or supports this idea.

1. Introduce the main point you’ll be discussing.

• First, the lecturer asserts/claims/suggests that …
• For one, the lecturer thinks/believes that …
• The first point the lecturer makes is that …

2. Next, describe this particular point in more detail and then discuss how the passage either refutes or supports it. I suggest using one to two sentences here.

• On the other hand, the author asserts/claims/suggests that …
• Likewise, the author thinks/believes that …
• This concept is refuted/supported by the passage, which asserts/claims/suggests that …

3. Finally, conclude your paragraph by explaining what this difference or similarity means .

Want to improve your TOEFL score by 15 points?

Registration is now open for our best TOEFL course . We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your TOEFL score by 15 points or more.

PrepScholar TOEFL is online and it features thousands of practice questions and 1-on-1 Speaking and Writing review and feedback.

• This difference/similarity ultimately means/indicates that …
• Basically, the lecturer/author is saying that …
• The lecturer and author are essentially in agreement with each other. Both think/believe that …
• Clearly, the lecturer and author maintain different views on …

Paragraph 3 (Body)

In this paragraph, you’ll focus on another key point in the lecture and again discuss how the passage either agrees or disagrees with this idea. The structure here is essentially identical to that of paragraph 2, so make sure you are using new transitions and varying your word choice.

1. Start by introducing the second point  in the lecture you’ll be discussing. Because this is your second body paragraph, do not use transitions such as “first” or “first of all.”

• Second, the lecturer argues/contends/asserts that …
• Next, the lecturer suggests/proposes that …
• Another key point the lecturer makes is that …

2. Next, explain this key point in more detail  and elaborate on how it is either refuted or supported by the passage. As with paragraph 2, I recommend using one to two sentences here.

• In other words, the lecturer is suggesting/proposing that …
• The author, however, agrees/disagrees with this idea/belief, suggesting/proposing that …
• Similarly, the author argues/contends/asserts that …

3. Finally, explain what this difference or similarity means .

• What this difference/similarity means is that …
• This difference/similarity in thinking tells us that …
• Evidently, the lecturer thinks/believes that … , whereas the author thinks/believes that …

Paragraph 4 (Body + Conclusion)

This final body paragraph will offer  your last key point in addition to a brief conclusion . Once again, try to vary your transitions and words here so that your body paragraphs do not sound redundant.

1. Introduce and summarize the third point in the lecture . This is your third and final body paragraph, so do not use transitions such as “first” or “next.” Instead, use transitions such as “third,” “finally,” “last,” and “lastly.”

• Third, the lecturer explains/states that …
• Finally, the lecturer introduces the idea that …
• Lastly, the lecturer goes on to say that …

2. Then, explain this point in more detail and discuss whether the passage matches or challenges it. Use one or two sentences here.

• This point is also made in the passage, which argues/contends/asserts that …
• The passage supports this idea, suggesting/proposing that …
• On the contrary, the author writes that …

3. Finally, conclude your paragraph by explaining the significance of this similarity or difference . You should also look at this sentence as the conclusion to your entire response . Remember, you do not need to write a separate concluding paragraph for this task; it’s perfectly OK to combine it with your last body paragraph!

• In conclusion, the lecturer and author appear to be in agreement/disagreement about …
• All in all, the lecturer argues/contends/asserts that … , whereas the author argues/contends/asserts that …

Template 2: Independent Writing Task

For this task, you will read a short prompt and then write a response explaining whether you agree or disagree with the issue or idea. Unlike the Integrated task, here you’ll be writing an opinionated response  (though you do not have to write about your actual opinion).

You’ll have 30 minutes to write an essay of at least 300 words . Because this essay should be longer than the Integrated task, it’s best to use the basic five-paragraph structure, with an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Note that many of the example sentences below are based on the sample Independent Writing prompt used above . This means that these sentences will not apply exactly to other prompts! So don’t simply copy the sentences onto your test; instead, use them as a general guide to help you develop a better sense of style and flow in your writing.

Now, let’s take a look at our Independent Writing TOEFL template.

In this paragraph, you’ll introduce the main issue or idea and rephrase the prompt in your own words. Then, you’ll state whether you agree or disagree with the statement and why.

1. For your first sentence, you’ll want to come up with a hook  that introduces the topic of your essay in a unique and creative way. Most people  start broad and then get specific . This sentence is also a great opportunity to insert a hypothetical question.

• There is great debate about .. .
• It is said that .. . But is this always true?
• Many people wonder  whether telling the truth at all times is necessary in order to maintain a healthy relationship with someone .

2. Next, introduce your opinion on the topic . You may list your specific reasons for your opinion here or in the following sentence(s). Remember, this doesn’t need to be your real opinion!

• In my opinion, …
• I believe that … is important because …
• I agree/disagree with this idea/suggestion because …
• For me, although telling the truth is important , there are many cases in which it’s OK to lie .

3. Here, state how many points (three is ideal) you’ll be discussing in your essay and then  briefly summarize what these reasons for agreeing or disagreeing are . Your reasons may come from facts, predictions, personal beliefs, experiences, etc.

• In this essay, I will address three potential problems with lying in relationships .
• Lying is never a smart idea because it undermines trust in relationships, causes feelings of betrayal, and often leads to more lying.

In this paragraph, you’ll introduce  your first key point about the issue and offer specific examples illustrating why you agree or disagree.

1. For the first sentence, introduce the key point you want to talk about.

• First of all, lying can make it difficult to trust someone in a relationship.

2. Next, provide an example to explain why you believe this is the case . I suggest using a hypothetical situation somewhere in your essay to help illustrate one of your points.

• For example, if a father lied to his daughter by telling her she was good at drawing, the daughter might begin to wonder whether her father has lied to her about other things, too.

3. Continue your paragraph by elaborating on your example . Explain any effect or consequence of the example and discuss how this outcome supports your viewpoint.

• The next time the father praises his daughter for something, she might believe he is lying, even if he isn’t. In other words, the daughter might find it difficult to trust her father, thereby damaging their relationship.

This paragraph will follow a similar structure to that of paragraph 2, only this time you’ll discuss your second key point . To prevent this paragraph from sounding too similar to the one before it, vary your word choice and choose a different type of example on which to focus.

1. In the first sentence, introduce your second key point . Because this is your second body paragraph (and second point), make sure you employ appropriate transitions, such as “second,” “secondly,” and “next.”

• Second, lying can cause feelings of betrayal in relationships.

2. As you did in paragraph 2, use these next few sentences to elaborate on your point and offer specific examples . Always clarify how your examples support your stance (agree or disagree) and how they relate back to the issue stated in the prompt.

• When I was young, I lied to my best friend about being able to attend her birthday party. She later told me I’d betrayed her and that we couldn’t be friends anymore. Essentially, because I’d lied to her, I destroyed our relationship.

Paragraph 4 (Body)

This is the last body paragraph in which you will introduce and explain your third and final key point .

1. First, introduce your third point . As this is your final body paragraph, make sure you’re using appropriate transitions, such as “finally,” “last,” “lastly,” and “third,” to introduce your point.

• Lastly, lying often begets more lying. This means that once you tell a lie, you will become more likely to tell other lies.

2. As you did in paragraphs 2 and 3, elaborate on this point by providing new evidence, details, and/or examples. Explain why this point is important and how it supports your stance on the issue.

• If you lie but nobody knows you’ve lied, you might begin to believe it’s OK to lie. As a result, you start to lie more and more. However, once people realize how often you lie, they’ll likely lose all trust in you and might even decide to end their relationships with you.

Paragraph 5 (Conclusion)

Like the Integrated Writing task, a separate concluding paragraph isn’t always necessary here . That said, if you have time, I recommend quickly wrapping up your points in a concise yet effective conclusion. One to three sentences should suffice.

1. In the first sentence or two, summarize your stance and explain why you feel this way . You may re-introduce your three main points here. You may also paraphrase the prompt and explain once more whether you agree or disagree with the issue and why.

• In the end, I believe telling the truth is the most important consideration in a relationship.
• Ultimately, lying can easily destroy relationships because it weakens trust, results in feelings of betrayal, and often causes more lying.

2. Finally, if you have time, bring together your concluding paragraph with a single general statement about your viewpoint .

• This is why it is imperative we always refrain from lying.
• Thus, the only way to ensure your relationships with others are healthy is to always tell the truth.

54 Key Transitions & Phrases

In addition to TOEFL essay templates, we offer you an assortment of  common transitions and phrases you can use in your TOEFL responses. These words will allow your writing to flow more smoothly and connect your thoughts in a clearer, more logical manner.

To add information to a point, or to introduce a new (related) point:

• In addition, …
• Additionally, …
• Furthermore, …
• Moreover, …
• Besides, …
• Also, …

To introduce an example:

• For example, …
• For instance, …

To introduce an opinion:

• I believe that …
• I think that …

To start a new body paragraph:

• First off, …
• First of all, …
• To begin/start, …
• Secondly, …
• Last, …

To add similar or related information:

• Likewise, …
• Similarly, …
• On a related note, …

To restate information in a shorter or clearer way:

• In other words, …
• In short, …
• Simply put, …
• Essentially, …
• In essence, …
• Basically, …

To contrast information:

• That (being) said, …
• Nevertheless, …
• Nonetheless, …
• By/in contrast, …
• On the contrary, …
• On the other hand, …

To show cause and effect:

• As a result, …
• Because of this, …
• As such, …
• Consequently, …
• Therefore, …

To emphasize information:

• Evidently, …
• Clearly, …
• Certainly, …

To conclude information, a paragraph, or your overall response:

• In conclusion, …
• All in all, …
• As you can see, …
• In the end, …
• Ultimately, …

How to Customize a TOEFL Writing Template

Below, we offer you a few pieces of advice to help you customize your TOEFL Writing template.

Integrated Writing Template

Here are two ways to customize our TOEFL Integrated Writing template.

#1: Tweak Sample Sentences & Openers

The sample sentence and openers we’ve provided above don’t contain any specific information, so you are welcome to incorporate these examples into your own Integrated Writing response however you like.

That said, you don’t need to use these examples exactly as they are . If you’d like to tweak them, try replacing the verbs and transitions with other (synonymous) words. I also suggest adding adverbs to emphasize certain words. So for example, instead of writing, “The author, however, disagrees with this belief,” you could write, “The author, on the other hand, strongly challenges this concept.”

Just be sure that the examples you’re using in your essay fit with the type of lecture-passage relationship you’re given. Remember, this relationship can be either supportive (in which the lecture agrees with the passage) or contrastive (in which the lecture disagrees with the passage).

#2: Use Different Words to Emphasize Contrast

Most Integrated Writing tasks will give you a lecture that challenges  what’s written in the passage. In these cases, it’s important you use a variety of transitions, conjunctions, and prepositions to emphasize this important contrast throughout your essay.

There is one caveat, though:  do not use a single transition more than once in your response . For instance, if you were to consistently start your supporting sentences with “however,” your essay would lack balance and begin to sound redundant. So be sure to vary your word choice!

Here is a list of strong contrastive words you can use in your Integrated Writing response:

• Nonetheless …
• Even though
• In spite of

Independent Writing Template

Here are three ways you can customize our Independent Writing TOEFL template.

#1: Choose the Side That’s Easier to Support

Although the Independent Writing task asks specifically whether you agree or disagree with an idea, you do not need to write about your real opinion . What you should really do is choose the side that’s easier to argue — regardless of whether you actually agree or disagree with it!

In other words, it’s perfectly OK to make things up for this response and pretend you support something you don’t actually believe. Remember, you are not being judged on which stance you choose but on  how effectively you support your stance.

#2: Do Not Copy Sample Sentences Word for Word

For this task’s examples, I’ve primarily supplied you with whole sentences, all of which were based on the sample Independent Writing prompt used above. Because our examples refer to a specific prompt, you cannot  copy these sample sentences word for word and use them in your own essay . Failing to change these sentences means your essay won’t make a whole lot of sense, if any at all!

Therefore, what you should actually be doing is using these example sentences to learn what types of details to include in your Independent Writing response. You may also use our examples to get a feel for how you can change up your sentences and word choice.

#3: Vary Your Supporting Details

For your response, you must come up with specific details and examples to support your viewpoint. These examples can range from facts and statistics to experiences and hypothetical situations.

In order to produce a truly compelling response (and get a high essay score), you must incorporate a variety of effective examples into your essay. This means you’ll want to  avoid using the same types of examples for each point you make . So if you were to discuss a personal experience for your first body paragraph, focus on a different type of detail, such as a universally accepted fact or a hypothetical scenario, for your second body paragraph.

How to Use a TOEFL Writing Template: 4 Tips

Finally, here are four general tips for using a TOEFL Writing template effectively.

#1: Employ a Variety of Transitions

The sample sentences and openers we’ve given you for each template above contain different transitions to help link ideas together; thus, we encourage you to use a variety of transitions in your own essays . For ideas, refer to our transition list above. This list can help you swap out some of our sample transitions for other ones you believe fit better with your writing.

Ultimately, varying your word choice is critical to ensuring your essay is well written . This means that a high-scoring TOEFL essay will not simply use transitions but use them well . So if you’ve already inserted “therefore” in one area, try using “as a result” or “thus” in another area. You’ll still get the same meaning but with a stronger, more versatile effect.

#2: Add Details Without Rambling

Don’t feel limited by the number of sentences we’ve included in each body paragraph in our templates. If you need to use two or three sentences to explain a point, that’s OK! You should always give a lot of detail for your points — so long as you are staying concise and focused.

For example, if you spend a paragraph discussing a hypothetical scenario but fail to offer any analysis, you probably won’t receive a high TOEFL score. Likewise, if you write a verbose introduction or conclusion, your score may end up being lower than you wanted it to be.

Basically, you must find the perfect balance between detail and analysis. A good way to monitor this balance is to  always try to hit the word minimum for each task . Doing this means you’ll likely have an essay that’s sufficiently detailed. Just try not to exceed the maximum or you’ll risk rambling!

#3: 2 Strong Points Is Better Than 3 Weak Ones

Each of our TOEFL essay templates above has three body paragraphs and three main points. Although three points is a solid number of points, if you can only think of two points, just stick with those and try to   support them as clearly and effectively as possible.

As you can see in the sample TOEFL essays here , many essays with scores of 2 and 3 actually address three points — but their points are altogether weak, with few supporting details and insufficient analysis. What this means is that just having three points in your essay isn’t enough to guarantee you a high essay score . Thus, it’s far better to write an essay with two strong points than three weak ones.

#4: Do Not Copy Entire Sentences From the Prompt

If you struggle with English, you might be tempted to borrow some sentences and phrases from the prompt. While it’s OK to paraphrase sentences, you should never copy exact sentences from your prompt .

Copying the prompt shows evaluators that you lack the English level necessary for writing creatively and analytically. On top of this, copying is also a form of plagiarism, which means you are essentially “stealing” another’s work.

So what does this mean for your score? If you copy entire sentences and phrases from the reading or topic, you will receive a score of 0 .

Additional Resources for TOEFL Essay Templates

In addition to our templates above, here are a couple of online resources offering high-quality TOEFL essay templates you can use for free.

• TOEFL Resources : This resource offers detailed templates for the Integrated and Independent Writing tasks along with useful transitional phrases and sentence openers.
• Magoosh : This handy PDF contains a lengthy list of transitions as well as various sample TOEFL essays.

Recap: How Can a TOEFL Writing Template Help You?

TOEFL essay templates are an especially useful component of TOEFL prep because  they raise your chance of achieving a high TOEFL Writing score .

With TOEFL essay templates, you can organize your thoughts more clearly, spend less time outlining your responses, and prepare for the TOEFL with increased confidence. Our templates are also flexible , allowing you to customize certain elements to your liking and cater the templates to many different prompts.

When using a TOEFL template, always remember the following four tips:

• Employ a variety of transitions throughout your essay
• Add details but try not to ramble
• Two strong point are better than three weak ones
• Do not copy exact sentences from the prompt

Now that you’re equipped with our TOEFL essay templates and the knowledge of how to use them, you should have no trouble getting a great TOEFL Writing score!

What’s Next?

Seeking additional help with the TOEFL Writing section?  Start practicing with our 13 Writing topics  and get information on what resources you can use for high-quality Writing topics .

What does a high-scoring TOEFL essay look like? Take a look at our analyses of two perfect-scoring TOEFL essays  to learn what you can do to guarantee yourself a high essay score on test day.

Want more TOEFL templates?  Check out our TOEFL Speaking templates to improve your English-speaking skills and confidence.

Ready to improve your TOEFL score by 15 points?

Author: Hannah Muniz

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in English and East Asian languages and cultures. After graduation, she taught English in Japan for two years via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. View all posts by Hannah Muniz

• school Campus Bookshelves
• menu_book Bookshelves
• perm_media Learning Objects
• login Login
• how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
• hub Instructor Commons

Margin Size

• Download Page (PDF)
• Download Full Book (PDF)
• Periodic Table
• Physics Constants
• Scientific Calculator
• Reference & Cite
• Tools expand_more
• Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

4.1: Introduction to Comparison and Contrast Essay

• Last updated
• Save as PDF
• Page ID 174873

\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)

\( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)

\( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)

\( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}}      % arrow\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}}      % arrow\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)

The key to a good compare-and-contrast essay is to choose two or more subjects that connect in a meaningful way. Comparison and contrast is simply telling how two things are alike or different. The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both. The thesis should focus on comparing, contrasting, or both.

Key Elements of the Compare and Contrast:

• A compare-and-contrast essay analyzes two subjects by either comparing them, contrasting them, or both.
• The purpose of writing a comparison or contrast essay is not to state the obvious but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities between two subjects.
• The thesis should clearly state the subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both, and it should state what is to be learned from doing so.
• Organize by the subjects themselves, one then the other.
• Organize by individual points, in which you discuss each subject in relation to each point.
• Use phrases of comparison or phrases of contrast to signal to readers how exactly the two subjects are being analyzed.

Objectives: By the end of this unit, you will be able to

• Identify compare & contrast relationships in model essays
• Construct clearly formulated thesis statements that show compare & contrast relationships
• Use pre-writing techniques to brainstorm and organize ideas showing a comparison and/or contrast
• Construct an outline for a five-paragraph compare & contrast essay
• Write a five-paragraph compare & contrast essay
• Use a variety of vocabulary and language structures that express compare & contrast essay relationships

Example Thesis: Organic vegetables may cost more than those that are conventionally grown, but when put to the test, they are definitely worth every extra penny.

Sample Paragraph:

Organic grown tomatoes purchased at the farmers’ market are very different from tomatoes that are grown conventionally. To begin with, although tomatoes from both sources will mostly be red, the tomatoes at the farmers’ market are a brighter red than those at a grocery store. That doesn’t mean they are shinier—in fact, grocery store tomatoes are often shinier since they have been waxed. You are likely to see great size variation in tomatoes at the farmers’ market, with tomatoes ranging from only a couple of inches across to eight inches across. By contrast, the tomatoes in a grocery store will be fairly uniform in size. All the visual differences are interesting, but the most important difference is the taste. The farmers’ market tomatoes will be bursting with flavor from ripening on the vine in their own time. However, the grocery store tomatoes are often close to being flavorless. In conclusion, the differences in organic and conventionally grown tomatoes are obvious in color, size and taste.

Guidance from our top admission experts — for free!

• Admit Finder

Discover Past Admits, Gauge Your Chances!

• Shortlist Builder

Personalized University Picks, Just a Click Away.

• Course Finder

Navigate Global Courses Tailored for You

• Scholarship Finder

Unlock Funding Opportunities Worldwide.

Get tailored study abroad advice.

Sign in for exclusive content!

Planning to study abroad?

Build your target shortlist and see your odds of getting into top schools with Ambitio's AI shortlist builder!

Heading Out Already?

Our Ivy League mentors and top admission experts can help with personalized tips to get you into your dream school

1 September 2023

5 minutes read

TOEFL Writing: A Guide to Compare and Contrast Essays in 2023

Dirghayu Kaushik

Worried about the cost of Studying Abroad?

Sign up to access 25 game-changing scholarships that could cover your costs.

• Introduction

The TOEFL writing section can be intimidating for many test-takers, especially when it comes to writing compare-and-contrast essays. This type of essay is common in the TOEFL independent writing section, and it’s crucial to understand its structure and requirements.

In this guide, we will focus on the compare and contrast essay, TOEFL writing questions, and essay topics, and provide writing samples and test resources to help you prepare for your TOEFL test in 2023.

Stuck on How to Pick Your Ideal College?

Sign up to access your tailored shortlist and simplify finding your ideal college.

• What is a Compare and Contrast Essay in TOEFL Writing?

Defining the Compare and Contrast Essay

A compare and contrast essay is a type of essay that requires you to identify the similarities and differences between two subjects or ideas. In the TOEFL writing section, particularly the TOEFL independent writing part, you’ll often find this type of essay. It requires analytical thinking and a well-structured format to convey your understanding effectively.

Importance in TOEFL Writing Section

The TOEFL writing section has two main tasks: integrated writing and independent writing. The compare and contrast essay mainly appears in the TOEFL independent writing task, where you need to form and articulate your own thoughts.

Mastering this type of essay is vital because it not only your writing skills but also your ability to think critically and compare various elements while presenting a cohesive argument.

See how Successful Applications Look Like!

Access 350K+ profiles of students who got in. See what you can improve in your own application!

• Structure of a Compare and Contrast Essay

Understanding the structure of a compare and contrast essay is paramount for a good score in the TOEFL writing section. Here are the key elements:

• Introductory Paragraph : Introduces the two subjects to be compared and contrasted and contains the thesis statement.
• Body Paragraphs : Discuss the similarities and differences.
• Concluding Paragraph : Summarizes the main points and restates the thesis in a new light.

A Deep Dive into the Introductory Paragraph

The introductory paragraph is like a roadmap for the reader. It sets the stage for what’s to come. In the TOEFL essay, your introduction should not only present the subjects to be compared but also articulate a clear thesis statement.

The thesis statement usually comes at the end of the introductory paragraph and gives the reader an overview of what to expect in the body paragraphs. It should be specific and clear to guide the reader through your argument.

Body Paragraphs: Point-by-Point vs. Subject-by-Subject

There are two main ways to organize the body of your compare-and-contrast essay: point-by-point and subject-by-subject.

• Point-by-Point : This method involves discussing one point of comparison or contrast at a time, alternating between the two subjects. For example, if you are comparing and contrasting two cities, you might first discuss the cost of living in each city, then move on to compare their climates, and then their cultural scenes.
• Subject-by-Subject : This method involves discussing all the points of comparison or contrast for one subject first and then moving on to the other subject. For example, you might discuss all the points about one city first and then move on to the other city.

Both methods are acceptable, and you should choose the one that you feel most comfortable with and that best suits your essay topic.

Start Your University Applications with Ambitio Pro!

Get Ambitio Pro!

Begin your journey to top universities with Ambitio Pro. Our premium platform offers you tools and support needed to craft standout applications.

Unlock Advanced Features for a More Comprehensive Application Experience!

Start your Journey today

• How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay for TOEFL

Analyze the Essay Topic

The first step to writing a great compare and contrast essay for the TOEFL is to analyze the essay topic thoroughly. Reading the essay prompt carefully is crucial to understanding what is being asked.

TOEFL essay topics for compare and contrast essays can range from comparing cities, jobs, schools, ideologies, or virtually any subject under the sun. Understanding the essence of the question can give you an upper hand in drafting a compelling essay.

Plan Your Essay

Once you have a good understanding of the essay topic, the next step is planning. A well-planned essay is like a well-executed game plan in sports; it sets you up for success.

Outline the main points you want to discuss and the examples you will use to support your points. You may also want to decide whether you’ll use a point-by-point or subject-by-subject structure for the body paragraphs. Planning will save you time and make the writing process much more straightforward.

Use Specific Reasons and Examples

The TOEFL writing section expects you to use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. This means that your essay should be grounded in concrete facts and not just abstract ideas.

For instance, if you are comparing two policies, it’s not enough to say that one policy is better than the other; you must provide concrete examples and reasons why one is better. This could be statistics, historical events, or any other factual information that supports your argument.

• Sample Essays and Writing Samples

Where to Find Sample Essays

Sample essays can be invaluable resources for preparing for the TOEFL writing test. They provide insights into the essay structure, the type of language used, and the level of detail expected.

You can find these resources on the ETS website, which is the organization that administers the TOEFL test. Other test resources for sample essays can be found in TOEFL preparation books, online forums, and educational websites focused on TOEFL preparation.

How to Use Writing Samples Effectively

Just finding writing samples is not enough; you must know how to use them effectively. When you look at a sample essay, don’t just read it passively.

Instead, analyze its structure, the thesis statement, the topic sentences, and the types of supporting details and examples used. Then, try to apply these insights when you write your own essays. Practice makes perfect, and the more you write, the more natural it will become.

• Mastering the TOEFL Writing Section in 2023

Updated Test Resources for 2023

The TOEFL test evolves over time, and so do the test resources. In 2023, new types of questions and topics may be introduced. Always make sure you’re using the most current test resources to prepare for the TOEFL writing questions. You can keep up-to-date by visiting the official ETS website or following reputable TOEFL preparation websites and online forums.

Leveraging Technology for TOEFL Preparation

The modern world provides several digital tools that can aid your TOEFL preparation, particularly in mastering compare and contrast essays. Various mobile apps can guide you through the entire process of essay writing, offering real-time feedback.

Moreover, there are online courses solely focused on TOEFL writing, providing a detailed walkthrough of each type of essay, including compare and contrast essays.

Writing a great compare and contrast essay for the TOEFL test is both an art and a science. It requires a good understanding of the essay structure, impeccable writing skills, and the ability to think critically.

By analyzing the essay topic, planning your essay, using specific reasons and examples, and revising diligently, you can master this type of essay. With focused effort and the right resources, you can improve your TOEFL writing score in 2023.

What is a compare and contrast essay?

A compare and contrast essay is a type of essay that requires you to identify the similarities and differences between two subjects or ideas.

What is the structure of a compare and contrast essay?

A typical structure includes an introductory paragraph, a body paragraph, and a concluding paragraph.

How can I practice writing compare and contrast essays for the TOEFL test?

You can practice by analyzing sample essays and writing your own. Online platforms and TOEFL preparation books are excellent resources for this.

What are the latest test resources for TOEFL writing in 2023?

Always make sure you’re using the most current test resources, which can be found on the official ETS website and other reputable TOEFL preparation platforms.

Spread the Word!

Share across your social media if you found it helpful

Table of Contents

• • Introduction
• • What is a Compare and Contrast Essay in TOEFL Writing?
• • Structure of a Compare and Contrast Essay
• • How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay for TOEFL
• • Sample Essays and Writing Samples
• • Mastering the TOEFL Writing Section in 2023
• • Conclusion

Build your profile to get into top colleges

Phone Number

What level are you targetting

Almost there!

Just enter your OTP, and your planner will be on its way!

Code sent on

Resend OTP (30s)

Your Handbook Is Waiting on WhatsApp!

Please have a look, and always feel free to reach out for any detailed guidance

Click here to download

Meanwhile check out your dashboard to access various tools to help you in your study abroad journey

Recent Blogs

Mastering Environmental Science in the UK: Global Perspectives on MSc Programs and Degrees for 2024

Mastering English Vocabulary: Essential Strategies for GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, and SAT Test Prep

Crafting Your Personal Statement: Mastering English Literature and Creative Writing Applications

Find your Dream school now⭐️

Welcome! Let's Land Your Dream Admit.

Let us make sure you get into the best!

• 2024 Winter
• 2024 Spring
• 2024 Summer

Enter verification code

Code was sent to

• Our Experts

Connect with us on our social media

HIGH SCHOOL

• ACT Tutoring
• SAT Tutoring
• PSAT Tutoring
• ASPIRE Tutoring
• SHSAT Tutoring
• STAAR Tutoring

GRADUATE SCHOOL

• MCAT Tutoring
• GRE Tutoring
• LSAT Tutoring
• GMAT Tutoring
• AIMS Tutoring
• HSPT Tutoring
• ISAT Tutoring
• SSAT Tutoring

Search 50+ Tests

Loading Page

math tutoring

• Elementary Math
• Pre-Calculus
• Trigonometry

science tutoring

Foreign languages.

• Mandarin Chinese

elementary tutoring

• Computer Science

Search 350+ Subjects

• Video Overview
• Tutor Selection Process
• Online Tutoring
• Mobile Tutoring
• Instant Tutoring
• How We Operate
• Our Guarantee
• Impact of Tutoring
• Reviews & Testimonials
• Media Coverage
• About Varsity Tutors

TOEFL : Compare and contrast

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for toefl, all toefl resources, example questions, example question #1 : toefl.

Passage adapted from  Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave  by Frederick Douglass (1845).

        The slaves selected to go to the Great House Farm, for the monthly allowance for themselves and their fellow-slaves, were peculiarly enthusiastic. While on their way, they would make the dense old woods, for miles around, reverberate with their wild songs, revealing at once the highest joy and the deepest sadness. [...]

     I did not, when a slave, understand the deep meaning of those rude and apparently incoherent songs. I was myself within the circle; so that I neither saw nor heard as those without might see and hear. They told a tale of woe which was then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones loud, long, and deep; they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish. Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains. The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirit, and filled me with ineffable sadness. I have frequently found myself in tears while hearing them. The mere recurrence to those songs, even now, afflicts me; and while I am writing these lines, an expression of feeling has already found its way down my cheek. To those songs I trace my first glimmering conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery. I can never get rid of that conception. Those songs still follow me, to deepen my hatred of slavery, and quicken my sympathies for my brethren in bonds. If any one wishes to be impressed with the soul-killing effects of slavery, let him go to Colonel Lloyd's plantation, and, on allowance-day, place himself in the deep pine woods, and there let him, in silence, analyze the sounds that shall pass through the chambers of his soul,--and if he is not thus impressed, it will only be because "there is no flesh in his obdurate heart."

        I have often been utterly astonished, since I came to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness. It is impossible to conceive of a greater mistake. Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears. At least, such is my experience. I have often sung to drown my sorrow, but seldom to express my happiness. Crying for joy, and singing for joy, were alike uncommon to me while in the jaws of slavery. The singing of a man cast away upon a desolate island might be as appropriately considered as evidence of contentment and happiness, as the singing of a slave; the songs of the one and of the other are prompted by the same emotion.

The author compares which of the following to the feelings slaves might feel while singing?

The peace someone might feel while standing in the forest

The joy of someone who lives on a beautiful island

The feelings of a sad person while crying

The feelings of people in the North when they listen to slaves' songs

The author says that the slaves feel relieved of their pain when they sing, "as an aching heart is relieved by its tears." Thus, their feelings might be similar to those of someone who cries when they are sad.

Example Question #1 : Compare And Contrast

Adapted from “Greenhouses: Their Construction and Equipment” by W.J. Wright (1917)

“Generally speaking, there are only two satisfactory methods of greenhouse heating: Steam and hot water. Direct heating by stoves is not satisfactory even in small houses, and no satisfactory system has yet been devised for the use of hot-air furnaces. The only method aside from steam or hot water which deserves mention is heating by flues. They are wasteful of fuel, and their use is not justified, except in cheaply constructed houses which are used only for a few months in the spring or fall.

The principles pertaining to greenhouse heating are much the same as those involved in heating other buildings, except that the loss of heat is greater from glass than from wood or brick walls, and a higher and more constant night temperature is required than is necessary in dwellings. For this reason, relatively more radiating surface is required and boilers of larger capacity are needed.

In heating with flues the equipment consists simply of a furnace at one end of the house and a chimney at the other, the two being connected by a flue, carried underneath the bench or buried just underneath the soil, through which the heat and smoke are carried. This may be made of brick, but large-size drain or sewer tile are more commonly used. These withstand the heat and are easily and cheaply put in place. It is best to have the flue slope upward slightly toward the chimney. As has already been stated, this method is wasteful of fuel. It is also difficult to regulate. It is still employed to some extent by gardeners in cheap houses, used only in late winter or early spring for the starting of early vegetable plants, sweet potatoes, etc.”

Based on the passage, a building with wood or brick walls will lose heat _________ a building with glass walls. 

less quickly than

at the same rate as

more quickly than

more often than

The correct answer is that a building with wood or brick walls will lose heat less quickly than a building with glass walls. The author says that "the loss of heat is greater from glass than from wood or brick walls." Therefore, glass loses heat more quickly than wood/brick. 

Passage adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, 1883.

1 "Well, then," said he, "this is the berth for me. 2 Here you, matey," he cried to the man who trundled the barrow; "bring up alongside and help up my chest. 3 I'll stay here a bit," he continued. 4 "I'm a plain man; rum and bacon and eggs is what I want, and that head up there for to watch ships off. 5 What you mought call me? 6 You mought call me captain. 7 Oh, I see what you're at—there"; and he threw down three or four gold pieces on the threshold. 8 "You can tell me when I've worked through that," says he, looking as fierce as a commander.

9 And indeed bad as his clothes were and coarsely as he spoke, he had none of the appearance of a man who sailed before the mast, but seemed like a mate or skipper accustomed to be obeyed or to strike. 10 The man who came with the barrow told us the mail had set him down the morning before at the Royal George, that he had inquired what inns there were along the coast, and hearing ours well spoken of, I suppose, and described as lonely, had chosen it from the others for his place of residence. 11 And that was all we could learn of our guest.

A contrast is drawn between which two aspects of the speaker’s character?

His luggage and the stories he tells about himself

His low social status and his years of sailing experience

His indifference towards the other travelers and his keen interest in the wheelbarrow man

His requested menu and his low social status

His crude appearance and his high social status

In Sentence 9, we find a direct comparison: “And indeed bad as his clothes were and coarsely as he spoke, he had none of the appearance of a man who sailed before the mast, but seemed like a mate or skipper accustomed to be obeyed or to strike.” In other words, the author is comparing the speaker’s crude appearance with the fact that he seems like a high-ranking seafarer. The fact that the speaker pays for his lodgings in gold coins underscores this contrast.

Report an issue with this question

If you've found an issue with this question, please let us know. With the help of the community we can continue to improve our educational resources.

DMCA Complaint

If you believe that content available by means of the Website (as defined in our Terms of Service) infringes one or more of your copyrights, please notify us by providing a written notice (“Infringement Notice”) containing the information described below to the designated agent listed below. If Varsity Tutors takes action in response to an Infringement Notice, it will make a good faith attempt to contact the party that made such content available by means of the most recent email address, if any, provided by such party to Varsity Tutors.

Your Infringement Notice may be forwarded to the party that made the content available or to third parties such as ChillingEffects.org.

Please be advised that you will be liable for damages (including costs and attorneys’ fees) if you materially misrepresent that a product or activity is infringing your copyrights. Thus, if you are not sure content located on or linked-to by the Website infringes your copyright, you should consider first contacting an attorney.

Please follow these steps to file a notice:

You must include the following:

A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf; An identification of the copyright claimed to have been infringed; A description of the nature and exact location of the content that you claim to infringe your copyright, in \ sufficient detail to permit Varsity Tutors to find and positively identify that content; for example we require a link to the specific question (not just the name of the question) that contains the content and a description of which specific portion of the question – an image, a link, the text, etc – your complaint refers to; Your name, address, telephone number and email address; and A statement by you: (a) that you believe in good faith that the use of the content that you claim to infringe your copyright is not authorized by law, or by the copyright owner or such owner’s agent; (b) that all of the information contained in your Infringement Notice is accurate, and (c) under penalty of perjury, that you are either the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf.

Send your complaint to our designated agent at:

Charles Cohn Varsity Tutors LLC 101 S. Hanley Rd, Suite 300 St. Louis, MO 63105

Or fill out the form below:

Contact Information

Complaint details.

Home — Essay Samples — Science — English Language — Difference Between Ielts & Toefl

Difference Between Ielts & Toefl

• Categories: English Language

About this sample

Words: 1069 |

Published: Oct 31, 2018

Words: 1069 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Table of contents

What is ielts, what is toefl.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

• Expert in: Science

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 607 words

4 pages / 1859 words

5 pages / 2213 words

1 pages / 567 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on English Language

What i learned in english class? I’ve learned many things through the course of this class: how to write a good essay, how to get batter at some essays I’ve already written in the past. I’ve learned how to locate my resources to [...]

English has become the dominant language in many aspects of communication, business, and academia. As a result, having a strong command of English grammar is essential for effective communication and success in various fields. [...]

Old English literature holds a significant place in the historical and cultural heritage of the English language. Understanding and accurately translating Old English texts is crucial for scholars and students alike, as it [...]

Khaled Hosseini's novel, The Kite Runner, is a powerful and emotionally charged story that explores the complexities of friendship, betrayal, redemption, and the impact of the past on the present. Through the use of various [...]

In English language there are eight parts of speech and they are: Noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The parts of speech show the function of a word in context of its meaning and [...]

Communication may be perceived as a many-sided phenomenon that denotes dissimilar ideas to different individuals. Accordingly, using non-standard English in the workplace may defeat the primary objective of the organization [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

We’re sorry, this site is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please try again in a few moments. Exception: request blocked

Test Resources

TOEFL® Resources by Michael Goodine

Sample toefl independent essay – books or experience, the question.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?  The knowledge we gain from our personal experiences is more valuable than the knowledge we gain from books.  Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.  Do not use memorized examples.

Special Offer: TOEFL Essay Evaluation and Scoring

You can now sign up to have your practice essays evaluated and scored by me! I’ll tell you your current level and show you how to improve as quickly as possible. Sign up today .

The Sample Essay

              Nowadays, there are many ways for people to learn about the world.  In my opinion, the knowledge we gain from our personal experiences is more important than what we learn from printed sources.  I feel this way for two main reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.

               First of all, books are not always accurate and often contradict what we find in the real world.  This is a result of the fact that books are often written by unqualified authors, but also because even respected and trained academics have biases and personal shortcomings.  Even if a diligent professor writes a book with the best intentions and tries to avoid factual errors, his research might be faulty as a result of major shifts in world affairs.  My own experience visiting the Republic of Sokovia several years ago is a perfect example of this.  Before I took my trip, I read a great number of textbooks, articles and guide books about the region.  All of these informed me that Sokovia was a very conservative place, and suggested that the people there might be unwelcoming.  However, when I actually arrived, I encountered a very welcoming, progressive culture.  Though the books I consulted were only a few years old, they were wholly out of date and did not match my personal experience.  This example demonstrates some of the problems with depending too much on books for our knowledge.

               Secondly, the knowledge we gain from personal experiences stays with us longer than things we read.  We often put books away and forget about them after we read them.  For example, I was a university student for four years and I read hundreds of books during that time.  However, it is now a decade since my graduation and I can only remember just a few of those books.  The rest of them all blend together and the knowledge I gained at the time is lost to me now.  In contrast, I still have very vivid memories of the aforementioned trip to Europe.  What I learned there about culture, people and society is burned into my memory and I will never forget it.  This is because I had a personal connection to my trip, while I had only a temporary academic connection to my university studies.

               In conclusion, I strongly believe that knowledge gained from experiences is more important than knowledge gained from reading books.  This is because books are sometimes inaccurate, and because our personal memories stay with us longer than the facts we read about in print.

TOEFL Essay Templates

Sample TOEFL Speaking Answers

TOEFL Speaking Templates

TOEFL Reading Samples

Sign up for express essay evaluation today!

Submit your practice essays for evaluation by the author of this website.  Get feedback on grammar, structure, vocabulary and more.  Learn how to score better on the TOEFL.  Feedback in 48 hours.

Sign Up Today