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Review of TOEFL writing examples

Examining the TOEFL writing sample can give participants a broad view of the test. The most practical way to take any test is to review and use similar samples.

For this purpose, in this article, we have collected a sample of each of the writing tasks of the TOEFL test , and we intend to examine zero to one hundred ways to answer this part of the TOEFL test.

As you know, TOEFL writing is the last part of this test, which consists of two types of questions: Integrated Question, which is a combination of Reading and Listening, and Independent Question, which focuses on the individual’s writing skills.

Writing in any language is challenging, even in your mother tongue. This may be due to the low writing scores of most TOEFL language learners and candidates.

The first TOEFL writing task

In the first task you must first read a text and listen to a file on the same subject. The information you hear in the audio file can refute or sometimes supplement the claim made in the text. Do not worry about how to memorize important details. Because you can take notes while reading the text and listening to the audio file.

You have three minutes to read a text of 200 to 220 words. Then you should use the information you get from the text and audio file, in 20 minutes you have time to write a writing of 150 to 225 words. When listening to an audio file, use your utmost focus and accuracy as it is not possible to listen to the file again.

Sample of TOEFL writing task 1

After they spent 65 days at sea, the Pilgrims reached America. Plymouth, a town about 35 miles southeast of Boston in the New England state of Massachusetts, was established by the Pilgrims on December 21, 1620. Even though the early days of their new lives were filled with hope and promise, the harsh winter proved to be too much for some of the settlers. Nearly half of the pilgrims died during that first winter, but those who lived went on to work hard and prosper

The pilgrims also created their own government by writing the Mayflower Compact, a document which is commonly believed to be the first basis of written law in America. This new government had many influential leaders. John Alden, who came to America on the Mayflower, signed the Mayflower Compact and held various public offices. William Bradford helped establish the town of Plymouth and was the governor of the Plymouth Colony for more than 30 years. Miles Standish worked as a political adviser and was also a valued member of the Plymouth community.

Attention:

This article contains important dates, letters, and facts, and is written in a variety of structures and can test your skills well. Before you look at the TOEFL writing sample , take 20 minutes to write your writing.

Consider an example of the answer to this question:

The lecture states that the Pilgrims went to Amsterdam in 1608 and spent a few years there. In 1617, they decided to leave to go to America, but they did not have enough money to do so. That is because many of them were farmers who were poor and poorly educated. In spite of having some disputes among themselves, they finally got financing from Thomas Weston, who was a prominent London businessman.

The lecture concluded by stating that the Pilgrims got on board a large ship called the Mayflower on September 16, 1620.

The reading text emphasizes that the Pilgrims spent 65 days at sea before they reached America. They arrived near Boston in Massachusetts and established the town of Plymouth on December 21, 1620.

They had many hardships during their first winter and many of them died. The survivors worked hard and created their own government by writing the Mayflower Compact. The reading text concludes by discussing some important people in Plymouth. John Alden and William Bradford were very influential and held the first public offices in Plymouth. Miles Standish, who was a political adviser, was also an important person in the community.

TOEFL Second Writing Task

The purpose of the second writing task is to check the quality of your writing, to follow the rules of grammar, accuracy and coherence of the text and the validity of your text will not be evaluated. And that means that what you are saying can be completely imaginary and far from the truth.

The size of this task should be 300 to 350 words and you have 30 minutes to write it. It is better to set your time so that after writing the writing, you have 5 minutes to read your text. This way you can correct your possible mistakes and minimize their number.

Types of TOEFL Second Writing Task Topics

The most common type of writing task (2) is the Agree / Disagree question, which is asked about 50% of the time. Multiple Choice and Paired Choice each appear about 20% of the time, and Good Idea about 10% of the time in the TOEFL Writing Task section (2).

Here are some examples of each of these questions, which are much better if you answer the questions yourself first and then read and review the TOEFL writing sample .

1. Agree / Disagree

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Overall, the widespread use of the internet has a mostly positive effect on life in today’s world.

2. Multiple Choice

Neighbors are the people who live near us. In your opinion, what type of neighbor is the best to have?

 Use specific details and examples in your answer.

3. Paired Choice

Some students prefer classes with frequent discussions between the professor and the students with almost no lectures. Other students prefer classes with many lectures and almost no discussions. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

4. Good Idea

The administrators of a university are revising their budget and have decided to change their funding priorities. As a result, the university will now spend more money on sports and athletic facilities than they do on campus libraries. Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.

Sample TOEFL Writing Task II:

The first example of writing task 2:

1. Most people agree that modern technology affects society in many different ways. In my opinion, access to the Internet is enormously beneficial to both individuals and communities as a whole. I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.

          To begin with, online investigative reporting helps to expose political corruption and keep politicians honest. In the past, there were only a limited number of news outlets, which often had deep connections to powerful politicians.

As a result, they were extremely hesitant to criticize them. These days, however, there are many independent publications on the Internet that are willing to expose political misbehavior.

For example, an online magazine recently published a story revealing that the mayor of my hometown had taken bribes from a property developer.

 The report was so detailed and well-researched that the mayor had no choice but to resign. Although the evidence was not difficult to locate, only this independent website was willing to write about it.

           Secondly,

people are more motivated than ever to become politically active because they can freely exchange ideas online. In countries all over the globe, people use social networking services to share their ideas and opinions.

 While in the past people might have thought that they were alone in their beliefs, today they realize that others share their ideas. My own experience demonstrates this concept.

When I was a university student, I learned that a municipal park near my apartment was going to be demolished to make room for a massive parking lot.

This bothered me a lot because I enjoyed spending my free time in the park. At first I thought that there was nothing that I, as an individual, could do to stop this from happening.

 However, I later joined a Facebook group dedicated to opposing the plan. When the members of the group learned how many people in the city loved the park we were happy to get together and enthusiastically protest in front of city hall until our voices were heard.

I am convinced that finding each other on that social networking platform gave us the courage to actively protect our park.

           In conclusion, I strongly believe that the Internet has a positive effect on our lives. This is because online journalism strengthens our democracy, and because social networking sites encourage people to get involved in local politics. (411 words)

The second example of writing task 2:

2. Our lives can certainly be affected by the people in our neighborhood, even if we do not interact with them on a daily basis. In my opinion, it is critically important to have neighbors that are very supportive of us. I will explore the reasons why I feel this way in the following essay.

           First of all, our lives are full of unplanned emergencies and supportive people in our neighborhood are likely to help us when they occur. Oftentimes, the people living close to us are the only ones who can provide essential assistance when things go terribly wrong. For instance, my family experienced a major house fire several years ago. It was a traumatic experience that happened in the middle of the night, and we lost many of our personal belongings.

No one was injured, but we suffered an extreme amount of emotional trauma. However, the damage was reduced thanks to the quick thinking of a compassionate neighbor who immediately called the fire department when he saw what was happening, and who also provided us with clean clothes, food and a place to stay for the night.

          Secondly,

it is a lot easier to raise a family in today’s hectic society if our neighbors are willing to lend a hand. In addition to unexpected disasters, today we often have to face unplanned professional requests.

My own experience demonstrates this reality. Five years ago, I was living with my wife and two sons in our apartment in Tokyo. My wife was at work, and I was home taking care of the children.

 All of a sudden I received a call from my boss who needed me to drive across the city to give a presentation to one of our company new clients.

I panicked at first because I knew I could not take the kids along; however I simply called the woman living next door and asked if she would keep an eye on them for the rest of the evening. She readily agreed, so I was able to meet the clients. Had she not been so supportive,

          In conclusion, I strongly believe that it is incredibly helpful to live near supportive people. This is because such people can help us handle life’s unexpected emergencies, and can make it easier to deal with both family and work obligations.

The third example of writing task 2:

3. Every student has their own preferred learning style, and therefore it is impossible to accommodate all of them. In my opinion, the best classes are those which include a lot of discussions. I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.

         To begin with, classes where we have the opportunity to speak help to develop our intellectual abilities. Classes where the teacher does most of the talking are very passive, on the other hand, and do not help us grow academically. They mostly involve the memorization of facts and details which do not help us in the long run.

For example, I recently took a political science class that changed the way I think about the world. The cut and thrust of debate in the class made me consider where my political beliefs came from and if they were even correct. I was required to listen to the opinions of others, so I was a more open-minded person after the class finished.

 I believe that I would not have developed in such a way by just listening to lectures. This example demonstrates how valuable intellectual conversations can be.

        Secondly,

classes that involve a lot of interactions can help students develop the skills necessary to work well in groups. Many freshman students arrive at university very shy and unable to communicate well. Talking with their peers teaches students how to communicate effectively, and they can use this skill to excel in their future careers. My older brother’s experience demonstrates that this is true.

 When he started university he was a very introverted person and did not enjoy collaborating with others. However, after four years of participating in debates, discussions and presentations in his classes he became a very confident public speaker.

As a result, when he started his career after graduation, he excelled in group work and was seen by his co-workers and supervisors as a natural leader. He was promoted quickly and advanced through the ranks of his company.

 Without participating in discussions with his professors and classmates he would not have developed the skills necessary to succeed in this way.

       In conclusion, I feel strongly that classes which are centered on discussions between professors and students are preferable to those in which the professor does all of the talking.

This is because these classes help students develop academically, and because they teach students the skills that they need to achieve success in the future. (411 words)

The fourth example of writing task 2:

4. It is very challenging for university administrators to decide how to spend their money. Personally, I am of the belief that universities should provide more funding for athletics than they do for libraries. I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.

           To begin with, most universities offer identical academic programs, and are only able to set themselves apart from the crowd through the popularity of their sports teams.

 These days there are hundreds of universities across the United States which are almost entirely interchangeable, while only a few Ivy League schools are considered better than average. It may seem somewhat arbitrary, but a sports team can help a school stand out from the crowd and attract new students.

For example, my cousin is a very average student. When he graduated from high school a few years ago, he chose to attend California State College based solely on the fact that he loves basketball and that school is known for its on-court success.

 This may seem superficial to some people, but it mattered a lot to him. Moreover, according to recent surveys he is not the only student who chose to attend the school for this reason.

It is clear that the college earned his loyalty as a result of the care and attention it has paid to its athletic program.

         Secondly,

sports are very profitable and are a good source of revenue in today’s precarious economic times. Schools across the nation are facing a funding crisis, but they still need to build academic facilities and dormitories for new students. University sports are a huge business in my country and are even more popular than professional sports in a lot of areas.

Therefore, athletic teams can generate money for their schools through corporate sponsorships, ticket sales, licensing and broadcast agreements.

These profits can then be used to pay for academic facilities, including libraries. For instance, my school recently built a state-of-the-art biology lab using the money it made from its popular football team. It would not have been able to afford the construction without that revenue.

         In conclusion, I strongly believe that colleges should provide more funding to their sports teams than they do to their libraries. This is because sports help universities stand out in today’s crowded market of schools, and because the profits they generate can be used to fund other programs. (400 words)

Writing, like other parts of the TOEFL test, is a skill that can only be acquired through practice and repetition.

 You must have heard it said, ” If  you  want to be a calligrapher / write and write and write.”

This proverb is absolutely true here. If you are looking for writing skills, the best way is to practice writing. Considering the TOEFL writing sample, write a rating one day and continue this exercise continuously. Good luck