TOEFL SPEAKING AND

WRITING
OVERVIEW
SPEAKING
 At only 20 minutes long, the Speaking section makes up the shortest part

THE 4 of the test. But bear in mind, shorter does not necessarily mean easier.

TYPES OF You will be asked to complete different four tasks in total by speaking
into a microphone, which will record your voice. An official test grader
TOEFL will later receive your test recording and evaluate your speaking.

SPEAKIN Your responses in each task are scored on a variety of different aspects
(grammar, flow, language use, etc.) from 0-4, with 4 being a near-perfect
G TASKS response.

All four parts of the speaking Section will require you to demonstrate
your ability in either independent or integrated speaking tasks, in addition
to being able to express a well-rounded understanding of a few selected
topics. Fortunately
• HERE, THERE WILL BE AN OPINION-BASED CHOICE BETWEEN SOME OPTIONS.
• THE QUESTION WILL OFTEN ASK YOU TO MAKE A DECISION ON YOUR
PREFERENCE BETWEEN THE CHOICES, ALONG WITH SOME REASONS TO SUPPORT
YOUR CHOICE.
• THE TRUTH IS, IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER WHETHER YOU CHOOSE A OR B, AS
LONG AS YOU CAN BACK IT UP WITH GOOD SUPPORTING REASONS.
• DON’T HESITATE. JUST TRUST YOURSELF, DECIDE, AND DEFEND YOUR CHOICE.
THERE ARE OTHER STYLES OF QUESTIONS AS WELL.
 TOEFL INDEPENDENT SPEAKING TASK 1

• AGREE OR DISAGREE: DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT? IF

YOU’RE ASKED THIS KIND OF QUESTION, YOUR GOAL WILL BE TO TRY TO PROVIDE REASONS AS TO
WHY YOU AGREE WITH THE IDEA, OR WHY YOU DON’T. HERE’S AN EXAMPLE TO HELP YOU GET
STARTED: 
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT? WITH THE POPULARITY OF THE
TECHNOLOGY THAT FOCUSES ON ENTERTAINMENT, PEOPLE READ FEWER BOOKS THAN BEFORE. 
• IF/IMAGINARYAN "IF / IMAGINARY" QUESTION WILL GIVE YOU A HYPOTHETICAL – AN IMAGINED
SITUATION AND ASK WHAT YOU WOULD DO OR WHAT YOU WOULD CHOOSE. RATHER THAN
CHOOSING BETWEEN TWO THINGS OR TWO OPINIONS, YOU ARE TYPICALLY NOT LIMITED IN YOUR
CHOICE. THAT IS, YOU CAN CHOOSE ANYTHING THAT FITS THE SITUATION. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE: 
IF YOU HAD A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY, WOULD YOU SPEND IT RIGHT AWAY OR SAVE IT? USE DET
AILS AND EXAMPLES TO SUPPORT YOUR EXPLANATION
 TOEFL INDEPENDENT SPEAKING TASK 1

• PREFERENCE: WOULD YOU RATHER A OR B, AND WHY? THESE QUESTIONS MAY DESCRIBE A

SITUATION IN SOME DETAIL, POSSIBLY AN IMAGINARY ONE, AND ASK WHICH ONE YOU
WOULD CHOOSE GIVEN THE OPTION. DON’T FORGET TO SPECIFY YOUR REASONS. TAKE A
LOOK AT THIS EXAMPLE: 
SOME PEOPLE PREFER SENDING MESSAGES WHILE OTHERS PREFER MAKING PHONE CALLS DI
RECTLY. WHICH ONE DO YOU PREFER?  
• DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS ISSUE? EXPLAIN WHY.
READ THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS CAREFULLY, AS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU
UNDERSTAND WHAT EXACTLY YOU’RE GOING TO NEED TO TALK ABOUT. KEEP YOUR AS
RELEVANT AS POSSIBLE. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS EXAMPLE: 
NOWADAYS PEOPLE USE EXTREME METHODS, LIKE SURGERY TO CHANGE THEIR APPEARANC
E. THEY DO THIS BECAUSE THEY ARE TRYING TO BECOME MORE ATTRACTIVE. DO YOU THINK
THIS IS A GOOD IDEA?
 TOEFL INDEPENDENT SPEAKING TASK 1

• ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES: DISCUSS THE GOOD AND THE BAD SIDES OF AN ISSUE,
THEN PICK A SIDE. HERE, YOU’LL NEED TO BRIEFLY LAY OUT BOTH ARGUMENTS ON AN ISSUE,
THEN SHOW WHY ONE SIDE IS A BETTER CHOICE THAN THE OTHER. REMEMBER, IT DOESN’T
MATTER WHETHER YOU ACTUALLY AGREE, JUST THAT YOU STATE YOUR OPINION CLEARLY.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS EXAMPLE: 
MANY STUDENTS ARE ASKED TO EVALUATE THEIR PROFESSORS AT THE END OF THE SEMESTE
R. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THIS?
• THREE CHOICES: GIVEN THE OPTION OF A, B, OR C, WHICH IS THE BEST? THIS POTENTIAL
QUESTION TYPE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THREE SEPARATE CHOICES TO SELECT BETWEEN.
CHOOSE ONE, AND EXPLAIN YOUR DECISION. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE: 
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING CHOICES DO YOU THINK HAS THE GREATEST IMPACT ON ENVIRO
NMENTAL PROTECTION? (1) GOVERNMENTAL REGULATIONS (2) ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
GROUPS (3) INDIVIDUAL EFFORT.
 TOEFL INTEGRATED  SPEAKING TASK 2, 3, AND 4:
INTEGRATED SPEAKING IN RESPONSE TO OTHER
MATERIALS

• FOR THE REMAINING TASKS, YOU’LL BE ASKED TO SPEAK IN RESPONSE TO A READING PASSAGE, A
RECORDED LECTURE OR CONVERSATION, OR BOTH. INTEGRATED SPEAKING TASKS ASK YOU TO USE
ONE, OR MORE, OTHER LANGUAGE SKILLS (IE. READING, LISTENING) IN COMBINATION WITH
SPEAKING. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU WILL NEED TO USE BOTH YOUR READING AND SPEAKING SKILLS WHILE
ALSO RESPONDING TO A SHORT PARAGRAPH ON SOME TOPIC. IN ADDITION TO THE ALLOTTED TIME FOR
LISTENING (60 SECONDS) AND/OR READING (45-50 SECONDS) THE MATERIAL PROVIDED FOR THE
QUESTION, YOU’LL ALSO BE GIVEN SLIGHTLY MORE TIME TO PREPARE (20 SECONDS FOR TASK 6 - 30
SECONDS FOR TASKS 2 & 3) AND RESPOND (60 SECONDS).
• EXCELLENT RESPONSES FOR THESE TASKS WILL BE CLEARLY DEVELOPED, FLUID, AND CONTINUOUS.
YOUR MAIN FOCUS HERE SHOULD BE ON THE OVERALL FLUENCY OF YOUR RESPONSES. SO, JOT DOWN
SOME NOTES, TAKE A DEEP BREATH, AND KEEP GOING. JUST REMEMBER TO PACE YOURSELF!
 TOEFL INTEGRATED  SPEAKING TASK 2, 3, AND 4:
INTEGRATED SPEAKING IN RESPONSE TO OTHER
MATERIALS

• FOR THE REMAINING TASKS, YOU’LL BE ASKED TO SPEAK IN RESPONSE TO A READING PASSAGE, A
RECORDED LECTURE OR CONVERSATION, OR BOTH. INTEGRATED SPEAKING TASKS ASK YOU TO USE
ONE, OR MORE, OTHER LANGUAGE SKILLS (IE. READING, LISTENING) IN COMBINATION WITH
SPEAKING. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU WILL NEED TO USE BOTH YOUR READING AND SPEAKING SKILLS WHILE
ALSO RESPONDING TO A SHORT PARAGRAPH ON SOME TOPIC. IN ADDITION TO THE ALLOTTED TIME FOR
LISTENING (60 SECONDS) AND/OR READING (45-50 SECONDS) THE MATERIAL PROVIDED FOR THE
QUESTION, YOU’LL ALSO BE GIVEN SLIGHTLY MORE TIME TO PREPARE (20 SECONDS FOR TASK 6 - 30
SECONDS FOR TASKS 2 & 3) AND RESPOND (60 SECONDS).
• EXCELLENT RESPONSES FOR THESE TASKS WILL BE CLEARLY DEVELOPED, FLUID, AND CONTINUOUS.
YOUR MAIN FOCUS HERE SHOULD BE ON THE OVERALL FLUENCY OF YOUR RESPONSES. SO, JOT DOWN
SOME NOTES, TAKE A DEEP BREATH, AND KEEP GOING. JUST REMEMBER TO PACE YOURSELF!
 INTEGRATED SPEAKING TASK 2

• FOR THIS TASK, YOU’LL FIRST BE ASKED TO READ A PASSAGE ON SOME TOPIC
RELATED TO CAMPUS (MEANING, STUDENT LIFE), THEN LISTEN TO A RELATED
CONVERSATION BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE DISCUSSING THAT SAME TOPIC. FINALLY,
THERE WILL BE A “QUESTION”, WHICH IS BETTER UNDERSTOOD HERE AS A
SPEAKING PROMPT. THE PROMPT WILL ASK YOU TO SUMMARIZE, OR QUICKLY
OUTLINE AN OPINION OR CONCEPT FROM THE PROVIDED MATERIAL.
 INTEGRATED SPEAKING TASK 3

• FOR THIS TASK, YOU’LL NEED TO READ AN ACADEMIC PASSAGE AND THEN
LISTEN TO A SHORT LECTURE ON THE SAME TOPIC. HOWEVER, THE TOPIC WILL
INTRODUCE SOME NEW TERM OR IDEA. THOSE WHO COMPLETE THIS TASK
SUCCESSFULLY WILL BE ABLE TO USE BOTH THE READING AND LECTURE TO
ILLUSTRATE THE CONCEPT THAT WAS INTRODUCED BOTH TYING BOTH SOURCES
INTO THEIR RESPONSE. BASICALLY, YOU’LL NEED TO EXPLAIN THE CONCEPT
AGAIN BY REPEATING THINGS YOU JUST HEARD/SAW.
 INTEGRATED SPEAKING TASK 4

• IN THIS TASK, YOU WILL LISTEN TO A BRIEF ACADEMIC LECTURE AND PROVIDE A
SUMMARY. LIKE TASK 3, YOU’LL ONLY NEED TO LISTEN TO A LECTURE ON SOME
ACADEMIC TOPIC, PERHAPS SOMETHING RELATED TO BIOLOGY OR
PSYCHOLOGY. THEN, YOU’LL NEED TO GIVE A QUICK OVERVIEW ABOUT SOME
SPECIFIC PART OF THE LECTURE YOU JUST HEARD.
SPEAKING TEMPLATES
TEMPLATE FOR
TOEFL INDEPENDENT
SPEAKING 1
 I DO AGREE/DISAGREE THAT _______
TO BEGIN WITH, _____
IN ADDITION, ______
TEMPLAT THEREFORE, THESE REASONS ARE WHY I AGREE/DISAGREE THAT
______

E FOR DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT A HIGHER EDUCATION MEANS

AGREE A BETTER CAREER? USE DETAILS AND EXAMPLES TO SUPPORT

YOUR EXPLANATION.

OR I DO AGREE THAT A HIGHER EDUCATION MEANS A BETTER CAREER. TO

BEGIN WITH, WITH THE ADVANCEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE
DISAGREE ADVANCEMENT OF THE WORLD ITSELF, COMPANIES ARE BECOMING
MORE COMPLEX. IF THEY WANT THEIR COMPANY TO SUCCEED, THEY
QUESTIO WILL NEED TO HAVE INTELLIGENT, KNOWLEDGEABLE, AND
COMPETENT INDIVIDUALS WORKING FOR THEM. IN ADDITION, HAVING

N TYPE A HIGHER EDUCATION WILL GIVE YOU AN ADVANTAGE OVER THE

OTHER CANDIDATES APPLYING FOR THE SAME JOB. THEREFORE,
THESE REASONS ARE WHY I AGREE THAT A HIGHER EDUCATION
MEANS A BETTER CAREER.
 TO ME, I PREFER TO ____(VERB) OR (I PREFER____(NOUN)
TO/OVER ____ (NOUN)FOR TWO MAIN REASONS.
THE FIRST REASON IS _____
THE SECOND REASON IS______
THEREFORE, THESE REASONS ARE WHY I PREFER TO ____
RATHER THAN ____.
TEMPLATE DO YOU PREFER TO EAT AT FOOD STANDS OR
FOR RESTAURANTS? USE DETAILS AND EXAMPLES TO SUPPORT
YOUR EXPLANATION.
PREFEREN
CE TO ME, I PREFER EATING AT RESTAURANTS OVER EATING AT
FOOD STANDS FOR TWO MAIN REASONS (OR I PREFER TO EAT
QUESTION AT RESTAURANTS FOR TWO MAIN REASONS). THE FIRST
REASON IS I GREW UP DINNING IN RESTAURANTS, SO I AM
TYPE ACCUSTOMED TO EATING IN THEM. ACTUALLY, I CANNOT
REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I ATE AT A FOOD STAND. PLUS,
EATING IN A NICE BUILDING IS MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE
COMPARED TO EATING OUTSIDE. THE SECOND REASON IS
THERE IS A BETTER FOOD SELECTION. I CAN HAVE MORE
CHOICES AND MY FOOD IS COOKED BETTER, BECAUSE THEY
HAVE A PROPER COOKING SYSTEM. THEREFORE, THESE
REASONS ARE WHY I PREFER TO EAT AT A RESTAURANT
RATHER THAN A FOOD STAND.
 I THINK THAT _____ (OR I WOULD CHOOSE _____) FOR TWO REASONS.

FIRST, COMPARED TO ____, ______

SECOND, ________

SO FOR THESE TWO REASONS, I BELIEVE THAT ____ (OR I WOULD CHOOSE ____)

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING CHOICES DO YOU THINK HAS THE GREATEST IMPACT ON

TEMPLATE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION? (1) GOVERNMENTAL REGULATIONS (2) ENVIRONMENTAL

AWARENESS GROUPS (3) INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS

FOR I THINK THAT GOVERNMENTAL REGULATIONS HAVE THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. COMPARED TO INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS, GOVERNMENTAL
REGULATIONS MAKE CITIZENS FOLLOW THE LAW, RATHER THAN MAKE GOOD CHOICES. FOR

THREE EXAMPLE, IN KOREA, IF YOU DON’T RECYCLE PROPERLY, YOU CAN RECEIVE A FINE. THEY
PROVIDE ALL THE BINS AND RESOURCES TO MAKE IT EASY FOR THE PUBLIC TO MAKE THE
RIGHT CHOICE TO RECYCLE. SECOND, WHEN THE GOVERNMENT STEPS IN TO MAKE

CHOICES REGULATIONS, IT ALSO EDUCATES THE PUBLIC, WHICH CAN LEAD TO INDIVIDUALS GOING
ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. WHEN THE GOVERNMENT INTRODUCES A NEW
REGULATION, IT WILL EXPLAIN WHY THEY ARE DOING IT, WHICH MAY HAVE PEOPLE THINK

QUESTION TWICE ABOUT BEFORE THEY THROW GARBAGE OUT THE WINDOW OF THE CAR. FOR THESE
TWO REASONS, I BELIEVE THAT GOVERNMENTAL REGULATIONS HAVE THE BIGGEST IMPACT
ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

TYPE YOUR DEGREE REQUIRES YOU TO TAKE ONE COURSE, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU CHOOSE? (1)
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT (2) HEALTH AND NUTRITION (3) SOLAR SYSTEM

I WOULD CHOOSE HEALTH AND NUTRITION CLASSES FOR TWO MAIN REASONS. FIRST, I DEAL
WITH NUTRITION EVERY SINGLE DAY. WHEN I AM TRYING TO MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES FOR
MY BODY, I AM SOMETIMES UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHAT THE BEST FOODS ARE THE MOST
NUTRITIOUS. A HEALTH AND NUTRITION CLASS WOULD SURELY EASE THAT TROUBLE AND
HELP ME MAKE CHOICES THAT ARE GOOD FOR MY BODY. SECOND, I AM NOT VERY INTERESTED
IN SCIENCES, SO I DON’T THINK AN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT OR SOLAR SYSTEM CLASS
WOULD BE VERY INTRIGUING TO ME. I WOULD RATHER TAKE CLASSES THAT EXCITE ME
RATHER THAN THE CLASS I WAS TOTALLY DISINTERESTED. SO, FOR THESE TWO REASONS, I
WOULD CHOOSE TO TAKE A HEALTH AND NUTRITION CLASS, RATHER THAN ENERGY AND
ENVIRONMENT, OR SOLAR SYSTEM COURSE.
TEMPLATE FOR IF/IMAGINARY QUESTION TYPE

IF I ____, I WOULD ____.

THE FIRST REASON IS _____
THE SECOND REASON IS ______
SO FOR THESE TWO REASONS, IF ____, I WOULD ____.

IF YOU HAD A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY, WOULD YOU SPEND IT RIGHT AWAY OR SAVE IT? USE DETAILS AND EXAMPLES
TO SUPPORT YOUR EXPLANATION.

IF I HAD A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY, I WOULD SAVE IT. THE FIRST REASON IS I GREW UP IN A FAMILY THAT PRIDED
THEMSELVES ON HAVING MONEY IN THE BANK, SO IT IS EASY FOR ME TO SAVE MONEY. THE SECOND REASON IS IF THERE WAS
AN EMERGENCY AND YOU WOULD NEED SOME MONEY. IF YOU SAVED IT, YOU WOULD BE OK. HOWEVER, IF YOU DID NOT SAVE
IT, YOU COULD BE IN TROUBLE. IN ADDITION, IT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO SAVE MONEY AND PAY OFF YOUR DEBTS, RATHER THAN
WASTE YOUR MONEY ON SOMETHING USELESS. SO FOR THESE TWO REASONS, I WOULD SAVE A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY.
TEMPLATE IN MY OPINION, ____
FIRST OF ALL, ______
FURTHERMORE, _____
FOR THEREFORE, I STRONGLY/FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT ______

DESCRIPTIO SHOULD SCHOOLS HAVE TEAMS FOR SPORTS THAT MIGHT CARRY A RISK OF
SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER.

N OR IN MY OPINION, SCHOOLS SHOULD STILL ALLOW SPORTS THAT CARRY THAT RISK
DESPITE THE RISK OF SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY. FIRST OF ALL, IT IS NOT THE

EXPLANATIO RESPONSIBILITY OF SCHOOLS TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATE ALL RISK FROM THE

LIVES OF STUDENTS. OTHERWISE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO ABOLISH ANY SCIENCE

N QUESTION
LABS THAT USED CHEMICALS OR SHARP OBJECTS BECAUSE THEY POSE A
POTENTIAL THREAT TO SAFETY. FURTHERMORE, STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES
SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO MAKE PERSONAL DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT KIND OF

TYPE ACTIVITIES THEY ARE PARTICIPATING IN DESPITE RISK AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT
SIMULTANEOUSLY ENDANGERING UNKNOWING BYSTANDERS. THEREFORE, I
FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT SCHOOLS SHOULD ALLOW STUDENTS TO MAKE DECISIONS
ABOUT WHAT SPORTS THEY WILL PLAY, EVEN WHEN THOSE SPORTS CONTAIN SOME
SERIOUS RISKS.
 TEMPLATE FOR ADVANTAGE AND
DISADVANTAGE QUESTION TYPE

I BELIEVE THAT IT IS BENEFICIAL TO ______, BUT THERE CAN ALSO BE SOME DISADVANTAGES.
FIRST, _______
HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE DISADVANTAGES AS WELL. ______
SO, I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES TO _______

MANY STUDENTS ARE ASKED TO EVALUATE THEIR PROFESSORS AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THIS?

I BELIEVE THAT IT IS BENEFICIAL TO EVALUATE PROFESSORS AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER, BUT THERE
CAN ALSO BE SOME DISADVANTAGES. FIRST, SINCE SUPERIOR STAFF CAN’T SIT IT ON EVERY CLASS, THEY
SHOULD TAKE INPUT FROM THE STUDENTS ON HOW THE CLASS WENT. STUDENTS ARE LIKELY TO BE
HONEST IN THEIR REVIEWS, SO THE PROFESSOR CAN ALSO LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES. HOWEVER, I
BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE DISADVANTAGES AS WELL. IF A STUDENT KNOWS THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE A
FAILING GRADE, THEY MAY BE DISHONEST IN THEIR REVIEW JUST TO SPITE THE PROFESSOR. THEY MAY
SAY THAT THE PROFESSOR WASN’T FAIR, EVEN IF THAT ISN’T TRUE. THIS CAN BE HURTFUL TO THE
PROFESSOR AND DETRIMENTAL TO THEIR CAREER. SO, I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES TO ASKING STUDENTS TO EVALUATE THEIR PROFESSORS AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER.
TEMPLATE FOR TOEFL
INTEGRATED SPEAKING
2
 Agree Disagree

TEMPLATE
FOR TOEFL
INTEGRAT The man/girl agrees with the
announcement/letter/article, which is about
The man/girl disagrees with the
announcement/letter/article, which is about

ED ______
______

There are two reasons why the man/girl

SPEAKING There are two reasons why the man/girl
supports the announcement/letter/article.
opposes the announcement/letter/article.

2 One reason is that ______

One reason is that _____

Another reason is that _______

Another reason is that ________
Therefore, these reasons are why the
Therefore, these reasons are why the
man/girl believes that _____ is not a good
man/girl believes that _____ is a good idea.
idea.
 NOTE THAT THE X STANDS FOR THE CONCEPT.
TEMPLATE
FOR TOEFL FROM THE READING PASSAGE, X IS DESCRIBED AS
______
INTEGRAT THE PROFESSOR ILLUSTRATES/DEMONSTRATES X
ED BY GIVING ONE/TWO EXAMPLES.
IN THE FIRST EXAMPLE, _____
SPEAKING IN THE SECOND EXAMPLE, ______
TASK 3 (OPTIONAL) IN SUMMARY/SO/THEREFORE, THESE
EXAMPLES DEMONSTRATE/SHOW X
 TEMPLAT THE LECTURE IS ABOUT ______
E FOR THE PROFESSOR USES TWO EXAMPLES TO
DEMONSTRATE ______
TOEFL IN THE FIRST EXAMPLE, ______
INTEGRAT IN THE SECOND EXAMPLE, ______
IN SUMMARY/THEREFORE/ULTIMATELY, ______
ED
SPEAKING
TASK 4
WRITING
 WRITING

• THE WRITING SECTION IS THE FOURTH SECTION OF THE TOEFL IBT TEST AND
TAKES ABOUT 50 MINUTES TO COMPLETE. IT CONSISTS OF TWO SEPARATE
TASKS: AN INTEGRATED WRITING TASK AND AN INDEPENDENT WRITING
TASK. THE INDEPENDENT TASK REQUIRES YOU TO WRITE AN OPINIONATED
ESSAY BASED ON YOUR OWN KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE, WHEREAS THE
INTEGRATED TASK REQUIRES YOU TO WRITE A RESPONSE SYNTHESIZING A
LECTURE AND A READING PASSAGE. BELOW, WE EXAMINE THE TWO TOEFL
WRITING TASKS IN DETAIL.
 • YOU ARE GIVEN 3 MINUTES TO READ AN ACADEMIC
PASSAGE. AFTER READING THE PASSAGE, YOU THEN
LISTEN TO A LECTURE ON THE SAME TOPIC. YOU
INTEGRAT THEN WRITE AN ESSAY SUMMARIZING THE LECTURE
AND THE READING PASSAGE AND SHOWING THE
ED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM. YOU SHOULD NOT

WRITING EXPRESS YOUR OWN OPINION OF THE ISSUES AND

YOU SHOULD NOT BRING IN ANY INFORMATION
TASK FORM OUTSIDE THE PASSAGE AND THE LECTURE.

READING: 3 MINUTES
WRITING: 20 MINUTES
 • YOU READ A PROMPT (A TOPIC) AND EXPRESS YOUR
OPINIONS IN YOUR RESPONSE. YOUR RESPONSE IS
BASED ENTIRELY ON YOUR OWN KNOWLEDGE AND
EXPERIENCE.

WRITING: 30 MINUTES

INDEPENDE
NT WRITING
TASK
TOEFL
• WHEN YOU START THE TOEFL INTEGRATED WRITING TASK, YOU WILL BE
GIVEN 3 MINUTES TO READ AN ACADEMIC PASSAGE. AFTER READING THE
PASSAGE, YOU WILL THEN LISTEN TO A LECTURE ON THE SAME TOPIC.

INTEGRAT YOU’LL HAVE A TOTAL OF 20 MINUTES TO WRITE YOUR RESPONSE. YOUR
RESPONSE SHOULD BE AROUND 150-225 WORDS. DURING THIS TIME, YOU

ED
MAY REREAD THE PASSAGE; HOWEVER, YOU MAY NOT LISTEN TO THE
LECTURE AGAIN.

WRITING
• THE READING PASSAGE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE A DIFFERENT POINT OF
VIEW FROM THE LECTURE. THERE ARE A TOTAL OF TWO DIFFERENT
SCENARIOS THAT YOU CAN ENCOUNTER.

TASK • CONTRADICTION:
THE LECTURE CONTRADICTS OR CASTS DOUBT ON THE KEY POINTS IN THE
READING PASSAGE.
• SUPPORTING WITH EXAMPLES:
THE LECTURE SUPPORTS THE KEY POINTS IN THE READING PASSAGE.
• IT DOESN’T MATTER WHICH SCENARIO YOU ENCOUNTER. YOUR RESPONSE
MUST SUMMARIZE THE KEY POINTS DISCUSSED IN THE LECTURE AND
EXPLAIN HOW THESE POINTS RELATE TO THE READING.
 • IN THIS TASK, TAKING GOOD NOTES IS CRITICAL.

• WHEN TAKING NOTES FOR THE READING PASSAGE, MAKE SURE TO WRITE DOWN THE
POSITION OR OPINION OF THE AUTHOR AND THE MAIN SUPPORTING REASONS FOR THAT
POSITION OR OPINION. IN MOST CASES, THERE WILL BE THREE MAIN SUPPORTING
IDEAS. NOTE THAT THE READING PASSAGE ARE ALWAYS PRESENTED IN A POINT-BY-
TOEFL POINT FASHION. THAT IS, THE ARTICLE BEGINS WITH A MAIN STATEMENT, FOLLOWED
BY THREE PARAGRAPHS, EACH OF WHICH GIVES A MAIN POINT SUPPORTING THE MAIN
INTEGRAT STATEMENT.

ED
• FOR THE LECTURE, IT’S THE SAME BASIC IDEA AS THE READING PASSAGE. THE
LECTURE FOLLOWS THE SAME PATTERN, WITH THE MAIN POINTS MATCHING UP WITH
THE MAIN POINTS IN THE READING PASSAGE. IN OTHER WORDS, THE MAIN POINTS
WRITING DIRECTLY SUPPORT OR REFUTE THE POINTS MADE IN THE ARTICLE, USUALLY IN THE
SAME ORDER. YOU MUST BE AWARE OF THIS IN ORDER TO TAKE APPROPRIATE
TASK NOTES. ONE MORE THING! THE LECTURE MIGHT INCLUDE INFORMATION THAT IS NOT
RELATED TO THE READING. REMEMBER THIS! YOU DON’T NEED TO WRITE IRRELEVANT
INFORMATION DOWN IN YOUR NOTES!
• IN ADDITION TO TAKING GOOD NOTES, YOU’LL NEED TO WRITE AT LEAST 5
PARAGRAPHS THAT SYNTHESIZE THE MAIN POINTS OF THE READING PASSAGE AND
LECTURE. YOU SHOULD ALSO PARAPHRASE WHEN YOU WRITE YOUR RESPONSE. DO
NOT COPY THE EXACT WORDS FROM THE READING PASSAGE OR LECTURE. YOUR
SCORE WILL SUFFER, IF YOU DO.