iBT Speaking and Writing

TOEFL iBT Writing Score 27: Congratulations Sasin!

I was very happy to get this message from one of my TOEFL Writing Mentor students today:

 

Dear Jason,
 
I would like to thank you for your writing techniques. I use your techniques for both sections in writing part and I got 27 from my lastest exam.
 
Thanks a lot
 
Sasin Janpuangtong

 

Fantastic news and I'm really happy to hear it! All the best to you, Sasin!

   

~ Jason

:D

TOEFL Essay Writing - How to time and pace the different stages to produce a good independent essay response!

This is the latest in my TOEFL iBTv series, and this tutorial focuses on identifying a series of stages to work through (and how to time them) to both produce a good essay efficiently under time limits, but also to help you discover where you have particular weaknesses so that you can focus on specific stages to improve your overall writing!

11. TOEFL Independent Essay - Timing and pacing your written response

Good luck with your TOEFL writing development!

~ Jason

:D

Some questions about TOEFL writing - and Jason's answers!

The following questions about TOEFL writing tasks were recently posted over on Erin's Test Magic TOEFL forum:

I am going to take my TOEFL very soon. I am in a fix about the writing. I have some questions about the writing section. Would any expert answer my questions?

1. In case of independent writing, should I take a side? Meaning should I completely agree or disagree? I may debate on the topic. There may have both the sides strong in an issue. And if I discuss both of the sides, and finally conclude that both the sides have merit and on the basis of the factors discussed in the essay, one can't totally say that this one or the other one is better.

2. Should I use idioms and phrases very often? Is it detrimental for the essay if I use more idioms and phrases?

3. In case of integrated writing, should I conclude in my own way?

 

I've given some quick responses and advice based on these questions - you can read them at this link!

 

Best,

 

~ Jason

:D

 

TOEFL Independent essay writing - how to use IF and WHEN with Zero Conditionals to create general examples!

Moving on to some grammar for your independent writing efforts!

The latest TOEFL iBTv tutorial below features a simple lesson on using IF/WHEN in Zero Conditional constructions to help you create general examples related to the general present. (These can then be added to in order to create more specific examples, but they make a good lead in after you've stated a reason and if you want to support it in general everyday terms before getting specific).

TOEFL iBTv 9: Independent Writing - Using IF/WHEN with Zero Conditionals in examples

   

There will be a lot more basic grammar tutorials for writing appearing in TOEFL iBTv in future, so make sure you stay tuned!

:D

 

Integrated writing task - taking notes for the reading passage

Just to let you know I've added a new tutorial to TOEFL iBTv, this one with a specific focus on how to take notes for the reading passage while doing the integrated writing task.

TOEFL iBTv: Integrated Writing Task - Taking notes for the reading passage

Hope it gives you some useful ideas and tips!

:D

TOEFL Independent essay: brainstorming and outlining to make a quick start to your essay

I've just uploaded a new visual tutorial to my free TOEFL iBTv resource section, and this one looks at a simple way to brainstorm and create an outline simultaneously, to help you make a quick and efficient start to your independent essay response:

 

TOEFL iBTv: Independent essay - brainstorming and outlining to make a quick start to your essay

The great TOEFL iBTv tutorials keep coming, and are updated regularly, so make sure you get over there and see them as often as you can!

 

~ Jason

;-D

 

 

 

TOEFL Writing Mentor (New!) and Updated TOEFL Speaking Mentor!

Well, it took a while, but finally I've completed and released the brand new TOEFL Writing Mentor service.

You can take a sneak-peek at the service by watching the screencast below:

  

 

 

With 5 complete writing tests (10 writing questions - 5 integrated and 5 independent), 25 professional tutorials, and the chance to submit your writing and get scores from me, it has to be one of the premier TOEFL writing services you'll find anywhere on the Net!

 

I've also been making some great updates to the existing TOEFL Speaking Mentor service as well!

The available complete speaking tests have been increased from 1 to 3 (meaning 18 practice speaking tasks rather than 6), and I am now checking and scoring all responses to speaking tasks on Tuesday of each week.

I am also in the process of adding more example answers, broken down into sections so test takers can see how much time and what sort of content I dedicate to each 'part' of one response.

So TOEFL Speaking and Writing continue to develop and improve on my site. If you're getting ready for the test and aren't a member yet - you're falling behind!

 

:-D

  

   

 

A good site for TOEFL writing tips and practice

I noticed this TOEFL writing site some time ago, but just recently took a little more time to peruse the site more.

I have to admit - at first I was a bit sceptical, because the site is plugging TOEFL essay corrections for as little as $2.67 (that's if you sign up for 30 essays, though - so do the math and it's still a bit to fork out in one go). I couldn't understand how any quality provider of essay feedback and corrections could so this sort of work for so little (and to be frank - I still don't know how!).

However, some looking around the site revealed a very careful level system and very impressive stash of writing tips, sample topics and example compositions. Even if you're not looking to sign up for pay-for services, this site is a virtual treasure-chest of free writing goodies for you to nibble on.

 

 

More free TOEFL test materials (all sections of the test)

I recently came across a whole stash of free TOEFL test practice materials at this link.

I only really had time to check out some of the speaking tests. The positive is that the creator of this site has managed to very accurately replicate the actual TOEFL test browser format, including the automatic timer function (so it will be good for you in terms of getting a great feel for the actual test experience.

On the negative side, many of the actual recordings for the listening sections come out quite muted and difficult to hear without turning your volume settings up ultra high. Even then, it's distracting because the narration sections are clear and set at a higher volume - so one minute you'll be straining to hear the speakers in a dialogue, and then the narrator will come on and blast your eardrums out! Also, despite the great timing functions, you can't actually record your performance or listen to yourself afterwards.

Still, as I said, it can still be great practice, on account of the close resemblance to the actual TOEFL browser and automatic timing functions. There are also a lot of tests and practice items to go through, including all the other parts of the test (reading, listening and writing as well as speaking).

One note of caution: I don't know how long these materials can/will stay available up on the web. The site maker has not documented where the original materials came from - so there is a good chance they have been burned, copied and uploaded illegally using some other source. Maybe (hopefully) I'm wrong there, but generally speaking I would expect to see rights/copyright asserted if the site owner had made or organized the making of all these materials privately... 

 

 

TOEFL iBT Independent Essay Example from Jason ~ improve roads and highways or public transport?

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? 

Governments should spend more money on improving roads and highways rather than public transportation. 

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

 

 

 

Planning/Outline Notes:

 

Agree – roads and highways

 

R1 – Safety

Ex – Unsafe roads, traffic problems, bypassing urban areas

 

R2 – Benefits both public and private transport

Ex – Travel time, areas without public transport

 

R3 – Overall benefits to country

Ex – Trade, leisure time, tourism

 

 

 

 

Essay

 

Think about the last time you had to travel along a badly maintained road or highway. Aside from the safety issues, you were probably experiencing discomfort and inconvenience. Likewise, consider the frustration associated with your last traffic jam, based on streets or highways not keeping up with current transportation movements and needs. These are just some of the experiences that lead me to believe it is better for governments to spend more money on improving roads and highways than public transportation. The development of better public transport is, of course, desirable. However, considering factors such as general safety, improvements for both public and private transport, and a variety of associated national benefits, I honestly feel that governments need to allocate more spending on roads and highways first.

 

Public safety is the first major consideration I would like to present in relation to an issue of this nature. Poorly maintained roads and highways present a variety of hazards, including car and traffic accidents and pedestrian fatalities. Vehicles are more likely to crash and cause death or injury when roads are too narrow, lack appropriate traffic lights, or have rough edges or poor line markings. Likewise, without things like ring roads – where highways can divert heavy traffic around major population centers – the danger to drivers and pedestrians is increased. While governments have many major responsibilities (including developing and providing more public transport), public safety is one of the most important ones. By improving and maintaining roads and highways, governments are enhancing the safety element in the societies they are responsible for.

 

The issue of safety is also a good example of how better roads and highways benefits both public and private transport users. Motorways are public places used by all people, irrespective of whether they are driving a private vehicle or using public transport. Beyond safety considerations, better roads improve overall travel time for all users (reducing the risk of things like stress and inconvenience), in effect improving overall quality of life. Having used both public and private transport at various times during my life, I have to admit the quality of roads and highway networks has benefited or disadvantaged me irrespective of which mode of transport I was using. We also need to bear in mind that some places (especially rural areas) are without public transport and may only ever have very limited access to it. For both the people living in these areas and the people passing through them en route to other destinations, they may be relying on private transport. I believe they are entitled to safer and better quality roads as much as public transportation users in urban areas are. Governments are responsible for providing good roads for both private and public transport users, and people in both urban and rural areas; hence, it makes better sense to improve the roads and highways for all of these transportation users.

 

Finally, there is a range of important benefits associated with good roads and highways that go beyond just users of transport and relate more to a country’s overall efficiency and prosperity. Good roads are important for freight – or moving goods and services around a country’s various regions. What is the good of having more and better public transportation if it is increasingly difficult to transport food and essential services throughout a country? In addition, good roads and highways enhance things like tourism. By way of example, people are more likely to travel and enjoy more leisure time if they have access to quality roads. Moreover, foreign visitors can move around and visit more places in a country, bringing valuable income to businesses and communities located at or near to major tourist attractions. These issues of movement of goods and services and tourism are direct responsibilities of good governments, and the maintenance of good quality roads and highways is important in facilitating them.

 

People in many countries are constantly calling for better public transportation, citing things like wider access to transport and limiting the environmental effects of vehicular transportation. These concerns are certainly warranted. However, essentially more and better quality public transport is useless without a good road and highway network to run on. Considering also the critical issues of general public safety and access for all road users, and the benefits associated with better freight transport and tourism, I think it goes without saying that governments’ first priority has to be on improving roads and highways as the essential precursor to developing better public transport.

 

 

 

You can practice writing your own response to this topic and/or review the essays written by other test takers at this link:

 

http://global-english.lefora.com/2008/08/04/toefl-independent-essay-topic-2-roads-and-highways/page1/

 

 

All the best,

 

~ Jason

 

 

TOEFL iBT Independent Essay Examples from Jason ~ Small town or big city?

 

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

       It is better to live in a small town than a big city.

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

 

 

 

 

Example Essay Response A

 

 

Planning Notes/Outline (5 mins):

 

Disagree - big city is better

 

R1 – Education

Ex – schools, universities, my own experience

 

R2 – Career

Ex – companies, range of businesses

 

R3 – Services and infrastructure

Ex – Health/hospitals, government offices, banking

 

 

 

 

Essay

 

 

It is a common fact that the world is becoming increasingly urbanized. In almost every country in the world – and certainly in the developed or developing countries – the trend has been for more and more people to move from small towns in the countryside to larger cities. This trend echoes my own preference for living in a big city rather than a small town. While there are certainly benefits to living in small towns, I think the advantages of big city life are compelling. Among them, I would say that opportunities in education and career and access to services and infrastructure are the most prominent.

 

Education plays a major role in people’s future success and prosperity. Whereas smaller towns in the countryside are lucky to have one basic school serving a very small population, cities always have a huge range of schools, colleges and universities on offer. It is also the general trend that the better teachers tend to be located in schools and universities in cities, where the salaries and benefits tend to be more attractive. Personally, I have the unique experience of having attended secondary schools in both the countryside and a large city. While the country school was friendly and enjoyed small class sizes, it couldn’t compete with the larger school I attended in a city, where there was a richer range of subjects available and better quality and more experienced teachers to learn from. Competition with a large number of more talented students also drove me to study harder and take my education more seriously. Moreover, once I graduated from high school, there was a range of very good universities close to my home that I could attend. Now, as a parent myself, I can see the obvious advantage of bringing my children up in a large city and giving them the opportunity to attend good quality schools and then university.

 

A good education is essential for career opportunities, and access to good jobs is another important reason why large cities are preferable to small towns. Aside from the fact that cities have a huge range of different jobs available, the larger and more successful companies are almost invariably located (or have important branches or offices) in big cities. By contrast, small towns have a very limited range and number of jobs available to people. Some of my first jobs included working in sales and marketing and hospitality, including valuable experience with major brand companies and large hotels. I was also able to work my way up and move to rival companies, increasing my experience and salary on an ongoing basis. Had I been located in a small town in the countryside, I would have been limited to very basic jobs without opportunities to advance far or change companies as my skills and experience developed.

 

Aside from these obvious advantages in terms of education and career, large cities are preferable to me on account of the services and infrastructure that are available there. An obvious example is health, with cities having many hospitals and clinics on offer – many of which are specialized to treat particular ailments. These facilities are also more amply prepared for emergency cases, and the availability and travel time associated with ambulances is obviously better than what could be expected in a small town in the countryside. In addition, things like government offices and banking services are absolutely more accessible when one lives in a city. One of my relatives lives in a small town, and she often complains about the frustration and tedium involved in having to drive long distances to do simple things like access government services or do simple banking. Conversely, living in a large city with easy access to these things has made my own life far more convenient.

 

Small towns and large cities each have their advantages and disadvantages, and there are certainly aspects of living in a small town (for example, friendly people, easy-going lifestyle, clean environment) that I would appreciate. However, issues like education, career opportunities, and access to important services hold a lot more weight for me personally, hence my clear preference for living in a large city where these things are amply available. It would seem that many other people in the world have a similar inclination, as the growing global trend towards urban living suggests.

 

 

 

Example Essay Response B

 

 

Planning Notes/Outline (5 mins):

 

Agree – small town is better

 

R1 – Social aspects

Ex – Personal experience, friendliness, closeness, safety, responsibility

 

R2 – Environment

Ex – Air and noise

 

R3 – Lifestyle

Ex – Access to outdoor activities, sports

 

 

 

 

Essay

 

 

I have several friends who grew up in small towns and moved to big cities in early adulthood. In many cases, these friends inevitably ended up relocating back to their small towns, or at least spoke yearningly of the good lives they enjoyed there. Acknowledging that there are obvious benefits to living in a large city, my friends’ reasons for preferring small town living to big city life echo my own. Considering things like the social aspects, environment and lifestyle available in small towns, I have to agree and say that this is the life I would prefer.

 

First of all, it is a well-known fact that many small towns feature closely-knit communities. While it is true that a big city affords the opportunity to meet a much larger range of different people of different backgrounds, there is a certain comfort that comes from living in a small society where everybody knows everybody else. I spent a period of my own childhood in a small country town, and I vividly recall how warm it felt to be greeted by name (and to know the name) of almost every person I met on the street on a daily basis. In addition, this closeness also generates things like greater safety and an earlier sense of responsibility. People in small towns tend to look out for the other people they know living there, and are more careful in their own behavior – knowing full well that any misdeed they might commit will be known by everyone in the town. The relative anonymity so common in big cities can often erode both of these important principles; people there tend to worry only about themselves and may be more willing to commit anti-social behavior, knowing that nobody around them can identify them.

 

Beyond the social aspects, living in a small town often yields the obvious benefit of having access to a cleaner environment. The pollution generated by large factories and colossal amounts of traffic is usually missing from small towns. Moreover, the drastically smaller amount of people, businesses and cars means that smaller towns tend to be a whole lot quieter. Having experienced both kinds of places, I confess that there can be a certain exciting “buzz” to large cities, with all the movement and action going on there. However, this just cannot compete with the wonderfully clean air and quiet I recall from life in a small rural town. Nights were serenely quiet and a sky full of stars was on display on a regular basis. These aspects might sound simplistic or even boring to a big city dweller, but they are things I (and almost everyone else I have known hailing from small towns) always missed dearly when I was living in the “big smoke”.

 

Hand in hand with both the close-knit society and clean surroundings comes the third great advantage of small town living – the wonderful lifestyle. Small towns are usually surrounded by countryside or close to the coast or other natural attractions, making access to outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, swimming, and camping very easy. In addition, traditional sports tend to be a major part of life in rural towns as well. Big cities do, of course, have their own unique attractions for lifestyle as well, but from my experience these often involve more observing than doing. For example, people in a big city are more likely to go and watch a game of football, whereas people in a small town would be more likely to actually play the sport. In addition, while city folk might go on fishing or camping trips once or twice a year, people in small towns have the opportunity to do these sorts of things on a monthly or even weekly basis.   

 

Small towns and large cities each have their respective advantages and disadvantages, and there are certainly aspects of living in a big city (for example, access to museums and major events, better schools, and so forth) that I would appreciate. However, issues like social cohesion, environmental surroundings, and access to an active lifestyle hold a lot more weight for me personally, hence my clear preference for living in a small town where these things are amply available. I also consider these as being important aspects in my own children’s upbringing, which makes living in a small town an even more attractive prospect.

 

 

 

Post your own response to this topic or read sample responses from other TOEFL test takers at this link:

 

http://global-english.lefora.com/2008/08/04/toefl-independent-essay-topic-1-small-town-or-big-/page1/

 

 

 

 

TOEFL Writing Competition - Win Money for your Essay!!!

Practice your essay writing and perhaps even walk away with some prize money for your efforts!

http://global-english.lefora.com/2008/08/15/jasons-toefl-ibt-writing-challenge-fall-2008-win-m/

Entry into the competition is free, and there is a total of US$175 in prize money up for grabs. Use the money to help offset the cost of your next test, buy some new test prep books, or take your friends out for dinner to apologize for being so grumpy while you've been pulling your hair out trying to prepare for the test. It's up to you!

The competition is designed, moderated, rated and guaranteed by Jason D. Renshaw, a major author with Pearson Longman with more than 20 international textbooks to his credit.

So enter your response to the specific essay topic listed there - you have everything to gain and nothing to lose! Entries must be submitted before Friday, September 26 to be considered for the competition.

Good Luck,

~ Jason Renshaw

Example Independent Writing Task with real essay submissions, scores and feedback...

Our site, www.onlinEnglish.net, has a free online iBT writing test which allows you to post your essay efforts online (interested? Click here).

I recently just got the independent task essays up to date, so that all 55 posted so far now have scores and feedback attached to them.

This is now a great resource if you're looking for tips on how to write your iBT independent essay. Looking through the essays submitted, I would have to say that in almost 80% of cases, the main problems people have are addressing the topic correctly or thoroughly, and then creating an organized and cohesive response. Things like grammar and language use are not actually all that bad, but to be honest any essay rater will not begin to look at these things until the general content and organization are clear.

It's interesting, because in most cases, when people submit their essays they expect and even ardently request comments about their grammar.

This is rather like going to a restaurant and ordering a steak with vegetables. The cook-in-training brings you a chicken with french fries on the side. The cook-in-training asks you to comment on his cooking style, and the marinade he has added to make the chicken delicious.

As the person who ordered and expected steak and vegetables, you feel more inclined to ask the cook-in-training to get the initial order right before you want to give him any sort of feedback about his chicken marinades and cooking style.

So, my advice here is, with independent topic-driven essays in any test, make sure you get the basic order right first. No matter how good your cooking techniques and marinades are, without the right substance to start with, you cannot get a good rating.

I-B-C: The essential formula for success with TOEFL (Part 1 – the iBT writing tasks)

Over the many years I have been preparing students (and other teachers) for the TOEFL, there is a single simple framework that I have constantly returned to – and one that has generated the most success when it comes to taking the test and getting a good score as a minimum and potentially a perfect score if things go a test-taker’s way on the day.

   

I have to point out here that I have prepared students for the TOEFL at various levels of proficiency and “readiness”, and as a busy teacher and writer I’ve needed a grounding framework that can work at multiple levels. My formula has worked with a student who achieved a perfect 300 on the CBT, and it has worked with teenagers who on the writing portion of the CBT went from consistent 2s and 3s out of 6 for the essay to a minimum of 4 out of 6. The formula, albeit slightly adapted in some specific cases, has transferred excellently to the iBT version, complete with another writing task and 6 new speaking tasks. In fact, when I first began to seriously analyze the questions added for the iBT I honestly thought this formula was a very high instinctive priority in the test makers and raters as well as they went about designing and launching the speaking and writing portions of the new test. If true, it is no coincidence. That’s because this basic formula could be considered fundamental to a wide variety of academic/ formal/ professional presentations, whether they are written or spoken in nature.

 

Well, after all that build up, I am happy to say this formula is neither complicated nor foreign-feeling. It’s simple, and it’s something most students and test-takers already now something about.

   

It is: I-B-C.

   

Or in full form: Introduction-Body-Conclusion

   

Perhaps you’ve just let out a sigh of disappointment, wondering how I could possibly quote such a simple, well-known formula and make it out to be so profound.

 

The truth of the matter is that many test-takers (and even many of the teachers who prepare them, for that matter) take the test and come up with an ordinary score because in many (or even most) cases, people feel they know the ingredients in this formula and how to apply them well – when in fact they don’t.

   

What the TOEFL demands and watches very carefully for is an ability to understand and stay on topic (first and foremost), to be able to back that up in thoughtful detail, the ability to do so in clearly organized and cohesive fashion, and a capacity to take all of this somewhere (hopefully) to create a final position or state. The I-B-C model is a great way to ensure that happens, but until you can get it right you are pretty much praying to the ETS gods for good fortune and a lucky break.

 

Basically, if you can introduce content (or a response to content) in a framing and original way that makes a clear topic or case, then present a body of clearly organized information supporting and extending that original topic, then wrap up the overall production in a clear and original way, tying together the various well-organized on-topic threads and leaving the reader or listener with a concluding thought, then you have the essential formula for handling almost all of the productive tasks on the TOEFL, AND the potential to score highly on them.

 

Let me take you through the various TOEFL writing and speaking tasks so you can see what I mean. I’ll start with the writing tasks – (1) because I believe this is the format we’re all most familiar with when it comes to the I-B-C principles, and (2) because I honestly believe most of the academic speaking tasks for the test were designed based on what was familiar and consistently applied in the pre-existing writing section.

 

Independent Essay (iBT TOEFL Writing Task 2)

 

I –

Introduce a topic and show some awareness about it. State a clear thesis or guiding idea for your essay. Refer broadly to the sub-topic ideas you will be addressing in the body of the essay, as an initial rationale for the thesis/guiding idea you have asserted. The introduction is absolutely crucial for immediately demonstrating to a test rater that you understand the topic and task, and that you are on track (“on topic”) from the very outset.

 

B –

This is the “meat” of the essay, where all the nitty-gritties are presented, explained, rationalized and/or exemplified. Given the scope of detail to be expressed here, staying true to the main topic, clearly organizing sub-ideas, and expressing details with good advanced appropriate language – all of these factors are so important. The body is often the place where writers slip and demonstrate either a vague or deficient understanding of the topic. You’ll need 2-3 paragraphs here, corresponding to the broad sub-topic ideas you mentioned in the introduction with a nice clear topic sentence for each. In fact, the I-B-C model becomes relevant to each body paragraph. You introduce the sub-topic or idea in a topic sentence, followed up with a mini-body of details, reasons and examples, and tie the paragraph up in a well-rounded conclusive way. Make sure all your supporting details correspond clearly with the sub-topic in the topic sentence, and if that in turn corresponds with the thesis/guiding idea in your introduction, then your challenge is with good written expression and the chances or wandering away from your main idea are somewhat reduced.

 

C –

The conclusion wraps up the essay, rather like the curtain-call of a concert or play. It needs to re-state the thesis and main ideas from the body, but in a new and/or refreshing way. The best quote I’ve heard about conclusions is to “make sure they contain the essential information and impressions you want your readers to walk away from the essay with.” To that I would add that it is important to do this without sounding like you’re simply repeating yourself. Whereas the skill with the main topic in the introduction was to get it our clearly and succinctly, and in the body it was to deal with the topic in a very comprehensive and well structured way, here in the conclusion I believe the skill is about talking about the topic and thesis in a united and authoritative way, and leaving the reader with a lasting impression of it.

 

 

The independent essay is the single longest piece of production you will put together on the entire TOEFL test, so it is necessarily the part where understanding and applying the I-B-C formula is most complicated and yet crucial. But if you can get it right here, applying the formula to other writing and speaking tasks actually becomes easier. Given the production in these other parts is much shorter and less complex, we can strip the I-B-C formula back to some essential basics and reapply it.

 

 

Integrated Essay (iBT TOEFL Writing Task 1)

 

Compared to the independent essay, this is a bit of a different beast. In terms of style and content, it does need to be approached differently. This is a reporting and (to some extent) critical awareness task, probing not only your writing ability but essentially making it dependent on your reading and listening skills and demanding the capacity to show you can integrate the content of the two sources in a unified way. However, if I can assume for now that you have managed to handle most of the input from the sources, the key skill of presenting this in good writing still very much benefits from our basic I-B-C formula.

 

As I mentioned earlier, we can scale back our I-B-C model compared to the way we applied it in the independent task, because (1) we have less time to write (20 minutes only), and (2) less volume of detail and very little in the way of personal opinion is expected by the test raters. The ETS guides say this can be a mini-essay or just one extended paragraph. I think from the outset I would recommend a three-paragraph approach with a very short introduction and conclusion, with the bulk of the writing in the body. Raters in a rush who quickly scan your writing will then in that single eye-blink get an impression of a well-organized writer who makes a clear assessment at the start of the writing and backs it up with lots of detail in the middle, before rounding it off in a nicely conclusive fashion.

 

If you have some talent and can produce a lot of writing fast, you may even still want a 4-5 paragraph approach, with each body paragraph exploring a key issue or idea. That is in fact a good way to write this kind of essay, because towards the end it will show you how many ideas you’ve managed to cover and in what degree of detail. You can always pull the sections back together again to create one large body paragraph, or even for that matter pull everything together for one single paragraph overall. In either case (pulling the pieces together into one longer paragraph), I recommend doing so if you haven’t managed to cover a whole lot in each discrete idea-section, and it is a good idea to use appropriate transitions and cohesive devices to create a feeling of flow from one main point to the next.

 

In any case, an I-B-C approach to the integrated task (especially as a general writing process) will get a feeling of how much content you’ve managed to address and how well you’ve organized and expressed it.

 

I –

Introduce the topic represented by both of the input sources, and state in a nutshell how the two sources relate to each other (it will almost always be a case of one source contradicting or challenging the other, or agreeing with, exemplifying or extending it). You would want two, but no more than three sentences in this part.

 

B –

Again, this is the “meat” of the essay, where all the nitty-gritties are presented, explained, rationalized and/or exemplified. If your introduction was on track, you’ve stated the broad topic and explained generally how the two sources work with each other. Therefore, this is the place to show that relationship in some detail. Another way of putting it is that you’ve already stated we have a hamburger with an overall mix of ingredients in the middle/core that either complement or clash with each other. Well, here is where you describe that mix of ingredients. Explain each key idea from one source, with the relevant detail you managed to pick up, then compare/contrast it with what the other source has to say. I would go so far as to say there will be at least three key ideas for you to demonstrate and explain here, involving both of the inputs for each one. However, the main thing to remember is sticking to and reporting the details, and expressing the relationship between the sources using appropriate devices and expression. Your opinion should not be expressed here at all – it’s all about reporting and unifying what you’ve read and heard.

 

C –

You can add a concluding sentence for this task. Even though the official TOEFL guides usually say it’s not necessary, if you can do so in a simplified and non-opinionated way I think it is a great way to sum up what has been reported and to show again that you have understood what was essentially going on in the mix of the two input sources. As long as you don’t simply repeat your introduction and can state something overall in a concise way, it can’t hurt you to include a concluding statement and may even benefit you.

 

 

 

So there you have it – my views on how a simple I-B-C formula relates to handling the writing tasks on the iBT TOEFL. Very soon I’ll be back with Part 2 of this posting, and there we will move on to see how I-B-C benefits answering each of the iBT speaking tasks!

 

 

 

 

 

Big round of exciting updates for the iBT section of OnlinEnglish.net

Well, myself and the boys over at www.onlinEnglish.net have really been burning some midnight oil, and we're happy to announce a huge update for the site with lots of new goodies for the iBT TOEFL section.

In particular, we've worked hard to get the iBT writing side of things up to speed. We recently got the following things completed and uploaded to the site:

• A localized independent writing task with heaps of real student sample essays, including two drafts and two rounds of detailed feedback and advice from our online tutors - for each essay!
• Three separate integrated writing tasks (with very different topic foci), again with tons of drafts from real students plus the detailed tutor help;
• A new embedded writing board/forum for the writing tasks in our free actual test, so that now it is really easy for visitors to practice and submit their writing for the tasks straight away - as with our free speaking tasks, we're hopeful to give dozens of test takers reliable scores and good advice on how to improve their production.

Here's how the main page of the site now looks (this image is a bit smudgy with the transition to jpg - on the actual site it's much nicer to look at!):