Don't start the TOEFL iBT Writing Task without reading this first!



Before you begin the TOEFL Writing Exam, it is important to read the question very carefully. You should know what the writing task is. To illustrate the importance of this, consider the following situation: Your wife tells you to remove a food stain from the carpet. She asks you to use a special product called "Stain Be Gone." You venture into the laundry room and instead of getting "Stain Be Gone", you get another chemical called "Clorox," a type of bleach. You start to clean the carpet with the chemical and what happens? The brown carpet turns an awful color shade of yellow! Even though you had good intentions and you worked diligently to clean the carpet, you did not get the results you or your wife expected because you used a different chemical; consequently, you ruined the carpet.

This same example applies to TOEFL iBT writing. By not following the directions the prompt gives you, the end result will not be what the reader was expecting. Because of that, you will not receive the score you want. Consider the following three writing prompts:

1. There are a few people who would say that it is best to be loyal and to work for one company during one's life. Other people would take the opposite point of view and say it is better to change jobs frequently in one's life. Compare these positions, using specific examples of both. Then tell which one you agree with and explain your position.

2. As well as taking their specialized classes in their major, students should be required to take general education classes in a university. Do you concur or not with this statement? Give reasons to support your position.

3. The automobile along with the airplane are important inventions of the 20th century. Together, both of these inventions have had an important effect on society. Select another invention that you feel is important. Give a specific line of reasoning for your choice.

Can you say that these three prompts look the same to you? Do they have the same requirements or different? If you answered different, you are well on your way to being able to craft a successful essay.

The first prompt can be broken down into four tasks: The question is asking you to discuss both positions, which means (1) you need to write about why there are some people who say that it is better to be loyal to work for one company during one's life; (2) you must also write about why there are others who say it is better to change jobs frequently in one's life; (3) you need to tell which of the opinions you agree with; and (4) you need to explain why (i.e., give reasons). Be careful to remain indifferent until near the end, you do not want to state your position first in this type of essay.

The second prompt may be divided into two argumentative tasks- (1) that of deciding whether you agree or disagree with the statement: "In addition to their specialized classes in their major, students should also be required to take general education classes in a university." (2) Also you have to give various reasons to support your viewpoint. Starting with your argument in this type of essay, you assert which view is the same as yours. In the remainder of the essay, you state why you agree with that viewpoint.

During the third writing prompt, yet another style of argumentative essay is introduced, the task is straight forward- (1) that of using another invention that you believe is important. (2) You have to give specific reasons for your choice. The word "another" means something other than the automobile or the airplane. Consequently, if you begin to write about the airplane or the automobile, you will be penalized for not following the instructions provided for this writing prompt.

The concept is easy: think first before you write. Make sure you know what the writing task is asking.