26 June 2023 / ENGLISH, TOEFL

토플 Writing Section 팁 (230723 개정 전)

This post is written in English because it is intended for English learners. Even a single letter of Korean is totally useless for learning English. Thus I decided to write the post in English only.

There are two questions in the writing section, each having different characteristics: integrated and independent.

I will provide some tips for each question.

Integrated

The integrated question gives you a reading passage and an audio lecture on the same topic. The article has three main paragraphs and the lecture shows three features too, which correspond to the paragraphs. You will have 20 minutes to write an essay about the relationship between the two sources. Recommended word count is 280~300.

The relationship is one of the following:

Argument Style (Agree vs. Disagree) (Frequent)

This is the most frequent relationship type. The rest two is uncommon relatively.
Problem-Solution Style (Problem and a Solution to it)
Solution-Problem Style (Solution and some Problems it has)

Do note taking (Article vs lecturer)

mark ‘->’ on each argument or problem-solution pair

노트 형식 The format of a note

Use the short forms when taking the note.

Use x to refer to negatives.

Avoid copying the reading itself. Paraphrase every content of it.

Save about one minute for proofreading.

Refer to the following samples: Sample Essays and Questions

Essay Structure and Templates for Integrated Writing

Introduction and 3 main paragraphs will be enough. Coclusion is not necessary.

introduction

The reading and the lecture are both about _____.

While the author of the article argues(feels, believes,contends, posits etc.) that _____, the lecturer disputes the claims presented in the article.

His position is that _____.
main phrase 1~3

According to the reading _____.

The article mentions that __.

This argument is challenged by the lecturer.

He claims that __.

Additionally, he points out that __.

Secondly, the author suggests __.

In the article notes that _____.

The lecturer, however(in contrast, on the other hand etc.), asserts that __.

He goes on to say that __.

Finally, the author puts forth the idea that _____.

The author contends that __.

In contrast, the lecturer’s stance is _____.

He says that _____.

Independent

The independent question gives you a short topic and you have to write an essay on it, with your personal opinion.

380~400 words are recommended.

Essay Structure and Templates for Independent Writing

Introduction (50 Words)
- Sentence One: The “Background Information”
  
  This is an interesting sentence that introduces the general theme or topic of the essay. I recommend stating something that most people agree we should do:
  
  “Most people agree that everyone in the world should…“
- Sentence Two: The Main Point
  
  This is your main argument and direct answer to the question. Start with
  
  “Personally, I believe that…“
- Sentence Three: The Transition
  
  Just use:
  
  “I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.”

Don’t waste too much time on introduction. It’s not so important.

Main phrase 1, main phrase 2 (150 words each)
- Sentence One: A Topic Sentence
  
  This summarizes your first supporting reason. Begin with:
  
  “To begin with…“.
  
  “Furthremore, …” (for the second body paragraph)
- Sentences Two and Three: The Explanation
  
  Explain what you mean, without talking directly about a personal experience.
- Sentence Four: The Transition
  
  Just use:
  
  “My personal experience is a compelling illustration of this.“
  
  “For Instance, …” (for the second body paragraph)
- Sentence Six to End: The Personal Example
  
  An example from your life that illustrates this argument. It should make up about 60% of the body paragraph.
conclusion (40 Words)
- Sentence One: Restate the Thesis
  
  Paraphrase your thesis. Begin with:
  
  “In conclusion, I strongly feel that…“.
- Sentence Two: Restate the Two Reasons
  
  Just use:
  
  “This is because __, and ___.“