Hello, my friend! How are you feeling today?

Welcome to the last section of your TOEFL. We've come to the last lap of this race, my friend!

Writing section. That's when you organize your thoughts and... write them down. This preparation is designed to offer you tools to perform well in this section. Some students just get stuck here not because they don't know how to write, but because they haven't gotten ready for this moment. You will be prepared. Be sure of that.

The Writing section has two essay questions and takes 50 minutes to complete.

Question 1 is the Integrated Writing question. For this question, you will read a passage for 3 minutes and listen to a short lecture (about the same topic) before writing your response. You will have 20 minutes to write your response. You will then be asked to summarize the points in the lecture and explain how they relate to points in the reading passage.

TOEFL writers' advice for this first question:

As you read, look for the main idea of the passage, and take notes about key points that relate to that main idea. You don't need to memorize the passage because it will reappear on your screen when it is time to write. Next, you will listen to a lecture. The speaker will talk about the same topic from a different perspective, for about 2 minutes. As you listen, you can take notes on your scratch paper. Listen for information that responds to the points in the reading passage. You will only hear the listening passage once. And when it is finished, the reading passage will reappear on your screen, along with the question. And the question will always ask you to summarize the points made in the lecture and explain how they relate to specific points in the reading passage. 

As we mentioned about the reading passage, it's important to identify the main idea, which is usually in the first paragraph, and see how it's developed. Usually there will be 3 points that support that main idea. When you're taking notes during the listening passage, remember that you're looking for specific points that relate to the points in the reading.

Finally, and this may sound obvious: make sure you answer the question.

The question will always ask you to summarize the lecture, and it will always ask you how the lecture responds to the points made in the reading passage. So if you only write about what's in the reading passage, you're not answering the question.

That's enough for the first question, my friend. You've already seen that it's a combination between a text and a lecture.

Question 2 is the Independent Writing question. For this question, you will give your opinion on an issue. You will have 30 minutes to write your response. Now you are presented with a question that asks you to give your opinion on an issue.

TOEFL writers' advice for this question: 

You have 30 minutes to type your response at the computer. There is no maximum length for your essay, but a good response is usually at least 300 words. So, what is the question asking you to do?

The Independent writing question will ask your opinion on an issue, so often you will get a question such as: Do you agree or disagree? Which would you prefer? or Do you support or oppose this idea? Regardless of the question, you will be expected to use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Let's see some examples:

1- Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A teacher's ability to relate well with students is more important than excellent knowledge of the subject being taught.

2- Some people like to travel with a companion. Other people prefer to travel alone. Which do you prefer?

3- It has recently been announced that a new restaurant may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan?

Nice questions, huh? Read them again, think about them...

To write your essay, you have to:

1- Decide which option you prefer.

2- Think of the main reasons why you have that preference.

3- List specific examples for each reason and start writing, my friend!

Before ending this text, I'll share with you 5 practices suggested by the TOEFL writers. If you do only 1 of them I'll be happy. Prepared? There you go:

Extra practice:

1- Find a short news article from a news website like cnn.com, bbc.com, or reuters.com. Practice paraphrasing by rewriting the article in your own words.

2- Keep a vocabulary journal that includes synonyms of useful words. Type in a word at www.thesaurus.com (opens new window) to find synonyms and explore how words with similar meanings relate to one another.

3- Find a recorded lecture from an online course website, such as edx.org. Listen to the lecture and write down what the main points are. This is a great activity to do with a study partner, because you can both do it separately and compare notes.

4- Read two articles on the same topic, and write a summary of each. Then explain the ways in which they are similar and the ways in which they are different.

5- Find an essay in a news magazine or on a website that expresses an opinion. Read it and write about why you agree or disagree. Give yourself 30 minutes to plan, write, and revise the essay.

That's it, my friend! I want to see you speaking English, improving your relationships, having new opportunities. We're all looking for one thing: happiness. I want to see a smile on your face every day.

Are you smiling now? 

And now?

Smile, my friend! God bless you.

If you need my assistance I'm here to serve you. My personal phone is +55 67 9 9646-1112.

All the best and see you next class,

Felipe Dib.