What is TOEFL? How to pass TOEFL? How to prepare to TOEFL?

TOEFL: your way to getting higher education in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA.
TOEFL is abbreviation for Test of English as a Foreign Language. Its international test developed by
ETS Educational Testing Service in Princeton University, USA. The goal of TOEFL is to estimate a level
of English language of foreigner speakers. Many of them need to pass TOEFL to enter 240 universities
of USA and Canada, many colleges in other English-speaking countries; business-structures and 150
world countries accept TOEFL certificates. TOEFL used to evaluate English language skills by
government structures, international organizations giving educational grants and many license and
certificate organizations around the world. TOEFL certificates can be accepted even in UK that have 4
functioning TOEFL centers.
Attention! TOEFL results are good only for 2 years after the test.
TOEFL at a test isnt very difficult, but its not very standart, so some of the questions can be puzzling.
Even if you speak English perfectly, you still need to get use to structure of TOEFL test, because there
were not so many people who passed it successfully at the very first time. You need to train a LOT,
train to answer TOEFL questions and repeat topics youre not very strong in.

How much TOEFL cost?

From $125 to 150, depends on a center.

OLD and NEW TOEFL

Paper-based TOEFL
Until 1998 everybody in the world had to pass paper-based, standard TOEFL. The test consisted of 3
parts: listening comprehension, grammar and reading comprehension. Correct answers should be
marked by pencil. Max points were 677. Except for TOEFL itself, you could pass one or two additional
tests TWE (Test of Written English, composition) and TSE (Test of Spoken English).
From July 1998 all candidates pass new, computer-based, nonstandard TOEFL.
NEW TOEFL
What are differences between new and old TOEFL?
1. Changed points system. New TOEFL have less questions and max points if 300. You can compare

new results to old ones using special table which you can find using the link:
www.toefl.org/concords1.html
2. Changed structure of test. Test of written English is obligatory. So now the test consists of 4 parts.
3. First two parts of the test (listening comprehension and grammar) became adaptive so the
difficulty of test depends on your skills. It allows to save time but easy questions give you less points.
4. The new test can be passed not 2 times a year but 4 times a week and even twice a day! You can
know your points right away and official results in 14 days (instead of 1,5 months for paper-based
test).

How to prepare to TOEFL test?

You can study using special CDs. Usually they contain different strategies of passing the test, test
variants and variety of grammar exercises. Answering the test questions, dont forget to watch the
time and appreciate how many of tasks you have ahead.
During the test, youll meet several types of questions. Better to study them at home first. Dont hurry
answering, you can miss some information, even if the answer seems to be clear. After giving the
answer, you cannot change it.

TOEFL as it is
Come to the test, having your passport and TOEFL Admission Ticket and Photo File Record. You cannot
be late, if you are you failed it, and wont get money back. You cannot use electronic devices during
the test, any paper, books, cannot eat, drink and talk. Many other dont exist, and if you do
something wrong, you can be out of test room with no results.
Test is hold for 3 hours. Choose the level of sound before the test. Once you started working, you
cannot change it.

Parts of TOEFL
Listening Comprehension
Youll listen people speaking, while a monitor will demonstrate you their photos and some other
information. This part consists of two: A and B. In A youll hear short dialogues between two people.
After each dialogue you need to answer a question with 4 variants of answer. In B youll hear longer
dialogues with more participants, again with questions after each dialogue. Topics can be different, but
dont require special knowledge. Its usual modern language. Youre going to need some experience in
speaking and attention.
Try to answer quickly. You cannot skip questions and go back. If you pass computer test, you can read

a question several times and understand it. If its paper test, a question would be read only one time,
be concentrated!
You can imagine the answer and then try to look for similar variant among offered. In the computer
variant of test you can watch a video, sometimes it contains important information related to question.
Structure and Written Expression
There two types of tasks. First is sentences which should be completed with any of 4 variants. Second
is sentences with marked words which could contain a mistake.
You cannot skip questions and go back. Choose a variant that seems to be correct.
Reading Comprehension
Paper and computer variants are the same in this part. Read a text before answering. You can go back
and answer one more time. If you dont know the answer, you can skip the questions and answer it
later. Answer first all questions related to one part of a text, then pass to another part and so on.
Dont leave questions unanswered.
Test of Written English
You need to study the topics beforehand. Practice writing compositions at home. Check how quick you
can type if youre going to pass a computer test. Using facts, you need to either agree or decline
offered statements in half an hour!

TOEFL points
General points (0 to 300) is counted by special formula considering the difficulties of questions.
After the test you can know how many points you got or ask to decline results. Its better to keep it,
though, because nobody will send them anywhere without your agreement. To enter a great US
university, you need to get 250 points (600 paper-based test).
Be calm and dont be afraid! After passing TOEFL youll be more confident in your English language
skills!

PROBLEM YANG SERING DIUJIKAN

DALAM TOEFL
Section Structure and Written Expression
Soal-soal Structure and Written expression dalam ujian TOEFL meliputi berbagai hal
yang berkaitan dengan grammar dengan lingkup yang tak terbatas. Namun secara
umum terdapat kecenderungan untuk mengeluarkan soal dari materi-materi
tertentu. Berikut disajikan beberapa materi yang sering diujikan dalam ujian TOEFL
Section 2.
1. Main Verb
2. Infinitive
3. ing form
4. Conditionals
5. Past Custom
6. Auxiliary Verb
7. Comparison
8. Preposisi
9. Correlative Conjunction
10. Negative Emphasis

1. Main Verb

Dalam bahasa Inggris terdapat dua verb, yaitu: main verb dan auxiliary verb.
Semua kalimat dalam bahasa Inggris harus memiliki main verb dan subjek, Contoh:
An advanced country has been indicated by the high rate of productivity.
Has been indicated merupakan main verb dari kalimat tersebut.

2. Infinitive
Kata-kata kerja (verb) berikut bila diikuti dengan verb yang lain maka ia
membutuhkan sebuah infinitive sebagai pelengkapnya.
Agree Consent Hesitate Plan
Afford Dare Hope Pretend
Appear Decide Intend Promise
Arrange Demand Learn Seem
Attempt Deserve Manage Tend
Ask Fail Mean Threaten
Claim Forget Offer want
Struktur dari verb di atas adalah sebagai berikut:
Verb + to + infinitive
Perhatikan contoh berikut:
He intended to say that global warming is a dangerous threat for hman beings.

3. ing form
Kata-kata kerja (verb) berikut bila diikuti dengan verb lain,
maka ia membutuhkan ing-form sebagai pelengkapnya:
Admit, Deny, Involve, Recommend, Avoid, Enjoy, Mind, Regret, Complete, Fancy,
Miss, Risk, Consider , Finish, Postpone, Suggest, Delay, Imagine, Practice, Stop,
.

Struktur dari verb di atas biasanya sebagai berikut: Verb + -ing

Contoh:
Kalimat yang salah:
He considered to go to live in another country
Yang benar:
He considering going to live in another country.

4. Conditionals
Conditional yang sering diujikan dalam soal TOEFL adalah factual conditional with
absolute result, yaitu kondisional yang digunakan untuk menggambarkan fakta

yang sudah pasti. Ini dicirikan dengan menggunakan will dan sebuah verb yang
menggambarkan sesuatu yang hasilnya bisa dipastikan secara tepat.

Rumus:
If + S + verb (present) ,
S + Verb (present)
Condition Result

Contoh:

If the result of this research is meaningful, the preoject will continue.

5. Past Custom
Past custom adalah merupakan kebiasaan yang terjadi pada masa lampau dan
sekarang sudah tidak berlaku/berlanjut lagi. Ini biasanya menggunakan used to dan
diikuti dengan sebuah kata kerja.
Rumusnya adalah sebagai berikut:
S + used to + verb word
Atau
S + Be + used to + -ing form
Contoh:
Salah: He used to was studying at the Virginia University before he worked here.
Benar: He used to study at the Virginia University before he worked here.
Atau : He was used to studying at Virginia University before he worked here.

6. Auxiliary Verb
Auxiliary Verb adalah kata kerja tambahan yang digunakan bersamaan dengan
main verb untuk menambahkan arti. Be, have, do dan semua modal (can, shall,
may, dst) adalah merupakan auxiliary verb. Ujian Toefl sering memuat soal
mengenai auxiliary verb ini.

Berikut formula auxiliary verb dalam kalimat aktif:

a. Be + -ing
The farmers are cultivating a new plant variety to gain their harvest.
b. Have + participle
The Farmers have cultivated a new plant variety to gain their harvest.
c. Modal + Verb word
The Farmers should cultivate a new plant variety to gain their harvest.
Yang perlu diperhatikan adalah:
- Be selalu iikuti -ing form
- HAVE selalu diikuti participle
- Modal untuk kata kerja
Formula auxiliary verb pasif:
S + BE + Participle
Silahkan di ubah kalimat di atas kedalam kalimat pasif!

7. Comparison
Comparison digunakan untuk membandingkan kata sifat (adjective). Setidaknya ada
tiga jenis comparison dalam bahasa Inggris, yaitu comparative adjective,
superlative adjective, irregular adjective.
- Comparative adjective
Adalah untuk membandingkan dua atau tiga suku kata maka bentuk komparatifnya
menggunakan more atau less. Misalnya more beautiful, less dangerous, dst.
Bila adjective hanya tersusun atas satu suku kata maka bentuk komparatifnya

menggunakan -er setelah adjective tersebut. Misalnya smaller, dst.

- Superlative adjective
Superlative digunakan untuk membandingkanlebih dari satu kata maka bentuk
superlatifnya menggunakan most atau least. Misalnya most beautiful, least
dangerous, dst.
- Irregular adjective
Beberapa adjective tertentu tidak mengikuti kaidah di atas. In dikenal sebagai
irregular adjective, atau kata sifat tidak beraturan, berikut kata sifat tak beraturan
yang sering digunakan:
Adjective Comparative Superlative
Little
Far
Good
Bad
Much
Many

->
->
->
->
->
->

Less
-> The least
Farther, Further ->The farthest, The furthest
Better
->The best
Worse
-> The worst
More
-> The Most
More
-> The Most

8. Preposition
Preposisi adalah kata atau frasa yang menjelaskan sebuah hubungan. Preposisi
biasanya diikuti dengan noun dan pronoun. Dalam ujian TOEFL yang perlu Anda
cermati adalah sebagai berikut:
- Perbedaan antara between dan among
keduanya memiliki arti yang sama yaitu di antara tetapi penggunaannya berbeda.
Between digunakan untuk menjelaskan dua kata benda (noun).

Contoh: There is a discussion between a student and his professor

Among digunakan untuk menjelaskan tiga atau lebih noun atau sebuah kata benda
jamak.
Contoh : There is a discussion among Bill, Jim and Jhon.
- Perbedaan antara in, on dan at sebagai penunjuk tempat
Ketiganya memiliki arti yang sama namun penggunaannya sangat berbeda.
In digunakan untuk menunjukkan tempat tempat yang besar, seperti state, country,
province, city, ocean dst.
On digunakan untuk menunjukkan tempat yang berukuran menengah, seperti
street, coast, river, lake, a train, aplain, a ship, dst.
At digunakan untuk tempat yang berukuran kecil, seperti a corner, a room, a car, a
building, a bus dsb.
- Perbedaan antara in, on dan at sebagai penunjuk waktu
In digunakan untuk menunjukkan waktu yang besar, seperti in 1999, in June.
On digunakan untuk menunjukkan waktu yang berukuran menengah, seperti on
sunday.
At digunakan untuk waktu yang berukuran kecil, seperti at 9.20 pm.
- Perbedaan antara Instead dan instead of
Keduanya memiliki arti yang sama yaitu in place of. Namun penggunaanya
berbeda.
Instead digunakan pada akhir kalimat atau klausa untuk menunjukan kata benda,
kata sifat atau kata keterangan yang disebutkan sebelumnya.
Instead of digunakan sebelum sebuah kata benda, kata sifat atau kata keterangan
- Perbedaan antara because dan because of
Because of merupakan frasa preposisional yang menerangkan kata benda datau
frasa benda. Ia tidak bisa digunakan sebelum subject dan verb.
Contoh:
They prefer to use water coat because of the rain.
Sedangkan because merupakan kata penyambung atau konjungsi. Ia digunakan
untuk mempersambungkan antara subject dan verb.
Contoh:
They prefer to use water coat because it is raining.

9. Correlative Conjunction
Correlative conjunction adalah kata sambung yang digunakan secara bersamaan
dalam sebuah kalimat. Ini seringkali digunakan untuk mengekspresikan adanya
pengecualian dan pencakupan. Dalam bahasa Inggris terdapat beberapa correlative
conjunction:

 Both...and
Digunakan untuk mencakup dua struktur paralel, bisa berupa kata benda, kata sifat
atau kata keterangan.
Both.....and......as well as
Digunakan untuk mencakup dua atau tiga struktur paralel.
Not only......but also
Digunakan untuk mengikuti not dan juga struktur yang mengikuti but.
Neither dan either
Dikenal sebagai negative agreement. Mesk memiliki makna yang sama, keduanya
digunakan secara berbeda. Neither digunakan sebelum auxiliary verb.
Sedangkan either digunakan setelah auxiliary verb dan not.

10. Negative Emphasis

Negative emphasis adalah frasa yang digunakan untuk menjawab pertanyaan how
often dan digunakan pada awal pernyataan yang menggambarkan adanya suatu
penekanan.
Yang termasuk negative emphasis : not one, not until, never, never again, very
seldom, dan only rarely.
Penggunaan sebuah subjek sebelum auxiliary verb dalam formula ini tidak
diperkenankan.
Negative emphasis + auxiliary + S + V

By following this simple advice you may see a big

improvement in your TOEFL writing score.

There are many ways to improve your TOEFL writing, and a lot of these don't involve studying at all. Here's our top
ten list:
1. Answer the question
Your grammar may be perfect and your ideas may be great. Even so, if you don't answer the TOEFL question, none
of that matters. If the question asks for your opinion, be sure to write about what you think--don't write about what
other people think. On the other hand, if the question is about what other people think or do, don't write about
yourself.
2. Use short and simple sentences
Good writers can express complex ideas in a very simple way. If you are able to do this, you will demonstrate
strong writing skills. More importantly, short and simple sentences mean fewer grammatical mistakes.
3. Give your essays a beginning, middle, and end
Learn the TOEFL essay structure. Your essay should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. This structure
helps organize your thoughts and makes it easier for readers to understand.
4. Have a thesis statement
The thesis statement is the most important sentence in the essay. It is last sentence in
the first paragraph (the introduction), and it tells the reader exactly what your opinion is.
Not writing a thesis statement is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.
5. Use topic sentences
A topic sentence is the first sentence of each paragraph in the essay's body. It gives
the reader two things: 1) a summary of what will be in the paragraph, and 2) one
reason that supports your thesis statement.
6. Learn the conditionals: first, second, and third
Learning the conditionals may actually help you more than studying the tenses.
Conditionals are especially useful when expressing opinions and giving reasons, two
things that you must do in the TOEFL independent writing tasks.
Each conditional, however, has a slightly different meaning. This depends on reality,
possibility, and time. Learn how to use the conditionals, and practice them often. Not
using the conditionals correctly is one of the most common mistakes in TOEFL essays.
7. Never begin a sentence with a conjunction
The words and, but, and because are all conjunctions. In English, we only use
conjunctions to connect sentences--we almost never begin a sentence with one.
8. Learn how to use the comma (,) in English
Using the comma correctly will bring your writing to life. The good news is that many
languages use the comma. The bad news is that the rules for using the comma are
often different in each language! Learn the rules for using them in English--it will make
your writing much easier to understand.

9. Use the active voice

There are two "voices" in English: active and passive. Here they are:
ACTIVE:
PASSIVE:

Cats eat birds.

Birds are eaten by cats.

The active voice is much stronger than the passive voice. Use the active voice as much
as possible.
10. Use transitional words and phrases
Transitional words and phrases make your writing easier to understand. They connect
ideas and present them to the reader in a logical order. Here are some examples: First
of all..., In addition..., More importantly..., In closing..., In conclusion....

Learning the Correct TOEFL Essay Structure

Learning how to use the correct essay structure is

the first step in increasing your TOEFL writing score.

The TOEFL essay is usually four paragraphs long and has three parts: the introduction, the body, and the
conclusion. Each part of the essay has a different function, and readers expect certain information in each of these
parts.

Learning the Correct TOEFL Essay Structure

Here's a brief explanation of the three main parts found in the TOEFL essay structure:
Introduction
The introduction is the first paragraph of your essay. The first few sentences of this paragraph simply introduce the
the reader to the topic. The last sentence is called the thesis statement and clearly states your opinion. This is the
most important sentence in the essay.
Body
The body of the essay is usually two paragraphs long. Each paragraph begins with a topic sentence that tells the
reader what the rest of the paragraph is going to be about. The remaining sentences are called supporting ideas
because their main function is to "support" the topic sentence.
Conclusion
The conclusion is the last paragraph of the essay. It restates the thesis and gives the reader a brief summary of the
essay's main points. This paragraph is usually about 3 sentences long.

Learning the Correct TOEFL Essay Structure

Importance of the TOEFL essay structure

Do not underestimate the importance of the essay structure. In fact, not using
this structure is one of the biggest mistakes that you can make.
When you use this structure in your essay, your ideas will be presented in a
clear and logical way. Your essay will really begin to flow, and this makes it much
easier for the reader to understand. Even with mistakes in spelling and grammar,
an essay written in this structure is better than one with perfect grammar that is
not.

For more TOEFL essay writing help, read our advice about how to write a good introduction, body, and conclusion.

How to Write a TOEFL Essay Introduction

The introduction is the most important paragraph of

your TOEFL essay.
The introduction is the first paragraph of your essay, and it is important to make a good impression here. If you don't
start out well, it will be difficult to convince your readers (or the TOEFL assessor!) to take your writing seriously.
Here's what you should know about the introduction:

First paragraph of the essay

Usually 3 to 5 sentences long

Introduces the essay topic

Clearly gives your opinion

Has a strong thesis statement

All introductions must meet these five conditions. If it is missing one or two of them, then it is a weak introduction.
Beginning the introduction
The best way to begin the introduction is with a general statement about the essay topic. This explains what the
essay is going to be about and mentally prepares the reader for the arguments that will follow. Do not give your
opinion in this sentence--this is only a general statement about the topic.

How to Write a TOEFL Essay Introduction

Here's an example of what a typical first sentence looks like:
Many communities have been debating whether or not police officers should carry guns.
You can see that there is no opinion in this sentence; it is only a general statement about the essay topic.
Developing the introduction
After we have written our first sentence, it is time to develop the introduction. We do this by adding a few more
general statements about the topic. One strategy you can use is to explain both sides of the argument. Here's an
example:
In some situations, guns protect the police officer as well as the public. However, guns often result in
injuries and death.
By explaining both both sides of the argument (this is called contrasting), you show the reader that you have
thought carefully about the issue.
You should also know that when you contrast both sides of the argument, it is better to begin with the side of the
argument that you do not agree with. This is more natural in English, and your essay introduction will develop
logically toward the thesis statement.

How to Write a TOEFL Essay Introduction

Writing the thesis statement
Now it is time to write our thesis statement. This is the last sentence of the first paragraph. It is also the most
important sentence in the essay. The thesis statement does two things:

It directly answers the essay question.

It tells the reader what your opinion is.

For our introduction, here's what the thesis statement could look like:
No police officer should ever carry a gun.
In this example, we have a strong thesis statement. It is simple and direct: it answers the essay question and tells
the reader exactly what our opinion is.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the thesis statement is the most important sentence in the essay. In fact, if the
reader has difficulty understanding the essay, he will often return to the thesis statement to be reminded what the
essay is about. A bad thesis statement results in a bad essay.
If this is something new to you, we strongly recommended that that you learn more about how to write a good thesis
statement by visiting the tutorial on this website.

How to Write a TOEFL Essay Introduction

Putting it all together
We've finally completed our essay. Here it is:
Many communities have been debating whether or not police officers should carry guns. In some
situations, guns protect the police officer as well as the public. However, guns often result in injuries
and death. No police officer should ever carry a gun.
In the first sentence we began the introduction with a general statement about the essay topic. Then, in the second
and third sentences, we contrasted both sides of the argument. Our last sentence was the thesis statement: this is
where we answered the essay question and gave our opinion.

How to Write TOEFL Essay Topic Sentences

Topic sentences are important because they support

your thesis statement.
First, let's have a quick review. We already know that the thesis statement is the last sentence of the introduction.
We also know that the thesis statement is where we give our opinion. Here's the example we used:
No police officer should ever carry a gun.
It's a good thesis because it tells the reader what the essay is about and it gives an opinion. Now the reader knows
what our opinion is, but he doesn't know why. This is what topic sentence does--it tells the reader why.
Here's the minimum you need to know about what a topic sentence is:

It is the first sentence of each paragraph in the body.

It gives one reason why the thesis statement is true.

It tells the reader what the rest of the paragraph is about.

A good way to write a topic sentence is to begin with a list of reasons that support your thesis statement. When you
have your list, then choose the two best reasons. That's what we'll do on the next.

How to Write TOEFL Essay Topic Sentences

Writing a topic sentence
First we look at our thesis statement one more time:
No police officer should ever carry a gun.
Next we make a list of all the reasons why we believe our thesis statement is true. Here's what we have:
1.

There is already too much violence in the world.

2.

Police officers don't need protection.

3.

Guns cause more harm than good.

4.

Police officers like to shoot people.

5.

Guns frighten people.

6.

In most cases police officers don't need guns.

7.

Violence of any kind is a bad thing.

Now we simply choose the best reasons. Let's choose number 3 and number 6. They look like good reasons to me.
Now that we have two reasons that support our thesis statement, we are almost finished. We only have to put the
finishing touches on, and we'll do that next.

How to Write TOEFL Essay Topic Sentences

Finishing the topic sentences
On the last page, we chose two reasons to support our thesis statement. These are our topic sentences. Here they
are:
Guns cause more harm than good.
In most cases police officers don't need guns.
They already look good, but they could be better. We can improve them by adding a transitional phrase at the
beginning of each. A transitional phrase helps the reader understand your essay. It also makes your essay sound
more natural.
For our first topic sentence, we can use phrases such as First, First of all, In the first place, To begin with, For one
thing. And this is what our first topic sentence might look like:
First of all, guns cause more harm than good.
For our second topic sentence, we can use these phrases: Second, Next, In addition to the previous point, More
importantly. Like this:
In addition to the previous point, in most cases police officers don't need guns.
We're finished. Now we only need to write our supporting ideas!

How to Write a TOEFL Essay Conclusion

The conclusion is the essay's last paragraph. It

restates the thesis and summarizes the main points.
The conclusion of your TOEFL essay is probably the easiest part to write. Before we begin, here is what you should
know about the conclusion:

It's the last paragraph of the essay.

It's usually 3 or four sentences long.

It restates the essay's thesis.

It summarizes the essay's main points.

The conclusion must restate your thesis statement and summarize the essay's main points. If it doesn't do this, then
it's a bad conclusion.
In order to write the conclusion, we have to look at three important sentences in our essay. We look at our thesis
statement and we look at our two topic sentences. This is what we'll do on the next page

How to Write a TOEFL Essay Conclusion

Writing the conclusion
First we have to look at our thesis statement:
No police officer should ever carry a gun.
Next we look at our two topic senteces:
First of all, guns cause more harm than good.

In addition to the previous point, in most cases police officers don't need guns.
Now we simply put them all into one paragraph, beginning with the thesis statement:
In conclusion, police officers should not carry guns. Guns usually cause harm to people. Moreover,
police officers often don't need them to do their jobs.
Maybe you have noticed that we made small changes to the thesis statement and topic sentences. This is becuase
it's not good to copy the sentences exactly--it's boring for the reader. These changes give our writing more variety.
We also added two transitional phrases to our conclusion: in conclusion and moreover. We'll talk about these in a
separate lesson. For now, let's go to the next page and see our essay!

How to Write a TOEFL Essay Conclusion

Our TOEFL essay
We've finally completed our essay! Here it is:
Many communities have been debating whether or not police officers should carry guns. In some
situations, guns protect the police officer as well as the public. However, guns often result in injuries
and death. No police officer should ever carry a gun.
First of all, guns cause more harm than good. There are often stories in the newspapaer about people
who are accidentally shot. Moreover, many of these stories involve police officers. If guns had not
been involved, these accidents would not have happened. On the other hand, there are very few
stories about how a gun has saved somebody's life.
In addition to the previous point, in most cases police officers don't need guns. My father, for
example, has been a police officer for over 20 years, and he has never had to use his gun. In fact, he
says that most people who break the law are unarmed. Thus, it is often unnecessary for police
officers to carry guns.
In conclusion, police officers should not carry guns. Guns usually cause harm to people. Moreover,
police officers often don't need them to do their jobs.

How to Write a TOEFL Essay Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is the most important sentence

in your TOEFL essay.
After you have introduced the reader to the subject of the essay, you write a thesis statement. This is the last
sentence of the first paragraph, and it should do two things:

Directly answer the essay question

Tell the reader what your opinion is

The thesis statement is the most important sentence in the essay. It does not include specific details that appear
later in your essay, but it should answer the essay question clearly and directly. If somebody reads your thesis
sentence, they should be able to answer these two questions:

What is the essay about?

What is your opinion?

Step one: get an opinion

If you do not have an opinion on the topic, it is not possible to write a thesis statement. The thesis statement must
give an opinion--it tells the reader exactly what you think. On the next page we will take a look at some examples of
good and bad thesis statements.

How to Write a TOEFL Essay Thesis Statement

Examples of good thesis statements

As soon as you have decided what your opinion is, you can write your thesis statement. Let's say you get this
essay question:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Police officers should carry guns.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
If you agree with the statement, your thesis could be as simple as this:
Police officers should carry guns.
On the other hand, maybe you would like to disagree. In that case, your thesis could be just as simple:
Police officers should not carry guns.
These are both acceptable thesis statements. They are simple and direct, telling the reader what your opinion is
and what the essay is going to be about.
It is good idea to write your thesis statement using key words or phrases from the orginal essay question. In one of
our examples above, we simply copied the essay question directly! We'll talk more about this later, but first let's take
a look at a few thesis statements that are unacceptable.

How to Write a TOEFL Essay Thesis Statement

Examples of bad thesis statements
Before we look at examples of unacceptable thesis statements, let's have another look at our sample essay
question:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Police officers should not carry guns.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Now take a look at an unacceptable thesis statement:
Police officers work hard.
This thesis statement doesn't give us an opinion. It also doesn't tell us what the essay is about. In fact, it's not
related to the essay topic at all. Here's another one that's not so good:
Guns help to protect police officers.
Unacceptable. It may be true that "guns help to protect police officers," but we still don't know what the writer's
opinion is. And here's a third example:
Police officers don't need guns.
Again, it may be true that "police officers don't need guns," but what is the writer's opinion? Should police officers
carry guns?

How to Write a TOEFL Essay Thesis Statement

Strong thesis statements
Now that we've seen a few examples of both good thesis statements and bad thesis statements, the next question
is this: how can we write a great thesis statement? Let's start with a thesis statement that we already know is good:
Police officers should not carry guns.
This is a good thesis statement, but it's not a great one. We can improve it by making the language stronger. Do
this by using stronger language, words such as no or never. Here's what it looks like when we've made our
improvements:
Police officers should never carry guns.
We could also say something like this:
No police officer should ever carry a gun.
If our thesis statement is a positive sentence, we can strengthen the language with a word like always. Here's an
example:
Police officers should always carry guns.
Next we'll look at other ways of strengthening our the thesis statement.

How to Write a TOEFL Essay Thesis Statement

Very strong thesis statements
Okay, we have written our thesis statement. Here it is:
Police officers should never carry guns.
It's already good, but we can make it even stronger by using a few phrases to emphasize our point. Here are some
that we can use: regardless of, under no circumstances, at no time, without exception. This is what our final thesis
statement will look like:
Regardless of the situation, police officers should never carry guns.
Or it could look like this:
At no time should a police officer ever carry a gun.
We can also use these same phrases to give the opposite opinion in our thesis statement, as in this example:
Regardless of the situation, police officers should always carry guns.
Continue to practice writing thesis statements--it really is the most important sentence in the essay, and your hard
work will be rewarded by a higher TOEFL score!