MODEL ESSAYS

The 185 topics on the following pages may appear on your actual TOEFL. You should become
familiar with the list before you take the TOEFL. Remember that when you take the test you will
NOT have a choice of topics. You must write only on the topic that is assigned to you.
The 185 topics are classified according to their type. Remember this classification is not always
precise. Giving an Explanation can also be called Making an Argument in some cases. Both tasks are
very similar. These classifications are to guide you only.

Agreeing
Giving
TOEFL an
Topics or Disagreeing
Explanation 21%
29%
16%
34% 54
29
39 63
Stating a Prefe~l:!nce
MA Making an Argument

As you study these topics and the essays, look for the organizational patterns. Can you find the
three main points and the supporting details in each essay?

1 EX People attend college or university for many different reasons (for

example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge).
Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific
reasons and examples to support your answer.

People attend collegefor a lot of different reasons. I believe that the three most
common reasons are to prepare for a caree1; to have new experiences, and to increase
their knowledge of themselves and of the world around them.
Career preparation is probably the primm) reason that people attend college. These
days, the job market is very competitive. Careers such as information technology will
need many new workers in the near future. At college, students can learn new skills for
these careers and increase their opportunities for the future .
. Students also go to college to have new experiences. For lnany, it is their first time
away from home. At college, they can meet new people from many different places.
They can see what life is like in a different city. They can learn to live on their own and
take care of themselves without having their family always nearby
At college, students have the opportunity to increase their knowledge. As they
decide what they want to study, pursue their studies, and interact with their classmates,

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they learn a lot about themselves. They also, of course, have the opportunity to learn
about many subjects in their classes. In addition to the skills and knowledge related to
their career, college students also have the chance to take classes in other areas. For
many, this will be their last chance to study different subjects.
Colleges offer much more than career preparation. They offer the opportunity to
have new experiences and to learn many kinds of things. I think all of these are reasons
why people attend college.

2 lAD Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are
the best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your
answer.

Parents shape their children from the beginning of their children s lives. They
teach their children values. They share their interests with them. They develop close emo-
tional ties with them. Parents can be very important teachers in their children s lives;
however, they are not always the best teachers.
Parents may be too close to their children emotionally. For example, they 1?1ay
limit a childs freedom in the name of safety. A teacher may organize an educational
trip to a big city, but a parent may think this trip is too dangerous. A school may want
to take the children camping, but a parent may be afraid of the child getting hurt.
Another problem is that parents sometimes expect their children s interests to be
similar to their own. If the parents love science, they may try toforce their child to love
science too. But what if the child prifers art? If the parents enjoy sports, they may expect
their child to participate on different teams. But what if the child prifers to read?
Parents want topass on their values to their children. However, things change.
The children of today are growing up in a world different from their parents' world.
Sometimes parents, especially older ones, c.an't keep up with rapid social or technologi-
cal changes. A student who has friends of different races at school may find that his
parents have narrower views. A student who loves computers may find that her parents
don't understand or value the digital revolution.
Parents are important teachers in our lives, but they aren't always the best teachers .
. Fortunately, we have many teachers in our lives. Our parents teach us, our teachers
teach us, and we learn from our peers. Books and newspapers also teach us. All of them
are valuable.

3 I EX Nowadays food has become easier to prepare. Has this change

improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.

Food is a basic part of life, so itfollows that improved methods offood preparation
have made our lives better. Nowadays we can prepare meals much faster than we could
in the past. We can also enjoy a greater variety offood and eat more healthfully, all
because of modern methods offood preparation.