Listening

How to Prepare for the TOEFL® Listening Test

General Information
The TOEFL Listening test assesses your ability to do “academic listening.” This
includes listening with understanding to lectures like the ones you would
experience in college classes and to conversations you might have while attending
college. The speech you hear will not be very formal and should sound natural to
you. You will have 60 to 90 minutes to listen and answer 34 to 51 questions.
Therefore, approximately 10 minutes should be allotted to each listening task.

On this test, you will listen to lectures and conversations wearing headphones and
you will be able to take notes as you listen. Then, you will mostly answer typical,
written, multiple-choice-type questions about what you heard. A few questions,
however, will have a slightly different format:

 questions with more than one correct answer out of over four possible
choices
 questions asking you to put steps in a sequence
 questions asking you to place objects or text into the proper place on a chart

Note: Our practice format does not allow for more than four answer choices, but
we have attempted to provide practice in all of these question formats within our
system limits. Just be prepared to see a slightly different format for some questions
on the actual test, including more than four answer choices.

Here are some specific things you should know and ideas for practicing your
listening skills before test day.

Academic Listening
The academic portion of the listening section has three to four lectures, and each
listening task is generally followed by six questions. The lectures are usually
excerpts of longer classroom lectures. Don’t worry, the information you listen to will
include all the information you need to answer the questions correctly.

The topics covered are from a broad range of topics, from the arts to life sciences
to physical sciences, and topics from the social sciences.

The academic listening section has seven different types of questions, shown
below under the three broad question categories. These questions are very similar
to the questions you experience in the reading section. They are worth practicing
because understanding the type of question being asked will help you in selecting
the correct answer.

Basic Comprehension Questions (1–2 of these per lecture)

* Identifying the gist (main idea or topic) and/or major points (flow of ideas)
* Listening for details (key words, phrases, and details)

Pragmatic Understanding Questions (1–3 of these per lecture)

* Understanding the function (purpose)
* Understanding the speaker’s attitude and degree of certainty

Connecting Information Questions (1–2 of these per lecture)

* Understanding organization
* Connecting content (categorizing information, summarizing a process)
* Inference and predictions

Listening for Basic Comprehension

The word comprehension refers to the various kinds of understanding you achieve
after reading something. It ranges from learning specific facts to gaining meaning
from things that weren’t actually stated in the material, but merely implied by other
things the author stated.

During the listening task, you will encounter several questions designed to test if
you have basic comprehension of the lecture/conversation you listened to. It’s
important to take notes as you will not be able to review or go back and listen
again. Each listening task will be approximately 3 to 5 minutes long. You will hear
the entire listening passage. Don’t worry, there are key sections that will replay so
that you can answer the questions accordingly. Let’s begin with questions that ask
about the main idea, or gist, of the passage.

Main Idea

As you listen and take notes, you will listen for the gist. The gist is the main idea or
main topic of the conversation and/or lecture. In other words, the gist is what the
lecture/conversation is about. It is the big picture and not the little details. You will
answer one to two questions that deal with the gist or main idea.

Listen for what the topic is about. The lecturer or speaker will usually give you a
clue in the beginning of the passage. For example, the lecturer might say, “Good
morning class. Let’s continue our talk about the geographical features of the Great
Lakes.” You will know right away that the gist of the passage discusses the
geographical features of the Great Lakes.

Therefore, when you see a question that asks what the topic is mainly about, You
can identify immediately that it is a gist or main idea question. You can recognize a
main idea or gist question by looking for clues in the question. Is the question
worded in general terms? For example: “What are the students talking about? Why
is the professor reviewing the chapter?” Does the question include the
word mainly, mostly, or about? These are clear indicators of a main idea question.
The answers may be inferred or directly stated by the speaker.

Major Points

Major points are similar to new paragraphs in a reading passage. The

lecturer/speaker will often use transition words to indicate that a major point is
about to be spoken; therefore, notes should be taken here. You’ll hear words such
as first, second, third, or the lecturer may even state the major point outright. For
example: “Our first major point about Navahoe architecture is that it was designed
to …” You’ll also hear words like additionally, furthermore, lastly, finally. These are
clear clues that you will hear a major point. Prepare yourself to write notes here as
details will follow that will help you in answering detailed questions.

Supporting Details

Supporting details is exactly that—information that supports the main idea. You will

hear examples or other specific information. There may even be a person restating
the information incorrectly so the speaker can reiterate the information, or
someone in the listening passage may repeat the information. This is done for your
benefit: to let you know that it was an important detail. Write this information down
because it will most likely be a question after the passage is finished.

When you get to the questions, the supporting details question will require you to
remember specific information. The level of difficulty can vary. A supporting detail
question might be as simple as, “According to the professor, at what age does a
child begin to ____ ?” A more difficult question may ask you to refer to more than
one section of the passage to determine the correct answer. For example: “What
two factors contribute to the philosophy of ____?” Again, the importance of good
note-taking cannot be stressed enough.

Page 1-Reading Study Guide for the TOEFL Test

General Information
The TOEFL Reading test assesses your ability to read English on a
college entry level. The passages used on the test are typical of what you
would find during college study and the skills tested are critical for
successful performance in college and in the workplace. Whatever your
purpose for taking the TOEFL test, prepare yourself well by studying all of
the concepts listed here.
The Reading section is the first section in the TOEFL® test. During this
test, you will have 60 to 80 minutes to respond to 36 to 56 questions
about reading passages given to you. You will know how much time you
have by looking at the time clock at the upper right hand side of your
screen. It will either display 1:00 or 1:20. Based on the time display, you
will know how many passages to complete. If 1:00 is displayed, it means
that you have 60 minutes to read and respond to three academic
passages. If 1:20 is displayed, then you will have 80 minutes to read and
respond to four academic passages.

Each passage typically has 12 to 14 questions. When beginning the

Reading section, your screen will be split in half. The left side of the
screen will be empty, while the right side of the screen will be your
reading passage.

Some test takers prefer not to see the questions while reading, although
we don’t recommend this. For those test takers, you can begin reading
right away. However, we recommend the optimal way of taking the
Reading section. This option is to see your questions while you skim and
scan the passage. To do that, scroll down to the bottom of the reading
passage, then scroll back up. Click on the Next button at the top right of
your screen and your questions will appear on the left side of the screen.
Seeing your questions is an advantage, because you will be more in tune
with what to look for in the passage. Your Reading passage will always
be visible on the right side of your screen.

General Reading Practice

Simply practicing the act of reading on a regular basis can help improve
your skills. It’s important to use your time wisely, however, and read
materials that will challenge you to read and comprehend at the
appropriate level.

Types of Reading Material

The Reading portion of the TOEFL test covers many fields of study,
including literature, science, and the humanities. So, as you prepare for
this test, be sure to seek a variety of reading practice material. Note that
reading nonfiction often requires an additional set of reading skills,
including reading headings and picture captions, which are not as vital for
understanding fiction.

Level of Reading Material

The passages in the Reading portion of the TOEFL test are excerpts from
typical university textbooks in all subject areas. Consider this when
choosing reading practice material. Seeking books used in college
courses would be a good idea. Keep in mind that the average test
passage is around 700 words in length.

Sources
There are many sources of material that can help you improve your
reading skills. Because the TOEFL test is a measurement of your
comprehension skills in an academic environment, we recommend you
choose reading selections that focus on subjects and areas that lean
more toward academic texts. Here are some examples:

 Books are an obvious recommendation. Books are designed for

reading. They are descriptive and include information that is similar
to reading material you will encounter in the TOEFL® test. Choose
a variety of books to help you increase your comprehension and
vocabulary. Choose some nonfiction books, professional books,
and university textbooks.
 Periodicals and magazines are another helpful source of reading
material. Whether online or on paper, periodicals and magazines
offer rich language with subject-specific details. Social and
celebrity-style magazines have a lower vocabulary level to reach
the masses, while news magazines or specialized magazines
(financial, political, professional,etc.) use a richer vocabulary and
are closer to the excerpts you might find in the actual test.
 Online ESL Reading sites will help you improve your
comprehension skills. However, not all comprehension texts and
passages are the same. Some quiz you after reading on vocabulary
or factual information. Do your best to search online sources that
include what is arguably the most important ingredient: critical
thinking. Critical thinking questions teach the reader to manipulate
bits of information that can be used to formulate their own answer—
one that may not be clearly outlined in the text. Choose reading
comprehension exercises that include a short passage followed by
 answering about details in the passage. These exercises are
interactive, colorful, and unique, and are sure to improve your
reading comprehension and vocabulary.

Specific Reading Strategies

If you want to gain more out of what you read, there are certain things you
can do. Reading strategies are things that good readers do and they can
help you comprehend all kinds of reading material. These strategies are
especially helpful when you read text about an unfamiliar subject or
material that contains terms new to you. During a test, you will not always
have time to do all these things, but they are helpful as you read to
prepare for the test. Taking quick notes as you read is never a bad idea.
Just don’t spend too much time on it during a test.

Before Reading
Your before reading skills are very important when preparing to read a
passage. You can use several strategies to improve your reading, your
comprehension and vocabulary, and your preparedness for the TOEFL®
exam, even though you won’t have time to do this completely during the
actual exam.

Activating prior knowledge is mapping out what you already know about
the subject. Here are some strategies for doing this:

 Look and analyze the title of the passage you are about to read.
 List all the information that comes to mind about this title. Ask
yourself, “What do I already know about this information?” Do any
of your experiences help you recall related information?
 Look at the visual items in the passage, if any. Pictures and other
visual material can activate your prior knowledge.
 Skim through the material and get a basic idea of its content. Look
at highlighted words or headings to get a clearer idea of what you
already know and what you expect to read.
 Use these pieces of information to recall and understand the
material before you read. This will help you during the reading.

While Reading
When you have “warmed up” your mind, you are ready to read. Now, you
can use some strategies to connect your prior knowledge and your
comprehension and critical thinking.

 Take notes to help you organize the information you are receiving
from the material.
 Ask yourself questions or hypothesize along the way: “I think this
word means …” or “This word is similar to …”
 Identify important concepts and write them in the margins.
 Summarize what you understand at the end of each section.
 Monitor and review for accurate understanding. If you understand a
piece of the passage and then, during another paragraph, have a
different understanding, you should go back and relate the two
thoughts. Review and repair your understanding.

After Reading
When you’ve finished reading, you’re not quite finished. Here are some
valuable tips for retaining the information:

 Summarize and reflect. You can do this by summarizing in your

mind and rereading selected, important elements of the passage.
 Review your notes and verify that they reflect your understanding,
and ask yourself if you can relate the information to personal
experiences.
 Think about how this information might be used in the future.

Vocabulary
The TOEFL test creators want to know if you know the meaning of words, as they
are used in reading material. The more words you know, the better you will do on
the test. The words you will encounter are not very technical in nature and are
words that could be used in a number of disciplines. They should be understood by
anyone studying at the college level.

Word Lists
To increase your vocabulary skills, it’s always a good idea to increase the number
of words you understand. There are lists of most commonly used words and
phrases online. Download them, find their synonyms, write them on index cards or
on lists in a notebook and practice them.
Words in Context
When an unknown word is part of a sentence or passage, you can use context
clues, or surrounding words, to help you determine its meaning. For example, if
your sentence is:

“Joanne’s mother went to the school to get the cell phone the teacher
had confiscated.”

If we do not recognize or know the meaning of the word confiscated, we’ll need to

look at other parts of the sentence to help determine its meaning.

We understand from the sentence that Joanne’s mother went to the school. Why
would she do that? Something must be wrong. The next set of context clues says
“to get the cell phone the teacher had confiscated.” We can understand from the
sentence that something caused the mother to go to the school and get the cell
phone. We can recall from our own past experiences, that cell phones are usually
not allowed in the classroom. So most likely the school took it away and the mother
must now come and get it. Therefore, confiscated must mean to take away. You
may not know the exact definition of a word that is unfamiliar, but using the
surrounding words in the sentence will give you a very good idea of what the word
means.

Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words

Sometimes, when you encounter a word that is unfamiliar, you can break it down.
In other words, you can split the word by its prefixes, suffixes, and root words. Let’s
take a look at an example:

You encounter the word discomfort. You notice there is a word within this word that
can stand on its own: comfort. This is the root word. Obviously, the prefix, dis, has
been added to it. This prefix means “apart from, away from, or opposite of.”
Therefore, discomfort means to be away or apart from comfort.

What if we added the suffix able to comfort? The word becomes comfortable. We

know that -able means capable of, given to. Therefore, comfortable means
“capable of comfort.” This type of analysis can help you to read and understand the
meaning of unfamiliar words. Here are some you can try out on your own: rewind,
dislocate, banker, happiness, biology. Can you break down these words?

Words with Similar Meanings

Words with similar meanings are also called synonyms. They are words that have
the same or nearly the same meaning. During the test, you will get questions that
require you to know the synonyms of an important word or phrase. While practicing
your reading skills, look up unfamiliar words in a thesaurus. A thesaurus is a book
of synonyms. Find the word and then write down the words that have the same
meaning. Be sure to substitute the new word for the old word to see if it’s a good
fit.

There are many online lists you can look at for synonyms, and in Microsoft Word,
you can highlight the word and then press shift+F7 and you will see a list of
synonyms. That’s an easy trick to use in writing as well.

Words with Multiple Meanings

Be careful when you look for synonyms as a word can have more than one
meaning. Let’s look at the word coast as used in this sentence: “My house is on
the coast.” There are two words that are synonyms of coast, but they have different
meanings. One synonym for coast is oceanfront, but you may see that another
synonym for coast is glide. Trying substituting each choice in the original sentence.
The logical synonym for coast in this sentence is oceanfront. The other meaning
of coast could be used in this sentence: “The boy tried to coast down the road on
his bike.”

Dealing with Vocabulary Questions on the Test

Vocabulary questions are the easiest to identify because you are asked the
meaning of a word that is highlighted or in bold in your reading passage. There will
be three to five of these on the TOEFL Reading test. The question will specifically
state where to find the word. (e.g. “The phrase X in paragraph 2…”) You will see
key words in the question, such as “closest in meaning to” and “could best be
replaced by.” The questions do not just ask the meaning of a word or phrase, but
you must also consider how it is used in the passage. You should be able to verify
your answer by substituting it in the given sentence.

For example, in “polish the furniture” and “polish your skills,” the word polish has
two different meanings. The given sentence will give clues about which meaning is
being used. Let’s try it out:

Text: “She embarked on her career by working as a newspaper reporter.

Question. “The phrase embarked on is closest in meaning to ____ .

A. took a trip to
B. started out on
C. improved upon
D. handed an opinion about

Step 1: Look at the word or phrase and read the choices to eliminate wrong
answers. We know that C and D are not definitions of embarked on, so we need to
choose between A and B.
Step 2: Substitute A and B in the sentence to see which one makes sense in
context. Choice A does not make sense in context. So the correct answer is B.

Step 3: Defend your answer by substituting the correct answer in the sentence one
more time. The correct answer will make sense in context.

Text Organization
Knowing the manner in which a reading passage and/or paragraph is organized,
also called text structure, can help you find the information you need to answer
questions. This skill is especially helpful when dealing with questions related to
the author’s purpose. With reading practice, you will be able to spot these common
types of text organization quickly.

Cause/Effect
A cause-and-effect paragraph is commonly used to focus on the reason for an
occurrence. A cause is a reason and the thing that happens is the effect. Cause-
and-effect writing is common in TOEFL exams, especially in questions about the
author’s purpose. When the author gives reasons why something happened, he or
she is explaining what caused an effect. You can quickly identify cause and effect
when you see certain signal words such as because, as a
result, resulted, caused, affected, since, due to, and effect.

Even if the text doesn’t explicitly state a cause and effect, you can practice it while
reading. Ask yourself, “Why did this thing happen? What is the effect of this
action?” Jotting notes in the margin will help you identify and better understand the
role of cause and effect in the reading material.

Compare/Contrast
Another important comprehension skill is compare and contrast. Compare and
contrast is a text structure where the similarities and differences of two or more
things are explored. It is important to remember that compare-and-contrast text
structure involves discussing similarities and differences. If the text only discusses
similarities, it is only comparing. Similarly, if the text only discusses ways that the
things are different, it is only contrasting. The text must do both to be
considered compare and contrast.

Identifying when a passage is comparing and contrasting is usually not hard

because the text will go back and forth between two topics and this pattern is
generally pretty easy to identify. However, here are some signal words that help
you determine this, such as like, unlike, both, neither, similar, and different.
Classification
It’s important to understand classification in written material as it will help you
organize important ideas in the passage. Classification allows you to group
information and distinguish the essential information from the nonessential, as well
as identify cause and effect, problem and solution, and *compare and contrast. It
also helps you create an outline to assist in choosing the correct answer choices.

Some TOEFL questions ask you to categorize information on a table. To do this

correctly, you should compare and contrast concepts and classify major ideas in an
outline as you read. There are some signal words that will help you identify
classification text, such as together, classify, categorize, order, organize, sort,
group, arrange and rank.

Problem/Solution
Problem-and-solution text structure is a pattern of organization where information
in a passage is expressed as a dilemma or a problem and something that can be
done to remedy this issue (a solution) is recommended. The problem-and-solution
text structure can sometimes be difficult to identify. Problem/solution organization
is related to cause and effect, but there are differences. If you look specifically
for both a problem and a solution to the problem, you should be able to distinguish
it from cause-and-effect passages because the latter do not propose solutions to
any negative issues; it just explains why they happen.

There are a few signal words that may indicate that information in a passage is of
the problem-and-solution pattern of organization, such
as propose, solution, answer, issue, problem, problematic, remedy, prevention,
and fix.

Description
Description organizational structure in a passage or paragraph is essentially listing
or describing how to do something with details or examples. It could provide
information about a location and characters or define a complex term or idea. You
can quickly identify description organizational structures when you see signal
words, such as is defined as, is defined by, is called, means, refers to, is
described as, and for example.

Narration
Found mostly in fictional/story passages, narration or narrative text structure is
about a story and its plot. Story refers to dramatic action as it might be described in
chronological order. Plot refers to the main events in the story. The story includes
key conflicts and their resolution, main characters, setting, and events.
There are three basic parts of a narrative text structure:

 Stage 1 is where all of the main characters and their basic situations are
introduced and contains the primary level of characterization (exploring the
characters’ backgrounds and personalities). A problem is also introduced,
which is what drives the story forward.
 Stage 2 is the conflict, or the body of the story, and begins when you find
the incident that sets things into motion. This is the part of the story where
the characters go through major changes.
 Stage 3 is the resolution, when all the elements of the story come together
and lead to the ending.

Chronological
When information in a passage is organized by the time in which each event
occurred, it is considered chronologically structured.

Nonfiction passages that are organized chronologically often contain dates. Fiction
passages that are organized chronologically usually have no dates, but show the
passage of time through details.

A chronological passage has a beginning, middle, and end.

Scanning the Questions

When you have scrolled down and back up again and hit the Next button at the
upper right of your screen, you can scan the questions very quickly. As you take a
quick look at the questions, pay attention to the paragraph numbers. Certain
questions will be about a particular paragraph. Look for key words like mainly
about, why, refer to, mean, imply, and most likely. This will give you a good idea of
the types of questions you’ll be answering and you can quickly find the answers
while you are going over the passage.You can also take a quick look to see if you
have any sentence simplification tasks, insert a sentence task, and/or a prose
summary task.

Skimming before Reading

It is useful to get a general impression of a passage before reading carefully. To
skim is to read quickly in order to get a general idea. Skimming requires you to
note only information and clues that provide an idea of the central theme or topic of
the passage.

When you skim, it is necessary to read only selected sentences to get the main
idea or the gist of the passage. How do you do this? First, read the title and get an
idea of what the passage is about. If the title is Celestial Bodies, you will
understand that the passage is most likely about objects in the sky, such as stars,
planets, moons, etc.

Next, take note of how many paragraphs there are in the passage. It’s also
important to pay close attention to transition words at the beginning of each
paragraph. For example, if the paragraphs begin with first, second, finally, etc., the
paragraphs are most likely giving reasons, or steps in a process. If you see
transition words like additionally or furthermore, then however, it is most likely that
you have arguments that are for and against. Paying attention to these signals will
help you to map out how the passage is organized, which will in turn help you
answer the questions quickly and accurately. While skimming, do not read every
word or sentence, but instead read the first sentence in the paragraph, which is
most likely the topic sentence.

Scanning
Scanning is taking a more detailed look at paragraphs in a passage. It’s a good
practice to use when looking for specific information in a passage, such as the
answer to a question. Here are the basic steps for scanning:

 Step 1: Read the question and decide exactly what information you are

looking for and then think about the form it may take. For example, if the
question wants to know when something happened, you would look for a
date. If the question wants to know who did something, you would look for a
name.
 Step 2: Decide where you need to look for this information. Because you
skimmed the passage, you should already have a good idea in which
paragraph to look.
 Step 3: Move your eyes as quickly as possible down the page until you find
the information you need. Read it carefully.
 Step 4: When you find what you need, do not read further. Luckily, in many
instances, the TOEFL test question will tell you which paragraph to look in.

Pronoun Practice
On the TOEFL test, there will be 0 to 2 questions called Reference Questions.
They are very similar to the vocabulary questions, but the word to define is usually
a pronoun.

These questions require a good eye and a firm knowledge of singular/plural and
masculine/feminine pronouns. Read up on gender and case (e.g. first person,
second person, etc.). Here are some examples of pronouns with which you’ll need
to be familiar:

 Possessive: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs

  Reflexive: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, oneself
 Reciprocal: each other, one another
 Relative: that, which, who, whose, whom, where, when
 Demonstrative: this, that, these, those
 Indefinite: anything, anybody, anyone, something, somebody, someone

To answer pronoun questions on the test, use the same strategies you use for the
Vocabulary questions:

 Step 1: Look at the word or phrase and read the choices to eliminate wrong
answers.
 Step 2: Substitute your answer choice in the sentence to see if it makes
sense in context.
 Step 3: Defend your answer by substituting the correct answer in the
sentence one more time.

The correct answer will make sense in context.

Main Idea
The main idea is the central, or most important, idea in a paragraph or passage. It
states the purpose and sets the direction of the message. In a passage or
paragraph, the main idea may be stated or it may be implied. When the main idea
of a paragraph is stated, it is most often found in the first sentence of the
paragraph, but it may be found in any sentence.

To find the main idea of any paragraph or passage, ask these questions:

1. Who or what is the paragraph about?

2. With what feature or idea about the “who” or “what” is the author
concerned?

If you have truly found the main idea, you will find that all, or nearly all, of the
sentences in the passage or paragraph speak to this idea.

In the TOEFL Reading test, finding a main idea is dealt with through a prose
summary question toward the end of the task. It is probably the most time
consuming because you will most likely have to reread the passage. Therefore, it is
very important to get to this question quickly. In the prose summary question, you
will be asked to choose the major ideas of the passage from a list of six possible
answers. You will drag three answers and and drop them into the table. The
incorrect three choices have errors in detail, or state an unimportant concept. You
are being tested on your ability to recognize the major ideas in a passage as well
as being able to decide what is major, what is essential, and what is the important
information in the passage.
Read the choices carefully so you can select the answer choices that best express
the most important ideas in the passage. Remember, some sentences do not
belong in the summary because they express ideas that are either not presented in
the passage or reflect minor ideas. Take care not to choose a sentence simply
because you saw it in the passage.

Your answer choices do not have to be in order. You get 2 points if you choose all
three correct answers. You get 1 point if you choose two correct answers. And you
get zero points for one or no correct answers. Here are some tips for choosing the
correct answers:

 The introductory paragraph introduces the reader to the following

paragraphs. The main points may be mentioned in the introductory
paragraph, but it may not be in as much detail as needed. It’s better idea to
look for a main idea in each of the paragraphs that follow.
 Read the paragraphs and determine each paragraph’s main idea. Next, look
at the answer choices. Do the answer choices reflect a main idea or a minor
one? Is the sentence supporting a main idea (i.e. facts, figures, details,
examples) or giving overall information supported later?
 Put the answer choices in order in the table and reread the choices and see
if they logically restate the main ideas of the passage.

Inference
Gaining information through inference is a bit more complex than merely knowing
what you have read. Why? Because the answers are implied, but not explicitly
stated. The answers to 0 to 2 of the questions on this test measure what
you understand, not what is specifically stated in the text.

You can recognize and identify inference questions when you see these key words
in the question: inferred, it can be determined…, implied, based on the
information…, most likely, and/or suggest. Basically, you take the facts from the
passage and use your own thoughts to come to a reasonable conclusion.

Inference questions often deal with a cause-and-effect situation by stating the

effect of a change. The way the test writers do this is that the question will imply or
strongly hint at something in the text that helps the test taker make a reasonable
conclusion or infer. Let’s take a look at how to answer an inference question.

Step 1: Read the questions and the answer choices thoroughly. Take note of the
key words in both the question and the answer choices.

Step 2: From the key words you took note of, look for some synonyms in the
question and the answer choices. For example, you might see the
word traditional in the question and the word conventional in an answer choice. At
this time, you should double-check to make sure that the synonyms are used the
same way. If you see the exact same words in both the question and the answer,
carefully check whether they are used in the same way and context or not.

Step 3: Eliminate any answers that contradict the text. The test writers will not ask
you to make huge conclusions, so make sure that the answer you choose is
closely related to what is being asked. Some test takers get hung up on dates in
the passage and inference questions. This is a bit tricky. So you will need to pay
close attention to the question and the text.

For example, the passage says, “The term filibuster has been used since the mid-
nineteenth century.”
The question is, “It can be inferred from the paragraph that around 1800 ____.”

A. action was never delayed

B. the term filibuster was not in use
C. the first filibuster took place
D. the filibuster was in use

B is the correct answer. We can infer that mid-nineteenth century was around

1850. The question says 1800, and the text says since. So we can infer that before
1850, they did not use the term filibuster. We can conclude that B is the correct
answer in step 4.

Step 4: The correct answer is the one that makes a small, logical conclusion,
usually from synonyms, from the details in the question. You should be able to
defend your choice based on what is stated in the text.

When you are answering inference questions, take care not to infer too much. This
can cause you to choose an incorrect answer. Even though the correct answer is
not stated in the text, make sure you can find solid evidence to support your
choice.

A good way to hone your inference skills is to read a piece of writing and make a
list of things that are stated in the passage and another list of things you can infer.

Author’s Purpose
Determining the author’s purpose is addressed in the TOEFL Reading test by way
of rhetorical structure or rhetorical purpose questions. There will be between 0 and
2 of them on the test. The test writers ask you not what the author says,
but why the author has presented specific information in a distinct place or manner
as it relates to the rest of the passage.
You can identify rhetorical purpose questions when you see key words in the
question, such as “Why does the author …?”, “The author mentions …”, or “The
author uses the phrase/words X in the passage…”

Here are some steps in solving Rhetorical Purpose questions:

 Step 1: Look for key words in the passage that relate to the question, such
as definition, for example, to illustrate, to refute, to note, and function of.
Also, determine how the transition words at the beginning of a paragraph
relate to the other paragraphs.
 Step 2: Eliminate answers that do not show links or relationships between
sentences or paragraphs.
 Step 3: Ask yourself, “Does the answer choice accurately indicate why the
author said this? Are there key words in the answer choice or its synonym,
which is also in the passage?”
 Step 4: You should be able to defend your answer from the information in
the passage.

Reading Speed
Being a good reader doesn’t mean you can read everything at the same pace and
with the same technique. While practicing reading to improve your skills, you get
information from everything you read and yet you don’t read everything for the
same reason or in the same way. Good readers are flexible. When you know your
purpose for reading, you adjust your rate to fit that specific type of material.

Reading rate (or reading speed) can be of several types:

 Careful—used to master content including details, memorize, outline,

summarize, paraphrase, analyze, solve problems, and evaluate material
 Normal—used to answer a specific question, understand relationship of
details to main ideas, solve problems, and note details
 Rapid—used to review familiar material, get the main idea, retrieve
information for short-term use, and comprehend the basic plot
 Scanning—used to get an overview of the content or to preview
 Skimming—done a little more quickly when searching for something
particular in the text; used to find a specific reference, locate the answer to a
specific question, get the main idea of a selection, or review in more detail

Knowing how to use all five reading styles is a great advantage because it gives
you a wide variety of ways to tackle reading.

Factual Information (3 – 6 questions)

Negative Factual (0 – 2 questions)
Inference (0 – 2 questions)
Rhetorical Purpose (0 – 2 questions)
Vocabulary (3 – 5 questions)
Reference (0 – 2 questions)
Sentence Simplification (0 – 1 question)
Insert Text (0 – 1 question)
Prose Summary (1 question)
Fill in a Table (1 question)

Of these types, the following have not been previously discussed in this study
guide. Read on below to become familiar with them, as well.

Factual Information
Factual information questions ask for explicit facts from the passage and you will
see three to six of them on the test. You can identify factual information questions
when you see key words in the questions, such as “It is stated in the passage
that…”, or “the author states…” and “according to…”

There are effective strategies for solving these questions. You will be looking for
the one answer that is true in the multiple-choice list. To do this, first, find the key
word in the question. Then scan the passage to find the answer that matches the
multiple-choice list. If you take note of the key words, they will help you find the
facts in the passage. For example, if the question asks you what is stated about
the level of ability of the new recruits, you will look for “level of ability” and “new
recruits” in the passage. Once you find these key words in the passage, you don’t
have to look any further. Remember though, while you are looking for the key word
in the passage, you must pay close attention to words that could be synonyms of
the key word in the question.

Another useful tip is that the question itself frequently tells you in which paragraph
to look. If that is the case, look in that paragraph only. You do not need to look in
any other paragraphs.

A third effective strategy is to eliminate answers that are wrong, contradicted, or

not explicitly stated. This is a good tip if you don’t find the answer right away.

Remember, you don’t have to read the paragraph in full to answer most of the
questions. Your skimming and scanning will help you find the answers. You only
have 20 minutes to answer 12 to 14 questions, so scanning is going to be your
best tool. Time is of the essence!

Negative Factual Information

You may have two or fewer negative factual information questions on this test.
They ask you to verify what information in the passage is not true. You can
recognize negative factual questions when you see key words in the question such
as “It is not stated in paragraph X…” or “It is not true that …” Another phrasing of
this type of question might include “All of these are true, except…”

Often, choosing the correct answer in a negative factual information question

involves checking more of the passage than you did in the factual information
question. There will be four choices in the answer. Three of those choices are
mentioned in the paragraph stated in the question or may be spread across several
paragraphs. You must pick the choice that is not mentioned in the passage,
is not stated accurately, or contradicts statements in the text.

Here are the steps you can take to answer a negative factual information question:

Step 1: Choose key words in the answer choices.

Step 2: Scan those key words in the text to verify the statements.

Step 3: Eliminate true answers. The correct answer directly contradicts or

is not mentioned.

Sentence Simplification (Paraphrasing)

Sentence simplification or paraphrasing is among the last four types of questions in
the TOEFL Reading section. They are more difficult and require a more in-depth
reading of the passage. Luckily, you will have skimmed, scanned, and answered
many questions that have given you a deeper understanding of the passage. In
sentence simplification, you will basically be asked to choose a sentence from the
answers that is most likely the specific highlighted sentence in the passage.

You can recognize and identify a sentence simplification type of question when you
see key words like, “Which of the sentences below expresses the essential
information?” The part of the passage that you will be asked to simplify will be
highlighted and the question will tell you which paragraph to look in, which
significantly reduces your time use.

The steps in selecting the correct answer are:

Step 1: Read the highlighted sentence and simplify it in your mind. Determine the
most essential information and the individual elements of it. Then restate them to
yourself in plain English before you look at the answers. If you focus in this way,
finding the correct answer is easier and more time-efficient.

Step 2: Eliminate wrong answers. When you have simplified the answer in your
head (or notes), look at the choices. Start to eliminate. Is the choice wrong? Does it
contradict the highlighted sentence? Or is the choice not stated in the paragraph?
Another way to find the correct answer is to compare the answer with the
highlighted section to see if they agree grammatically. Also, make sure you check
synonyms and for accurate changes in the order of ideas. Consider any
transformation between the active and passive voice and between general and
specific nouns. Do they agree or do they contradict each other?

Step 3: Double-check your possible answer. Replace the sentence in the passage
with it. Does it flow easily with the rest of the paragraph or the passage as a
whole? Does it restate the same idea as the highlighted section? Or does it leave
out something important? If your answer meets the requirements of simplifying the
highlighted section and it restates the essential information, look no further. Move
on to the next question.

Insert a Sentence (Coherence)

Inserting text, or improving coherence, is another one of the last tasks you will
complete in the Reading section. Most exams include one of this type of question
and it can be the most time consuming. Here, you will decide where a new
sentence best fits into the reading passage. It tests your ability to see the logical
flow of a passage and the grammatical connections between sentences.

You will be able to recognize an insert-a-sentence question when you see four
squares or four circles in the passage. The question will state, “Look at the four
squares ■ that indicate…” You will click on the square that you think marks the
correct and logical place to add the new sentence.

Here are steps for answering this type of question correctly:

Step 1: Read the sentence in the question. Make sure you understand it and make
note of the grammatical tense.

Step 2: Read through the paragraph with the sentence now added. Does it agree
grammatically? Read the sentence before and the sentence after to see if the new
sentence seems logical when placed there. If you aren’t sure, then try the new
sentence in the other three positions. Look at the structure and logic. Watch for
referents like these and transition words like on the other hand, for
example, therefore, and as a result. These clues will help you determine which
position is the most logical. You may have to read the paragraph four times to be
certain of your answer.

Fill in a Table
You will be asked to complete either prose summary or fill in a table during your
iBT TOEFL® test, but not both. The fill in a table task is similar to the prose
summary except that instead of choosing the three main ideas, you will drag and
drop items into categories.
You will see two or three categories in an empty table and choose from the options
provided, deciding which ones correctly belong to each category. Each correct
answer will only be used once. You will have two options that shouldn’t be used at
all because they are incorrect.

To choose the correct options, you will need to be able to organize major ideas in
the passage. Like for prose summary questions, you will need to distinguish
essential information from the non-essential. To choose the correct options, you’ll
need to identify and understand the relationship of cause/effect, problem/solution,
and compare/contrast concepts. You’ll also need to classify major ideas in their
appropriate context. In other words, the task is asking you to make a detailed
outline for the reading passage.

The steps in choosing the correct options are simple if you can determine the
outline.

Step 1: Read the options and find key words. Locate the key words in the passage.
Organize them on paper.

Step 2: Find the relationship or classifications in the table and drag and drop your
selections to the correct category. These answer options are more specific than
main idea choices. You may have to refer back to the passage several times to
confirm your choice.

Step 3: You should be able to defend your choice from the information in the
passage. Remember, two options are not correct, because they are not mentioned
in the text, not relevant to the table, or contradict the passage.
How to Prepare for the TOEFL® Speaking Test
General Information
The Speaking section of the TOEFL test requires completing six speaking tasks in
about 20 minutes. You have between 15 and 30 seconds to prepare your response
to each prompt, then between 45 and 60 seconds to deliver your spoken response
to each.

The listening portions of the tasks are delivered via headphones and you must
read the passages on your computer screen. You will be allowed to take notes
throughout the Speaking test.

Test Content
The tasks on the TOEFL Speaking test are similar to speaking you would do while
in a college setting, including casual conversations and more formal academic
responses. The prompts for the tasks vary and may include listening and reading.
Here is a description of each task you will encounter on the test.
Independent Tasks
Personal Preference: Tell about a personal choice you would make among things
in a category and why you would make that choice.

Choice: Choose between two actions or behaviors and tell why you would choose
that option.

Integrated Tasks
Campus Situation (Fit and Explain): Read a short passage about a campus
situation and listen to a short recording about the same topic; then tell about the
speaker’s opinion as it relates to the passage.

Academic Course (General/Specific): Read a short passage on an academic topic

and listen to a short recording on the same topic; then tell the important information
gained from both.

Campus Situation (Problem/Solution): Listen to a conversation between two

students about a problem and two possible solutions; then explain the problem and
choose a solution.

Academic Course (Summary): Listen to part of a lecture on a topic that includes

examples; then tell about the concept and how the examples relate to it.

Scoring
Speech varies so widely among people. You may think it would be hard to score a
person’s responses to these tasks. TOEFL Speaking scorers are highly trained,
however, and they are looking for very specific things in the responses. They
are not looking for perfection in any area, though—just proof that you are basically
competent in speaking English.

You will be given a score of 0 to 4 on each of the six tasks, resulting in a total of 0
to 30. Then, this score will be converted to a scaled score, using the formula
found here.

The only way to earn a score of 0 on a task is to either fail to respond at all or to
not speak to the topic presented. You can see the various levels of performance
and their designated score level on pages 77–79 of this document.

Here are the points scorers are trained to assess.

Delivery
The speaking section will not only be scored on the content of your answer, but
also on your delivery—how you speak. There are two areas that the scorer listens
for when evaluating your answer:

Clear Speech

The first thing to remember when starting the Speaking section is making sure the
microphone is positioned properly in front of your mouth. If it is too high, your
breathing will interfere with what the scorer can hear. Place it too low and the
scorer won’t be able to hear you at all. Follow the directions of the test proctor on
where to place the headphones and microphone during this section of the test.

To get an accurate score, the scorer needs to hear you clearly. Once you have the
microphone placed correctly, use your regular tone of voice. Speak normally and
clearly. Do your best not to use filler words or pauses (e.g. um, er, ah) because
they give the impression that you are having difficulty producing language. Taking
notes during your preparation time is critical because it will help you keep your
thoughts organized and your reponse flowing smoothly. Your response should be
sustained and the pacing even. You will be evaluated on whether you are able to
sustain your speech for the full time without repeating yourself. Keep your volume
consistent and “talk” to the screen. Talking as if you are reading will reduce your
score.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is very important. Don’t worry about your accent. Nearly every test
taker has an accent; however, if the scorer has difficulty understanding your words,
you may end up with a lower score. Don’t be brave and use words that you’ve
never spoken out loud before and make sure that the words you use are
pronounced correctly. Saying a simple word correctly is better than “trying out” a
new word and pronouncing it incorrectly. For example, look at the following
statements:

“The Dean reprimanded (rep-ree-MAN-did) the student.”

“The Dean reprimanded (ree-PRY-man-did) the student.”

The second example was pronounced wrong and affected the understanding of the
sentence. Because of this, the pronunciation may result in a lower rating.

Intonation is also important when giving your speaking response. The scorer will
rate you on how you say things, not just what you say. They will listen for rises and
falls in your tone, which give the scorer a good idea about your familiarity with
spoken language.

Remember, the most important goal is to make yourself understood, not to sound
exactly like a native speaker.
Language Use
Scorers will consider two major areas: grammar and vocabulary. When evaluating
the test taker, the scorer understands that there may be minor errors. They take
that into consideration and, as long as the language use doesn’t interfere with
understanding or obscure the meaning of the sentence, there won’t be any
significant penalties.

Grammar

The scorer will rate your ability to use grammatical structures and a high level of
accuracy. You need to consider a couple of things:

 Use only one type of English in your response. You can use British English
or American English. Either is okay, but you must be consistent in your use
of grammar in your response. You shouldn’t flip between American English
(AmE) and British English (BrE). For example, “I prefer to stay in Main
Street (BrE) on the weekend (AmE). In this case, both American and British
grammar structure was used. This type of grammar mixing may affect your
score.
 Keep your responses in the same tense. Make sure that if you are speaking
about the past, your verb tenses remain in the past. Do not mix tenses in the
same idea or thought. Take a look at this example:

Incorrect: The girl told him that he can stop by after lunch and she’ll be happy to

help him.
Correct: The girl told him that he could stop by after lunch and she would be happy
to help him.

Word Usage/Vocabulary

Word usage and vocabulary are one of the elements scorers listen to when
evaluating your response. The scorer will tune in to the words you use and
determine if they best express your response. Is the language rich or simple? Does
the speaker use a variety of sentence structures (i.e.simple, compound, complex)?
Your responses should be concise. They should include appropriate transitions
and colorful descriptions. For example, this is a grammatically correct expression:

“The student wanted to know about the new increase.”

However, this example is richer, more colorful, and more expressive:

“The biology student inquired about the amount of increase in lab fees the
university will be adding to the total tuition.”

Start now to practice increasing the level of vocabulary you can use correctly
opic Development
Topic development is an important criterion in this section. The scorer wants to
hear a logical response to the task, how you organize your response, and how you
organize your reasons and use of details. There are three important areas that you
need to think about and improve upon before the test.

Progression of Ideas

When responding to the task, follow a note-taking system or a system of organizing

your speech. Flipping back and forth between ideas will interfere with your flow of
ideas and the natural progression of your response. You should have an
established outline of how you will present your ideas:

1. Topic statement (answer the question)

2. Support - (this can be reasons, details, whatever the task requires)

Remember to use transition words, such as first, second, however, therefore, for

example, and in other words. This will help the scorer understand your progression
of ideas. You can find many lists of effective transition words online. Practice using
them.

Appropriate to Task

One of the first things scorers ask themselves is, ”Did the test taker understand the
task and respond appropriately?” You will be evaluated on how the speech reflects
the task required. Make sure that you understand the question/task before you
speak. If the task is to give advice, then give advice. If the task requires you to
summarize the points or link ideas, then your response should reflect that. Again,
taking notes is crucial for an effective, fluid response.

Appropriate Use of Detail

In both the independent and integrated parts of the speaking section, the task will
require you to give your response with supporting reasons and/or details. In tasks 1
and 2, your opinion will be required, therefore you will need supporting reasons
and details. Here, give examples and use transition words that denote reasons and
details. Here are a few that will give a good impression to the scorer:

 Phrases for giving details: as a matter of fact…, not only…, but also…, for
example…
 Phrases for giving reasons: one reason for that is…, since…, because of…

Speaking Practice
The only way to succeed in the Speaking section of the TOEFL test is to practice,
practice, practice. Even CEOs of large companies, heads of governments, and
public speakers practice in order to be more comprehensible, confident, engaging,
and concise, so you should do the same. Here are some tips for ways to practice
before the test.

Teachers or Tutors
The best way to ensure you are comprehensible is to have someone listen to you
speak. If they can understand you, you’re on the right track. How do you find this
kind of help? You can find preparation centers, teachers, and tutors to help you
prepare. Some tutors will even come to your home for this purpose. Additionally,
there are many websites that have native speakers online to help you by listening.

Make sure, when you are practicing with a real person, to have the structure of the
TOEFL® Speaking test in mind, so you can simulate exam conditions. Get a list of
topics to give to your “in person” or online tutor. Repeat until you feel confident.
The more practice you get, the more you can draw on your practice responses to
help you formulate test responses.

Individual Practice
If nobody is available to listen to you or you feel nervous about it, record yourself
and listen to your own speech. This will let you pick up on mistakes you may not
have known you were making. Plus, you can check your answers against sample
TOEFL answers more easily. It will also get you used to the stress of being
recorded so it will feel more familiar speaking to a computer screen on test day.
There are also mini-tests on the Internet that you can record and practice. Listen to
yourself, take notes, and repeat until you feel confident and free from errors. Don’t
forget to practice increasing your vocabulary complexity.

Practice with Friends

Grab some friends that speak English well and practice with them. Look for group
activities in your community where you can practice your English. Conversation
clubs in language centers, community centers, universities, and colleges also
provide a good way to practice your English. They provide a good audience to
practice speaking tasks outside of a formal environment. Many people advertise for
language partners. You can exchange practicing your English with them and they
can practice your native language with you. Social media is also a good place to
find others like you who want to practice the Speaking section.

Responding to Text
During the integrated tasks, you will be asked to read a short passage, usually
between 300 and 500 words, then listen to an audio passage. One of the tasks you
will be required to do is to summarize the points, link ideas, and/or compare and
contrast the reading to the listening and respond. In this case, you will need to
know how to respond to the text you read. One way you can practice this is to find
passages that are short, so that you can practice reading quickly for meaning. You
can find many websites that provide TOEFL Speaking section test prompts to help
you practice. There are also suitable passages in textbooks, periodicals, and
reference sources. Read the passage, then respond by summarizing,
paraphrasing, and linking two different opinions in a text. Record your answers and
compare them with sample responses. This is a good source for improving
vocabulary as well.

Responding to Speech
There are many different resources for practice in listening for meaning,
responding, and improving vocabulary and language use. Online TOEFL test
prompts are a great way of practicing, as are podcasts. Find talk shows where
opposing views are presented, including roundtable discussions. These are a little
more difficult because the language speed is usually very fast and there are a lot of
interruptions, but they still provide a great source of listening material. Use these
discussions to practice responding by linking ideas, summarizing, explaining the
main points, and comparing and contrasting ideas. Record your answers, then
evaluate them. Make sure that you used the full 30 or 45 seconds to respond. Look
for ways to improve your response and practice until you become more confident
and able to speak comprehensibly and sustain your speech for the full time.
Compare them with sample TOEFL responses and use the examples to improve
your responses.

Responding to Text and Speech

In two of the tasks in the TOEFL Speaking section, you will be asked to read a
passage, listen to audio, and then respond. You should look for passages and
audios that are on the same topic. You will be asked to link ideas, compare and
contrast, and/or summarize. The Speaking section is the most important section for
taking notes, especially during the listening portion as you won’t be able to re-listen
to the audio. Find a note-taking system that works best for you. Use your
notes/outline to formulate your response.

When looking for practice questions, your best resources are online TOEFL test
prompts. Record your answers and evaluate them. Compare your way of
answering with sample answers online and make the necessary corrections to
improve your response. Language centers, preparation courses, and mock TOEFL
tests are also an excellent way to practice and prepare.
How to Prepare for the TOEFL® Writing Test
General Information
There are two tasks on the TOEFL Writing test and both of them require a
short essay. You will have a total of 50 minutes to complete the entire
Writing section of the test. Here are descriptions of what to expect from
the two tasks, which will be completed in this order.

 Integrated Writing Task: You will be given 3 minutes to read a

passage of 230 to 300 words and 2 minutes to listen to a spoken
passage of the same length, on the same topic. (You are allowed to
take notes as you listen and read.) Then, you will have about 15
minutes to write a summary of what you have read and heard. The
summary should have approximately 150 to 225 words.
 Independent Writing Task: You will have 30 minutes to write an
answer to one essay question about a choice or an opinion. In
doing so, you will need to support your position with details. The
question will involve agreeing or disagreeing with a stated opinion
or choice. The essay should have approximately 300 words.

To write a thorough and complete response (and get a good score), your
written material should follow the recommended word count, although
going over those numbers will have no penalty.

Scoring
The trained scorers for the Writing test will take into consideration that the
text you produce is a first draft, so they will not be looking for perfection.
Here is how your Writing test will be scored.

Integrated Writing Task

Your performance on this task is graded by two ETS®-trained human
scorers. You will be given a score of 0 to 5, based on these criteria:

Organization

One of the most important points in the scorers’ evaluation of your writing
is organization. In other words, how you put your thoughts together. The
scorers will look for signs that you really understand how to explain your
response. When typing your response, make sure that you have an
introduction and a good strong topic or main idea. This should be followed
by supporting paragraphs and sentences that are in logical order.

Additionally, did you do what the task asked of you? Did you summarize,
link ideas, compare and contrast, and did you develop them according to
the task? In the integrated writing section, the tasks are different than that
of the independent section. In the integrated section, you
should not include your opinions.

Grammar

Grammar is critical in the writing section. It is a way for the scorers to

evaluate your language. Therefore, your grammar needs to be correct. It
is easy to get it wrong. Let’s look at some areas in which your writing
should be appropriate and precise.

 Mixing tenses—Do not mix verb tenses in a sentence. There are

instances where mixing tenses is allowed, however, for this test, it’s
best not to risk it. Keep your tenses the same in the same
sentence.
 Sentence variety—The TOEFL scorers will also look at your ability
to correctly write different types of sentences. Your responses
should include simple sentences (“The university book club has a
weekly meeting.”), compound sentences (“The university book club
raised the fees, so she decided to quit.”), and complex sentences
(“Though she was very rich, she still didn’t want to pay the higher
fees.”). If you only use simple short sentences, your response won’t
receive a high score.
 Subject-Verb Agreement—When taking the TOEFL writing section,
you must be certain that the subject and verb agree. You need to
double-check your sentences, and ask yourself, if the subject is
singular, is the verb singular? Is the subject plural? Then the verb
should be plural. Sometimes, the subject and verb are separated.
They can be separated by a prepositional phrase. Remember that
the prepositional phrase has no effect on the verb. For example,
“The effects of that rise in fees are likely to be devastating to the
club.”

These are the major grammatical areas that the scorers will consider. It’s
important to practice grammar through online sites and/or practice books.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary is another important area at which the scorers will look when
evaluating your response and includes:
  Word choice—You should choose words that are appropriate and
accurate. Practice looking up synonyms for key words you know so
that you can use those words in your writing.
 Variety—Use a variety of words in your response. Don’t use the
same words over and over again. Again, using synonyms is a good
way to improve your writing and thus your score.
 Idiomaticity—Idiomaticity involves how natural-sounding your
writing is. Are you writing in the same manner as a native speaker?
Are you using expressions that are associated with native speakers
(e.g. Merry New Year vs Happy New Year)?

The best ways to build your vocabulary are to study idiomatic

expressions, read sample responses, and look up synonyms for
keywords.

Content Completeness

An important skill in the writing task is content completeness. To improve

your score here, it is important that your response shows that you
understand the major ideas, important information in the passage and
lecture, and their relationship. It is also important to finish. Your response
should be complete with a beginning, a middle, and an end that reflects
the task. Appropriate language and sentence structure also contribute to
content completeness.

Content Accuracy

The TOEFL scorers will be asked to look for specific areas of accuracy in
content. They will look to see if the writer accurately responded to the
task (summarizing, paraphrasing, comparing, etc.). Therefore, it is
important that you practice writing essays, as well as reading and
reviewing sample TOEFL writing responses, and noting how they are
developed.

Independent Writing Task

This task will be scored by one human scorer and one computer scorer
(e-rater®). The score you receive will be between 0 and 5 and will only
reflect the quality of your writing, regardless of which position you took in
your essay. These things will be considered:

Development
Just as in the independent writing section, it is crucial that your response
is developed naturally, accurately, and logically. When developing your
response, remember that every TOEFL independent prompt will ask for
specific reasons and details. Your response will receive a score based on
the number of reasons and examples you give. To get the highest score,
you’ll need three different, well-written reasons along with specific details.
It can be difficult to think of specific examples when you have a time limit,
but it is an important part of good writing. Don’t use statistics because you
won’t be able to research during the exam. Instead, practice using
experiences or facts from your general knowledge to support your thesis
statements.

Organization, Grammar, and Vocabulary

Scoring for the independent essay includes these same three criteria as
the integrated essay. Be sure to consider these, as described above,
when preparing for either writing task.

Total Writing Score

From your scores on the two writing tasks, ETS will take the average and
convert it to a scaled score. This just means that a total of 16 points will
not convert to a total score of 16. You can see how the scores are
converted on the chart on page 85 of this resource.
Writing Skills
There are many points of good writing necessary to obtain a good score on the
TOEFL Writing test. These are some of the main skills you’ll want to know about
and practice.

Spelling
Spelling is an important part of writing and can affect the appropriateness of your
response. Misspelling a word can dramatically affect the meaning of your
sentence. For example: “Everyday people walk around town in the afternoon.” -vs-
“Every day, people walk around town in the afternoon.” Using the
word everyday or every day can mean two different things.

To prevent this, look up commonly misused and misspelled words online. Practice
writing on a word processing program that has spell check. Then write those words
down and practice spelling them correctly.

Sentence Skills
Scorers are trained to evaluate the variety of sentences that you use. So make
sure that your responses include complete, simple, compound, and complex
sentences. Get to know these types of sentences and practice using them while
you prepare for the test.

Fragments are frowned upon and you could receive penalties for using them.
A fragment is a sentence part that does not express a complete thought because it
is missing a subject or verb or is dependent on another part for meaning. Simply
using many words does not guarantee a complete sentence; for example, “The big,
angry, fluffy gray parrot” is not a sentence. It does not tell what the parrot does. If
you add one word, flies, to the end, it becomes a sentence.

Don’t use run-on sentences or sentences that begin with conjunctions (and, or,
but, so). Be careful not to write sentences that have dangling participles. A
dangling participle or misplaced modifier can change the meaning of a sentence
entirely. For example: “After falling from the tree, my sister picked up the pear” vs
“My sister picked up the pear after it fell from the tree.” In the first sentence, it
reads as if the sister fell from the tree; while in the second example, you know that
it was the pear that fell from the tree.

Another common writing mistake to avoid is using a non-parallel sentence structure

when giving lists. When you enumerate something, make sure that the items in the
list use the same form. Let’s look at an example:

“She likes taking long walks, exercising at the gym, and marathons.”

“She likes taking long walks, exercising at the gym, and competing in marathons.”

The first example shows a non-parallel sentence structure, while the second
example shows a correct parallel structure,wherein all the items in the list being in
the “-ing” form: taking, exercising, competing.

Do not be overwhelmed by all the rules you have to remember. Avoid these
common mistakes, and you are on your way to getting a higher score on the writing
tasks!

Punctuation
Missing punctuation or incorrectly placed punctuation can change the meaning of a
sentence completely. Let’s look at an example of missing commas:

My favorite meal is turkey cranberry sauce and green beans.

My favorite meal is turkey, cranberry sauce, and green beans.

In the first sentence, the writer likes two things—turkey cranberry sauce and green
beans. What is “turkey cranberry sauce” anyway?
In the second sentence, it is made clear by commas that the writer likes three
things.

Forgetting a full-stop/period at the end of a sentence can make it a run-on

sentence, which can contribute to a lower score. Here is an example:

“I love to ride horses I would ride them every day if I had the time.”

Instead, separate them with a full stop/period:

I love to ride horses. I would ride them every day if I had the time.

On the other hand, if the original sentence was:

“Since I love to ride horses I would ride them every day if I had the time.”

you would use a comma, instead of a period, to divide the clauses. The
word since makes the first clause dependent and not a complete sentence on its
own.

Don’t forget question marks. You should know when and when not to use a
question mark. Of course, we use a question mark when asking a question. But
there are also instances in which you do not use a question mark. Indirect
questions, for example, do not close with a question mark, but with a period. Like
direct questions, they demand a response, but they are expressed as declarations
without the formal characteristics of a question. For example: “The people were
wondering if there was any progress on the issue.” and “I was wondering if a
physical was necessary to join the basketball team.” They are both indirect
questions and do not require a question mark because they are actually
statements.

Paragraphs and Organization

The way you organize your essay is an important writing skill. When responding to
the tasks during the TOEFL® test, take notes and map out your answer. Make sure
that you have all three key elements of paragraph writing—an
introduction/beginning, a middle, and a closing/end. Your organization of your
essay should be complete, accurate to the task, logical, and in order. Your
paragraphs should include a main idea or topic sentence, supporting sentences,
and examples and details that further support your opinion or argument.

Your paragraph organization should also be laid out correctly. There are a few
standard times that you should start a new paragraph:
  when you start a new topic/idea/thought
 when you skip to a new time
 when you skip to a new place
 when a new person begins to speak
 when you want to produce a dramatic effect

Another good tip for writing an opinion essay is to clearly state your opinion, but
also include the opposing argument. However, when you state the opposing
argument, you should write in such a way that it actually supports your opinion.

Verb Use
As stated before, verb use is critical. You should make sure that you are using the
correct tenses in sentences, and that they are similar. Don’t mix tenses inside a
sentence. When using perfect tenses, make sure that you are using the correct
participles. Also, keep checking while writing that the verbs agree with the subject.
Sometimes, the verbs are separated by an accompanying phrase without changing
the agreement and this can cause some confusion, but as long as the intervening
phrase does not change the agreement, then the verb will remain the same. There
are some words that can cause confusion while writing. Let’s take a look at a few
of them.

 Use singular verb forms after the following: Each, either, everyone,

everybody, neither, nobody and someone.
“Everybody tries to write a well-written answer.”

 None has both singular and plural forms. The singular verb form is used
when none means no one or not one. The plural is used when none implies
more than one thing or person. “None of us thinks what she said is correct.”
“None of the students are driving to the testing center.”

 A compound subject—formed by two or more nouns and the word and—

usually requires a plural verb. “The teacher and the student were working on
the project.”

 A singular subject remains singular, if connected with the words with, as

well as, in addition to, except, together with, and no less than.
“Her attitude, as well as his speech, is inappropriate.”

Word Usage
TOEFL scorers are trained to look for how the test taker uses words. Are the word
choices appropriate, rich, colorful, accurate, and precise? To make sure that you
cover all these areas in your responses, practice writing sentences, and then
expanding them by including adjectives and adverbs to make your statements
clearer. For example, look at these two sentences and choose which sentence
would receive a higher score:

“The horse eats grass in the meadow.”

“The young black stallion slowly eats the tall, soft grass in the large meadow
nestled between the two regal mountains of the Northwest.”

To get a higher score, you should also know words that are commonly confused
and make sure that you know how to use them correctly, such as
affect/effect. Affect is a verb, while effect is a noun. You can find many examples
online.

Transitions
Transitions are essential in connecting sentences and paragraphs. Good use of
transitions will ensure a smoothly executed essay and locking in a higher score.
Think of transitions as road signs. They help the reader understand the direction of
your thought.

Know which transition words are appropriate for use in various situations. Make a
list of transition words that signal the coming of additional information, contrasting
information, sequence of events or procedures, causes and conditions, examples
and support, effects, and concluding arguments.

Keyboarding
The Writing section of the TOEFL test is done electronically, so you will need to
have good keyboarding skills. TOEFL testing centers use the traditional QWERTY
keyboard, so familiarity with it is essential for success in the Writing section. A
keyboarding speed of 35 words per minutes is necessary to finish the tasks in time.
If you are not quite there, practice keyboarding drills online before test day.