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INTEGRATED ESSAY

You will read an article and a lecture on the same topic. The lecture will challenge the
argument made in reading. Your essay must explain how the lecture casts doubt on the
reading. You will be given twenty minutes to write your essay. You should write about 280 to
300 words.

Here’s how the TOEFL Integrated Essay works:

● It is the first writing task on the test.

● First, you will read an article (four paragraphs) about an academic topic.
● Next, you will listen to a lecture that opposes the main argument of the reading.
● Finally, you must write an essay about the relationship between the two sources.
● You can read the article while writing your essay, but not hear the lecture again.
● It will never include questions where the lecture supports the reading.

Example question: “Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they
oppose specific points made in the reading passage.”

Structure
The article and lecture are structured the same way. The passage has an introduction + 3
paragraphs each with a different argument. The lecture then refutes them in the same order.

Template

Introduction
No matter what question style is used, write your introduction using the following template:
● The reading and the lecture are both about _____.
● The author of the reading feels that ______.
● The lecturer challenges the claims made by the author.
● He is of the opinion that _____.

The Body Paragraphs

● To begin with, the author argues that _____.
● The article mentions that ____.
● This specific argument is challenged by the lecturer.
● He claims ____.
● Additionally, he says ______.
–

● Secondly, the writer suggests ______.

● In the article, it is said that _____.
● The lecturer, however, rebuts this by mentioning ______.
● He elaborates on this by bringing up the point that ______.
–
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● Finally, the author posits that _____.

● Moreover, it is stated in the article that ____.
● In contrast, the lecturer’s stance is _____.
● He puts forth the idea that _____.

You don’t need to write a conclusion.

Example

The reading and the lecture are both about the collapse of the civilization on Easter Island.
The author of the reading feels that there are three possible explanations for the collapse.
The lecturer challenges the claims made by the author, since he is of the opinion that these
explanations are faulty.

To begin with, the author argues that the collapse might have been caused by rats that ate
the seeds of palm trees. The article mentions that this caused erosion and soil loss, which
made it hard to grow food. On the other hand, the lecturer claims that even if deforestation
occurred the people on the island would have had enough food. Additionally, he says that
60% of their diet came from the sea, and they also used rock gardens to grow potatoes in
weak soil.

Secondly, the writer suggests that the collapse may have been caused by warfare. In the
article, it is said that many curved blades used as weapons have been found on Easter
Island. The lecturer, however, rebuts this by mentioning that the shapes of the blades
suggest that they were not actually weapons. He elaborates on this by bringing up the point
that they are neither sharp nor pointy, so they were probably just used as tools for cutting
stone.

Finally, the author posits that the society on the island could have been destroyed by
exposure to diseases brought by foreign visitors. Moreover, in the article it is stated that
thousands died as a result of this. In contrast, the lecturer’s stance is that when contact with
Europeans and South Americans began the population of the island was only about 3000. He
puts forth the idea that, since the population was twenty thousand before contact, whatever
caused the decline must have started long before then.

To sum up, both the writer and professor hold conflicting views about driverless cars. It's clear
that they will have trouble finding some common ground on this issue.

● The lecture summary is the most important part of the essay. That should make up
about 60% of each body paragraph.
● Avoid copying from the reading word for word. Paraphrase as much as you can.
● Save about one minute to proofread your work.

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INDEPENDENT ESSAY

You are asked your opinion on a topic related to a personal, academic or professional issue.
You have thirty minutes to write an essay about it. You should write about 380 to 400 words.

Introduction

● Sentence One: The “Hook”

This is an interesting sentence that introduces the general theme or topic of the essay.
● Sentence Two: The Main Point
This is your main argument and direct answer to the question. “Personally, I believe…“
● Sentence Three: The Transition
Just say: “I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following essay.”

Example:

There are many different learning styles, and it is important that we find classes that match
our academic preferences. Personally, I believe that it is extremely beneficial to take classes
which are very interactive. I feel this way for two reasons, which I will explore in the following
essay.

Body Paragraph 1

● Sentence One: A Topic Sentence

This summarizes your first supporting reason. Begin with “First of all…“.
● Sentences Two to Four: The Explanation
Explain what you mean, without talking directly about a personal experience.
● Sentence Five: The Transition
Just use: “My personal experience is a compelling example of this.“
● Sentence Six to End: The Personal Example
An example from your life that illustrates this argument. Longer than the explanation part.

This leads to a paragraph like this:

First of all, classes that include a lot of discussions develop our communication skills.
Our long-term success depends on our ability to persuade others to accept our ideas
and proposals, so it is critically important to seize opportunities to talk to a variety of
people. If we do not practice this skill, we will never develop it. My personal
experience is a compelling example of this. About ten years ago, I enrolled in a history
class. At that time I had already taken many classes at university, but I was still very
shy around strangers. However, after nine months of participating in debates,
discussions and presentations in that class I came out of my shell and became a very
confident public speaker. As a result, when I began my career following my graduation
I excelled in group work and was seen by my supervisors as a natural leader. For this

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reason, I was quickly promoted within my company. I have been very successful at my
workplace, and I owe it all to that wonderful class.
Use a similar template for your second body paragraph:

● Sentence One: A Topic Sentence

This summarizes your second supporting reason. Begin with “Secondly…“.
● Sentences Two to Four: The Explanation
Explain what you mean, without talking directly about personal experience.
● Sentence Five: The Transition
Just use: “For instance,“
● Sentence Five to End: The Personal Example
An example from your life (or someone else’s life) that illustrates this argument. Make it longer
that the explanation part.

That would result in a paragraph looking something like this:

Secondly, classes that are very interactive help us to form connections with our
classmates, and these can lead to future opportunities. When we regularly converse
with our peers, we get to know their personalities. Consequently, we can even
become very close friends with them. In contrast, when students just sit and passively
listen to their professor, they are unlikely to get to know each other. For instance,
when my brother was in college he took an information technology class that required
a lot of group work. He spent two months that semester working on a programming
project with two other students and during that time they all became very close. In
fact, a year later they felt comfortable enough to actually form a company together. It
has been six years since they founded that business and it is still very profitable.

There are a few things to keep in mind as you write the body of your TOEFL independent
essay:
● Use a mix of simple and compound sentences
● Emphasize the example. It is the easiest part to write, so make it about 60% (or more)
of each body paragraph
● Avoid very short sentences (less than seven words) and very long sentences (more
than 60 words)
● Don’t start sentences with coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
● Use a variety of discourse phrases

Conclusion

Here’s what you should keep in mind:

● Paraphrase yourself. Don’t copy and paste from above when you restate your ideas in
the conclusion
● Don’t introduce new ideas in the conclusion

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Final Thoughts
● Aim for about 380 to 400 words. Write a bit more if need a really high score
● Use two minutes to plan before you start writing and save two minutes for
proofreading when you finish.

Some people suggest that affording children over fifteen the right to vote would lead to a
better society. After all, the more voices are heard in a democracy, the more legitimacy
elected leaders have. Be that as it may, I believe that society would actually be worse off if
fifteen-year-olds were allowed to vote. Teenagers are too immature to vote, and often simply
copy the preferences of their parents.

First and foremost, fifteen is simply put, not very old. Children at that age lack the emotional
maturity needed to make intelligent decisions when voting. They often feel passionately
about a topic one day only to have their interest fizzle out the next; clearly, that causes
problems when the decisions made affect people throughout society. Moreover,
fifteen-year-olds lack the sophistication needed to distinguish between truly valuable causes
and those that are merely exciting. Politicians would simply speak to the emotions of the
younger voters during speeches, and teenagers might vote for frivolous policies, such as
longer school vacations. However, voting should not be taken so lightly—no choice, arguably,
could be of more importance.

I also believe it would be a mistake to allow fifteen-year-olds to vote because they are likely
to simply copy the preferences of their parents. For example, during elections, voters are
often influenced by economic factors, such as promises to provide tax breaks, the expansion
of social aid programs. But fifteen-year-olds are not economically independent. Their financial
situations depend on those of their parents. For this reason, their parents would influence
them to vote to most help the family financially, which is not honest democracy. To make
matters worse, politicians would realize that families usually vote in the same way, and start
emphasizing policies helping families at the expense of other interest groups in order to get
their votes. For instance, politicians might promise to raise money for schools by taxing
businesses. This would effectively give parents a disproportionately large influence.

Essentially, there is a good reason that virtually no country on the planet allows people who
are so young to vote. They have yet to mature into responsible tax-paying citizens. As
mentioned, their interests are fickle, and not aligned with what is best for society as a whole. It
would be a mistake to give them influence in the democratic process.

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