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Sample Essays for the Writing Section of the TOEFL® Test

Sample Essays for the Writing Section of the TOEFL Test ( document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) )

Did you hear about the updated TOEFL iBT Writing section?

On July 26, 2023, ETS introduced a new TOEFL Writing question : Writing for an Academic Discussion.

That’s right. The Independent Writing question has been retired from the official TOEFL iBT test.

Before we get into the topics and sample essays for the new TOEFL Writing question, let’s start with the first task, which hasn’t changed, the Integrated Writing.

TOEFL Integrated Writing Topics

In the TOEFL Writing Section, there are two questions you must respond to. The first question is called the TOEFL Integrated Writing task. The second question is called the TOEFL Writing for an Academic Discussion task.

The integrated question presents a reading and listening passage, followed by a question, which is a bit more complicated.

Simple, right?

No? Still confused.

No worries. The best way to understand something better is through examples.

Let’s do one together.

This TOEFL integrated writing topic deals with the use of  Corn Ethanol .

Give yourself three minutes to read it:

The chemical compound, ethanol, has risen in recent years as the most viable alternative to fossil fuels. Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from crops, mainly from corn in the United States, which can power engines. There are many who argue that corn ethanol should replace fossil fuel gas as the primary source for running cars.

One major benefit of using corn ethanol is that it uses less energy than gasoline. Using less energy means that people can get better gas mileage while driving these more fuel-efficient cars. In the long-run, this will be cheaper for consumers because they can drive further than they do now with fossil-fueled cars. People will spend less money on gas because they won’t have to stop to fill up as frequently.

Another advantage of switching to corn ethanol is that it helps the American economy become less reliant on energy sources from other countries. Petroleum is not readily available in the U.S., so it must be imported from other countries. Depending on foreign relations with those countries, fuel becomes a political issue. Corn is a crop that America has in abundance. By using corn ethanol instead, the cost of gas will decrease because now the import taxes on fossil fuels are calculated into the price. This also means that we will be putting the money into our own economy, thus helping local corn farmers.

One of the most attractive aspects of corn ethanol is how environmentally friendly is when compared to current automobile gasoline. Fossil fuels release carbon that has been stored for years from the earth. Burning biofuels, like corn ethanol, is better for the environment because it releases less greenhouse gas emissions. Lessening the amount of carbon emissions will help prevent global warming and all of the other negative effects of climate change.

Once three minutes have ended, listen to a conversation about the same topic

Now, it’s time to write your TOEFL essay.

Stop reading.

Start writing.

Write your essay before you look at this TOEFL Writing sample. You will learn a lot more if you actually write the essay and then compare this to your own.

Here’s an expert TOEFL teacher’s sample essay to this particular TOEFL Writing topic.

The article introduces the topic of corn-based ethanol. More specifically, the writer discusses the advantages of switching from fossil fuels to this alternative energy source. The lecturer in the listening passage disagrees. He believes that the benefits the author mentions are misleading and attacks each of the claims made in the reading.

In the reading, the author begins by stating that drivers will get better gas mileage on corn ethanol than on fossil fuels, and therefore save money on gas. The speaker, however, disagrees. He states that the production of corn ethanol is very expensive. He says that in order to make for the costs to create and distribute this biofuel, the price of ethanol gas will increase.  Therefore, it will not be any cheaper for consumers in the long run.

The writer also claims that making the switch to corn ethanol will help the American economy because it will make the United States less dependent on foreign oil. Again, the lecturer believes there are flaws in the writer’s argument. He holds instead that mass use of corn-based ethanol will hurt the economy. He elaborates this by point out that the inevitable competition for corn by multiple consumers, including beef and dairy farmers, will drive the price of corn up.

Another reason why the author feels that moving from traditional gasoline to corn ethanol is a good idea is that they are more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels. The professor in the listening passage is doubtful that this is accurate. He suggests that as more farmlands are created to support the demands for more corn, more carbon will be absorbed by the land. This means that these emissions will still be released to negatively affect the environment.

As you can see the author and speaker hold very different views about the use of corn ethanol.

The author here clearly defined the main idea, organized the supporting points from both the reading and listening passage, and showed how they differ from each other. 

I know it may seem a bit difficult, which is why I recommend that you start off with a TOEFL Writing template for both the Writing for an Academic Discussion task and Integrated essay.

Looking for more example essays?

Download our TOEFL Writing 24+ Guide if you would like more sample essays. It includes extra tips, tricks, and strategies you will not find anywhere else. Download it for free here

Too complicated? Don’t worry.

I will share TOEFL writing templates for the Integrated Writing question, which will make your life a whole lot easier.

We have to talk about the Writing for an Academic Discussion question.

Writing for an Academic Discussion Question

You will have 10 minutes to complete the Writing for an Academic Discussion question .

For this task, you will participate in an online discussion. After you read the question and student responses, you will have to write a response that adds to the conversation.

Here’s the breakdown:

This question is straightforward, but let’s do a sample together.

When the question appears on the screen, take two minutes to scan the passage and the student’s opinions.

Start to write your response. Be sure to add to the discussion and avoid repeating the same points as the other students.

Aim to write at least 120 words.

Get peace of mind with these TOEFL Writing Templates

Now that you have a few TOEFL Writing topics and sample essays to study from, you may want to use a writing template to help guide your writing.

A TOEFL template is basically a pre-organized set of words and phrases that you can use in almost any TOEFL Writing response.

Here’s TST Prep’s template for the integrated TOEFL Writing question (question one) :

The article introduces the topic of (general topic). More specifically, the writer discusses (stance of the author on the topic). The lecturer in the listening passage disagrees. He believes that (stance of the professor on the topic) and attacks each of the claims made in the reading.

In the reading, the author begins by stating that (first point made to support stance). The lecturer, however, disagrees. He states that (first counterargument by the professor). He goes on to say that (additional detail about first counterargument).

The author also claims that ( second point made to support stance). Again, the lecturer believes there are flaws in the writer’s argument. The speaker holds that (two sentences about the professor’s second counter-argument).

Another reason why the author feels that (restate stance of author ) is that ( third point made to support stance). The professor in the listening passage is doubtful that this is accurate. He suggests that (two sentences about the professor’s third counter argument ).

To sum up, both the writer and professor hold conflicting views about (general topic). It’s clear that they will have trouble finding common ground on this issue.

And here’s our template for the independent TOEFL Writing for an Academic Discussion (question two) :

You will notice that the sample essays in this article differ from the templates.

You do not have to use templates, it’s up to you. Some people prefer to write in their own unique fashion for the entire exam. However, you will notice that the structure of the templates is similar to the TOEFL example essays.

These templates follow the exact organization and structure you are expected to use on test day, so don’t hesitate to use them in your writing.

Also, don’t forget to download the free 24+ TOEFL Writing Guide if you would like more example essays, templates, and exclusive tips to help you earn the best possible TOEFL Writing score on test day.

If you read this far, it means you are serious about your TOEFL studies. Don’t hesitate to send us an email and let us know how we can help you earn the TOEFL score of your dreams – [email protected]

Did we forget anything? Please comment and let us know how we can improve our TOEFL Writing advice (or if you want to just say hi that would be great too).

Other articles

Ten Awsome Tips for the Writing Section of the TOEFL Test

100 Free Questions for the Listening Section of the TOEFL Test

Check other articles on TOEFL

109 Comments

Hello Josh, I have a question regarding how we can write an advanced writing that will be scored 25+?

Thanks very much for your question. We do have some templates that can help to increase your score. However, to give you a more detailed answer, I would suggest you consider doing an essay evaluation with us so we can help you determine specific areas for improvement. In the meantime, here are some articles that can help.

https://tstprep.com/articles/toefl/ten-awesome-tips-for-the-writing-section-of-the-toefl-test/

https://tstprep.com/articles/toefl/sample-essays-for-the-writing-section-of-the-toefl-test/

Hi Josh! For the academic writing, I only gave my reason for the topic, and I forgot to mention the opinion of the other student. I checked my word count. It is already past 100 words, and I do not want it to be too long. Do we really need to mention the other students’ opinion?

Hi Ireen. Great question! We often suggest mentioning one of the other students, but it is not required. As long as what you said was on topic, you “added to the discussion,” and gave specific reasons and examples, you should be okay with the 100 words you wrote.

Hello, I have a question about the independent writing: Is it a problem if I just give one reason in my essay (but detailed enough)? Thank you

Hi there and thank you for your question. There are no specific grading criteria that say you MUST give two reasons for your opinion, so, in theory, yes, you can just give one reason. I don’t think you will be marked down for it. If possible, try to give two though. It will make your word count higher.

Hello Josh, I was wondering if you have more integrated writing questions that we could do for practice, do you know where to find them?

Hi there and thank you for your question. If you search “TOEFL Writing Practice test” on Youtube you will find 2-3 TST Prep practice videos with an Integrated Writing practice question. I’m sure there will be tests from other providers as well.

Hey Josh, I have been following your YouTube channel for my TOEFL preparation, where I learned a lot. My question is that I got stuck between 15-17 scores in the reading section and could not figure out what I would do to enhance my scores. Any suggestions?

Hi there Ashina, and thank you for your question.

It is, indeed, a difficult question to answer. Here are two pieces of advice on how to practice at home and how to improve time management:

HOW TO DO A PASSAGE

I am going to breakdown the process you should go through when you do a TOEFL Reading passage:

1. Copy the test conditions (set a timer to complete the passage and all the questions in 18 minutes)

2. Check your answers

3. Identify the reason you got a specific question wrong (or didn’t understand why you were correct) and write down what you can do to avoid the same mistake next time. Step #3 is the most important and the one often overlooked because most test-takers are pretty tired after reading and answering questions. This will help you notice patterns in incorrect choices and apply what you have learned later.

4. (Optional) Do the same passage again two weeks later. (You will remember much of what you did before, but it should help remind you of what you have learned)

TIME MANAGEMENT

My advice is pretty simple here, practice with LESS TIME. If it is not too stressful, try to complete a passage and all of the questions in 16 minutes (instead of 18). This usually does the trick for most students over time.

I hope you find some of this helpful. Good luck, and let me know if you need anything.

Hey Josh, in the Reading section the last question holds two marks where we are asked to pick three choices. I have always have a hard time getting the perfect score here. any suggestions, please…

Hi Kiba, this is a popular complaint. I posted a video about summary questions here. You might find it helpful.

Hey Josh, I have a question. If the question is saying a good essay is between 200 and 300, and I wrote more than 300, is this okay? Or should I make it only as maximum as they are saying?

Hi Joud and great question. Definitely write MORE. There is a direct correlation between test scores and word count, so the more you write the better. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should write as much as possible as fast as possible, but anything between 350-450 words would be great.

Hey Josh, I think I do well in my writing section, but my score doesn’t improve. Is there anything that I can do to know my mistakes from the ETS?

Hi Aziz, good question, and unfortunately, no, they do not release that information. The best you can do is work with an experienced teacher who can point out your weaknesses and work on them at home before test day.

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How the Essay is Evaluated

• Development: How well you have developed your ideas and arguments.
• Organization: How well your essay is organized and structured.
• Language Use: How effectively you use grammar, vocabulary, and syntax to convey your ideas.
• Mechanics: How well you use punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
• Overall Writing Quality: How well your essay meets the expectations of a proficient writer.

Understanding the Scoring Criteria

• Task Completion: This measures how well you have addressed the prompt and completed the task.
• Language Use: This assesses your ability to use a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical structures accurately and appropriately.
• Coherence and Cohesion: This evaluates how well you have organized your essay and used transition words and phrases to connect your ideas.
• Development and Support: This measures how well you have developed your ideas and provided appropriate examples and details to support them.

How the Criteria are Evaluated

• Addresses the prompt fully and directly
• Uses a variety of sentence structures and vocabulary words
• Has a clear and well-organized structure
• Uses transition words and phrases effectively
• Provides specific examples and details to support ideas

Best Practices for Preparing for the Independent Writing Task in TOEFL

1. emphasize practice and preparation.

• Allocate enough time for practicing writing in English before the test date
• Use official practice materials from ETS or reliable sources to practice writing
• Take timed practice tests to improve your time management and get accustomed to writing under pressure
• Identify your strengths and weaknesses and work on them through targeted practice
• Get feedback on your writing from a teacher or tutor, and use it to improve your skills

2. Tips for Brainstorming and Outlining

• Read the prompt carefully and identify the key points and requirements
• Brainstorm ideas related to the prompt and write them down
• Organize your ideas into a logical and coherent structure using an outline
• Include specific details and examples to support your ideas
• Ensure that your ideas are relevant to the prompt and answer the question directly

3. Importance of Developing a Clear and Concise Thesis Statement

• A thesis statement is the main point or argument that you will be making in your essay
• Developing a clear and concise thesis statement helps you stay focused and on-topic
• Your thesis statement should be included in your introduction paragraph and should be easy to understand
• Your thesis statement should directly address the prompt and answer the question being asked
• Make sure to support your thesis statement with relevant details and examples throughout your essay

4. Other Tips for Success

• Use appropriate sentence structures, vocabulary, and grammar
• Make sure your essay has an introduction, body, and conclusion
• Proofread your essay for spelling and punctuation errors
• Stick to the time limit and manage your time wisely
• Stay confident and focused, and avoid getting sidetracked

Best Practices for Writing the TOEFL Independent Essay

Importance of organization and structure.

• Plan your essay before writing: Create an outline of your essay to help you organize your thoughts and structure your essay effectively.
• Use paragraphs to organize your ideas: Each paragraph should focus on one main idea that supports your thesis statement.
• Use transitional words and phrases: Transitional words and phrases help to connect ideas between paragraphs and make your essay flow smoothly.
• Use clear and concise language: Avoid using unnecessary words or phrases that do not contribute to the clarity of your essay.

Effective Introduction and Conclusion

• Hook your reader in the introduction: Use an interesting fact or anecdote to grab the reader’s attention and make them want to read further.
• Provide background information: Give some context to the topic you are writing about to help the reader understand the importance of the issue.
• End with a clear thesis statement: Your thesis statement should be concise and specific, outlining the main argument of your essay.
• Summarize your main points in the conclusion: Recap the main points you discussed in your essay and tie them back to your thesis statement.
• Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion: The conclusion should not introduce any new information or arguments.

Supporting Ideas with Evidence and Examples

• Use credible sources: When supporting your ideas, use reliable sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable news sources.
• Provide specific examples: Use concrete examples to illustrate your points and make your arguments more convincing.
• Explain the relevance of your evidence: Make sure to explain how your evidence supports your argument and why it is important to the overall topic.

Effective Use of Language and Grammar

• Use a variety of sentence structures: Mix up your sentence structure to make your essay more interesting and engaging to read.
• Avoid using overly complex vocabulary: While it’s important to use proper academic vocabulary, don’t try to use words that you are not comfortable with or that are overly complex.
• Proofread your essay: Take time to review your essay and correct any grammatical or spelling errors. Make sure your sentences are clear and easy to understand.
• Practice writing essays: The more you practice writing essays, the better you will become at using proper language and grammar.

Strategies for Achieving a High Score

Time management, keep pace and stay on task, proofreading and editing, revising and improving an essay, what is the highest score possible for the independent writing task, how long should my essay be for the independent writing task, is it better to write a longer essay or a shorter one for the independent writing task, are there any resources available to help me prepare for the independent writing task, what should i do if i run out of time during the independent writing task, is it possible to prepare for toefl in 10 days, key takeaways.

• Practice and preparation are crucial to achieving a high score on the TOEFL independent essay.
• Effective organization and structure are necessary to clearly express your viewpoint.
• Support your ideas with evidence and examples to make your essay more convincing.
• Use proper language and grammar to enhance clarity and coherence.
• Time management is important for completing the essay on time.
• Proofreading and editing are essential for identifying and correcting errors in your writing.

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How to Write a TOEFL Independent Essay

The writing section is the final section of the TOEFL test. It has 2 different question types, and you get one question from each question type in your test. You will be given 20 minutes for question 1, and 30 minutes for question 2 , so it can be difficult at first to come up with a high-scoring essay within such a short time. To help you with that, here is a TOEFL Independent Essay structure template that can help you write a high-scoring answer. With this template in hand, all you need to do is come up with creative and logical reasons. The template is here to do the rest.

This blog post is a part of a series where I post templates for all TOEFL Speaking and Writing questions . As a part of this series, I will introduce you to structure templates for 4 speaking and 2 writing tasks, along with model answers written based on those templates.

Here we go with the first post: How to write a TOEFL independent essay.

Now here is a structure template that can help you get a decent score in TOEFL Writing independent question type. I will go over the template with a model answer to help you understand better. Before beginning, here is the question the model answer is based on:

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important to use the land for human needs like farms, houses, and factories than for saving endangered animals.

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

And here is the model answer: As the human population has increased over time, more land has become necessary to accommodate the growing number of people, resulting in the reduction of the habitats of wild animals. In this situation, many people question whether the land should be used for the needs of humans or for saving endangered animals. I firmly believe that it should be used to save endangered animals for two reasons. First, land should be used for endangered animals rather than human beings because the land is essential for animals, while that is not the case for human beings. Due to developments in architecture and technology, it has become possible to use a small amount of land to accommodate a large number of people by constructing tall buildings. For example, the tallest building built by humans is the Burj Khalifa, which is more than 160 floors tall and can accommodate thousands of people. While human beings can satisfy their need for land in this way, it is not possible for animals since they have adapted to live in particular environments with specific conditions. If the surrounding environment does not satisfy the conditions of their natural habitat, those animals eventually become extinct. This is why it is highly preferable to use the land for endangered animals. Second, all living species on Earth are interconnected and allowing endangered species to go extinct can have devastating results. The global ecosystem sustains life with sophisticated yet delicate food chains. When there is no space to preserve animals, they will die out, and then the chain will collapse. For example, grey wolves were eliminated from the Yellowstone area in the US through hunting. This had a huge impact on the ecosystem of Yellowstone, as the number of large herbivores like deer drastically increased, and they ate most of the available food. That caused their population to crash, and drove out many other species, which completely altered the composition of the forest. After wolves were reintroduced, the food chain returned to its former state. Because of these two reasons, the land should be used to preserve endangered animals. The human population is increasing, and the demand for food and shelter is also on the rise. However, this does not mean that saving endangered animals should become less of a priority.

Table of Contents

First, let’s take a look at the introduction paragraph:

There are three main elements included in this introduction paragraph:

Hook: The purpose of this hook sentence is to get the reader interested and curious. The sentence should introduce something general about the topic given, in this case, the necessity of land and how it has increased over the years.

Paraphrase: Here in the model essay, the writer restated the question just to remind the reader what the topic was about. This sentence is important as it can smoothen the transition between the hook and the thesis statement.

Thesis Statement: This is where you state your opinion on the given topic. Notice how the thesis statement is short and concise in the model answer. Like this, make sure that your thesis statement is short and clear.

Let’s move on to the body paragraphs.

Now there are 3 different types of information to include in the body paragraph:

Topic Sentence: This is the most important part of your body paragraph. The topic sentence shows the main topic of that paragraph. For the independent essay, it should include one reason that supports your thesis statement. Always try to start your paragraph with the topic sentence because you will expand on this reason in the remainder of your paragraph. It should be clear and concise, just like your thesis statement.

Supporting Details: This is the part where you provide details to support your topic sentence. In the topic sentence, you provide a reason as to why you think a certain way. Supporting details allow you to explain why that reason makes sense. For example, in the first body paragraph, the topic sentence states that the reason why the author thinks land should be used for endangered animals is because the land is essential for animals, while that is not the case for humans. In the supporting details, the author explains WHY land is essential for animals but not for humans.

Example: This is where you illustrate your point by giving a real-life example. Examples make your arguments seem more logical and believable. Let’s look at the second body paragraph. Here, the topic sentence states that allowing endangered animals to go extinct can have devastating effects because all species on Earth are interconnected. The supporting details give further explanation about HOW this issue may lead to devastating results. In the rest of the paragraph, the author gives a real-life example that illustrates their logic. By explaining how the disappearance of wolves actually led to the devastation of the ecosystem in Yellowstone, the author provides a solid body paragraph that is logical and persuasive.

Moving on to the conclusion paragraph:

There are two things you need to keep in mind for conclusion paragraphs:

Topic Sentence: You can think of this part as restating your thesis statement. By restating your thesis statement, you are once again emphasizing your opinion.

Closing Sentence: The purpose of this part is to wrap up your essay. It gives a feeling of closure to the reader. However, if you do not have enough time, you can skip this part and finish your conclusion by just restating your thesis.

So the structure of your essay would look like this:

This concludes today’s post. I hope this template helps you improve your writing score!

➡️ Practice with TestGlider Mock Tests

HOW TO WRITE AN INTRODUCTION FOR THE TOEFL INDEPENDENT ESSAY

• TOEFL WRITING
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The TOEFL independent essay can be a very challenging aspect of the TOEFL ibt. The length of the essay, the challenge of writing correctly on a subject in English, and of course the fact that it comes at the very end of the TOEFL when you and your brain are probably quite tired, all make this one of the most difficult part of the TOEFL ibt.  Because of these factors, we need all the help we can get to get a great score on the TOEFL independent essay.

There is an expression in English:

  “you never get a second chance to make a first impression”

What does that mean? It means that the very first impression, or the first interaction with someone, is how they will judge you.

The same is true with writing.

Think about this: The TOEFL essays are initially graded by a computer which checks for grammatical and spelling errors, and some basic structure and syntax. After that, they are eventually reviewed by a grader. That is a real person, who reads your essay, and judges your English ability. Because of this we need to make a good “first impression”  on the TOEFL independent essay.

How do we do this?

We begin with a strong opening sentence.

There are many ways to do this, but in my opinion the best way to begin is this:

We make the first, or “opening” sentence of your essay, a question . This is an abstract, or “rhetorical” question. In other words, you don’t ask to get an answer. You ask to make the reader think and reflect.

Let’s look at some examples

If we have a writing prompt like this:

“People listen to music for different reasons and at different times. Why is music important to many people? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.”

An opening sentence, or “question” can look like this:

“Have you ever listened to a song that you hadn’t heard in a long time, and suddenly you are transported back to a memory, or a time in the past when you first heard that song?”

“Is there a song that, when you hear it, you always feel happy and full of energy?”

If we look at these “questions”, we notice a couple of things.

First of all, they don’t actually need a response, they are simply a creative and different way to begin the essay. The people who grade the essays spend hours reading essay after essay. If you begin your TOEFL independent essay in a different and creative way the reader will be much more interested in reading your essay, and will be much more likely to give you a higher score.

Secondly, when you ask someone a question, even if they don’t need to answer it, the brain immediately thinks of possible answers. We can’t help but start to answer the question, even if it’s just in our head. Because of this, beginning your essay with a question activates and engages the reader’s brain, and makes them think actively about your topic.

All of this means one thing: The reader likes your essay and will give it a higher score.

Below are a list of some Independent writing essay prompts for you to practice your “opening sentence question”.

If you’re looking for a complete strategy for the TOEFL independent essay, as well as all four sections of the TOEFL, be sure to check out our full TOEFL study program for our powerful course and full practice tests.

TOEFL Independent Essay Topics

“What discovery in the last 100 years has been most beneficial for people in your country? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.”

“The 21st century has begun. What changes do you think this new century will bring? Use examples and details in your answer.”

“What change would make your hometown more appealing to people your age? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.”

“If you could study a subject that you have never had the opportunity to study, what would you choose? Explain your choice, using specific reasons and details.”

“If you could invent something new, what product would you develop? Use specific details to explain why this invention is needed.”

Good luck, and keep it simple!

About the Author

Adam is the founder and lead instructor for the English Simple TOEFL program. He's taught English and TOEFL for over ten years, and developed curriculum all over the world. TOEFL is his business, but helping people is his passion. His "office" is always open, so feel free to drop him an email with any questions, complaints, compliments, or funny jokes. He speaks French, Spanish, Japanese, and Russian. But you gotta write him in English - you're prepping for the TOEFL!

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Toefl writing section: an overview, toefl writing tasks, toefl writing task 1 - integrated, toefl writing task 2 - independent, toefl writing topics 2024, toefl essay samples for integrated writing, toefl essay samples for independent writing, toefl writing tips and preparation, what is toefl writing, can you get 30 in writing in toefl, is 23 in toefl writing good, is toefl writing on a computer or paper.

TOEFL is a standard assessment conducted by the Educational Testing Services (ETS) to determine the level of English proficiency in international students. The TOEFL exam assesses the candidate’s fluency in the English language through four sections: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Over 11,500 educational institutions in 160 countries accept the TOEFL exam as proof of English proficiency. Here we cover everything you need to learn about the writing section with TOEFL writing samples.

Data updated as of July 2023

TOEFL writing: Key highlights

• The TOEFL writing test evaluates your ability to convey ideas and opinions through writing.
• The TOEFL exam pattern has two writing tasks, and the section lasts 50 minutes. The maximum score you can obtain in the TOEFL writing section is 30.
• This section primarily determines your writing skills, as well as your reading and listening skills.

Also read : 10 tips to help prepare for the TOEFL exam

TOEFL writing pattern and syllabus

• The TOEFL writing section has two types of tasks: Independent and Integrated.
• The writing tasks have a score range of 0 to 5. The marks from two tasks are added and converted out of 30 to obtain your final score.
• The Integrated task includes a passage and an audio lecture on an academic topic. You have three minutes to read the passage and two minutes to listen to the lecture for this TOEFL writing task.
• This task requires you to obtain the key points and write an essay according to the question. The TOEFL essay topics are primarily from subjects including science, social science, and psychology.
• The independent task consists of a question on a personal topic, where you should share your opinion or provide your personal experience on the matter. You must provide valid details and examples to support your answer.
• You can expect questions like agree or disagree, explain both sides and pick from the opinions. The word limit for your answer is a minimum of 300-400 words.
• The TOEFL essay topics for the independent task comprise real-life issues like work-life balance, family, finances, travel, and life decisions.

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Here are some common TOEFL writing topics for integrated and independent tasks.

Also read: TOEFL sample essays: Tips and techniques for a high score

TOEFL essay sample 1 Question: Summarise the main necessity of the Atkins diet and explain how the speaker and the reading passage described their opinion on its benefits and rising popularity. Note: The candidate will have three minutes to read the passage and two minutes to listen to the exam during the exam.

TOEFL essay sample 2 Question: The lecturer and reading material have expressed their opinion about the American Civil War. Explain the thoughts and the reasons they have put forth in the lecture. Note: The candidate will have three minutes to read the passage and two minutes to listen to the exam during the exam.

TOEFL essay sample 3 Question: Summarise the main points of the lecture and reading passage, and explain how the sources justify their idea of humans coexisting with bears. Note: The candidate will have three minutes to read the passage and two minutes to listen to the exam during the exam.

TOEFL essay sample 1 Question: Do you agree or disagree with the below statement? A mother plays a vital role in taking care of the child compared to the father. Use examples to support your opinion.

TOEFL essay sample 2 Question: Some people choose to travel in groups, while others like to explore alone. Which one do you prefer? Use examples to support your choice.

TOEFL essay sample 3 Question: When you face an issue in life, what do you think is the best decision: ask an experienced person for advice, find possible solutions from the internet, or take time to think about the issue?

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• Understand the different question types and formats in the TOEFL writing section. Learn about the structure and other requirements for integrated and independent essays. 
• Review sample questions and get familiar with the question’s specific requirements and structure.
• Set a timer and practice the TOEFL essay topics within the designated time limits. This will help you manage your time effectively.
• Improve your vocabulary and learn to use new words in your writing. This will allow you to express your ideas and opinions more effectively. Review grammar rules and practice applying them when you practice.
• Before you start writing, spend a few minutes organising your ideas. Create an outline that includes the introduction, body paragraphs with supporting details, and conclusion.

Also read: TOEFL vocabulary list: Essential words for success

Frequently asked questions

The TOEFL writing test evaluates the candidate’s ability to express their ideas and opinions through writing. The section has two writing tasks, integrated and independent, lasting 50 minutes. The maximum score for the TOEFL writing section is 30.

You can achieve a perfect score of 30 in the TOEFL writing section. You should practice and improve your writing abilities. This includes writing well-organised essays with clear introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions. You should also be able to express ideas and arguments effectively. Ensure you improve your vocabulary, grammar usage, and sentence structures.

The maximum score a candidate can obtain in the TOEFL writing test is 30. So a score of 23 in the section is considered good by several educational institutions abroad.

The candidates can only attend the TOEFL writing test on a computer. ETS discontinued the TOEFL paper-based test (PBT) in 2021, so you can take the assessment on a computer in the designated test centre or at home.

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Related exams, resources related to ielts.

TOEFL Writing Task 2: Model Prewriting and a Model Answer

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What is prewriting.

Prewriting is organizing the ideas in your essay before you actually create the essay itself. Prewriting is a two-step process. First you  brainstorm — you write down your ideas in no particular order, using simple words and phrases. Then you  outline . Outlining involves putting the ideas in a logical order, the order they’ll have in the essay itself.

Brainstroming in TOEFL prewriting

In TOEFL Idependent Writing, brainstorming should be a very quick response. Look at the question, think of the first ideas you can, and write them down. So, here’s the question:

• Some people prefer to leave their house and see movies in the theater. Others would rather stay at home and watch movies on their TV screen or on a computer. Which one do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

As you brainstorm for this question, you want to express your ideas in simple phrases. For the question above, here are the words and phrases I thought of (these would be my brainstorming notes ):

• watch at home
• theater = too expensive
• more choices @ home
• home = easier w/small children
• theater = stress
• theater = sometimes good — popular movie releases

So those are my basic ideas. Once you’ve written down a list of ideas for your essay, you should double-check your brainstorming notes and see if there are any ideas you should get rid of. In my case, I’ll get rid of the idea that it can be good to go to the theater to see a popular movie that’s just been released.

“Theater = sometimes good — popular movie releases” is a counter-argument to my main claim that watching movies at home is better. It’s a somewhat complicated counter-argument. How is “popular movie” defined? Why is seeing a popular movie “sometimes” a better experience in the theaters? I’m not sure I’d have time to fully develop this counter-argument. And besides, as I’ve mentioned before, counter-arguments aren’t actually necessary in TOEFL Writing Task 2 .

So with one item crossed out, these are my brainstorming ideas:

• home = easier w/ small children

Once you’ve chosen your best “brainstormed” ideas, you’re ready to put those ideas into a logical order in an outline. The outline will be more complex than your brainstorming notes, but it will still be simpler than your essay. For your outline, you’ll want to continue using words and phrases. You shouldn’t write in complete sentences until you’re actually writing your essay; including complete sentences in your prewriting takes up too much time.

In the section below, we’ll take the brainstorm notes I made and turn them into an essay outline.

Turning Your Brainstorming into a TOEFL Writing Task 2 Essay Outline

As I’ve mentioned above, prewriting a TOEFL Independent Writing essay involves two steps: brainstorming and outlining. Brainstorming involves writing down your ideas for the essay, in the form of words and short phrases. From there, you choose which ideas you’ll actually use in your outline and essay. As you saw above, in this tutorial, we have been using this TOEFL Independent Writing question:

And I came up with this as my list of brainstorm ideas for making my outline and essay:

watch at home theater = too expensive more choices @ home home = easier w/small children theater = stress

From here, we’ll build on these brainstorm notes to make an outline for the essay.

Making a TOEFL Independent Writing outline

Now to turn these simple brainstorming notes into an outline. For the outline, I will create a brief description of the essay’s introduction, body, and conclusion. Here is my outline:

Paragraph 1: Introduction, prefer watch movies @ home P2: more choices at home — all available movies, recent and past (theater — only newest ones) P3: home watching = best if you have kids — hard to get kids into car, to movies, kids more comfortable @ home P4: home movies = cheaper, theater many expenses (gas, snacks, movie tickets) P5: conclusion: choices, family friendliness, budget >> home watching = best Now obviously this outline doesn’t have anywhere  near all of the things I’ll write in the essay. But that’s the idea; the outline should be a short list of the main ideas that you’ll write. Think of the outline as a “recipe” for your essay. Each idea is one of the ingredients for the essay. And the order of the ingredients, with paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, are the instructions on how to put the ingredients into the essay, so that the final product is good.

But we’re not done with this “recipe” yet! Notice that the outline provides for five paragraphs of writing, the kind you’d see in a five paragraph essay. But as Kate has mentioned before , your TOEFL essay should be a simpler version of a five paragraph essay. You won’t have time to write a full five paragraphs. So you’ll want to put your introduction, body, and conclusion into just three paragraphs.

So we’ll revise out outline slightly, just as we made small changes to our brainstorming notes before we moved on to the outline itself.

Here is the changed outline, now designed for a four-paragraph TOEFL Writing response:

Paragraph 1:  Introduction, prefer watch movies @ home, for choices, convenience, save money P2: more choices @ home, home = more kid friendly environment, save money @ home P3: Movie: inconveniences (smaller selection, kids not comfortable) expenses (gas, snacks, movie tickets), P4: Conclusion: choices, family-friendly, save $ >>> home watching = best

As you can see, I’ve now rearranged the outline so that all the benefits of watching movies at home are in one paragraph. Then, all the disadvantages of watching movies in the theater are mentioned in the second part of essay body.

And now we have an outline that’s perfect. It’s simple, well-constructed, and ready to be expanded into a full essay. Finally, we’re ready to look at the next step after prewriting: changing your TOEFL Independent Writing outline into a full essay.

Final Step: Review Your Prewriting, and Turn it Into a TOEFL Integrated Writing Essay

So far, we’ve looked at the two steps for  prewriting a TOEFL Independent Writing essay: brainstorming your ideas, and putting them into an outline. In this post, we’ll take the outline that I made and turn it into a full essay.

But before we do that, let’s review the prewriting that I’ve done so far. First, I took this TOEFL Independent Writing question:

Then I  brainstormed . Which is to say, I quickly thought of some ideas for my answer and wrote those ideas down, making this list:

watch at home theater = too expensive more choices @ home home = easier w/small children theater = stress theater = sometimes good — popular movie releases

After that, I got rid of one of the brainstorm ideas that didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of my notes. My new brainstorm notes looked like this:

And from there, I created an outline — a list of my main ideas and my supporting details, in the same order they’ll appear in when I write the essay:

Paragraph 1: Introduction, prefer watch movies @ home P2: more choices at home — all available movies, recent and past (theater — only newest ones) P3: home watching = best if you have kids — hard to get kids into car, to movies, kids more comfortable @ home P4: home movies = cheaper, theater many expenses (gas, snacks, movie tickets) P5: conclusion: choices, family friendliness, budget >> home watching = best

Next, I simplified my outline into a plan for four paragraphs rather than five. (Four paragraphs is a more appropriate length for a TOEFL Integrated Writing response.) Here is the revised outline:

Paragraph 1:  Introduction, prefer watch movies @ home, for choices, convenience, save money P2: more choices @ home, home = more kid friendly environment, save money @ home P3: Movie: inconveniences (smaller selection, kids not comfortable), expenses (gas, snacks, movie tickets), P4: Conclusion: choices, family-friendly, save $ >>> home watching = best

Finally, we can turn the outline into a model response.

TOEFL Independent Writing: model answer (written from an outline)

In my opinion, it is better to watch movies at home, compared to watching them in the theater. I feel this way because watching movies at home gives you more viewing choices. In addition, staying home to watch movies is easier if you have children, and costs less money.

You have more choices of what to watch at home because you can watch movies that are on TV or the Internet. This means you can watch thousands of different films, both old releases and new. It’s also a lot easier to get the kids together for a home movie because they don’t have to leave the house to watch the movie with you. Not only that, but watching movies is simply cheaper. Tons of movies are available for free on the web and on broadcast TV, and you can eat and drink affordable refreshments from your own kitchen while you watch. All of this makes watching movies at home a great choice.

In contrast, if you go to the movies, you face a lot of inconveniences. The selection of movies is tiny. On any given day, your local theater might be showing only 10 different movies, or fewer. In addition, you need to get your kids dressed, get them into the car, drive them to the theater, sit them down, buy them snacks, and so on. Speaking of snacks, going to the theater has many financial costs. Cinema snacks are expensive, and you also need to pay for gas to drive to the theater, and buy tickets for the movie.

Compared to watching movies in the theater, watching movies at home is so much more enjoyable. You get to choose almost any movie you want and enjoy a relaxing time at home with your family, and you save money too. So for me, I prefer watching a movie at home over a trip to the cinema.

Where to Find More Sample TOEFL Essays

I hope this sample essay has helped, and I definitely recommend looking at additional model TOEFL Writing responses. They’re a great study aid. Where can you find more? Glad you asked. Check out the model essays and links in Magoosh’s complete guide to TOEFL sample essays . And be sure to also check out Magoosh’s roundup of free TOEFL Writing topics .

David is a Test Prep Expert for Magoosh TOEFL and IELTS. Additionally, he’s helped students with TOEIC, PET, FCE, BULATS, Eiken, SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT. David has a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MA from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. His work at Magoosh has been cited in many scholarly articles , his Master’s Thesis is featured on the Reading with Pictures website, and he’s presented at the WITESOL (link to PDF) and NAFSA conferences. David has taught K-12 ESL in South Korea as well as undergraduate English and MBA-level business English at American universities. He has also trained English teachers in America, Italy, and Peru. Come join David and the Magoosh team on Youtube , Facebook , and Instagram , or connect with him via LinkedIn !

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2 responses to “TOEFL Writing Task 2: Model Prewriting and a Model Answer”

For the last paragraph, i restate my side. Then, i wrote ” This is because (rephrasing the first reason), and because……” I could not finist that last sentence. In your opinion, how much will it lower my grade out of 30, or maybe will it lower

Hi there, it’s hard to say how much (if at all) this will affect your score. If you wrote a strong and clear essay and made good points, it may not affect your score much at all. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say with so little information.

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Test Resources

TOEFL® Resources by Michael Goodine

Master the new toefl writing section in 2024.

The writing section is the final part of the TOEFL ® test.  You’ll have about 30 minutes to answer two writing questions. They are known as the TOEFL Integrated essay , and the TOEFL Writing for an Academic Discussion Task.   You’ll be graded based on your content, organization, grammar and language use. Below are links to my best stuff, or read on for descriptions of each task.

• Complete TOEFL Essay Templates
• A Guide to the Integrated Essay
• A Guide to the Writing for an Academic Discussion Task
• A Complete Practice Test (Video)
• The Most Common Grammar Mistakes in TOEFL Essays
• Many Sample TOEFL essays
• Blog: How Long Should a TOEFL Essay Be?
• Video Lesson: The new TOEFL Writing Question (Writing for an Academic Discussion)
• Video Lesson: The TOEFL Integrated Essay
• Service: TOEFL Essay Evaluation

The TOEFL ® Integrated Essay

The first writing question is the Integrated Essay Task.  For this task, you’ll first read a short article on an academic topic.  Next, you will listen to a short lecture on the same topic. Finally, you’ll have 20 minutes to write an essay that includes details from both sources.  You should write about 280 to 300 words in total.

The Reading

The article will be about 300 words long. It can be about any academic topic that might appear in a first-year university course, but topics related to history and zoology seem to be most common. You’ll be given three minutes to read it and then it will disappear (don’t worry, you’ll be able to see it again when you write the essay). Remember that the article will always have a main argument and three supporting points.  This is almost a guarantee, as the TOEFL rarely changes.

The Listening

Next, you will listen to a lecture on the same topic.  It will be about two or three minutes long.  You can only listen once, so try to take detailed notes.  Remember that the lecture will always challenge the article.  This means, for instance, that if the article claims that the pyramids were built in Egypt to store grain, the lecture will explain that they were not built to store grain.  If the article mentions three problems with using bacteria to clean up oil spills, the lecturer will mention three solutions to these problems. This adversarial relationship is another guarantee!

Writing Your Essay

Finally, you will be given twenty minutes to write an essay that compares the reading and the lecture.  The question will look something like this: 

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

You can see the article as you write, but you cannot hear the lecture again (or look at a transcript). I recommend that you write between 280 and 300 words in total.  Ignore the “suggested length” mentioned in the instructions for this section.

Master Guide

For more help with this task, check out my master guide to the integrated writing task .  It’s got a complete sample question, a sample essay, and a template you can use.

The TOEFL ® Writing for an Academic Discussion Task

The second writing question is the Writing for an Academic Discussion Task.

Right away, you’ll see four things on your test screen – instructions for the task, a question written by a university professor about a specific subject, and two student responses to the question.  

The question could be about any subject a student might study at university (sociology, business, political science, education) but subjects in the liberal arts seem most common.  The questions don’t require any background knowledge, however, and can be answered by any test-taker.

You will have ten minutes to read the instructions, read the question, read the responses and write your own response to the question.  There is just one clock for all of this!

A word counter will be displayed as you write. You should write at least 100 words.  I recommend writing a bit more than that. 

For more help with this task, check out my master guide .  It contains sample questions, sample responses and a detailed essay template.

How are you Graded?

Your grades come from two separate systems: 

• First, a human grader checks your essays based on the official ETS rubrics .  They give you a holistic score from 0 to 5.  “Holistic” means that they consider the essay as a whole rather than looking at specific parts.  The human score is based on your content, organization and language use .  ETS is secretive, but research indicates that the human rater contributes 50% of the score in the independent task, and 66% of the score in the integrated task.
• Next, the ETS “e-rater” software checks your essays.  It mostly focuses on structure, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary .  Again, ETS is secretive, but research indicates that it contributes 50% of your score in the independent task, and 33% of your score in the integrated task.

In the end, you will have two human scores (one for each essay) and two e-rater scores (one for each essay).  These will be combined and converted into a whole number from 0 to 30, which will be included on your score report.  Each essay has equal weight.

Get Help – TOEFL Essay Evaluation

• Sign up today to have your practice essays evaluated by a TOEFL writing expert (that’s me).  I’ll check your essays line by line and comment on your grammar, development, argument and vocabulary. I’ll even give them a score.  More importantly, I’ll tell you what you need to do better next time.  Check it out .

Sign Up for an Essay Evaluation Today!

To learn how to beat the toefl, sign up for our essay evaluation service.  in 48 hours, a toefl expert will check your essays line-by-line and tell you how you can do better next time..

Sign up now!

TOEFL iBT ®  Test

The premier test of academic English communication

Select any step to learn more about using TOEFL iBT ®  scores.

Interpreting TOEFL iBT Scores

The score range is 0–30 for each section of the TOEFL iBT test. Each score range is divided into four or five proficiency levels to help you more accurately assess a test taker's skill.

Scoring Resources

• Performance Descriptors for the TOEFL iBT ®  Test (PDF)
• Scoring Guides (Rubrics) for TOEFL iBT Speaking Responses (PDF)
• Scoring Guides (Rubrics) for TOEFL iBT Writing Responses (PDF)

For related research, see Score Use Research .

Test forms with omitted sections

ETS administers some TOEFL iBT test forms with one or more sections omitted. When one of these forms is administered, scores are given only for the sections that were taken, and no total test score appears on the score report. If you receive this type of report and would like more information about why it was administered this way, please contact the test taker.

Test-taker score concerns

If you have a concern about a test taker's TOEFL scores, please fill out the TOEFL iBT ®  Score Inquiry Form (PDF) and send it to [email protected] .

TOEFL Prep Online Guides and Tips

Ultimate guide to toefl integrated writing: tips and practice.

Writing English essays can be difficult for non-native speakers—especially on TOEFL Integrated Writing. For this task, you must compose a short essay comparing a lecture with a reading passage. And to get a high Integrated Writing score, you’ll need to know which resources to use as well as how to prepare effectively for the task.

In this guide, we’ll explain what TOEFL Integrated Writing entails and go over the best resources you can use for quality TOEFL Integrated Writing topics and practice. In addition, we give you six key tips to help you get the Integrated Writing score you deserve.

What Is TOEFL Integrated Writing?

There are two Writing tasks on the TOEFL: an Integrated Writing task and an Independent Writing task. The Integrated Writing task, which comes first, requires you to combine multiple skills. You must not only be able to write in English but also be able to read and listen to it. By contrast, the Independent Writing task only requires you to read a brief prompt and then write an essay explaining your opinion on the topic.

So what exactly does the Integrated Writing task entail? You’ll start by reading an academic passage. This passage is about 300 words long, and you’ll have  three minutes to read it.

Next, you’ll listen to an audio clip of a professor giving a lecture on the same topic as that of the passage. This lecture will usually be about two minutes long and will either agree or disagree with points made in the passage.

Finally, you’ll have 20 minutes to plan and compose a short essay of about 150-225 words. This essay must summarize the points made in the lecture and explain how they support or challenge what’s written in the passage. You will not write about your own opinion for this task (though you will for the Independent Writing task).

As you write, you’ll be able to look at the reading passage again if you need to. (You can also finish reading it during this time if you didn’t get to do so before.) However, you may not listen to the audio clip again. This is why it’s best to take notes while you listen to the audio clip (we’ll talk more about how to do this later).

By the way: we have built the world's best online TOEFL course . Get online practice (TPO-sytle!) and individual grading and feedback on Speaking and Writing.

Learn how you can improve your TOEFL score by 15 points today .

Now, let’s turn our attention to scoring. The Integrated Writing task—like the Independent Writing task—is scored on a scale of 0-5. According to the official rubric , a 5 response “successfully selects the important information from the lecture and coherently and accurately presents this information in relation to the relevant information presented in the reading.”

On the other hand, a 1 response “provides little or no meaningful or relevant coherent content from the lecture.” (Note that a score of 0 means you did not fulfill the prompt correctly—for example, you copied sentences from the passage, wrote in a foreign language, or didn’t write anything at all.)

After, your Integrated and Independent scores are combined and converted to a scaled Writing score on a scale of 0-30 (i.e., the same scale used for all sections of the TOEFL).

Here is an example of a complete TOEFL Integrated Writing task :

Read the following passage and the lecture which follows. In an actual test, you would have 3 minutes to read the passage. Then, answer the question. In the test, you would have 20 minutes to plan and write your response. Typically, an effective response will be 150 to 225 words. Test takers with disabilities may request additional time to read the passage and write the response.

READING PASSAGE

LECTURE TRANSCRIPT

(Narrator) Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.

(Female professor) While traditional voting systems have some problems, it’s doubtful that computerized voting will make the situation any better. Computerized voting may seem easy for people who are used to computers. But what about people who aren’t? People who can’t afford computers, people who don’t use them on a regular basis—these people will have trouble using computerized voting machines. These voters can easily cast the wrong vote or be discouraged from voting altogether because of fear of technology. Furthermore, it’s true that humans make mistakes when they count up ballots by hand. But are we sure that computers will do a better job? After all, computers are programmed by humans, so “human error” can show up in mistakes in their programs. And the errors caused by these defective programs may be far more serious. The worst a human official can do is miss a few ballots. But an error in a computer program can result in thousands of votes being miscounted or even permanently removed from the record. And in many voting systems, there is no physical record of the votes, so a computer recount in the case of a suspected error is impossible! As for our trust of computer technology for banking and communications, remember one thing: these systems are used daily and they are used heavily. They didn’t work flawlessly when they were first introduced. They had to be improved on and improved on until they got as reliable as they are today. But voting happens only once every two years nationally in the United States and not much more than twice a year in many local areas. This is hardly sufficient for us to develop confidence that computerized voting can be fully trusted.

Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage.

14 Resources for TOEFL Integrated Writing Practice

Now that you understand what a TOEFL Integrated essay entails, let’s take a look at some of the best resources you can use for TOEFL Integrated Writing topics and practice.

Note that most of these resources are geared toward the entire TOEFL test and therefore will contain practice questions and tips for other TOEFL sections as well.

Official Prep Materials

Official resources (i.e., those created by ETS) are far and away the best resources to start with when you want to find quality TOEFL Integrated Writing practice questions. All official TOEFL resources offer authentic test questions and prompts similar to those you’ll see on test day. And the best part is that many of these resources are entirely free!

TOEFL Online Practice (TPO) Tests

By far the most authentic TOEFL Integrated Writing practice you can get is through official TPO tests. These full-length TOEFL practice tests are real, retired exams and thus offer a highly realistic TOEFL Integrated Writing test-taking experience.

Once you finish a test, your Integrated essay is immediately graded by a computer. However, I’m not a huge fan of this scoring system since it isn’t clear why the computer grader assigns certain scores.  By contrast, on the actual TOEFL, your Integrated Writing task will be graded by a combination of human raters and a computer .

Unfortunately, each TPO test is quite costly:  45.95 USD.  So don’t buy one of these tests unless you’re 100 percent sure it’ll help you on the Integrated Writing task and other sections of the exam as well.

TOEFL iBT Interactive Sampler

One of the best TOEFL practice resources you can use is the TOEFL Interactive Sampler. This free, downloadable software contains an abbreviated TOEFL test, complete with a full Writing section.

What’s especially great is that the Integrated Task comes with  three sample responses: a high-level response, a mid-level response, and a low-level response. These are helpful in that they show you what kinds of details, structures, grammar, and vocabulary you’ll be expected to use in your own essay.

There are a couple of downsides to this resource, though. For one, the sampler doesn’t work with Macs. Another issue is that you can’t write your essay directly in the program. Rather, once the prompt is shown, all you’re given are the three sample responses. But you can still complete the task by opening Microsoft Word or another writing program and typing your essay there.

Once you’ve finished writing your essay, I suggest either using the TOEFL Integrated Writing rubric to score your response or asking a native English speaker to grade your essay for you.

TOEFL iBT Quick Prep

This free set of four PDFs offers a ton of high-quality sample TOEFL questions, including two Integrated Writing tasks (in Volume 1 and Volume 3 ).

Volume 1 provides you with a transcript of the lecture instead of an audio clip, so it’s not the most realistic test-taking experience you can get. But Volume 3’s TOEFL Integrated Writing task uses an MP3 for the lecture, making it far more similar to what you’ll get on the actual test.

Since these volumes are both PDFs and not software programs, you’ll once again need to use a separate computer program to type out your responses.

TOEFL iBT Writing Sample Responses

Another free resource by ETS, this PDF presents  a number of TOEFL Integrated Writing sample responses, from low- to high-scoring ones.

With this resource, you’ll get one TOEFL Integrated Writing task  with a passage and lecture transcript. And as for sample essays, you’ll get:

• Two level-5 essays
• Three level-4 essays
• Three level-3 essays
• Three level-2 essays
• Two level-1 essays

What I particularly love about this PDF is that it includes  detailed feedback on why certain essays received the scores they got.  Therefore, I strongly suggest reading these explanations to learn more about how ETS expects you to write and organize your Integrated essay on test day.

Official TOEFL Prep Books

Another solid option is to buy an official TOEFL prep book. Official books are excellent, comprehensive resources for TOEFL Integrated Writing practice, as well as Reading, Listening, and Speaking practice.

The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test  is perhaps your best bet. This resource offers a CD-ROM with three full-length practice tests in addition to 600 practice questions.

However, its Integrated Writing information isn’t all new. For example, many of its sample scored responses are the same as those in the TOEFL iBT Writing Sample Responses PDF above. Moreover, its first practice test uses the same Integrated Writing prompt contained in the free TOEFL Interactive Sampler.

Other official prep books include Official TOEFL iBT Tests Volumes 1 and 2 . Each volume contains five unique full-length practice tests, giving you a grand total of 10 Integrated Writing tasks  to practice with. Unlike The Official Guide, though,   which offers several sample responses for each scoring level,   each Writing task here comes with just one high-scoring sample response.

Official TOEFL prep books are usually reasonably priced at around 25 USD a piece.

TOEFL iBT Sample Questions

This free, handy PDF is similar to Quick Prep but contains far fewer practice questions. With this resource, you get one Integrated Writing task  (which we used above as an example).

Unfortunately, this PDF doesn’t contain any audio files, so you’ll need to read a transcript for the lecture. This, along with the lack of additional TOEFL Integrated Writing practice questions, ultimately makes this resource less realistic and less useful than some of the other ones on this list.

Unofficial Prep Materials

While official materials are hands down your best bet for quality TOEFL Integrated Writing practice, some unofficial resources offer a solid array of TOEFL Integrated Writing practice questions as well.

The problem, however, is that most unofficial TOEFL resources are low quality, so you’ll need to learn how to distinguish the ones that are worth using from the ones that aren’t. Generally speaking, a solid TOEFL resource is one that offers realistic practice questions, comprehensive answer explanations, and useful test-taking strategies.

Below are our top picks for the best unofficial resources for TOEFL Integrated Writing topics. Like our list above, the majority of resources here are completely free to use!

Unofficial TOEFL Prep Books

There are many high-quality unofficial TOEFL prep books available on the market. The key is to know which ones are worth buying—that is, which ones will offer you the most authentic TOEFL Integrated Writing tasks you can practice with. Our guide to the best TOEFL prep books  includes three unofficial TOEFL prep books to consider incorporating into your prep.

As with any dense resource, unofficial TOEFL prep books come at a price. However, they’re not normally that expensive, with prices typically hovering around  10-30 USD.  (That’s cheaper than one TPO test!)

Strictly English

This website offers one free Integrated Writing task as well as several additional tasks you can only access if you are a paid member. Both the passage and audio clip for the free task are extremely high quality, making it an ideal resource to include in your prep.

Strangely,  the free Integrated task doesn’t include a prompt.  That said, you don’t actually need a prompt to write an Integrated essay anyway, as the prompt is always the same: compare a lecture with a passage.

Another convenient feature of this website is a box that you can type your essay in. Once you finish typing, though, ignore the “Submit My Essay” button below. This feature only works for paid members, so nothing will happen if you click it.

Like Strictly English, BestMyTest offers one free Integrated Writing task, though you can access many more Integrated Writing tasks with paid membership. The free task is high quality and consists of a decent reading passage and a clear, easy-to-follow audio clip.

One especially helpful feature is the timer,  which makes it easier to keep track of how much time you have left for each part of the task.

A solid choice, Magoosh offers one TOEFL Integrated Writing task that’s fairly high quality. The reading passage is very similar to those on the TOEFL, especially in length, and the audio clip is crisp and easy to understand.

While you won’t get a lecture transcript, you will get  a sample level-5 essay  with an in-depth analysis of what makes this essay strong.

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English Club

This free website offers one TOEFL Integrated Writing task with a passage, audio clip, and sample response. You’ll also get a transcript of the lecture, which is helpful if you’re struggling to understand any parts of it (though you won’t get a transcript on test day).

There are two drawbacks to this website, however. First, the reading passage, though good quality, is quite short.  Integrated Writing passages are generally around 300 words, but the passage here is only about half that length, making it not as realistic as it could be.

In addition, the audio clip quality isn’t particularly good. The voice often sounds muffled, making it difficult to understand at times.

PrepScholar

At PrepScholar, we offer   an original TOEFL Integrated Writing task,  complete with a reading passage, lecture transcript, and prompt similar to what you’ll get on test day.

As with any TOEFL task, make sure to abide by the official time limits so that you’re getting as realistic practice as possible. For Integrated Writing, this means you’ll have:

• Three minutes to read the passage
• About two minutes to read the lecture transcript
• 20 minutes to plan and write a response

After you finish typing your essay on a computer, use our analysis of two high-scoring essays to grade your response and give yourself a rough idea as to how you can improve your spelling, grammar, organization, time management, and overall writing skills for the test.

Study.com offers one TOEFL Integrated Writing task, which you can access (mostly) via a free lesson preview. Included is an entire reading passage and lecture transcript—but no prompt, as that’s where the preview gets cut off.

In reality, though,  you don’t actually need a prompt  since all Integrated tasks require you to do the same thing: compare a lecture with a passage. Nonetheless, if you’d like to see the full TOEFL Integrated Writing lesson, you can make an account by signing up for a free five-day trial.

TOEFL Resources

Though TOEFL Resources doesn’t offer any original Integrated Writing tasks for you to practice with, it does contain a large assortment of sample Integrated Writing essays,  which you can compare with your own responses to get a better understanding of what a high-scoring TOEFL essay looks like.

Many of this website’s sample essays are based on Integrated tasks from popular TOEFL prep books, including The Official Guide and Official TOEFL iBT Tests, so if you’ve got any of these and want to see more high-scoring sample responses, this resource is definitely helpful!

What’s more, all sample essays were written by native English speakers, so you can be sure they’re grammatical and structurally solid.

How to Prepare for TOEFL Integrated Writing: 6 Tips

So far, we’ve gone over all of the major resources you can use to strengthen your TOEFL Integrated Writing practice. Now, let’s take a look at our top six tips to help you get the Integrated Writing score you want.

#1: Strengthen Your Reading & Listening Skills

Since you must read a passage and listen to an audio clip for the TOEFL Integrated Writing task, it’s important to hone your reading and listening skills in addition to your writing skills.

To get better at reading, make sure you have a broad knowledge of  English vocabulary , particularly academic vocabulary.  I recommend reading real-life newspapers and magazines, such as The New York Times  and  The Atlantic .  Additionally, try reading introductory notes and paragraphs in university-level textbooks. For more tips on what to read, take a look at  our guide to TOEFL Reading resources .

As for listening practice , take time to listen to spoken English by watching  YouTube videos and English news channels or listening to English podcasts. Some free, helpful resources for English-listening practice include VOA Learning English and EnglishClass101 .

#2: Keep a Journal

To do well on TOEFL Integrated Writing, you need to be a good writer. And to be a good writer, you need to write!

One great way to practice writing in English is to write in a journal (almost) every day. This allows you to consistently practice your writing skills and learn how to write more quickly and with better grammar.

Because you’ll be typing your Integrated essay on a computer, I recommend keeping a digital journal. You can do this online through a free website called Lang-8 . On this website, users write diary entries and other notes in their target languages. These entries are then posted and corrected by native speakers of the target language.

I myself have used Lang-8 many times while studying Japanese. All in all, it’s an incredibly fun and supportive resource that also offers a convenient way to connect with others studying English like you.

#3: Memorize Useful Transitions

The best writers are those who can effectively connect their thoughts to make their writing compelling. And one of the easiest ways to do this is to use transitions.

Transitions are words and short phrases that connect ideas in writing (as well as in speech). They often come at the beginning of paragraphs and sentences and can be used to:

• Link similar ideas
• Contrast different ideas
• Emphasize ideas

We’ve compiled an extensive list of 54 transitions  to use in your Integrated and Independent Writing essays. Briefly, though, here are some of the most common transitions you should know:

• In addition
• Additionally
• For example
• For instance
• In conclusion

#4: Do Timed Writing Exercises

You can’t expect to do well on TOEFL Integrated Writing unless you actually sit down and practice. This is why you should use the resources above (particularly the official ones) to  carve out time to practice answering TOEFL Integrated Writing questions.

Each time you practice,  time yourself using the official time limits for Integrated Writing. In other words, give yourself:

• About two minutes to read the lecture transcript (if not available as an audio clip)
• 20 minutes to plan and type your response

Once you’ve finished reading the passage and listening to the audio clip, begin to type your response on a computer. Although you may write out your response on paper, a computer is preferable, as it more accurately recreates the TOEFL test-taking experience. After you’ve completed a task, use the official Integrated Writing rubric to score yourself and determine what you did well—and what you could improve.

If your Integrated task comes with any sample essays, use these to help score your response. High-scoring essays can help you understand what specific details to include in your essay and what stylistic or structural features ultimately make an essay more compelling.

If possible, ask a native English speaker to offer feedback on your practice essays as well. This will give you a more objective view of the overall strength and quality of your writing.

#5: Use Scratch Paper Wisely

You’ll have scratch paper to use throughout the exam, so make sure to use it wisely on the Integrated Writing task, too.

Since you’ll only get to hear the audio clip once, use your scratch paper to  take notes as you listen. (You can reread the passage, so you don’t need to take notes on it.)   As you listen,   write down the main point of the lecture and any important terms, concepts, steps, or examples the professor mentions.

Then, once your writing time begins,  spend the first three minutes or so outlining your essay on your scratch paper. Try to jot down the three main points you want to discuss as well as any key details or examples you can use to illustrate them. Don’t get too elaborate with your outline—just get the main points down and let the rest of the details come naturally as you write.

We cover more TOEFL note-taking tips in our in-depth guide (coming soon).

#6: Follow a TOEFL Writing Template

Finally, if you’re worried about your ability to coherently structure an essay, consider practicing with a TOEFL Writing template . A template offers you a basic framework to start with, which you can then modify to suit any Integrated Writing prompt.

The benefits of a template are numerous. For one, you’ll always have a sentence opener or transition to fall back on in case you’re unsure what to write next, giving you more confidence on test day. You’ll also have a clearer idea as to how to structure your thoughts and will therefore spend less time worrying about your essay’s organization and flow.

Recap: What Is TOEFL Integrated Writing?

The TOEFL Integrated Writing task is the first of two Writing tasks. For this task, you must combine your reading, listening, and writing skills to produce a compelling essay that compares a passage with a lecture on the same topic.

In order to get a high score on TOEFL Integrated Writing, try to practice with high-quality resources. Several official resources are free and offer a broad assortment of Integrated Writing prompts. Unofficial TOEFL resources, too, can be helpful, though you’ll need to be careful with what you choose since most unofficial materials are not as reliable as official ones.

As you prepare for TOEFL Integrated Writing, be sure to do many timed writing exercises and  get feedback on your practice essays. You should also:

• Strengthen your reading and listening skills
• Keep an English journal to further hone your writing skills
• Memorize transitional words you can use in your essays
• Use scratch paper to take notes on the audio clip and to outline your essay
• Consider practicing with an Integrated Writing template to help you feel more prepared for test day

What’s Next?

Want more TOEFL Writing practice? Then check out our original list of 13 TOEFL Writing topics  as well as  our picks for the best TOEFL Writing resources .

Aiming for a high TOEFL Writing score?  Read our guide to learn what a good TOEFL Writing score is (coming soon), and then get a rundown of everything you need to know in order to ace the TOEFL Writing section .

Looking for more general TOEFL tips?  Learn how to prepare for the TOEFL with our eight expert tips.

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Author: Hannah Muniz

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in English and East Asian languages and cultures. After graduation, she taught English in Japan for two years via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. View all posts by Hannah Muniz