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In a TOEFL test, the Writing section measures your ability to compose in Standard written English on an assigned topic. Your task in this section is to generate and organize ideas and to support them with examples and evidence.

SCORING GUIDE

Readers will assign scores based on the following scoring guide. Though examinees are asked to write on a specific topic, parts of the topic may be treated by implication. Readers should focus on what the examinee does well.

Scores

6          Demonstrates clear competence in writing on both the rhetorical and syntactic levels, though it may have occasional errors.

          A paper in this category

          – effectively addresses the writing task

          – is well organized and well developed

          – uses clearly appropriate details to support a thesis or illustrate ideas

          – displays consistent facility in the use of language

          – demonstrates syntactic variety and appropriate word choice

5          Demonstrates competence in writing on’ both the rhetorical and syntactic levels, though it will probably have occasional errors.

          A paper in this category

          – may address some parts of the task more effectively than others

          – is generally well organized and developed 

          – uses details to support a thesis or illustrate an idea

          – displays facility in the use of language

          – demonstrates some syntactic variety and range of vocabulary

4          Demonstrates minimal competence in writing on both the rhetorical and syntactic levels.

A paper in this category

          – addresses the writing topic adequately but may slight parts of the task

          – is adequately organized and developed

          – uses some details to support a thesis or illustrate an idea

          – demonstrates adequate but possibly inconsistent facility with syntax and usage

          – may contain some errors that occasionally obscure meaning

3          Demonstrates some developing competence in writing, but it remains flawed on either the rhetorical or syntactic level, or both.

          A paper in this category may reveal one or more of the following weaknesses:

          – inadequate organization or development

          – inappropriate or insufficient details to support or illustrate generalizations

          – a noticeably inappropriate choice of words or word forms

          – an accumulation of errors in sentence structure and/or usage

2          Suggests incompetence in writing.

          A paper in this category is seriously flawed by one or more of the following weaknesses:

          – serious disorganization or underdevelopment

          – little or no detail, or irrelevant specifics

          – serious and frequent errors in sentence structure or usage

          – serious problems with focus

1           Demonstrates incompetence in writing.

          A paper in this category

          – may be incoherent

          – may be undeveloped

          – may contain severe and persistent writing errors

          Papers that reject the assignment or fail to address the question must be given to the Table Leader. Papers that exhibit absolutely no response at all must also be given to the Table Leader.

          Here are some sample topics and model essays.

• Topic: Some people believe that a college or university education should be available to all students. Others believe that higher education should be available only to good students. Discuss these views. Which view do you agree with? Explain why.

          An important goal of education is to learn about yourself. Once you are separated from your parents, you are on your own. You are forced to deal with all different kinds of people and issues. You make an investment in yourself and in your future.

          I can understand why some people would think that a college o university education should be available only to good students. Higher education is very expensive. It might seem like a waste of money to send someone to college who might not be able to handle the course work. Higher education is also a big investment of time. Maybe it would make more sense for a mediocre student to use that time getting a job and starting to earn money. Also, there are trade schools for students who are not academically inclined. Here they can learn a trade and a way to earn living. Why should they go to college or university? Besides, if they go to college and fail, this will discourage them and make them feel inferior.

          I don’t agree with this position. I think a college or university education should be available to all students. I think every student shout have the opportunity to at least try his hand at college classes. Yes, higher education is expensive, but it is worth it. Yes, higher education is a big investment of time, but it is a valuable investment. If a student finds out he or she can’t handle the work, there’s plenty of time after that to go to trade school or find a job. Failing at college; or university might be hard on a student’s self-image, but learning how to handle failure is one of the hard lessons of life.

          I think every student should be given a chance to see how far she can go. Students who were at mediocre grades in secondary school might do very well in a different environment. College is more than just going to class. It’s a time to meet different people, separate from parents, begin to define yourself as a person. I think that’s an experience every student should have.

• Topic: People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

          People attend colleges or universities for a lot of different reasons. I believe that the three most common reasons are to prepare for a career, to have new experiences, and to increase their knowledge of themselves and the world around them.

          Career preparation is becoming more and more important to young people. For many, preparing for a career in a competitive job market is the primary reason .to go to college. At college, it’s possible to learn new skill for careers with a lot of opportunities. This means careers, such as information technology, that are expected to need a large workforce in the coming years.

          Also students go to colleges and universities to have new experiences. This often means having the opportunity to meet people different from those in their home towns. For most students, going to college is the first time they’re been away from home by themselves. Being independent like this means having to make decisions that they’ve never had to make before. Making these decisions increases their knowledge of themselves.

          Besides looking for self-knowledge, people also attend a university or college to expand their knowledge in subjects they find interesting. For many, this will be their last chance for a long time to learn about something that doesn’t have to do with their career.

I would recommend that people not be so focused on a career. They should go to college to have new experiences and learn as much as they can about themselves and the world they live in.

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

          Throughout my life, I have been lucky enough to have a very good relationship with my parents. They have supported me, given me necessary criticism, and taught me a greet deal about how to live my life.

          Parents can be very important teachers in our lives; however, they are not always the best teachers.

          Parents may he too close to their children emotionally. Sometimes they can only see their children through the eyes of a protector. For example, they may limit a child’s freedom in the name of safety. A teacher might see a trip to a big city as a valuable new experience. However, it might seem too dangerous to a parent.

          Another problem is that parents may expect their children’s interests to be similar to their own. They can’t seem to separate from their children in their mind. If they love Science, they may try to force their child to love Science too. But what if their child’s true love is art, or writing, or car repair?

          Parents are usually eager to pass on their values to their children. But should children always believe what their parents do? Maybe different generations need different ways of thinking. When children are young, they believe that their parents are always right. But when they get older, they realize there are other views. Sometimes parents, especially older ones, can’t keep up with rapid social or technological changes. A student who has friends of all different races and backgrounds at school may finđ that his parents have narrower views. A student who loves computers may find that her parents don’t really understand or value the digital revolution. Sometimes kids have to find their own ways to what they believe in.

          The most important thing to realize is that we all have many teachers in our lives. Our parents teach us, our teachers teach us, and our peers teach us. Books and newspapers and television also teach us. All of them are valuable.

• Topic: Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

          The twentieth century has brought with it many advances. With those advances, human lives have changed dramatically. In some ways life is worse, but mostly it is better. Changes in food preparation methods, for example, have improved our lives greatly.

          The convenience of preparing food today is amazing. Even stoves have become too slow for us. Microwave cooking is much easier. We can press a few buttons and a meal is completely cooked in just a short time; People used to spend hours preparing an oven cooked meal, and now they can use that time for other, better things. Plus, there are all kinds of portable, prepackaged foods we can buy. Heat them in the office microwave, and lunch at work is quick and easy.

          Food preparation today allows for more variety. With refrigerators and freezers, we can preserve a lot of different foods in our homes. Since technology makes cooking so much faster, people are willing to make several dishes for even a small meal. Parents are more likely to let children be picky, now that they can easily heat up some prepackaged macaroni and cheese on the side. Needless to say, adults living in the same house may have very different eating habits as well. If they don’t want to cook a lot of different dishes, it’s common now to eat-out at restaurants several times a week.

          Healthful eating is also easier than ever now. When people cook, they can use new fat substitutes and cooking sprays to cut fat and calories. This reduces the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol. Additionally, we can buy fruits and vegetables fresh, frozen or canned. They’re easy to prepare, so many of us eat more of those nutritious items daily. A hundred years ago, you couldn’t imagine the process of taking some frozen fruit and ice from the freezer, adding some low fat yogurt from a plastic cup and some juice from a can in the refrigerator, and whipping up a low fat smoothie in the blender.

          Our lifestyle is fast, but people still like good food. What new food preparation technology has given us is more choices. Today, we can prepare food that is more convenient, healthier, and of greater variety than ever before in history.

• Topic: It has been said, ”Not everything that is learned is contained in books ” and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?

“Experience is the best teacher” is an old cliché, but I agree with it. The most important, and sometimes the hardest, lessons we learn in life come from our participation in situations. You can’t learn everything from a book.

          Of course, learning from books in a formal educational setting is also valuable. It’s in school that we learn the information we need to function in our society. We learn how to speak and write and understand mathematical equations. This is all information that we need to live in our communities and earn a living.

          Nevertheless, I think that the most important lessons can’t be taught; they have to be experienced. No One can teach us how to get along with others or how to have self-respect. As we grow from children into teenagers, no one can teach us how to deal with peer pressure. As we leave adolescence behind and enter adult life, no one can teach us how to fall in love and get married.

          This shouldn’t stop us from looking for guidelines along the way. Teachers and parents are valuable sources of advice when we’re young. As we enter into new stages in our lives, the advice we receive from them is very helpful because they have already had similar experiences. But experiencing our own triumphs and disasters is really the only way to learn how to deal with life.

• Topic: A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community. Discuss the advantages, and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position.

          New factories often bring many good things to a community, such as jobs and increased prosperity. However; in my opinion, the benefits of having a factory are outweighed by the risks. That is why I oppose the plan to build a factory near my community.

          I believe that this city would be harmed by a large factory. In particular, a factory would destroy the quality of the air and water in town. Factories bring smog and pollution. In the long run, the environment will be hurt and people’s health will be affected. Having a factory is not worth that risk.

          Of course, more jobs will be created by the factory. Our population will grow. To accommodate more workers, more homes and stores will be needed. Do we really want this much growth, so fast? Your town is going to grow, I would prefer slow grow with good planning. I don’t want to see rows of cheaply constructed townhouses. Our quality of life must be considered.

          I believe that this growth will change our City too much. I love my hometown because it is a safe, small town. It is also easy to travel here. If we must expand to hold new citizens, the small-town feel will be gone. I would miss that greatly.

          A factory would be helpful in some ways. However, ĩ feel that the dangers are greater than the benefits. I cannot support a plan to build a factory here, and hope that others feel the same way.

• Topic: If you could change one important thing about your hometown, what would you change? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.

          If I could change one thing about my hometown, I think it would be the fact that there’s no sense of community here. People don’t feel connected, they don’t look out for each other, and they don’t get to know their neighbors.

          People come and go a lot here. They change jobs frequently and move on. This means that they don’t put down roots in the community. They don’t join community organizations, and they’re not willing to get involved in trying to improve the quality of life. If someone has a petition to put in a new Street light, she has a very hard time getting a lot of people to sign. They don’t feel it has anything to do with them. They don’t get involved in improving the schools because they don’t think the quality of education is important to their lives. They don’t see the connection between themselves and the rest of their community.

          People don’t try to support others around them. They don’t keep a friendly eye on their children, or check in on older folks if they don’t see them for a few days. They’re not aware when people around them may be going through a hard time. For example; they may not know if a neighbor loses a loved one. There’s not a lot of community support for individuals.

          Neighbors don’t get to know each other. Again, this is because people come and go within a few years. So when neighbors go on vacation, no one is keeping an eye on their house. No one is making sure nothing suspicious is going on there, like lights in the middle of the night. When neighbors(1) children are cutting across someone’s lawn on their bikes, there’s no friendly way of casually mentioning the problem. People immediately act as if it’s a major property disagreement.

          My hometown is a nice place to live in many ways, but it would be much nicer if we had that sense of community.

• Topic: How do movies or television influence people’s behavior? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.

          Do movies and television affect our behavior? A special concern is whether movies and television make children and society more violent. I believe that movies and television do influence our behavior, both for the better and for the worse.

          Movies do make people more violent. The more we see violent acts on television, the less sensitive we become to them. Eventually violence doesn’t seem wrong. We may even commit violent acts ourselves. This is especially true because we don’t always realize that violence has consequences. Actors can be killed and come back for another movie. Sometimes we confuse that with reality. We forget that killing someone is permanent.

          Movies and television also influence our behavior because they make us less active. Looking at films is a passive activity. If we watch too much, we become unhealthy, both mentally and physically. We stop using our own imagination when we see things acted out for us. Mental laziness becomes physical laziness; we’d rather watch sports on TV than play sports ourselves. We’d rather visit with the characters on “Seinfeld” or “Friends” than go chat with our own neighbors. Imaginary people have exciting lives. Is it any wonder that some people would rather live a fantasy life than their own?

          Of course, watching movies and television can also be good for us. It can give us a broader window on the world. For example, seeing movies can expose us to people of different races and cultures. We can then overcome some prejudices more easily. Recently there have been more handicapped people in films, and this also helps reduce prejudice.

          The best influence on our behavior is that movies and television reduce stress. Watching films, we can escape our own problems for a little while. Also, sometime movies show positive ways to resolve problems we all face. While TV and movies shouldn’t be a way to hide from life, sometimes they can help us cope.

          It is true that movies and television can influence our behavior negatively. However, I also believe that they influence our behavior in positive ways. How they affect you depends on how much you watch, what you watch, and how you respond to what you watch.

• Topic: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “Television has destroyed communication among friends and family”. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

          Some people believe that television has destroyed communication among friends and family. I think this is an exaggeration. In my opinion, whether or not television bums communication depends on what type of program is being viewed. More importantly, it depends on the type of viewer.

          There are empty programs and educational programs. Empty programs do not challenge people. They have just enough storyline to keep them from switching channels. There are also passive and active viewers. A passive viewer will just watch television without thinking about what he or she is seeing. The combination of an empty program and a passive viewer makes communication unlikely. Passive viewers just continue to watch, actually enjoying the fact that they don’t have to think. They won’t break away to talk about programming with friends and family. Even with better programming, passive viewers still won’t think or communicate much. They’ll probably even prefer the empty programs because the better programming is too much work.

          On the other hand, active viewers watching educational programming always want to share what they see with friends and family. “Educational” doesn’t necessarily mean documentaries on PBS. They could be dramas with realistic relationships or action shows with clever plotlines. When active viewers watch programs, they have ideas and talk about them with others. Good programming inspires them to change their thinking and their lives. Unlike passive viewers, they don’t want to watch more and more without thinking.

          Television may destroy communication among passive viewers. Those viewers probably don’t want to communicate with friends and family much anyway. For active viewers who already enjoy communicating, television is actually helpful!

• Topic: Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

          I grew up in a small town and then moved to a big city, so I have experienced the good and bad sides of both. I never thought that I would like living in a big city, but I was wrong. After ten years of living in one, I can’t imagine ever living in a small town again.

          Small towns and big cities both have some problems in terms of transportation.

          In a small town, you have to own a car to ensure a comfortable living. You can’t get around without one because there isn’t any kind of public transportation. Big cities generally have heavy traffic and expensive parking, but there you have a choice of taking public transportation. It’s not free, but it’s often cheaper than driving when you consider gas and time. Especially if you don’t have a car, you’re better off in the city.

          I love the excitement of big cities. Small towns have a slow pace. Large cities mean you have to adapt to a variety of situations, like finding a new route to work or trying a new restaurant. I enjoy that challenge very much. Another part of the excitement of city living i’s the variety of cultural activities available. There is a wide assortment of theatre, music and dance performances available in big cities. These things are rare in small ones.

          The final thing I like about large cities is the diversity of the people. The United States is made up of people of different races, religions, abilities, and interests. However, you seldom find such a variety of people in a smaller town. I think that living in an area where everyone was just like me would quickly become boring.

          Of course, security is a concern, and that’s one area where small towns are superior to big cities. Still, I would rather be a bit more cautious and live in a large City than to feel secure but bored.

• Topic: “When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.” Do you agree or disagree with the quotation above? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.

          When people succeed, it is because of hard work, but luck has a lot to,do with it, too. Success without some luck is almost impossible. The French emperor Napoleon said of one of his generals, I know he’s good. But is he lucky?” Napoleon knew that all the hard work and talent in the world can’t make up for bad luck. However, hard work can invite good luck.

          When it comes to success, luck can mean being in the right place to meet someone, or having the right skills to get a job done. It might mean turning down an offer and then having a better offer come along. Nothing can replace hard work, but working hard also means you’re preparing yourself for opportunity. Opportunity very often depends on luck.

          How many of the great inventions and discoveries came about through a lucky mistake or a lucky chance? One of the biggest lucky mistakes in history is Columbus’ so-called discovery of America. He enriched his sponsors and changed history, but he was really looking for India. However, Columbus’ chance discovery wasn’t pure luck.

It was backed up by years of studying and calculating. He worked hard to prove his theory that the world was round. .

          Success that comes from pure luck and no hard work can be a real problem. For example, consider a teenage girl who becomes a movie star. Imagine she’s been picked from nowhere because of her looks. She is going to feel very insecure, because she knows she didn’t do anything to earn her stardom. On the other hand, think about an actress who’s spent years learning and working at her craft. When she finally has good luck and becomes a success, she will handle stardom better. She knows she earned it.

          People who work hard help make their own luck by being ready when opportunity knocks. When it comes to success, I think that hard work and luck go hand in hand.

• Topic: Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people prefer to prepare and eat food at home. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons anti examples to support your answer.

          Some people like to eat out at food stands and restaurants, while others like to prepare food at home. Often it depends on the kind of lifestyle people have. Those with very busy jobs outside the house don’t always have time to cook. They like the convenience of eating out. Overall, though, it is cheaper and healthier to eat at home.

          While eating in restaurants is fast, the money you spend can add up. When I have dinner at a restaurant with a friend, the bill is usually over twenty dollars. I can buy a lot of groceries with that much money. Even lunch at a fast food stand usually costs five or six dollars for One person. That’s enough to feed the whole family at home.

          Eating at home is better for you, too. Meals at restaurants are often high in fat and calories, and they serve big plates of food – much more food than you need to eat at one meal. If you cook food at home, you have more control over the ingredients. You can use margarine instead of butter pr your potatoes, or not put so much cheese on top of your pizza. At home you can control your portion size. You can serve yourself as little as you want. in a restaurant, you may eat a full plate of food “because you paid for it”.

          It’s true that eating out is convenient. You don’t have to shop, or cook, or clean up. But real home cooking doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. There are lots of simple meals that don’t take long to make. In fact, they’re faster than eating out, especially if you think of the time you spend driving to a restaurant, parking, waiting for a table, waiting for Service, and driving home.

          Both eating at restaurants and cooking at home can be satisfying. Both can taste good and be enjoyed with family and friends. I prefer cooking at home because of the money and health issues, but people will make the choice that fits their lifestyle best.

• Topic: Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.

          Some people may believe that going to classes should be optional, but I disagree. I don’t understand how university students can expect to learn anything if they don’t attend classes. Personal experience can help people learn about themselves and the world outside the classroom, but when it comes to learning about academic subjects, students need to be in class.

          In class they receive the benefit of the teacher’s knowledge. The best teachers do more than just go over the material in the class textbook. They draw their students into discussion of the material. They present opposing points of view. They schedule guest speakers to come, give the students additional information, or show documentary films on the subject.

Also, attending classes on any subject teaches more than just facts. It teaches students how to learn, how to absorb information and then apply what they’ve learned to other situations. Their teacher is the best one to help them with these skills. They can’t learn them just by reading the textbook.

          Going to class also teaches students how to work with the other members of the class. Many times students will be given group assignments. This is different from what they did in secondary school. Here they are with people from different backgrounds and experiences. In this situation, they learn how to handle working with people different from themselves to achieve a common goal.

          Going to class also teaches students responsibility and discipline. Having to be at a particular place at a particular time prepares them for getting a job. Being at that place on time with an assignment completed prepares them for a career.

          In short, by going to class students learn more than just information from the teacher. They also learn how to learn, how to work with others, and how to work responsibly. These are not optional skills in life, so attending classes should not be optional in college.

In an IELTS testy there are two writing tasks and it is suggested that candidates spend about 20 minutes on Task 1, which requires them to write at least 150 words and 40 minutes on Task 2 – 250 words. The assessment of Task 2 carries more weight in marking than Task 1.

          In Task 1, candidates are asked to look at a diagram or table and to present the information in their own words. They are assessed on their ability to organise, present and possibly compare data, describe the stages of a process, describe an object or event, explain how something works.

          In Task 2 candidates are presented with a point of view, argument or problem. They are assessed on their ability to present a solution to the problem, present and justify an opinion, compare and contrast evidence and opinions, evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence or arguments. Candidates are also judged on their ability to write in an appropriate style.

          Here are some sample tasks.

 

TEST 1

WRITING TASK 1

          You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

          The graph and pie chart below give information on in-house training courses in a large financial company.

          Write a report for a university lecturer, describing the information shown below.

          You should write at least 150 words.

 

WRITING TASK 2

          You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

          Present a written argument or case to an educated non-specialist audience on the following topic.

          To be labelled a “Work of Art” a painting, sculpture or other art form should display certain qualities that are unique. However, over the past century the re has been a decline in the quality of prize-winning artwork and it is now possible for quite. ordinary pieces of art to be labelled ‘masterpieces’ whilst true works of art pass unnoticed.

          Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer.

          You should write at least 250 words.

          Use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.

 

TEST 2

WRITING TASK 1

          You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

          The graph below shows how money was spent on different forms of entertainment over a five-year period.

          Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.

 

WRITING TASK 2

          You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

          Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic:

          The idea of having a single career is becoming an old fashioned one. The new fashion will be to have several careers or ways of earning money and further education will be something that continues throughout life.

You should write at least 250 words.

Use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.