How to Write Your Best TOEFL Essay

There are 5 steps to doing your best. #1. Go in with a plan. #2 Plan again. #3. Stay on topic. #5. Edit. #4. Make it concrete.

#1. Go in with a Plan. (And then follow it!) This is NOT the time to 'go with the flow'! Before you ever arrive for the test you need to know what to expect from the test AND know your own capabilities. Make a plan that fits your style.

Having a plan means that you know how you will approach the test. ● Plan your time (30 minutes total) ● How much time will you allow yourself to plan/blueprint? ● How much time to write each paragraph? ● How much time will you save to edit?

#2. When you get the topic, you need to make another plan for the actual essay. Plan FAST. Read the topic or question carefully before planning. Think like an SAT essay 5 paragraphs: Intro, body (3 reasons), conclusion

Planning is essential, but it can't take up much of your limited time. Far too many people fail for not being able to find a balance. Some are too impulsive, and some think too long and waste time. Practice planning fast.

The problem with starting to write without a plan... The raters are looking for CLEAR writing with a recognizable structure. That is MORE than clear grammar! Without it readers don't know what you are trying to do, and so they cannot understand your ideas.

The problem with spending a lot of time thinking... The raters can only judge your writing if there is enough of it! Don't worry about 'perfect' or 'brilliant'. CLEAR and LOGICAL is enough. If you are a perfectionist who sits and thinks to get a great idea, get over yourself! This is a test of English fluency, not a test of intelligence.

#3. Stay on Target Once you've chosen a topic and a plan, don't change it. It is a short paper, and the ideas are not what is being graded, so stick with your plan no matter what happens.

There are two common ways that writers get drawn off topic. 1. They start disagreeing with themselves and presenting the 'other side' to their argument. 2. They start thinking of and adding new ideas that are not part of the original topic. Avoid these

#4. Make your writing concrete. You want the rater to find your writing clear and understandable. Concrete writing is easier to understand than abstract writing. Concrete writing is 'real world', specific, and creates a word picture.

Here is a writing sample with only general ideas. Marriage is an important institution for society and for individuals. Through marriage, we make new families which continue the culture. Families are the basic unit of culture, and for most individuals, families are the place where we learn the culture and receive what we need to survive through childhood. (Notice that there are no grammar problems, and all the information is correct. However, all of the ideas are abstract which means you have to think about them, apply your own experience and imagine them without the writer's help. This isn't optimal for a TOEFL essay where the reader is rushed to understand and errors may occur.)

Here is the same text with a few additions to make it a bit more concrete. Marriage is an important institution for society and for individuals. Through marriage, we make new families which continue the culture. This is why in every culture weddings have so many meaningful traditions such as fathers 'giving away the bride' or 'jumping the broom' because both signal a new family being formed. Families are the basic unit of culture, and for most individuals, families are the place where we learn the culture and receive what we need to survive through childhood. Think of all the things you learned before you went to school such as your native language, what clothing you should wear and how to be respectful.

#5. Edit! Do NOT skip this step! Edit strategically. This is very different from 'reading' your paper and hoping that errors will jump out and yell, 'fix me'.

Strategic editing means that you know your 'normal' errors. Look back through graded papers, find your top 3 most serious/common errors and then edit for each of these separately. For example, scan your paper for each verb to see if it is formed correctly. Then look for the next type of error.

5 types of essays 1. Agree or Disagree Do you agree or disagree? "Grades are great motivators for students." 2. Preference Would you rather work for someone else or work for yourself? 3. If/Imaginary What person from the past would you like to meet? 4. Description/Explanation What are good ways to reduce stress? 5. Comparison/Contrast Discuss the contributions of artists vs. those of scientists.

Practice Write a blueprint for one of these 3 essay topics: 1. Do you agree or disagree? "For children, it is better to grow up in the country than in the city.“ 2. What are the good things and bad things about the place you live in? 3. Is homework important for students?