The TOEFL Integrated Writing Samples: Free Practice

What Is the TOEFL Integrated Writing task?

The TOEFL Writing Integrated task asks you to summarize a reading passage and compare it with a lecture on the same topic. You will have 29 minutes to write your essay, explaining how the lecture relates to the ideas in the reading. This task tests your skills in listening, reading, and writing in English.

1. Read a passage for 3 minutes.
2. After that, listen to a lecture on the same topic.
3. Then, write an essay in 20 minutes by summarizing the lecture and explaining how it relates to the passage.
4. Write the essay to clearly explain the similarities and differences between the passage and lecture.
5. It is recommended to complete the essay between 250-300 words, covering all the important points.

This is the complete information about this task. Moreover, you can also opt for TOEFL integrated writing samples that will help you prepare well for the task and improve your TOEFL result. Moreover, it is important to know what you can expect in this task. So, read about the same in the below section.

What to Expect in the TOEFL Integrated Writing Task?

In the TOEFL integrated writing samples, you will get to understand how you have to approach the questions in the exam. However, to know the basics of the same, read this section properly.

1. Test Format: You will read a short passage in 3 minutes, followed by a lecture of 2 minutes that you will hear, and then write an essay relating the information given in both previous tasks.
2. Key Skills Assessed: Some of the important skills that you require here are comprehensive skills, note-taking ability, paraphrasing, summary writing, idea structuring, and proper use of language.
3. Scoring Criteria: The main criteria on which you will be given the score are the quality of your response and the language you use.

These are some of the important details about this task. Moreover, you can also solve the TOEFL writing integrated examples to understand the basics of the same.

TOEFL Integrated Writing Template

Knowing the proper TOEFL integrated writing template is important as a proper format will help you score well and will outshine other responses. So, the format you can follow while giving the response is:

1. Start with a proper introduction. Here, write a general statement depicting the relation between the lecture and the passage. Also, mention a short description of the lecture here. 

2. Then start with the body in which you will write 3 paragraphs. The body should contain all entire information about the passage and lecture. Moreover, the three paragraphs must contain:

•   First paragraph: It should be based on point number 1. Paraphrase the professor’s opinion and compare it with the reading passage. Moreover, you can also add extra details using examples related to the lecture.
•  Second paragraph: It should be based on point number 2. Paraphrase the professor’s opinion and compare it with the reading passage. Moreover, you can also add extra details using examples related to the lecture.
• Third paragraph: It should be based on point number 3. Paraphrase the professor’s opinion and compare it with the reading passage. Moreover, you can also add extra details using examples related to the lecture.

3. Write a well-structured conclusion giving an overview of the relationship between the lecture and the passage again.

This is the perfect structure for the following task. You can also take the help of TOEFL integrated writing practice and get familiar with the task structure.  Now, after knowing the proper structure, read below to learn some of the common mistakes in this section that you should avoid for a better score.

TOEFL Integrated Writing Sample

In this section, you will get the TOEFL integrated writing sample that will help you prepare for the exam with perfection. Thus, solve it and understand the type of question in this task.

Sample

Reading Article:

The idea of colonizing asteroids has long been a topic of fascination and speculation in science fiction and popular culture. In recent years, however, the idea of asteroid colonization has become more realistic and feasible, thanks to advances in technology and space exploration. There are many potential benefits to colonizing asteroids, and these benefits make the pursuit of asteroid colonization a worthwhile endeavor.

One of the most obvious benefits of asteroid colonization is the scientific potential. Asteroids provide a unique environment for scientific research due to their small size, low gravity, and lack of atmosphere. Research conducted in these environments could provide valuable insights related to many different academic fields. Not only that, but asteroids could also serve as stepping stones for future missions to other destinations in the solar system, such as Mars or the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.

Another benefit of asteroid colonization is the potential for economic growth and development. Natural resources mined on asteroids could create new industries and job opportunities, which would generate significant revenue for both governments and private companies. Asteroid mining could also reduce the need for resource extraction on Earth, which could help to preserve our planet’s natural environment.

In addition to economic benefits, asteroid colonization could also have important implications for the long-term survival of humanity. Asteroids could serve as potential refuge for humans in the event of a large-scale disaster on Earth, such as an asteroid impact or a nuclear war. Even if such a disaster doesn’t occur, asteroids could provide valuable information regarding the origins and evolution of the solar system, and how life emerged here in the first place.

Essay:

The reading and lecture deal with the possibility of colonizing asteroids. The author believes in undertaking this venture, based on scientific progress, economic benefits, and the survival of humans in the long run. Furthermore, the lecturer refutes the claims of the author, postulating that asteroid colonization could be an imprudent action.

First, the author argues that asteroids offer a perfect environment for scientific research because of their size, gravity, and absence of an atmosphere. Secondly, the article argues that these bodies may act as take-off points for further missions to distant regions of the solar system. The lecturer rebuts this argument, arguing that our current knowledge of asteroids is not enough to determine their value in science. We do not have complete information about their quantities and surface states, and hence, it is difficult to precisely forecast the scientific benefits of colonization.

Secondly, the article asserts that colonizing asteroids may bring considerable economic profit because they are thought to contain precious natural resources. A potential for lucrative mining activities may reduce the pressure on resource production on planet Earth. In contrast, the lecturer points out that we have no accurate knowledge of how many resources exist on asteroids or even their possible market value on our planet. Thus, it is unclear whether or not space mining would be economically more feasible compared to mining on Earth.

Finally, the author believes that asteroid colonies have the potential to be important factors in the survival of humanity on a long-term basis, especially in the context of catastrophic devastation on Earth. Nevertheless, according to the lecturer, any settlements by humans must be specially designed to overcome the specific issues inherent in asteroid gravity. Such problems may make asteroid life inconvenient and dangerous in the long run.

This is the TOEFL integrated writing sample that will help you practice for the real exam day and also score well in the exam.

Common Mistakes in TOEFL Integrated Writing

There are several mistakes that people make in the exam. So, know about them here and try to avoid them to score well in the TOEFL exam. You can also take the help of TOEFL writing integrated examples to practice and improve such mistakes gradually.

1. Time Management: Candidates face the issue of timing in the TOEFL integrated writing practice. It becomes hard for them to complete the entire task in 30 minutes. So, proper strategies for time management are required.
2. Poor Structure: Not maintaining the proper structure of the response is again a common mistake made by people. They make the essay more opinion-based. Therefore, TOEFL writing practice is an effective way to overcome this issue.
3. Not Taking Proper Notes: When students are reading the passage and listening to the lecture, they don’t take proper notes and forget several important points. Therefore, they must write the important information.
4. Not Linking the Task: One of the major mistakes that people make is considering reading and listening as different tasks here rather than trying to find the relation between them. So, try to find the similarities as you have to mention that in the essay.
5. Ignoring the Word Limit: Students sometimes either write too much or sometimes give very small responses. So, they must take care of the word limit and try to add all information in the range of 250 to 300 words.
6. Apart from that, getting complete information about the TOEFL exam pattern is also important to make you confident in the exam.

These are some of the mistakes made by people in the TOEFL integrated writing task. So, the best way to overcome these mistakes is by putting more effort into your TOEFL preparation and investing proper time into it. 

Tips to Improve Your TOEFL Integrated Writing Score

Several tips will help you develop a successful approach to answering the TOEFL integrated questions. So, some of these effective tips are:

1. Before giving the paper, get familiar with the TOEFL syllabus and pattern. This will help you prepare for the exam with confidence and with proper knowledge.
2. While reading the passage and listening to the audio, it is important and beneficial that you take short notes of the important facts and information mentioned to use them while writing the essay.
3. Do not copy the reading passage, rather use paraphrasing to promote uniqueness in your essay. Moreover, the structure says that the reference of the reading passage should come after you write about the lecture.
4. Save Time to Proofread: Manage your time accordingly so that you have some time to re-read your essay and make some changes if required. Moreover, be free-minded while proofreading your response.
5. Practice Makes the Man Perfect: Practice is the biggest key to success. So, put sufficient effort into preparing for the exam and stay away from any kind of distraction in this period. Your efforts will reflect on your scorecard.

Conclusion

This was all about the TOEFL integrated writing samples. Here, you read about what this task is and also learned about the proper structure of the essay. Apart from that, there are some common mistakes discussed in this blog that you must take care of to avoid unnecessary mark deductions. Apart from that, take the help of the tips mentioned to score well in the TOEFL exam. However, if you still face any issues, then enroll in a TOEFL online coaching to prepare under an expert’s guidance. Thus, prepare accordingly and make your dream of studying abroad a reality.

FAQs

1. How Long Should My TOEFL Integrated Essay Be?

The recommended length of your TOEFL integrated essay should be between 250 to 300 words strictly.

2. Can I Take Notes During the Listening Section?

Yes, you can take notes during the lecture task of the TOEFL exam. This is a beneficial step for the students.

3. How Is the TOEFL Writing Section Scored?

Each of the two writing tasks on the TOEFL is scored between 0 and 5, then the combined score is adjusted to a 0 to 30 scale overall by calculating the average.