Writing

TOEFL Writing Template #1: - Independent Essay

Introductory paragraph:

 Begin with two sides of opinions on the essay topic

 Begin with the general public's opinions
 Introduce a fact that raises a question about the essay topic
 Introduce a debate on the essay topic
 Mention the advantage or disadvantage of a subject as a way to contrast your main
opinion on the subject.

There are differing opinions on whether children should be required to do household tasks.
Some people think that parents should do all the household tasks without their children's
help, for they believe that children are still too young to do house work and can sometimes
make things worse. Other people, however, argue that it is beneficial in many ways for
children to take part in the household work. I, myself, agree with the latter. Children should
be required to help with household tasks as it teaches children responsibility, discipline and
contributes to a sense of unity.

Some people believe that advertisements lure us to purchase goods that are not of necessity.
Others are of the view that advertising has a positive role to play in modern society, helping us
choose between competing goods. In my opinion, I strongly believe that advertising
encourages consumers to buy unwanted items for three compelling reasons.

Body Paragraph
 A transition statement
 Topic sentence
 Supporting sentences

1. Body paragraph 1 - first of all, firstly, or to begin with

2. Body paragraph 2 - In addition to.., secondly, or furthermore
3. Body paragraph 3 - finally, thirdly, or lastly

Firstly, people are losing sight of the importance that meals can have to families and friends,
which is clearly not an improvement to life. Although meals take time to prepare and busy
people may not have time, the preparation and eating of a meal as a family is a human
tradition. Through cooking and eating meals people are able to share knowledge, stories, and
experiences. Busy people are often seeking more time to spend with those people they care
about, and what better way to spend time with people then in creating something together
which is an integral part of life. If easy to prepare food allows people to not set aside
important time spent with family and friends, then it has not improved people’s lives, but
eliminated an important part of life.

To begin with, advertising creates unrealistic expectations about products with exaggerated
and misleading claims. For instance, advertisements for prescription drugs create unrealistic
expectations about the effectiveness of the drugs and its side-effects. In these kinds of
advertisements, the visual images only show healthy, happy people. It never truly shows the
actual downside effects of the drugs. Similarly, beauty and health products may not live up to
their promises, resulting in wasted consumer dollars. Disclaimers are often hidden in very
small print on product packaging and in out-of-the way spots in ads.
Secondly, multinational corporations create meticulously crafted ads to entice consumers
to purchase their products. For instance, fast food chain McDonald’s advertising artifacts try to
lure children with toys and playrooms in order to sell kid’s meal. Moreover, vigorous
advertising campaigns are promoted across a plethora of channels such as TV, billboards,
online and so on to grab consumer attention to purchase goods that may be of no need to
them. Consequently, people become more materialistic as advertising compounds their desire
to own more items.
Lastly, people cannot just choose to ignore advertising because advertisers use many
underhand methods to get their message across. Posters have attention grabbing words, or
provocative pictures. Furthermore, some advertisements today are even being hidden in what
seem like pieces or art or public information. As a consequence, people don't realize they are
being marketed to. By targeting people’s unconscious thoughts, adverts are a form of
brainwashing that take away people's freedoms to make choices.

Conclusion

 A transition phrase (To sum up, in summary, in conclusion, to conclude, etc..)

 A restatement of the thesis statement you wrote in your introduction
 A brief summary of your main ideas

In closing, I firmly believe that the sole purpose of advertisements are to persuade us to buy
things that we normally wouldn’t. The products that are advertised often don’t live up to the
standards we have set for them because of false advertising. In addition, ads created by big
corporations are often exaggerated, making us buy goods that are not of necessity. Finally,
because of many underhand methods advertisers use in ads, we are taken away our freedoms
to make choices.
TOEFL Writing Template #2: - Contradiction Question Type

The reading and the lecture are both about ______. Whereas the author of the reading states
that _______, the lecturer suggests that ________. The lecturer casts doubt on the main
points made in the reading by providing two/three reasons/arguments

First of all, according to the reading, _____________ .However, the lecturer disputes this
point. He/She says that _________. Furthermore, he/she mentions that ___________

Secondly, the reading states that _______. Nevertheless, the lecturer refutes this argument.
He/She argues that __________. In addition, he/she points out ________.

Finally, the reading claims that _________. On the other hand, the lecturer believe that _____.
He/She thinks that _______. Moreover, he/she feels that ________

In conclusion, although the reading and the lecture are both about _______, the two/three
main points made in the reading are effectively challenged by the lecturer.

TOEFL Writing Template #3: - Supporting with Examples Question Type

The reading and the lecture are both about _____________. The reading states that
____________. The lecture builds upon those same ideas to give a more comprehensive
picture with two/three examples/arguments

First of all, according to the reading, _________. Supporting this idea, the lecturer explains
that _________. Furthermore, he/she mentions that __________.

Secondly, the reading states that_______. The lecturer then goes on to explain that ________.
In addition, he/she points out ________.

Finally, the reading claims that _______. In support of this idea, the lecturer brings up the
point that ________. (Optional) Moreover, he/she feels that _________.

In conclusion, although the reading and the lecture both discuss __________, the two/three
main points made in the reading are effectively supported by the lecturer.

d
Speaking

Question 1: Independent

In my opinion, _____ is the _____ because …

Personally, I enjoy/like _____ for two/three reasons.
I enjoy/like _____ because …
My best/favorite _____ is …
To me, …
I would like to _____ because …

I feel this way for two/three reasons.

This is because of two/three reasons.
I have two/three reasons.

First, … For example, … / First off, … For instance, …

For one, … That is, … / My first reason is that … What I mean is that …

Secondly, … This is because …

Next, … As a result, I …
In addition, I believe/feel/think that …
Another reason is that … Basically, …

(optional)
And finally, …
And lastly, …
My third/final reason is that …
Third, …

And this is why my best/favorite _____ is …

This is why I believe/feel/think that …
And these are the reasons I’d like to …

Question 2: Choose 1

Personally, I believe _____ is better than _____ for two/three reasons.

In my opinion, _____ seems to be better than _____ because …
I (would) prefer _____ over _____ because …
To me, _____ is a better option than … And I feel this way for two/three reasons.
Personally I agree/disagree with the statement ___ for 2 main reasosn.

First off, … For example, …

For one, … For instance, …
One reason is that … What I mean by this is that …

Secondly, …
My second reason is that …
Another reason is that …
In addition...
Third, …
And finally, …
My last point is that …

(Optional)
This is why I believe/think that …
And this is why I prefer …
Because of these reasons, I feel that _____ is a better choice/option than …
To sum up

Question 3: Campus Announcement

According to the announcement/article/letter…

According to the passage/announcement/flyer, the university plans to / The school intends to..
The passage/announcement/flyer explains that the university is considering …

This is because…

The student agrees/disagrees with the school’s changes/decision/proposal for 2/3 reasons.
The student supports/opposes these changes.
However, the student does not support this plan.
The man does (not) think this is a great idea for two reasons

First of all, he argues that…

First (second), the student believes/feels/thinks that …
The first (second) point the student makes is that …
One reason (Another) is that …
One reason he/she supports/opposes this proposal is that …
According to the student, …
(Additionally) Moreover, he mentions that…”

And finally, the student believes/feels/thinks that …

The third point the student makes is that …
The final/last reason is that …

Question 4: Explain Text + Lecture

The passage/article discusses/defines _____ and how it …

The main focus of the passage is …
Both the passage and the lecture discuss …
According to the lecture, _____ is …
The passage introduces the concept of …

In the lecture, the professor defines _____ as …

The professor elaborates on this concept/term, explaining that …
The professor illustrate this concept with the example of....
The professor first mentions that …
First off, the professor talks about …
Next, the professor discusses …
The professor also explains that …
Additionally, the professor says that …
Another example the professor gives is that …

(Optional)
This is what _____ means.
And this is the meaning of …
So this is how the professor describes …

Question 5: Problem and Solution

The woman’s problem is…. (two sentences… problem + details)

Two possible solutions are suggested

First of all, she could…, however... / the first one is.....

Secondly, she might be able to…, but... / and the second solution is ...

In my opinion, the woman ought to…”/ I think the man should ... Because...

Firstly…

Moreover…

Question 6: Summarize

In the lecture, the professor talks about … He/she then gives two/three examples to illustrate
this concept.
The professor discusses _____ in the lecture, giving two/three examples.
Throughout the lecture, the professor talks about _____ and how it …

First, the professor focuses on … This means that …

First, the professor talks about … So essentially, what the professor is saying is that …
The first example the professor gives is … In other words, …

Second/third/finally, the professor goes on to say that …

The next point the professor makes is that …
The professor also explains that …
Another example the professor gives is …