WRITING TIPS
25 STRATEGIES TO USE FOR THE TOEFL IBT INDEPENDENT WRITING TASK
- Read the topic carefully and make sure that you understand it. Always decide on what you are going to write before you start. Make a list of your main points with an outline.
- It should be easy to identify the introduction, body, and conclusion. Each section should have at least one separate paragraph.
- Address the entire topic, not just part of it. If the topic mentions some aspects of the argument for both sides, you should discuss these aspects in your essay. Stay on the topic.
- Learn the rules of English punctuation and use them. Each sentence should start with a capital letter and end with a period, question mark, or exclamation point.
- Write short, simple, complete sentences. This style sounds strong in English. You are more likely to make grammatical mistakes if you write long, complex sentences.
- Do not begin sentences with conjunctions such as AND, OR, BUT, BECAUSE.
- Make sure that each sentence has a clearly identifiable main subject and main verb and that they agree in number and tense.
- Use a variety of sentence structures; at least one question, passive voice sentence, perfective aspect sentence, continuous aspect sentence, subjunctive mood sentence, conditional sentence, complex sentence, etc.
- Use specific and detailed examples and reasons to support your ideas. Stories or examples from your personal life are best. Remember, no one will check up to see if these stories are true.
- While writing an essay, do not translate from Russian or Romanian; try to think in English.
- Do not try to support more than 3 main points. Do not simply list your reasons.
- State exactly what your main points are. Do not make the reader guess what your opinion is.
- Try to avoid citing authority, proverbs, or facts that are considered common knowledge in the Republic of Moldova. They may not be understood or recognized by the readers of your essay.
- You point of view should be clearly stated.
- Do not try to impress, persuade, or inform the reader with your essay. Instead, show the reader that you can write a good essay.
- Do not generalize or make global statements. If you are discussing your own or someone else's experience, your opinion can be based only on this experience.
- Do not repeat the same nouns, verbs, and adjectives unless they are necessary to explain your ideas. Try to use as many different words as you can.
- Use only words the meaning of which you understand well. Do not use complex words simply to sound "academic".
- In general, each paragraph should contain only one idea, which is discussed in some detail. Furthermore, each paragraph should contain a topic sentence, that is, a clear statement of the main idea in the paragraph.
- The essay's thesis (main idea) needs to be clearly stated in the first (introductory) paragraph of your essay.
- All ideas in your essay must be closely related to the topic. If the reader does not need to know something in order to understand your idea, do not include it.
- Make sure that every singular countable noun has an article, a possessive determiner (my, our, your, his/her, their), or a demonstrative determiner (this, that, these, those).
- Using the plural form for countable nouns in general statements is often better than the singular. Check subject/verb agreement.
- Try to avoid using many unreal conditional sentences. Write about the reality, either past, present, or future.
- Try to avoid using too many passive sentences. Many experts think that passive sentences should make up only 5% of your essay.