TOEFL Integrated Writing Task: Topics, Writing Structure, and Sample Papers

byShubhankar Das Content Writer - Study Abroad

TOEFL Integrated Writing Task is the first part of the writing section. Candidates are allocated 20 minutes to complete the integrated writing section. In TOEFL integrated writing template, you need to read a short passage, listen to a lecture, and then write a response. You have to type TOEFL iBT independent writing responses on a computer keyboard.

TOEFL integrated writing tasks are scored based on the Writing Scoring Guides by a combination of AI scoring and certified human raters. The writing section TOEFL score ranges from 0 to 30 level. You must have a clear idea about how TOEFL integrated writing task is scored, the tasks in the writing section will each be given an overall score from zero to five.

There is no maximum length for TOEFL iBT writing integrated task response, but writing within 150 to 225 words is considered an effective response. Regular practice with TOEFL integrated writing samples will help you to achieve a 26+ score in the writing section. You can find updated TOEFL integrated writing samples from the official websites or some best TOEFL books.

TOEFL Integrated Writing Topics

From the TOEFL integrated writing examples, we can notice the diversity of the topics. Test-takers need to engage themselves in reading different texts as given in the below topics. The TOEFL writing topics may include:

Any academic subject of humanities, commerce, or science	Any notable incident in any part of the globe	Business deals
Latest political and economic changes	Newspaper report	Environmental changes
Foreign policies and business deals	Games, tournaments, and any sport reports	Latest invention
Education system	Scientific invention	Technology

TOEFL Integrated Writing Rules

TOEFL writing is nonetheless a difficult section and the candidates need to learn the general rules of TOEFL writing tasks:

Less spelling and grammatical errors
Focus should be on the topic with a clear thesis statement, arguments, and examples
Writing a specific and concise essay without illustrating or making it generic
Good structure using compare and contrast
Uniformity of tense
More use of active voice
Sufficient use of vocabulary
Read English passages from books, journals, and newspaper and listen to English news daily to enhance your vocabulary
Practice typing to increase speed and accuracy
Follow TOEFL integrated writing template
Learn note-taking
Interrelate the paragraphs without exceeding the word count or making the content generic

TOEFL Integrated Writing Tips

The main aim of the TOEFL integrated writing test is to analyze how well the candidate can read, listen and respond in the form of an essay. TOEFL integrated writing templates guide the candidates in structuring the perfect essay. The examiners look for well-structured and precise essays. The following are points that will guide the candidates during integrated writing task TOEFL practice:

Understand the Task

The TOEFL iBT test is basically for studying in universities abroad. In that case you need to prove that you can understand the main ideas of lectures and texts. To understand spoken and written English is utmost important for anyone who wants to travel abroad, work abroad or work with English-speaking people in their home country.

In the writing section, you will have to read a passage that consists of 250-300 words and listen to a lecture which is of 1- 2 minutes. Both the written passage and the lecture are about the same academic topic and they convey two perspectives on the same issue.

You must take notes while reading and listening so that you can remember the important things you need to write about. After you read and listen, you will have to write about 150-225 words in response to how the reading and the listening passages are related.

Take Notes

You must take notes while reading and listening in order to be able to write about the main ideas in the two passages and show how they are related.

Use Keywords

Do not write full sentences, especially while listening. It consumes a lot of time.
You want to maximize your writing time so you have extra minutes to work on creating your response.
Try not to read passages repeatedly. Take small notes while you are reading the passage the first or second time.
Taking notes means that you must write down your ideas and opinions about the reading, and you will be writing using your own words.

Use Symbols & Templates

You can save time while taking notes by replacing words with symbols

For example, you could use <—> to show contrast between two ideas.

Use —>to show cause and effect.

Practice More and more

You can practice taking notes while doing reading in your spare time or while listening to science-related TED talks.
It is the best way to practice with academic passages because these tend to be more structured, like the ones you get in the test.
Read from the websites that provides TOEFL integrated writing practice test free online

Use a Table to Take Notes in a Structured Way

It is quick and convenient to draw a table, before you start reading or listening. This will save a lot of time.

Stay Calm While Listening

Be attentive
Take notes of the keywords
Listen to the transitional words
Notice how the lecture relates to the points given in the passage
There is no way to press “rewind” or play the passage again. When it is over, it is over.

Organize Your Writing

Plan

You must spend only 1-2 minutes to plan your written response.

Divide Your Response into Paragraphs

You should attempt to write 4-5 paragraphs..

You can follow the structure of the example paragraphs below:

Introduction: State the main topic of the two passages and the connection between the passages.

Example: Both the reading and the listening passage discuss__________. The author of the reading passage argues that__________, while the lecturer challenges the points made by the article. He/She claims that__________.

1st Paragraph: State the first main idea of the text and relate it to a main idea in the listening passage.

Example: First of all, the author of the reading passage states that__________. He/She claims that__________. However, the lecturer in the spoken passage implies that__________. Moreover, he/she believes that__________.

2nd and 3rd Paragraph: State more main ideas of the text and connect these ideas to main ideas from the lecture. You can use the 1st paragraph example above to structure these paragraphs.
Conclusion: Write a short concluding paragraph about how the topic is seen differently by the two authors.

Last but not least, the reading passage mentions__________. The author seems to believe that__________. In contrast, the lecturer argues that__________. He/She discusses__________. The two perspectives differ in their approach to__________.

Using connectors give your writing more structure and logic is necessary.

To sequence ideas use- firstly, secondly, last but not least

To contrast ideas use- however, although, nevertheless, in contrast, on the one hand/ on the other hand

To show cause and effect use- as a result, consequently, therefore

Remember: This Is a Language Test

Try to write in a single tense throughout
Avoid spelling and grammar mistakes
Don’t exceed the word count
Avoid using passive voice
Do not state your own opinion

Edit

Save 1-2 minutes to proofread your work. Remember, you don’t have time for big changes, rather check the spellings and punctuation mistakes.

TOEFL iBT Integrated Writing Samples

TOEFL sample papers helps candidates to understand the exam format and question topics. TOEFL integrated writing task practice sets can help you further in practice. For more TOEFL integrated writing task practice try to read newspaper articles, magazines and more to enhance your vocabulary. Here are few TOEFL integrated writing task sample questions to give you an idea :

TOEFL Integrated Writing Practice - Paper 1	TOEFL Integrated Writing Practice - Paper 2
TOEFL Integrated Writing Practice - Paper 3	TOEFL Integrated Writing Practice - Paper 4
TOEFL Integrated Writing Practice - Paper 5	TOEFL Integrated Writing Practice - Paper 6
TOEFL Integrated Writing Practice - Paper 7	TOEFL Integrated Writing Practice - Paper 8
TOEFL Integrated Writing Practice - Paper 9	TOEFL Integrated Writing Practice - Paper 10

FAQs

Ques: What is a TOEFL integrated writing task?

Ans: The integrated writing task is the first section of TOEFL reading test. It requires candidates to read a short passage, listen to an audio recording, and then write a unified essay based on information from both the text and the recording.

Ques: How is the integrated writing task structured?

Ans: The integrated writing task consists of 3 sections - a reading passage of approximately 300 words, an audio recording of a lecture or talk on the same topic that lasts 3-4 minutes, and the writing question which asks the candidates to write on both the text and audio in their response.

Ques: What types of questions are asked in the integrated writing task?

Ans: Common question types include summarizing the key points of the lecture and how they relate to the reading, comparing and contrasting views/information in the lecture and reading, and explaining how the lecture challenges or supports the ideas in the reading.

Ques: How long do I have to complete the integrated writing task?

Ans: You have 20 minutes to complete the integrated writing task. This includes reading the passage, listening to the audio, planning your response, and writing your essay.

Ques: How should I structure my integrated writing response?

Ans: A good structure is to have 5 paragraphs - an introduction, 2 body paragraphs, summarizing key points from the text and lecture, a paragraph comparing/contrasting them, and a conclusion paragraph restating your ideas.

Ques: What is the independent writing task?

Ans: The independent writing task was the second writing question on the TOEFL. It requires test takers to formulate their own opinion on a topic/statement and write a persuasive essay without relying on outside sources. The enhanced TOEFL removes the independent writing task from the syllabus.

Ques: How long do I have for the academic discussion task?

Ans: TOEFL writing section total time is 30 minutes, and you have 10 minutes to plan and give your academic discussion task response.

Ques: How is the TOEFL writing section scored?

Ans: The integrated and academic discussion tasks are each scored on a scale of 0-5 by trained TOEFL raters. Scores are based on content, organization, vocabulary, grammar, and how well the responses are. The two sub scores are then combined for a total writing score out of 30.

Ques: What are good practices for the TOEFL writing section?

Ans: Good practices include practicing both tasks, outlining responses, using academic vocabulary, varying sentence structures, checking for errors, and staying focused on time. Regular practice with sample papers helps the candidates to achieve a higher score.

Ques: How can I improve my integrated writing skills?

Ans: Some ways to improve are practicing note-taking from texts and lectures, summarizing while including all key details, comparing/contrasting views accurately, and integrating information from both sources seamlessly in your response.

Ques: What are some common mistakes in integrated writing?

Ans: Common mistakes include not addressing the specific question asked, focusing only on one source instead of both, not integrating information from the sources, poor organization, and grammatical errors.

Ques: How can I improve my integrated writing score?

Ans: To improve your integrated writing score, work on the reading and listening into a cohesive response. Focus on the key elements - content, critical thinking, organization, and language use. Practice the task regularly and review sample answers and the scoring pattern.

Ques: What is a good structure for integrated writing responses?

Ans: A good structure for an integrated writing section is an introduction, 2 body paragraphs summarizing key points from each source and comparing them, and a conclusion paragraph that restates the main ideas covered.

Ques: How do I choose which points to include from the reading and lecture?

Ans: Focus on including the most important and relevant details from each source that are necessary to adequately address the question. Do not simply list every detail - choose wisely based on what is most pertinent to the specific task at hand.

Ques: How do I write a strong introduction for integrated writing?

Ans: The introduction should set up the scope of the response by briefly stating the topics covered and previewing the key points to be discussed.

Ques: How do I write a strong conclusion for integrated writing?

Ans: Restate the main points of discussion and how they answer the original question. You can also comment on the significance of the discussion or leave the reader with a final thought. Avoid introducing new information and keep it brief.

Ques: How do I use transition words in integrated writing?

Ans: Use transition words to link ideas between and within paragraphs. Examples include moreover, similarly, however, in contrast, as a result, for instance.

Ques: How do I incorporate academic vocabulary?

Ans: Practice academic texts and use a dictionary to learn vocabulary when possible. Try to naturally work formal words that fit into your discussion.

Ques: How do I vary my sentence structures?

Ans: Varying sentence structures keep writing interesting and demonstrate a wider vocabulary. Mix simple and complex constructions, and use a variety of phrases like moreover, however, in contrast, as shown, etc.

Ques: How do I manage my time for the writing tasks?

Ans: Always make a plan before starting; how much time to spend on planning, writing each paragraph, etc. Leave 5 minutes to proofread.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.

TOEFL Integrated Writing Task: Topics, Writing Structure, and Sample Papers

TOEFL Integrated Writing Topics

TOEFL Integrated Writing Tips

TOEFL iBT Integrated Writing Samples

FAQs

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