1. How to Write Your Best TOEFL Essay
Sheri Sather
The American ESL Preparatory Academy
(www.learningenglish-online.com)

2. Writing a short, timed essay for the TOEFL or for
placement in an ESL program is a much different
experience than your 'normal', in-class essay.
First, it is more stressful because there is a lot at
stake. Doing poorly can cost you time and
money. Second, since the time is so limited, you
really need to be ready to roll when you walk in.
We'll look at how you can prepare so that you can
write your best essay in this high stress situation.
www.learningenglish-online.com

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

4. #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.

5. Having a plan means that you know
how you will approach the test.
Plan your time
How much time will you
allow yourself to plan?
How much time to write
each paragraph?
How much time will you
save to edit?

6. #2. When you get the topic, you need to make
another plan for the actual essay.
Plan FAST. One or two
minutes max.
Read the topic or
question carefully
before planning.
What is your main idea?
Keep that idea in mind
as you write.
What is the main idea
for each paragraph?

7. Planning is essential, but it can't
take up much of your limited time.
From years and years of
teaching writing, I
have seen 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.

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

9. 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.

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

11. 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 both and stick to
your original idea.

12. #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.
So, what do I mean by
'concrete'?

13. Concrete writing is 'real world',
specific and creates a word picture.
If your writing is only
abstract ideas or only
generalized, any
grammar and
organizational errors
that you have will be
magnified because the
abstractions become
'fuzzier' or completely
lost.

14. 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.)

15. 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.

16. #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'.

17. Strategic editing means that you
know your 'normal' errors.
If you 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.

18. Good luck!
Taking the TOEFL can be a stressful, but it is also a
sign of how much you have already learned in
English. Keep in mind your strengths and not only
your weaknesses as you prepare to write and realize
that this test is just another step on your way to your
goal of studying abroad.