TOEFL iBT Essay writing in twelve steps: Planning the essay
In this series, we will introduce you to the twelve steps to write an essay in the TOEFL iBT Writing test. The first five steps we’ll discuss today is about planning the essay. There are two important parts of planning:
- Address the writing task
Step 1: Read the essay topic
Step 2: Identify the task
Step 3: Write your thesis statement - Organize the topic
Step 4: Make notes about your general ideas
Step 5: Expand your note to include specific details
Address the writing task
Step 1: READ THE ESSAY TOPIC
The first thing to do is read the essay topic carefully. It will be given to you on the computer monitor. To write a good essay,you must know what the topic asks you to do. You should know how to address the writing task. You must write on the topic. If you write on another subject, you will receive a O. Pay attention to the task.
Step 2: IDENTIFY THE TASK
There are four essay types on the TOEFL. The most common essay types are agreeing or disagreeing and stating a preference. It is more likely that you will get one of these essay topics to write, but you could also be given one of the others. You must know how to recognize the tasks in all four types. The tasks in making an argument and giving an explanation are similar. Your approach will be similar.
| Topic type | Percentage of topics |
| Make an argument | 34% |
| Agree or disagree | 29% |
| State a preference | 21% |
| Give an explanation | 16% |
*The data in the table may not be accurate at the present
| Topic type | What you will do | Keywords/ Phrases | Example |
| Make an argument | In this essay,you will be presented with a hypothetical situation. You will have to determine what needs to be done, make a choice, and support your hypothesis. In these essays, the topic is usually written in the future or conditional tense. |
If/ How/ In your opinion/ What is the best way to/ If you could change.., what would you change/ Which of the following should you do?/How would you do…/How will (something) affect (something)?… | If you could make one important change in a school that you attended, what change would you make? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer. |
| Agree or disagree | In this essay,you must state an opinion and defend your point of view. You must give reasons for your thinking. You usually discuss only one side of the issue | Do you agree or disagree…/ Do you support or oppose…/Why or why not?… | Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Playing games teaches us about life.Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer |
| State a preference | In this essay, you must discuss both sides of an issue. You will be asked to compare and contrast both sides. You may be asked to give the pros and cons, the advantages and disadvantages of something. You must also state your own personal preference and give reasons to support your choice. You may be asked to state what you think someone else’s preference is. |
Some do this, other do that/ Which opinion do you agree with?/ Which would you prefer?/ Compare the advantages & disadvantages/ How is (something) different from (something)?… | It has been said, “Not everything that is learned is contained in books:’ Compare and contrast· knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important. Why? |
| Give an explanation | In this essay,you must describe what something is, howit happened, why it occurs, or how it is different. You may have to tell why something is good or bad. Youwill have to establish criteria and use those criteria to make a judgement. | Describe/ Explain/ What do you consider most important (list)/ Why do you think/ How has (something) changed?/ How does (something) affect (something)?… | People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer |
Step 3: WRITE YOUR THESIS STATEMENT
In order to write a good essay, you must clearly state your thesis. Every essay must have a thesis. The thesis is the main idea of your essay. A thesis statement focuses the direction of the topic and helps the reader understand what you want to say. It tells the reader what your topic is.
Look at these example topics to see how different thesis statements can come from the same topic.
Topic :You have been told that,dormitory rooms at your university must be shared by two students. Would you rather have the university assign a student to share a room with you, or would you rather choose your own roommate? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer .
Thesis statement A: Since I do not get along well with many people, I prefer to choose my own roommate.
From this statement, we can presume that the writer will discuss why s/he has difficulty having friendly relationships with people.
Thesis statement B: The opportunity to meet new people is an imp011ant benefit of a university education, so I believe it is better to let the university choose my roommate for me.
From this statement, we can presume the writer will discuss the benefits of meeting new people at a university.
A thesis statement must be on the topic. Pay close attention to what the topic asks you to do
Organize the topic
Step 4: Make notes about your general idea
To write a good essay,you must organize your thoughts before you write. First, of course, you must have some thoughts. You must have an opinion about a subject. Your opinion about a subject is the thesis of your essay. Concept maps will help you organize the topic. Use a concept map to make notes. There are many different types of concept maps. We will discuss five in this chapter. Some of them are more appropriate for certain topics. Some are appropriate for all topics. Use the one that works best for you
| Concept map | Topic |
| Web | All |
| Fish bone | All |
| Venn Diagram | State a preference |
| Matrix | All |
| NPR | Make an argument |
*We will have a separate post for explaining each type of concept map later
Step 5: Expand your notes to include specific details
Regardless of its shape, each concept map has three components: the thesis statement, some general ideas, and some supporting details. As a rule, you should try to have three general ideas per essay and at least two supporting details per general idea. This will vary according to your topic and the way you choose to organize your topic.
Now that you have finished planning the essay. Let’s move on to write the essay! ~Continue here