Saturday, November 29, 2008

What is Involved with the TOEFL iBT Writing Task?

By Michael Buckhoff

Before beginning the TOEFL iBT Writing Task, You'd Better Read This!

Upon beginning a TOEFL Writing Exam, it is important to read the question very carefully. You should determine what the writing task is. To illustrate the importance of this, consider the following situation: Your mom tells you to remove a food stain from the carpet. She instructs you to use a special chemical called "Stain Be Gone." You go into the laundry room and instead of getting "Stain Be Gone", you get a chemical called "Clorox," a type of bleach. You begin to clean the carpet with the chemical and what happens? The brown carpet begins to turn an awful shade of yellow! Even though you had good intentions and you worked very hard to clean the carpet, you did not get the results you or your mom expected because you used the wrong chemical; consequently, you bleached out the carpet.

The same applies to TOEFL iBT writing. If you do not follow the instructions the prompt gives you, no matter how hard you work the end result will not be what the reader expected. As a result, you will not receive the score you deserve. Consider the following three writing prompts:

1. Some people say that it is best to be loyal and to work for one company during one's life. Others take the opposite view and say it is better to change jobs frequently in one's life. Discuss these positions, using specific examples of both. Then tell which one you agree with and explain why.

2. In addition to their specialized classes in their major, students should also be required to take general education classes in a university. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons to support your opinion.

3. The automobile along with the airplane are important inventions of the 20th century. Together, both of these inventions have had an important effect on society. Select another invention that you feel is important. Give a specific line of reasoning for your choice.

Do these three prompts look the same to you? Do they have the same requirements? If you answered no, you are already on your way to being able to write a successful essay.

The first prompt may be broken into four different tasks: The essay asks you to discuss both positions, which signifies (1) you must write a little bit about why some people say that it is best to be loyal to work for one company during one's life; (2) you must write a little bit about why others say it is better to change jobs frequently in one's life; (3) you need to tell which of the positions you agree with; and (4) you should defend why (i.e., give reasons). It is best to remain neutral until near the end, you do not state your opinion first in this type of writing style.

The second prompt may be divided into two argumentative tasks- (1) that of deciding whether you agree or disagree with the statement: "In addition to their specialized classes in their major, students should also be required to take general education classes in a university." (2) Also you have to give various reasons to support your viewpoint. Starting with your argument in this type of essay, you assert which view is the same as yours. In the remainder of the essay, you state why you agree with that viewpoint.

For the third writing prompt, another style of argumentative essay is requested, the task is easy- (1) that of selecting another invention that you feel is important. (2) You need to give specific reasons for your choice. The word "another" signifies other than the automobile or the airplane. Subsequently, if you are writing about the airplane or the automobile, you are not following the directions for this writing prompt.

The concept is simple: think before you write. Make sure you understand what the writing task is.

About the Author:

No comments: