Regarding the writing section of the TOEFL, you will be given two tasks that will measure your ability to communicate in an educational setting. These will be the Writing for an Academic Discussion Task and the Integrated Writing Task. However, out of these two in the TOEFL writing, the one section most students struggle with is the integrated essay. Why? Because it checks your note-taking skills and how well you can understand topics in both listening and writing. In this article, you will learn how to structure your essay along with tips for improving your performance, especially by using a TOEFL mock test. So read on!
Understanding the Task Format
Before you learn about how to structure the Integrated TOEFL Writing Essay, you need to first understand what it is. To start with, this integrated essay is designed to check how well you will be able to understand the English language in an actual University environment. This section makes up half of your overall marks in the TOEFL writing and checks your skills when it comes to synthesising information from two different sources.
In addition to this, you will have to complete two parts, and you will only get 20 minutes to do so.
- Reading Passage: The first is the reading passage, where you will have to read an academic passage in a few minutes. This passage will present a main argument and a supporting point.
- Listening Lecture: Once you are done with the passage, you will then get to listen to a lecture that will discuss the same topic. The lecture will either support the reading passage’s point with more examples or contradict it.
Once you are done with both of them, you will have to summarise the main point of the lecture and explain how the lecture’s points connect to the points in the reading and the listening. Its main purpose is to synthesise information from two different sources into one cohesive essay.
Paragraph-by-Paragraph Breakdown
Since the Integrated TOEFL Writing Task assess multiple skills at the same time, it can feel a little overwhelming at first. But don’t worry, once you understand what you are expected to do and how you can structure your essay, it will get easy for you.
Below is a breakdown of what you need to include in each of the paragraphs of the essay.
Introduction Paragraph
The first is the introduction paragraph, which will set the tone of the whole essay. So make sure that you keep it brief and in 2-3 sentences:
- Summarising the Topic: To write this, you can start by first summarising the topic of both the lecture and the reading. Just make sure that you do not go into detail and just give a brief overview. For example:
“The reading and the lecture both discuss the effectiveness of using cloud seeding to reduce hailstorms in agricultural regions.”
- Mentioning Both Sources: Next, write about the points and what they are presenting. For example:
“While the reading supports the idea that cloud seeding is a reliable method, the lecture casts doubt on its effectiveness by providing counterarguments.”
Body Paragraph 1
Now start your body paragraph 1 of the TOEFL writing and write about the ideas presented in the reading and the lecture, and start comparing them.
- First Point from the Reading: Start your paragraph by summarising the main point in the reading passage. Make sure that you use your own words and try to avoid copying directly. For example:
“The reading claims that cloud seeding has proven effective in laboratory settings and has shown promise in real-world trials.”
- Counterpoint from the Lecture: And then immediately after, start explaining how the lecture disagrees with this point. Try to focus on the examples and objections of the speaker. For example,
“However, the lecturer argues that these studies were not conducted under natural conditions, and their results may not be applicable in real environments.”
Body Paragraph 2
You should then repeat the same structure for the second main idea.
- Second Point from the Reading: Here, try to explain the second point from the reading. Again, try to keep it clear and concise. For example:
“Another claim in the reading is that areas where cloud seeding was used experienced fewer hailstorms.”
- Counterpoint from the Lecture: You can then show how the lecture disagrees with this or weakens this argument. For example:
“The lecturer responds that the data from those areas also showed fewer rainstorms and snowstorms, which suggests that the weather changed naturally, not because of cloud seeding.”
Body Paragraph 3
And finally, again follow the same format but by using the final set of ideas.
- Third Point from the Reading: Start by summarising the third point of the reading. For example:
“Finally, the reading argues that cloud seeding poses no environmental risk.”
- Counterpoint from the Lecture: Again, follow with the lecture's critique of this point. For example:
“The lecturer counters this by pointing out that silver iodide, the chemical used in cloud seeding, can build up in the environment and harm aquatic life.”
(Optional) Conclusion Paragraph
This is totally optional, but if you want, you can add a conclusion paragraph. Just make sure that you keep it very brief and in 1-2 sentences. In this, you can try to summarise the relationship between the lecture and the reading.
Tips for Writing a High-Scoring Essay
Below are some tips that can help you write a great essay in the TOEFL writing and achieve your dream score:
- Take Notes: While reading and listening, you should try to take notes about the main points in both of them. You can use symbols, abbreviations, or bullet points to save time.
- Don’t Include Personal Opinions: This task is not about your opinion. So, try to stick to what is mentioned in the reading and the lecture.
- Paraphrase: Don’t write the main points as they are, and try to describe what you understood about them.
- Practice: There is no substitution for practice, so try to take as many TOEFL mock test as you can. This will help you build your time management skills and identify common traps.
Conclusion
And there you go, a simple and easy way to structure your integrated essay in the TOEFL writing practice. Just make sure that you focus on building a relationship between the reading and the lectures. Your job is not to summarise both the passages separately; instead, you need to show how the lecture is responding to the reading. To effectively practice this and achieve your desired marks, you can also join TOEFL online coaching at Gradding. They will help you give structured preparation and personalised feedback on all four skills in the TOEFL. Connect today!
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