toefl words for essay

TOEFL iBT ®  Test

The premier test of academic English communication

Learn more by selecting any step in your TOEFL iBT ®  journey.

TOEFL iBT Test Writing Section

The TOEFL iBT test Writing section measures your ability to write in English in an academic setting, and to present your ideas in a clear, well-organized way.

There are two writing tasks.

• Integrated writing task (20 minutes) — read a short passage and listen to a short lecture, then write in response to what you read and listened to.
• Writing for an Academic Discussion task (10 minutes) — state and support an opinion in an online classroom discussion.

You'll type your responses on a computer keyboard.

Test time:  It should take about 29 minutes to complete the Writing section.

Scoring: Writing tasks are scored based on the  Writing Scoring Guides (Rubrics) (PDF)  by a combination of AI scoring and certified human raters. Raw scores are converted to a scaled section score of 0–30.

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Writing videos

Watch these videos to learn about the questions in the Writing section, plus helpful tips.

Question 1: Integrated Writing

Read a passage and listen to a lecture. Then write a response comparing them.

View Transcript

Question 2: Writing for an Academic Discussion

Share your opinion in an online discussion with a professor and other students.

Do you need to be an expert on the topics?

The writing tasks measure your English proficiency, so you don't need deep knowledge on a specific topic to get a high score. Score raters recognize that each essay is a first draft, and you can receive a high score with an essay that contains some errors.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 327 essential toefl vocabulary flashcards.

If you want to excel on the TOEFL, one of the skills you need is a strong vocabulary. Many TOEFL questions either ask you the definition of a word outright or require you to have knowledge of certain words in order to answer a question correctly.

The best way to learn new vocab is to use flashcards, which is why we've created printable flashcards of the 327 TOEFL vocab words you must know for the test . We'll also discuss the best method for studying your TOEFL vocabulary flashcards and give reviews of some of the other TOEFL flashcard sets that are available.

Our TOEFL Flashcards: 327 Top Vocab Words

We've done the hard work for you and determined the 327 most useful TOEFL words to know. Each flashcard includes the vocab word on the front and the part of speech, definition, and a sample sentence on the back.

We chose vocab words that appeared frequently on the TOEFL, as well as a selection of other words deemed particularly useful to know for the test. Click the icon below to access our essential TOEFL vocabulary flashcards.

The Best Method to Study Your TOEFL Vocabulary Flashcards

Flashcards are a great way to learn vocab words because they force you to study actively (you can't just drag your eyes across a piece of paper), and they are one of the most effective methods for memorizing information. We recommend using the waterfall method to learn TOEFL words. If you're not sure what the waterfall method is, we break it down for you below.

First, get your flashcards ready. Once you have your TOEFL vocabulary flashcards, you'll go through those cards one by one. For each card whose definition you know easily, you'll put it in a "Know It" pile. If you don't know the definition of a particular TOEFL word, put it in a "Struggled" pile.

After you've gone through each of the cards once, pick up your "Struggled" pile. You'll now go through this pile again. For words where you know the definition, place them in a second "Know It" pile next to (but not combined with) the first "Know It" pile.

For the words whose definition you don't know, make a new "Struggled" pile. Repeat this process, placing new "Know It" piles in a row from left to right. This creates your waterfall. Keep repeating this process until the "Struggled" pile has only a few words left.

Now, you'll move back up the waterfall. Start with the last "Struggled" pile and go through it until you know all the words in the pile. Then, add the most recent (the rightmost) "Know It" pile.

Go through those words. If you miss any words, go through the entire pile you currently have again until you get all of the words right. This may seem brutal, but it'll guarantee that you really know the vocab words! Don't pick up more cards until you can get through the whole pile with no trouble. Continue this process until you get all the way back up the waterfall.

This is the best method to study flashcards because you'll spend the majority of your time reviewing the words you struggle the most with, as opposed to just studying the entire stack over and over.

What Other TOEFL Flashcards Are Available?

Below are three of the other most popular resources for TOEFL vocabulary flashcards. For each of these, we give the price, number of flashcards, and pros and cons of using it.

Magoosh Online Flashcards

Number of Flashcards: 200

Magoosh offers a fairly solid set of TOEFL vocab flashcards, with a few drawbacks. The 200 flashcards are separated into about a dozen different sets, based on difficulty. This system can make it easier to organize your studying, but frustrating if you want to review all the words at once, since you'll have to go through each category one-by-one.

Within each set, the order of the cards is random. You'll see a word, then you'll click it to see the definition and a sample sentence. You'll then check either that you knew the word or you didn't know the word. If you knew the word, it goes into the "mastered" category. If you didn't know it, it goes into "learning." If a "learning" word comes up again and you say that you know it, it goes into the "reviewing" category. The words Magoosh uses are well-chosen, and this isn't a bad set to use. However; there are a few drawbacks.

First, because the set is online, you can't use the waterfall method. Magoosh uses its own method for reviewing cards, and you'll sometimes review cards you've already seen before getting through all the new words, which some people may find confusing. Additionally, Magoosh's cards each only have one definition, even if the vocab word has more than one meaning, so there are times when you'll be missing key information about certain TOEFL words.

Princeton Review's Essential TOEFL Vocabulary Flashcards

Cost: About $13

Number of Flashcards: 500

These flashcards from Princeton Review are a great resource. You can study from the physical flashcard deck or access digital flashcards online. The cards come with a ton of information on them: The front of each card has the vocab word, part of speech, and pronunciation. The back of each card has the definition(s) of the word, synonyms, and a sample sentence using the word. This info is great for putting the word into context and really understanding it.

The only downside is that you'll need to pay for this set, but if you do decide to spend money on TOEFL flashcards, this is a great resource to purchase.

Study Stack TOEFL Flashcard Sets

Number of Flashcards: Varies

Study Stack is a site where people can create and share different flashcard sets, and they have several flashcard sets specifically for the TOEFL. Some of these sets are created by using selecting the words they think are most important to know, while others are copies of already-created sets, like Barron's TOEFL word list.

Although there are a lot of flashcards available here, this generally isn't the best resource for TOEFL vocabulary flashcards. First, the set is only available online so, like Magoosh's, you can't use the waterfall method to study. Second, because different people create the different flashcard sets, they don't all have the same format. Some flashcard sets include lots of information such as synonyms and sample sentences, while others only have the word and its definition. This can make studying confusing and more difficult. Finally, because anyone can create a flashcard set on Study Stack, you don't know the quality of the flashcards or how useful the words they've chosen will be.

Summary: TOEFL Vocabulary Flashcards

If you're going to take the TOEFL, you'll want a strong vocabulary, and flashcards are one of the best ways to learn new words. Our essential TOEFL vocabulary flashcards make it easy for you to learn the 327 most important words for the exam.

We recommend using the waterfall method to study your TOEFL vocabulary flashcards which is the fastest and most efficient way for learning new words. There are several other TOEFL vocabulary flashcard sets out there, each with their own pros and cons.

What's Next?

Looking for more ways to study for the TOEFL? Check out our guide to the best TOEFL exercises to make sure you're prepared come test day!

A prep book can be your most useful study tool for the TOEFL. Learn what the five best TOEFL prep books are so you can start studying!

Not sure how long the TOEFL is? We have a guide that explains all you need to know about how long the TOEFL is so you can be prepared on test day.

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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TOEFL Vocabulary List 250+ words

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Updated on 16 June, 2023

Pragya Sharma

Sr. content editor.

If you tell someone you are preparing for the TOEFL (or the Test of English as a Foreign Language), the most common advice you will receive is to build your vocabulary. Have you ever wondered why everyone suggests going through the TOEFL vocabulary list even when there is no separate test section for it? Well, it is because good vocabulary can build the foundation for acing each section and excel the language in general. The next question that may arise is which words to learn from the massive vocabulary pool available. This article answers this query with the ultimate list of the most widely used 250+ words (with their definitions) in the TOEFL exam.

Table of Contents

Internet-based test (ibt), paper-based test (pbt), why is having strong toefl vocabulary list important for toefl exam, tips on how to improve vocabulary for toefl, frequently asked questions, important ielts exam resources, important resources for gre/gmat exams, important resources for pte/sat/act exam, popular study abroad destinations, types of toefl exam.

As established, TOEFL is a widely recognized English proficiency exam measuring a non-native English speaker's ability to understand and use the language in an academic setting. The TOEFL exam has two main versions: the Internet-Based Test (iBT) and the Paper-Based Test (PBT). 

The TOEFL iBT is the most popular version of the exam. It has four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. Here is a breakdown of each section:

• Reading section: This section consists of 3-4 academic passages, with 10 questions for each passage. Test-takers are required to read the passages and answer questions related to comprehension, vocabulary, and text structure. In some cases, you may also need to complete tables or summaries.
• Speaking section: This section consists of six tasks that require you to express your thoughts on various topics, discuss short academic texts, and talk about lectures or conversations you have listened to. Your responses are recorded and scored based on language use, fluency, and pronunciation.
• Writing section: This section requires you to write two essays. The first essay integrates information from a reading passage and a listening passage, while the second requires you to present your opinion on a given topic.

The Paper-Based Test is used in places where the iBT is not available. It consists of three sections: Reading, Listening, and Writing. The Speaking section is not included in this version of the test. The total duration of the Paper-delivered Test is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

• Reading comprehension: A rich TOEFL vocabulary list enables you to understand complex reading passages easily and answer questions based on them accurately.
• Writing effectiveness: With a strong vocabulary, you can express your thoughts more clearly and persuasively in essays and other written tasks.
• Listening comprehension: Understanding a wide range of vocabulary helps you catch crucial details in lectures and conversations during the exam's listening section.
• Speaking fluency: A robust vocabulary lets you articulate your ideas more effectively during the speaking section test, resulting in a higher score.
• Overall English proficiency: Mastering the TOEFL vocabulary list 2023 will comprehensively enhance your English language skills. You can easily excel in the TOEFL exam and communicate confidently in real-life situations.

Ultimate TOEFL Vocabulary List

The following   TOEFL vocabulary list provides a list of important words in TOEFL vocabulary. These words are carefully chosen based on their frequency of use in academic and professional contexts and cover a wide range of topics. Make sure to familiarize yourself with these words to improve your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills for the TOEFL exam.

• Abundant  (adjective): Present in great quantity or plentiful.
• Accelerate (verb): To increase the speed of something.
• Accommodate (verb): To provide sufficient space or resources for someone or something.
• Accumulate  (verb): To gather or collect over time.
• Accurate (adjective): Free from error or to be precise.
• Adept  (adjective): Highly skilled or proficient in a particular area.
• Adhere (verb): To stick or cling to something.
• Adjacent (adjective): Close to or next to.
• Adorn (verb): To decorate or add beauty to something.
• Advocate  (verb): To publicly support or recommend a particular cause or policy.
• Banish  (verb): To force someone to leave a place or country.
• Barrier  (noun): Something that blocks or obstructs.
• Befriend  (verb): To become friends with someone.
• Belittle  (verb): To make someone or something seem less important or valuable.
• Beneficial (adjective): Having a positive or helpful effect.
• Biased (adjective): Unfairly favoring one side or group.
• Bizarre (adjective): Very strange or unusual.
• Bolster (verb): To support or strengthen something.
• Brief  (adjective): Short in length or duration.
• Buoyant  (adjective): Able to float or rise in a liquid or gas.
• Calculate (verb): To determine the amount or number of something by using mathematics.
• Candid (adjective): Honest and straightforward.
• Capable (adjective): Having the ability or skill to do something.
• Captivate  (verb): To attract and hold the interest and attention of someone.
• Challenging (adjective): Difficult in a way that tests one's abilities or determination.
• Charismatic  (adjective): Having a powerful personal charm that attracts and influences others.
• Coherent (adjective): Logically connected and consistent.
• Collaborate (verb): To work together with others to achieve a common goal.
• Commemorate (verb): To honor the memory of someone or something with a ceremony or celebration.
• Competent (adjective): Having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully.
• Daunting  (adjective): Intimidating or discouraging.
• Debilitate (verb): To weaken or impair the strength or vitality of someone or something.
• Decipher  (verb): To interpret or understand the meaning of something.
• Decline  (verb): To gradually become less, worse, or lower.
• Deficient (adjective): Lacking in some necessary quality or element.
• Deliberate  (adjective): Done intentionally or on purpose.
• Demolish  (verb): To destroy or tear down completely.
• Denounce (verb): To publicly declare something wrong or evil.
• Depict (verb): To represent or show in a picture, sculpture, or other artistic form.
• Derive  (verb): To obtain or develop something from a specific source.
• Eccentric (adjective): Unconventional and slightly strange.
• Efficient  (adjective): Producing the desired result without wasting time or effort.
• Elaborate  (adjective): Complex and detailed.
• Empathize (verb): To understand and share another person's feelings.
• Encapsulate (verb): To express the most important parts of something concisely.
• Endeavor  (noun): A serious attempt or effort to do something.
• Enhance (verb): To improve the quality, value, or extent of something.
• Enthusiastic  (adjective): Having or showing great excitement and interest.
• Enumerate  (verb): To list or mention things one by one.
• Evolve  (verb): To develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complex form.
• Facilitate (verb): To make something easier or less difficult.
• Fathom  (verb): To understand or comprehend something deeply.
• Fickle  (adjective): Likely to change frequently, especially in one's loyalties or affections.
• Fluctuate (verb): To change or vary irregularly in number or amount.
• Formidable (adjective): Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, or capable.
• Foster (verb): To encourage or promote the development of something.
• Frivolous (adjective): Not having any serious purpose or value.
• Fundamental (adjective): Forming a necessary base or core; of central importance.
• Futile  (adjective): Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless.
• Fervent (adjective): Having or displaying a passionate intensity.
• Garner (verb): To gather or collect something, especially information or approval.
• Garbled (adjective): confused or distorted, or vague communication.
• Generate  (verb): To create or to produce.
• Generous (adjective): Showing a readiness to give more of something than is necessary or expected.
• Genial (adjective): Friendly or cordial.
• Grandiose (adjective): Splendid or unduly important.
• Glaring (adjective): Highly conspicuous or obvious.
• Gregarious (adjective): Fond of the company of others or sociable.
• Gruesome (adjective): Causing horror or repulsion or grisly.
• Guile (noun): Deceitful, cunning, or slyness.
• Hackneyed  (adjective): Overdone and derivative.
• Hamper (verb): To restrain or inhibit progress.
• Haphazard (adjective): Lacking any obvious principle of organization.
• Harmonious (adjective): Forming a pleasing or consistent whole.
• Haughty  (adjective): snobbish or excessively proud.
• Heed  (verb): to pay attention.
• Hesitate (verb): To pause or wait in uncertainty or unwillingness.
• Hindrance (noun): A thing that provides resistance, delay, or obstruction to something or someone.
• Hostile  (adjective): Too unfriendly.
• Hypothesize  (verb): To propose an explanation or theory for something.
• Idealize (verb): To regard or represent something as perfect or better than in reality.
• Illuminate  (verb): To light up or make clear.
• Immerse  (verb): To involve oneself deeply in a particular activity or interest.
• Impart  (verb): To make information or knowledge known.
• Impede (verb): To delay or prevent someone or something by obstructing them.
• Implement (verb): To put a decision or plan into effect.
• Incisive (adjective): Clear and sharp in thought or expression.
• Incompatible (adjective): Unable to exist or work together without conflict.
• Inconclusive (adjective): Not leading to a firm conclusion or result; not ending doubt or dispute.
• Indispensable (adjective): Absolutely necessary or essential.
• Jabber  (noun): vague and lively conversation.
• Jeopardize  (verb): To put at risk or to endanger.
• Jibe  (noun): Mocking statement.
• Jocular  (adjective): Amusing.
• Jointly  (adverb): Together.
• Judicious (adjective): Wise or showing good judgment.
• Justify  (verb): Difficult to present a fair explanation for an action or circumstance.
• Juxtapose  (verb): To place side by side for comparison or contrast.
• Jovial  (adjective): Cheerful and friendly.
• Jargon (noun): Specialized language used by a particular profession or group.
• Keen (adjective): Sharp or intellectually alert.
• Kinetic (adjective): Relating to motion or active.
• Knack  (noun): A special skill or talent.
• Knowledgeable  (adjective): Having or showing a lot of knowledge or information.
• Kudos  (noun): Praise and honor received for an achievement.
• Kyphosis (noun): An abnormal curvature of the spine.
• Kaleidoscope  (noun): A constantly changing pattern or sequence of elements.
• Kindle  (verb): To ignite or arouse interest.
• Kismet  (noun): Fate or destiny.
• Knoll  (noun): A small hill or mound.
• Lament  (verb): To express sorrow or regret.
• Laud  (verb): To praise or to extol.
• Lavish (adjective): Extravagant or abundant.
• Legacy  (noun): Something handed down from an ancestor or predecessor.
• Lethargic  (adjective): Sluggish or lacking energy.
• Levity (noun): Lightness of mind, character, or behavior.
• Liaison  (noun): A person who establishes and maintains communication for mutual understanding and cooperation.
• Liberal  (adjective): Open to new ideas or favoring individual freedom.
• Linguistics  (noun): The scientific study of language and its structure.
• Luminous  (adjective): Emitting or reflecting light; glowing.
• Magnanimous  (adjective): Generous in forgiving an insult or injury.
• Malaise  (noun): A vague feeling of bodily discomfort or uneasiness.
• Maneuver  (verb): To skillfully guide or manipulate something.
• Manifest (adjective): Clear or obvious to the eye or mind.
• Marred  (adjective): Damaged or spoiled.
• Mediate  (verb): To settle disputes between parties.
• Meticulous (adjective): Extremely careful and precise.
• Mitigate (verb): To make something less severe or intense.
• Mollify  (verb): To soften in feeling or temper; to pacify.
• Multifaceted  (adjective): Having many aspects or phases.
• Nascent  (adjective): Just coming into existence or starting to display signs of future potential.
• Nebulous ( adjective): Vague or unclear.
• Negligent  (adjective): Careless or inattentive.
• Niche  (noun): A specialized market or position that is well-suited for the person occupying it.
• Nominal  (adjective): Existing in name only or not significant.
• Nonchalant (adjective): Coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited.
• Notoriety (noun): The state of being famous or well-known for a negative reason.
• Nuance (noun): A subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning, or response.
• Nurturer  (noun): Someone who provides care and support for someone or something.
• Nystagmus  (noun): Involuntary, rapid, and repetitive eye movement.
• Obliterate (verb): To destroy completely; to wipe out.
• Obscure (adjective): Not well-known; difficult to understand.
• Obstinate  (adjective): Stubborn or refusing to change.
• Omnipotent (adjective) Having unlimited power or authority.
• Onerous  (adjective): Burdensome or oppressive.
• Opulent  (adjective): Rich and luxurious.
• Orator  (noun): A person who delivers an oration; a public speaker.
• Ostentatious  (adjective): Characterized by a vulgar or pretentious display.
• Oust  (verb): To remove from a position or place.
• Overhaul  (verb): To take apart to examine and repair if necessary.
• Pacify (verb): To bring peace or calm; to soothe.
• Palliative (adjective): Relieving pain or alleviating a problem without dealing with the underlying cause.
• Paragon (noun): A model of excellence or perfection.
• Pariah (noun): An outcast; a person who is generally despised or avoided.
• Parsimonious (adjective): Excessively frugal or stingy.
• Peculiar (adjective): Strange or odd, or uncommon.
• Perseverance (noun): The quality of persisting in a task or goal despite obstacles or difficulties.
• Pervasive (adjective): Spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people.
• Plausible (adjective): Seemingly reasonable or probable; believable.
• Poignant (adjective): Evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret.
• Quandary (noun): A state of uncertainty or perplexity.
• Quell (verb): To suppress or subdue; to calm.
• Querulous (adjective): Complaining or whining.
• Quintessential (adjective): Representing the perfect example of a class or quality.
• Quirk (noun): A peculiar behavior or characteristic.
• Quixotic (adjective): Exceedingly idealistic, unrealistic, and impractical.
• Quorum (noun): The minimum number of members of a group or organization required to be present for a valid transaction of business.
• Quotidian (adjective): Daily, ordinary, or every day.
• Quizzical (adjective): Indicating mild or amused puzzlement.
• Quota (n): A fixed share or portion; a limit on the quantity.
• Rancor (noun): Bitter resentment or ill will.
• Rebuke (verb): To express sharp disapproval or criticism.
• Reclusive (adjective): Preferring to live in isolation or withdrawn from society.
• Redundant (adjective): Repetitive or exceeding what is necessary.
• Refrain (verb): To stop oneself from doing something.
• Regale (verb): To entertain or amuse with talk or storytelling.
• Reiterate (verb): To say or do something again, often for emphasis or clarity.
• Relinquish (verb): To give up or surrender something.
• Remorse (noun): Deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed.
• Renounce (verb): To formally declare one's abandonment of a claim, right, or possession.
• Sagacious (adjective): Wise or discerning.
• Sanction (noun): Official permission or approval for an action.
• Scapegoat (noun): A person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others.
• Scrutinize (verb): To examine closely and critically.
• Sedentary (adjective): Characterized by much sitting and little physical exercise.
• Serendipity (noun): The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
• Skeptical (adjective): Doubting or questioning.
• Solace (noun): Comfort or consolation during distress or sadness.
• Sporadic (adjective): Occurring at irregular intervals.
• Stagnant (adjective): Not flowing or moving or inactive
• Tactile (adjective): Related to or perceived through the sense of touch.
• Tantamount (adjective): Equivalent in seriousness to or virtually the same as.
• Tenuous (adjective): Very weak or slight.
• Terse (adjective): Sparing in the use of words or concise.
• Timorous (adjective): Showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence.
• Transitory (adjective): Lasting only a short time; temporary.
• Trepidation (noun): A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen.
• Trivial (adjective): Of little value or importance.
• Turbulent (adjective): Characterized by conflict, disorder, or confusion; not controlled or calm.
• Tyro (noun): A beginner or novice.
• Ubiquitous (adjective): Present, appearing, or found everywhere.
• Unanimous (adjective): In complete agreement or united.
• Uncanny (adjective): Strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way.
• Undermine (verb): To weaken or damage, especially gradually or insidiously.
• Undulate : (verb) To move with a smooth wavelike motion.
• Unfathomable (adjective): Incapable of being fully understood.
• Unprecedented (adjective): Never before seen or experienced.
• Unruly (adjective): Disorderly and disruptive and not amenable to discipline or control.
• Usurp (verb): To take (a position of power or importance) illegally or by force.
• Utilitarian (adjective): Designed to be useful or practical rather than attractive.
• Vacillate (verb): To waver between different opinions or actions.
• Venerate (verb): To regard with deep respect or awe.
• Verbose (adjective): Expressed in more words than are needed.
• Vex (verb): To make someone feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried.
• Viable (adjective): Capable of working successfully or feasible.
• Vigilant (adjective): Keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties.
• Vindicate (verb): To clear someone of blame or suspicion.
• Virtuoso (noun): A person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit.
• Volatile (adjective): Easily evaporated at normal temperatures or liable to change rapidly and unpredictably.
• Voracious (adjective): Wanting or devouring great quantities of food; having a very eager approach to an activity.
• Wane (verb): To decrease gradually or to decline.
• Wanton (adjective): Deliberate and unprovoked or reckless.
• Wary (adjective): Feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems.
• Wistful (adjective): Having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing.
• Wrangle (verb): To have a long, complicated dispute or argument.
• Wreak (verb): To cause a large amount of damage or harm.
• Wry (adjective): Using or expressing dry humor, especially mocking.
• Wistful (adjective): Characterized by melancholy or longing.
• Wield (verb): To hold and use (a weapon or tool).
• Wisdom (noun): The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment
• Xenophobia (noun): Fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers.
• Xeric (adjective): Characterized by or adapted to a dry habitat.
• Xylophone (noun): A musical instrument played by striking a row of wooden bars of graduated length.
• Xenophile (noun): An individual who is attracted to foreign peoples, manners, or cultures.
• Xerography (noun): A dry photocopying process.
• Xerosis (noun): Unusual dryness, especially of the skin, eyes, or mucous membranes.
• Xenobiotic (adjective): Relating to or denoting a substance, typically a synthetic chemical, foreign to a living organism.
• Xiphoid (adjective): Sword-shaped, specifically relating to the xiphoid process of the sternum.
• Xenogenesis (noun):  The supposed generation of offspring that is completely different from either parent.
• Xeriscape (noun): A landscaping method developed especially for arid and semiarid climates that utilize water-conserving techniques.
• Yearn (verb): To have a strong desire or longing.
• Yield (verb): To give in or to produce or generate.
• Yonder (adverb): At or in that place or over there.
• Yoke (noun): A wooden cross piece fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to a plow or cart to be pulled.
• Yen (noun): A strong desire or craving.
• Yeoman (noun): A man holding and cultivating a small landed estate or a freeholder.
• Yield (noun): A return, as a profit or interest, on an investment or venture.
• Yttrium (noun): A silvery metallic element found in the same ores as elements of the lanthanide series.
• Yurt (noun): A circular tent of felt or skins on a collapsible framework used by nomads in Mongolia, Siberia, and Turkey.
• Yesteryear (noun): Last year or the recent past.
• Zeal  (noun): Great enthusiasm or passion.
• Zenith  (noun): The highest point or the peak.
• Zephyr  (noun): A gentle breeze.
• Zest  (noun): Great enthusiasm or enjoyment.
• Zigzag  (noun): A line or course with abrupt changes in direction.
• Zodiac  (noun): A belt of the heavens within about 8° either side of the ecliptic, including all apparent positions of the sun, moon, and most familiar planets.
• Zoology  (noun): The scientific study of the behavior, structure, physiology, classification, and distribution of animals.
• Zone  (noun): An area or stretch of land having a particular characteristic, purpose, or use or subject to particular restrictions.
• Zoophyte  (noun): A plant-like animal, especially a sea anemone or other member of the coelenterate group.
• Zirconium  (noun): A grayish-white, metallic element used especially in electric apparatus and in refractory material.

It is essential to devise a TOEFL word list for an effective study plan that addresses all four skills assessed in the test. It will help you maximize your chances of success on the TOEFL exam. This plan should have professional and academic word list practice tests to make the most of your self-study. Below are some tips to help you create the best TOEFL vocabulary list and a well-planned study schedule: 

• Assess and determine your goals:  Before starting your TOEFL preparation, you must know your present level of English proficiency. Set clear objectives for your TOEFL preparation, such as achieving a specific score or improving a particular skillset. Establish a realistic timeframe, considering your proficiency level and the time you can dedicate to studying to achieve your goals. 
• Broaden your knowledge:  The TOEFL exam covers topics from various academic disciplines, such as astronomy, geology, marketing, political science, and anthropology. To succeed in the test, you must have a basic understanding of these subjects and their related vocabulary. You can expand your knowledge by taking practice tests, reading articles, watching different genres of documentaries, listening to the news, and so much more.
• Create categories:  Organize your TOEFL vocabulary list by categories, such as education, sports, or politics. This will help you learn words in context and better understand their usage.
• Learn synonyms and antonyms:  Familiarize yourself with synonyms (words with similar meanings) and antonyms (words with opposite meanings) to broaden your vocabulary and improve your understanding of word relationships.
• Engage in conversation:  Practice speaking with native English speakers or other learners to improve your vocabulary and fluency. Discuss different topics, and don't be afraid to ask for clarification if you encounter unfamiliar words.
• Use flashcards and vocabulary apps:  Create flashcards with new words and their definitions to review them regularly. You can also use academic word list vocabulary apps to help you memorize new words more effectively.
• Practice using new words in context:  Incorporate new words into your TOEFL word list, daily conversations, writing, and speaking practice. It will make you more comfortable using them in real-life situations and reinforce your understanding of their meanings and usage.
• Learn word families and roots:  Understanding word families (groups of words that share a common root) and roots (the core part of a word from which other words are derived) deduces the meanings of unfamiliar words and expands your vocabulary more efficiently.
• Practice under timed conditions: To simulate the actual exam conditions, practice each section of the TOEFL under timed constraints. It will devise the proficiency to manage your time effectively during the exam.
• Participate in vocabulary challenges:   Join vocabulary challenges, such as "Word of the Day," to learn new words and test your knowledge. It will keep you motivated and make learning vocabulary more enjoyable.
• Monitor your progress regularly:  Revisit the TOEFL word list you have learned to reinforce your memory and ensure long-term retention. Regular review is essential for effective vocabulary learning, and also regularly assess your progress by taking practice tests. Adjust your study plan and TOEFL word list based on your progress and areas that require improvement.
• Keep a TOEFL vocabulary list 2023 journal:  Write down new words you encounter and their definitions in a journal. Review the TOEFL vocabulary list 2023 journal regularly to reinforce your learning and track your progress.
• Take professional help: If you find it challenging to prepare independently, contemplate seeking help from a qualified TOEFL tutor or enrolling in a preparation course. These resources offer personalized guidance and support to help you achieve your target score.
• Plan your answers:  The Writing and Speaking sections of the TOEFL exam require you to express your opinion and present arguments on various topics. To excel in these sections, prepare a rough outline or template for your answers, including your main points, supporting arguments, and examples. A clear structure will help you give well-organized and coherent responses during the test.
• Stay motivated and positive:   Preparing for the TOEFL exam is a little challenging, but staying motivated and maintaining a positive attitude throughout the process is essential. Celebrate your achievements, learn from your mistakes, and focus on your goals.

A strong vocabulary is indispensable to enhance overall English language proficiency and achieve success in the TOEFL exam. The TOEFL vocabulary list shared in this article presents essential words commonly used in academic settings. It will help you improve your TOEFL reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. By mastering this word list, you can take a step forward to understand complex English texts, express yourself more effectively, and perform well on the TOEFL exam.

Why is a strong vocabulary important for the TOEFL exam?

A strong vocabulary is crucial for the TOEFL exam as it helps you understand and use English in an academic setting. It allows you to comprehend complex texts, express your ideas clearly, and answer questions effectively. A rich vocabulary improves your English language command and helps you communicate confidently.

How can I improve my vocabulary for TOEFL?

 You can improve your vocabulary for TOEFL by following these tips:

• Read and listen from sources to encounter new words in context.
• Use flashcards and TOEFL vocabulary list apps to memorize new words effectively.
• Practice using new words in context through conversations, writing, and speaking.
• Learn word families and roots to expand your vocabulary more efficiently.
• Participate in vocabulary challenges to make learning more enjoyable.
• Review regularly to reinforce your memory and ensure long-term retention.

Can I use the words from the TOEFL vocabulary list in real-life English communication?

Yes, the words from the TOEFL vocabulary list are not only relevant for the exam but also commonly used in real-life English communication, especially in academic and professional contexts. By grasping these words, you can improve your English language command and effectively share your thoughts in diverse situations beyond the TOEFL exam.

IELTS Exam Overview

IELTS is required to be taken by international students and workers who wish to study or work in a country where English is the primary language of communication. Know the complete details.

IELTS Exam Syllabus

With the right knowledge of the IELTS exam syllabus and pattern, cracking the popular English test won’t be difficult.

• IELTS Exam Pattern

The IELTS exam pattern encompasses four major sections, i.e. listening, speaking, writing, and reading.

Register For IELTS

IELTS is the most popular and crucial test for evaluating English language proficiency throughout the world. Learn how to register for the IELTS exam.

IELTS Exam Eligibility Criteria

It becomes necessary for candidates to meet the eligibility for IELTS exam and demonstrate their language proficiency while being assessed on four parameters, namely, Writing, Reading, Speaking and Listening.

IELTS Exam Fees

The IELTS exam fee in India varies based on the types of IELTS tests. The link below shows detailed information on the IELTS exam fees.

IELTS Exam Dates 2022

The IELTS exam dates are allotted on a first-come and first-serve basis. Choose your date and timings beforehand to avoid the delay. You can register for the test both in online and offline mode.

IELTS Test Centres in India

Fully aware of the growing popularity of the language test, we bring to you a list of IELTS exam centers in India. The list will enable aspirants in better planning before registering for the test.

Band Score for Reading

IELTS reading band score decides the knowledge and proficiency of the English language of the applicants.

IELTS Listening Band Score

The listening section evaluates the comprehension level of candidates. The scores also depend on the understanding of different accents and dialects.

IELTS Score Validity

The IELTS score validity for General and Academic is two years across the globe. The IELTS result validity for Canada is two years.

• Types of IELTS Exam

There are two types of IELTS tests – i) Academic IELTS and ii) General Training IELTS. Candidates are often confused about making the right choice of IELTS test that can meet their requirements regarding their education or job.

Books for IELTS Preparation

Picking the best IELTS books for preparation is essential for scoring well. It may seem tough at first but cracking the examination successfully is not impossible.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics

Writing task 2 in IELTS is descriptive essay writing. The applicants are supposed to write an essay in response to the statement or situation given in the essay.

Tips for IELTS Writing

Before appearing for the test, let’s take a look at the below-mentioned IELTS writing tips and tricks to score well in the writing section.

Reading Section IELTS

Reading is the second part of the IELTS test and takes 60 minutes. It consists of three or sometimes four reading passages to increase difficulty, and there are a total of 40 questions to answer.

IELTS Speaking Preparation

Please note that your performance on the speaking test is assessed based on the following criteria- fluency and coherence, grammatical range and accuracy, lexical resource, and pronunciation.

Phrases for IELTS Speaking

There are many phrases for IELTS speaking that a candidate should practice beforehand. If you aim for band 9, you should know these phrases.

• IELTS Band Score Chart

IELTS is one of the most used English Language Proficiency Tests. The exam is scored in bands. Your IELTS band score determines the performance level of your test.

• IELTS Band Score

Understanding the IELTS band score is not difficult. The results of the examination are reported on a scale of 9 bands.

• IELTS Slot Booking

To book the IELTS exam, the candidates can either visit their nearest test center or book the slot online by visiting the official website of IDP. If they choose to go with the second option, they should follow the steps given below.

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

IELTS Academic writing is meant for students who are applying for top-ranked universities and colleges in English-speaking countries. The writing task one is an academic summary writing based on diagrammatic and graphical representation.

• IELTS Writing Task 2

Writing Task 2 is the second part of the writing section of IELTS, where aspirants are presented with a point of view, argument, or problem and asked to write an essay in response to the question.

Writing Task 1 IELTS

In IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 starts with a diagram, a visual representation of information. It can be a table, map, graph, process, diagram, or picture.

IELTS Essay Samples

The essay for IELTS is part of Writing Task 2. It is the same for the General Training and Academic of the IELTS. You will get a topic and have to write an essay on the same.

IELTS Cue Cards

The IELTS speaking cue cards come into play for the second part when the candidate will be choosing cue cards and then speaking on a topic for two minutes at least.

GRE Exam Registration

raduate Record Examination (GRE) is one of the biggest and most popular global tests held by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). It is a standardized examination for entry into courses like MBA, MS, and others at universities worldwide.

GRE Exam Dates for 2023

Booking GRE exam dates 2023 is a simple procedure. You can register by paying US$213 (approx. INR 15,700) and providing your valid passport copy or relevant ID.

The GRE exam fee in India is around $213 with effect from 1st July 2023. The examination fee in many other countries is $205 while the GRE exam fee for India is the same as countries like Turkey, Australia, China, and Nigeria. The fee for the GRE Subject

GRE Exam Pattern and Syllabus

GRE is an admission prerequisite at most universities in countries such as the USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Singapore. You should have a detailed understanding of the GRE syllabus and its exam pattern before you commit your time.

GMAT Exam Eligibility

The organizing body has set no official eligibility requirements in terms of academic qualification. There is no minimum or maximum academic qualification or degree requirement for test-takers.

How to Register for GMAT

Wondering how to register for the GMAT exam? You should know that GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is a leading management entrance test that is held throughout the year and aspirants have ample flexibility with regard to taking the examination.

GMAT Exam Date 2023

Booking your GMAT exam dates in India is not a difficult process. You should keep a few things in mind beforehand.

GMAT Score & Results

The GMAT exam score is calculated basis a fixed scale and is visible on the GMAT Score Report. Students need to understand the details of their score reports.

GMAT Test Centers in India

The GMAT or Graduate Management Admission Test may be taken online by candidates or at the designated GMAT exam centers in India.

GMAT Exam Fees in India

The GMAT exam fee in India is US$275, which is approximately ₹21,000. To avoid multiple attempts, it is strongly advised that students prepare thoroughly for the test.

GMAT Exam Syllabus

A complete and detailed understanding of the GMAT syllabus and the breakdown of the exam pattern can increase your chances of earning a high score.

MBA Without GMAT in Canada

Doing an MBA without GMAT in Canada is possible at some institutions. While most universities look for GRE or GMAT scores, some have different requirements.

MBA without GMAT in UK

Thinking of pursuing an MBA in UK without GMAT? Well, it is possible. The United Kingdom (UK) offers several Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs, including full-time MBA courses and executive MBA programs.

MBA without GMAT in USA

https://www.upgradabroad.com/exam/gmat/mba-in-usa-without-gmat

MS in BA in USA Without GRE

A course in business analytics is steadily attaining popularity throughout the USA. It is available at more than 150 institutions in the country.

MS in Data Science in USA Without GRE

Let us for now look at how you can complete your MS in data science in the USA without GRE.

GRE exam results are available over aspirants' ETS accounts. When their scores are available, ETS will send them an email.

Here's how to write a GRE AWA essay and get into a competitive graduate program.

PTE Examination Eligibility Criteria

There are no specific PTE exam eligibility criteria set by Pearson VUE – the organizers of the test.

PTE Academic Syllabus

PTE syllabus includes various sections such as Speaking and Writing, Reading, and Listening.

The PTE exam pattern is designed to test whether candidates can study at international institutions that have English as the main language for instructions.

PTE exam fees in India are INR 14,700, including taxes. You can choose your slot with this fee two days in advance.

Here is a list of PTE exam centers in India that you can check out. Please note that owing to the COVID pandemic, several centers are still closed.

PTE Exam Dates 2022

The PTE 2022 examination list has been released officially by the authorities conducting the examination.

PTE Accepted Universities in USA

After all, America is home to some world-class universities. Let’s discuss PTE-accepted universities in USA.

PTE Accepted Universities in Canada

Canada is a country that is renowned for the quality of its educational infrastructure. As a result, it is no surprise that a list of PTE accepted universities in Canada is sought-after.

SAT Exam Dates & Deadlines for 2022

The SAT exam dates fall on Saturdays and the test is generally conducted on 7 Saturdays every year; the deadline for registration is four weeks prior to the date of the test.

SAT Exam Syllabus

According to the latest update on SAT syllabus 2022, SAT Subject Tests and the SAT optional essays have been discontinued which has now reduced the duration of the exam by 50 minutes.

Understanding the SAT exam pattern is of paramount importance for all those who want to study undergraduate courses from universities or colleges abroad.

SAT Scholarship for Indian Students

The College Board India Scholars Program offers the SAT scholarship for Indian students. This scholarship helps students receive education from renowned institutes worldwide.

How to Register for SAT Exam

How to register for the SAT examination? Stay assured that the procedure is not at all complex. Students desirous of obtaining admission into bachelor’s or undergraduate courses in the US or Canada will find this to be an important examination.

ACT exam syllabus

It is very important for ACT aspirants to be aware of the complete ACT exam syllabus, as it will help them to avoid any surprises on the day of the examination.

ACT exam pattern

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Registration of the ACT examination is done through the official website online. Applicants need to register for the test at least two months before the test date.

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Let's take a close look at the ABCs of the ACT exam and help you prepare with some essential ACT study tips.

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It is important to know the ACT dates for the year 2022 if you are planning to appear anytime soon.

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TOEFL Vocabulary List: 150+ Top Words to Know

One of the most challenging aspects of studying for the TOEFL is developing good TOEFL vocabulary skills, but it is, in fact, one of the most vital. Many TOEFL questions either ask you to define a word or require you to know the definition of a word to answer a question correctly. Which words do you need to know out of the millions in the English language?

It’s a tough call, right? Do not worry; we have made the work easier for you and identified the top TOEFL words you should know before taking the test. They are listed below, together with their meanings and sample sentences for better comprehension. 

What is TOEFL?

How did we compile this toefl vocabulary list, topic: food crops, topic: disaster, topic: evolution and migration, topic: time efficiency, topic: computers, topic: memory, topic: illness, topic: surgery, topic: culture , topic: society, topic: academics, topic: military, topic: history, topic: finance, topic: social classification, topic: employment, topic: trading, topic: politics, topic: court, topic: government, how to customize your vocabulary list, the best way to use your toefl flashcards, additional faqs – toefl vocabulary.

Additional Reading – TOEFL Vocabulary

Why is the Ultimate Vocabulary List for the TOEFL Special?

How to use this toefl vocabulary list.

The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is a standardized test used to assess non-native speakers’ English language competence to enroll in English-speaking universities. 

It assesses all four language skills: Reading , Listening , Speaking , and Writing in the same way that IELTS and Duolingo English Test do. 

The TOEFL Syllabus emphasizes polished vocabulary since it aids students in each exam segment. 

The TOEFL is a collection of tests, with the TOEFL IBT and TOEFL Essentials being the most popular.

TOEFL ITP (Institutional Testing Program) , TOEFL Junior , and TOEFL Primary are the other tests in the TOEFL series.

These other TOEFL forms are only available through students’ schools.

In April 2021, the TOEFL PBT (Paper Based Test or Paper-delivered Test) was phased out.

Accept the fact that the TOEFL will contain at least a few words that you are unfamiliar with. So, what’s the point of learning vocabulary? This is why: Each word will gradually become part of your functioning language as you learn vocabulary words. 

Consider this to be a toolset. Each phrase you add becomes another tool for whatever task you are working on. 

You have a toolbox of excellent TOEFL words to choose from, whether you are working on the TOEFL Reading test , the TOEFL Writing test , or simply having a conversation with a neighbor.

To compile this list, we went through official TOEFL practice resources and compiled a list of all the words that a TOEFL taker would have trouble with. This was our primary source, as it identifies words that are more likely to appear on the actual exam. 

The final TOEFL vocabulary list you see below includes words that emerged particularly frequently during our research, as well as a selection of other words judged particularly useful to know for the TOEFL . 

We provided a definition and a sample sentence to each of the 300 TOEFL words after compiling the list to assist you in better understanding the words and how they are used.

The 150 TOEFL Words You Need to Know

One of the best ways to make yourself ready for the TOEFL is to enhance your vocabulary. Have a set of vocabulary list (just like above) to study. Eliminate all of the common TOEFL words from the vocabulary list that take too much room. 

Similarly, you should eliminate any words that are unknown to you and that you have never heard before. These two processes are necessary since you cannot just memorize many new terms right before your TOEFL exam.

This is where a tutor can assist you in filtering out extraneous terms that are irrelevant to your level. The words you employ should match the rest of your language to sound natural. 

If you want to make this yourself, use some online dictionaries whenever you come across a word that you think you have heard before but cannot remember the meaning of. 

If you do not know how to use a new word, do not worry about it. Instead, concentrate on the new ones you can recall easily.

Assessing your abilities ahead of time can save you time and allow you to concentrate solely on the areas you are weak at. Most vocabulary lists and publications often collect around 5000 TOEFL words to achieve a high TOEFL score. 

No one expects you to know 5000 TOEFL words off by heart. The ability to use words appropriately in specific settings, rather than the number of words you know, is used by TOEFL examiners to determine your fluency.

“Learn five words a day,” is the golden rule. You cannot, however, memorize five words from a random list. The greatest approach to remembering new terminology is utilizing them in different scenarios, dialogues, and compositions.

If you already know at least 50-60% of the terms in the vocabulary list, your learning strategy will be completely different. Remember that an ideal list should be between 600 and 800 words long.

Ensure that you are having fun while you are learning. We have all grown up with familiar vocabulary games like scrabble and Pictionary. 

Flashcards , on the other hand, are the most effective. You do not require a partner for this, so you can do it whenever you like.

As a result, while studying for the TOEFL words, construct flashcards. Use different colors to categorize your flashcards based on the categories you have chosen. 

The word should be mentioned on one side, and “a definition” and “contextual examples” should be described on the other. When you have a five-minute break, have a look at these flashcards. Make sure you get at least five of these breaks every day. 

Should You Pick Up a Ready-Made Vocabulary List?

While there are a variety of TOEFL vocabulary lists available, we recommend creating your own. When it comes to acquiring language, one approach does not suit all. Every student memorizes words at a different rate and with a distinct aptitude. 

Some people are better at picking up new words and adding them to their already large vocabulary. 

On the other hand, others will need to spend more time memorizing each term because they haven’t used many distinct words before. Determine your present level of TOEFL word knowledge and start from there. Taking a TOEFL sample exam is the simplest way to achieve this. 

Why Do I Need to Have a Vocabulary List Based on Categories?

You must prepare a set of TOEFL words that are based on categories. This will make it less challenging to remember the words because they are connected and related. 

Having 20 sets of vocabulary with ten words each is easier to study than having a set of 200 words. 

How Can I Memorize TOEFL Words?

Memorizing TOEFL words is challenging, and a technique that works for others may not work for you. 

However, one of the most proven ways to memorize them is by creating categories. In this way, you will remember the terminologies easier and better because you have a common topic. Just like the table above, you can start by choosing the different categories of your interest and listing the related words. 

Should I Study American English or British English for the TOEFL?

Even though the exam was designed and administered by an American organization ( ETS ), it is expected that test-takers are worldwide. 

As a result, when taking the TOEFL, it is noted that you may use either of the two, British English or American English , but must remain consistent throughout the exam.

• Top Grammar Rules for TOEFL
• Essential Words for the TOEFL Test

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TOEFL Tuesday: Vocabulary for the Independent Essay

We’re returning to our TOEFL vocabulary this Tuesday, and we’re going to focus on a new type of word: vocabulary you can use in your essays. Of course, many of the other words we covered in past TOEFL Tuesday videos also could be used in essays, but the three I discuss below are all particularly helpful for the independent essay .

Before I get started with definitions and examples, though, all the example sentences in this week’s post are on the same topic. Here is the sample topic for the TOEFL independent essay that we’re going to use for our examples.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? See specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

We should stop spending money on space exploration, in order to use the funds on other purposes.

This word is actually more common in its other meaning, a use you won’t see on the TOEFL. A “conviction” is a decision by a judge that somebody committed a crime. For example, if I stole money from a bank, and the police caught me, after going court a judge might convict me of the crime. And after that conviction I might go to jail.

In reality, I don’t have any convictions (I hope you’re not surprised by that!). At least, I don’t have any convictions of the legal type. The other type of conviction, more helpful for the TOEFL, is really just a belief. It is a very strong, belief, though. It is something you absolutely, definitely think to be true. Writing “It is my conviction that we should not spend more money on space travel” is a bit strange, because most people don’t have such strong opinions on that topic. Avoid that mistake.

But for opinions that are almost never going to change and that you have already thought a lot about, you can say “It is my conviction that…” or the more idiomatic “I’m of the conviction that…”

I’m of the conviction that government money should be spent carefully on only essentials.

This word is great because it carries a lot of meaning. When you say that something is “ostensibly” true, it means that other people say it’s true, but you don’t really believe it or are unsure. So this gives you the opportunity to introduce an idea that you disagree with, then state how and why you disagree. It also helps if you want to introduce a theory or idea that doesn’t match the facts.

After you use it, use the word “but” to return to your opinion—the information you say is actually true.

The money spent on space exploration will ostensibly pay us back with priceless discoveries, but there are few recent examples of that happening.

While “ostensibly” helps you to provide opinions or information that is opposite your belief but is false, “granted” helps you provide facts that contradict your beliefs but are true. Very generally, here is the structure.

A is true. Granted , some information suggests B is true, but A is more important because…

Notice that at the end, I again used that word “but” and returned to my argument for A. “Granted” is not a way to argue for the opposite side. It is simply a way to recognize that side, but you still have to contradict it.

In my example below, I recognize that we can save money in other parts of government spending—not just space exploration. But I also point out why that’s not important, and why space exploration should still be stopped.

Granted, we spend more on military efforts and education than we do on space exploration, but those expenses have clearer purposes than does space exploration, which has few clear benefits.

Lucas is the teacher behind Magoosh TOEFL. He’s been teaching TOEFL preparation and more general English since 2009, and the SAT since 2008. Between his time at Bard College and teaching abroad, he has studied Japanese, Czech, and Korean. None of them come in handy, nowadays.

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TOEFL integrated writing task 2023 | Examples and sample essay.

Want to excel in the toefl writing task elevate your skills with the most up-to-date examples, carefully crafted sample essays, and insights in 2023. maximize your potential to succeed in the integrated writing task., table of contents, introduction, toefl integrated writing task structure and format , toefl writing task topics , toefl writing task sample , toefl writing task pdf and other resources , strategies for toefl integrated writing task , scoring criteria for toefl writing task , key tips for success , example 1: environmental conservation , example 2: technological advancements in medicine , introduction: , body: , key takeaways .

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is a critical stepping stone for students who aspire to study in English-speaking universities. The TOEFL writing task is one part of this examination that can often become a cause for concern. It not only tests your ability to understand English but also your ability to express thoughts, ideas, and opinions in a clear and precise manner. 

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore various aspects of the TOEFL writing task, including topics, samples, format, and specific answers to common questions. The information provided is tailored to the 2023 edition of the test, ensuring relevance and applicability to your preparation. So, if you’re planning to take on this challenge in 2023, let’s begin by understanding the structure and requirements of the TOEFL writing task. 

The TOEFL integrated writing task is the first of the two writing tasks in the TOEFL exam. It’s designed to assess your ability to combine listening and reading skills to write a coherent and well-structured essay. Here’s a detailed breakdown: 

• Reading passage : A passage around 200-250 words long is provided. You’ll have three minutes to read it. 
• Listening clip : A short lecture related to the reading passage is played. You’ll be given time to take notes to remember the content better. 
• Writing task : You will have 20 minutes to write a response of about 150-225 words, summarizing the points made in the lecture and explaining how they relate to specific points in the reading passage. 

The topics for the TOEFL integrated writing task are generally academic and range from subjects like history, science, art, and social sciences. Here’s an example of how the topics will be given: 

• Reading passage : An excerpt will be provided about Renaissance art and its influence. 
• Listening clip : A lecture discussing a specific Renaissance painting. 
• Writing task : Compare and contrast the information in the reading passage and the lecture.

Practicing in advance by working on such topics will help you write and format your writing tasks better. Here’s a sample for you to practice: 

• Reading passage: Brief description of climate change and its effects. 
• Listening clip : A lecture discussing various solutions to combat climate change.
• Writing task : Summarize the solutions from the lecture and relate them to the problems mentioned in the reading passage. 

To support your preparation, TOEFL writing task PDF materials, containing practice questions and samples are available online. These resources often include: 

• Guides on TOEFL writing format 
• Collection of TOEFL writing samples with answers PDF 
• TOEFL writing task 1 sample answers and TOEFL writing task 2 sample answers 
• Practice tests for TOEFL writing task 2 

These materials are instrumental in understanding the pattern and honing your skills to succeed in the TOEFL writing task. 

• Understanding the structure : Familiarize yourself with the TOEFL writing format, including reading, listening, and writing phases. 
• Time management: Allocate time for reading, note-taking, and writing, keeping in mind the 20-minute time limit for the writing task. 
• Note-taking skills : Practice jotting down crucial points from both the reading passage and the listening clip. Focus on the main ideas, supporting details, and the relationship between the reading and listening parts. 
• Creating an outline : Before diving into writing, create a rough outline to organize your thoughts. This helps in maintaining coherence and connection between various sections of the essay. 
• Practicing with samples : Utilize the TOEFL writing task sample, TOEFL writing task 1 sample answers, and TOEFL writing task 2 sample answers for regular practice. 

Understanding the scoring can guide you in preparing effectively. The TOEFL integrated writing task is scored on a scale of 0-5 based on the following criteria: 

• Content : Accuracy, completeness, and connection between reading and listening. 
• Organization : Logical progression, clear introduction, body, and conclusion. 
• Language use : Grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, and overall fluency.
• Use transitional phrases : Transitional words like “however,” “in addition,” and “therefore” can help in maintaining the flow. 
• Avoid repetition : While using keywords is vital, avoid unnecessary repetition. Make sure your content is varied and engaging. 
• Proofread : Reserve some time at the end for revising and correcting errors.
• Access Quality Resources : Consider TOEFL writing samples with answers PDF, TOEFL writing task PDF guides, and practice tests for well-rounded preparation.
• Tables, quizzes, and other interactive elements: Incorporating tables and quizzes can be an excellent way to enhance the learning experience. For instance, a table comparing different TOEFL writing task topics or a quiz testing understanding of TOEFL writing format can be included in online learning platforms or books. 

Examples of TOEFL integrated writing task 

The TOEFL integrated writing task presents a unique challenge to assess your ability to analyze information from both a reading passage and a lecture. In this task, you must demonstrate your comprehension of the material and your capacity to connect ideas between the text and the spoken content. To give you a clearer picture, let’s dive into a few illustrative examples of TOEFL-integrated writing tasks:

Reading passage : Description of deforestation and its impact on biodiversity.

Listening Clip : A lecture discussing various conservation methods employed globally. 

Writing task: 

• Reading: The passage highlights the critical loss of forests, leading to a decline in biodiversity and environmental balance. 
• Listening: The speaker introduces multiple conservation techniques such as reforestation, wildlife corridors, and legal enforcement. 
• Essay: The essay must summarise the conservation methods mentioned in the lecture and relate them to the problems of deforestation and biodiversity loss detailed in the reading passage. 

Reading passage: An overview of the traditional medical practices and their limitations. 

Listening clip: A lecture elaborating on recent technological advancements in medical diagnostics and treatments. 

Writing task : 

• Reading: The passage outlines traditional medical practices, emphasizing their limitations in accuracy and efficiency. 
• Listening : The lecturer elaborates on cutting-edge technologies like AI-powered diagnostics, robotic surgeries, and personalized medicine.
• Essay : The essay should connect the advancements discussed in the lecture with the limitations outlined in the reading passage, showcasing how technology is revolutionizing medical practice. 

In-depth Analysis of a Sample Essay | Environmental conservation 

The essay must have a good flow and cohesiveness. This makes it easier to understand and leave a good impression. Here is the in-depth analysis of an essay on environmental conservation.

“The loss of forests and biodiversity has long been a global concern. However, modern conservation methods, as described in the lecture, offer promising solutions to the challenges outlined in the reading passage.” 

• Paragraph 1: Discuss reforestation, its importance, and how it directly addresses deforestation. 
• Paragraph 2: Explore wildlife corridors and their role in preserving biodiversity. 
• Paragraph 3 : Explain legal enforcement, international agreements, and their impact on conservation efforts. 
• The TOEFL-integrated writing task involves reading, listening, and writing. Understand the flow and practice each part. 
• Make use of TOEFL writing samples with answers PDF, TOEFL writing task PDF guides, and various other materials for practice. 
• Your essay should logically connect the reading and listening parts, maintaining a clear and concise structure. 

The innovative conservation techniques described in the lecture provide a comprehensive approach to combating the grave issues of deforestation and biodiversity loss mentioned in the reading passage. These methods signify hope and progress in environmental preservation. 

We hope you found this article insightful. If you have any more queries please reach out to us and get them solved quickly!

Liked this blog? Read: TOEFL requirements 2023 | Documents and minimum requirements guide. 

1. How much time do I have for the TOEFL Integrated Writing Task? 

Ans. You have 3 minutes to read the passage, a listening time for the clip, and 20 minutes to write the essay. 

2. Can I take notes during the listening part of the TOEFL Writing Task? 

Ans. Yes, taking notes is allowed and advisable during the listening portion.

3. What types of topics are covered in the TOEFL Writing Task Topics? 

Ans. Topics are typically academic, ranging from history, science, art to social sciences. 

4. Where can I find TOEFL Writing Task 1 sample answers and TOEFL Writing Task 2 sample answers? 

Ans. Various online platforms, prep books, and official TOEFL guides provide these samples.

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Shadow War Between Iran and Israel: A Timeline

A recent round of strikes has brought the conflict more clearly into the open and raised fears of a broader war.

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By Cassandra Vinograd

• April 19, 2024

For decades, Israel and Iran have fought a shadow war across the Middle East , trading attacks by land, sea, air and in cyberspace. A recent round of strikes — mainly an aerial barrage by Iran against Israel last weekend — has brought the conflict more clearly into the open and raised fears of a broader war.

A retaliatory Israeli strike on an Iranian air base on Friday, however, appeared limited in scope, and analysts said it suggested an effort to pull back from the dangerous cycle and potentially move the war back into the shadows.

Here is a recent history of the conflict:

August 2019: An Israeli airstrike killed two Iranian-trained militants in Syria, a drone set off a blast near a Hezbollah office in Lebanon and an airstrike in Qaim, Iraq, killed a commander of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia. Israel accused Iran at the time of trying to establish an overland arms-supply line through Iraq and northern Syria to Lebanon, and analysts said the strikes were aimed at stopping Iran and signaling to its proxies that Israel would not tolerate a fleet of smart missiles on its borders.

January 2020: Israel greeted with satisfaction the assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani , the commander of the foreign-facing arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, in an American drone strike in Baghdad.

Iran hit back by attacking two bases in Iraq that housed American troops with a barrage of missiles, wounding about 100 U.S. military personnel .

2021-22: In July 2021, an oil tanker managed by an Israeli-owned shipping company was attacked off the coast of Oman, killing two crew members, according to the company and three Israeli officials. Two of the officials said that the attack appeared to have been carried out by Iranian drones.

Iran did not explicitly claim or deny responsibility, but a state-owned television channel described the episode as a response to an Israeli strike in Syria.

In November 2021, Israel killed Iran’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh , and followed up with the assassination of a Revolutionary Guards commander, Col. Sayad Khodayee , in May 2022.

December 2023: After Israel’s bombardment of Gaza began in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault, Iranian-backed militias stepped up their own attacks . And late last year, Iran accused Israel of killing a high-level military figure, Brig. Gen. Sayyed Razi Mousavi , in a missile strike in Syria.

A senior adviser to the Revolutionary Guards, General Mousavi was described as having been a close associate of General Suleimani and was said to have helped oversee the shipment of arms to Hezbollah. Israel, adopting its customary stance, declined to comment directly on whether it was behind General Mousavi’s death.

January 2024: An explosion in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, killed Saleh al-Arouri , a Hamas leader, along with two commanders from that group’s armed wing, the first assassination of a top Hamas official outside the West Bank and Gaza in recent years. Officials from Hamas, Lebanon and the United States ascribed the blast to Israel , which did not publicly confirm involvement.

Hezbollah, which receives major support from Iran, stepped up its assaults on Israel after Mr. al-Arouri’s death. Israel’s military hit back at Hezbollah in Lebanon, killing several of the group’s commanders .

March: An Israeli drone strike hit a car in southern Lebanon, killing at least one person. Israel’s military said it had killed the deputy commander of Hezbollah’s rocket and missile unit. Hezbollah acknowledged the death of a man, Ali Abdulhassan Naim, but did not provide further details.

The same day, airstrikes killed soldiers near Aleppo, northern Syria, in what appeared to be one of the heaviest Israeli attacks in the country in years. The strikes killed 36 Syrian soldiers, seven Hezbollah fighters and a Syrian from a pro-Iran militia, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group that tracks Syria’s civil war.

Israel’s military did not claim responsibility. But the country’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, wrote on social media, “We will pursue Hezbollah every place it operates and we will expand the pressure and the pace of the attacks.”

April: A strike on an Iranian Embassy building in Damascus on April 1 killed three top Iranian commanders and four officers. Iran blamed Israel and vowed to hit back forcefully.

Two weeks later, Tehran launched a barrage of more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel, an unexpectedly large-scale attack , although nearly all the weapons were shot down by Israel and allies. Israel said for days it would respond, before a strike on Friday hit a military air base near the central Iranian city of Isfahan.

Test Resources

TOEFL® Resources by Michael Goodine

Complete toefl essay templates (2023 update).

TOEFL essay templates can help you answer both of the TOEFL writing questions.  To write a strong TOEFL essay just fill in the blanks with the required information from your notes (in the integrated essay) or from your ideas (the writing for an academic discussion task). Note that I also have a set of TOEFL speaking templates . If you want more personalized help with your essays you can sign up for our TOEFL essay evaluation service .

Integrated Essay Template (Writing Question One)

The introduction.

No matter what question style is used, write your introduction using the following template:

• The reading and the lecture are both about _____. 
• While the author of the article argues that ____, the lecturer disputes the claims mentioned in the article.
• His position is that _____.

The Body Paragraphs

Use the following templates for the body paragraphs:

• According to the reading  _____.
• The article mentions that _____.
• This lecturer challenges this argument.
• He claims that _____.
• Additionally, he points out that ______.
• Secondly, the author suggests ______.
• The article notes that _____.
• The lecturer, however, asserts that ______.
• He goes on to say that ______.
• Finally, the author puts forth the idea that _____.
• The author contends that _____.
• In contrast, the lecturer’s stance is  _____.
• He says that _____.

You don’t need a conclusion.

Your TOEFL integrated essay should be about 280 to 300 words. To see this template in use, check out my collection of sample essays .

Writing for Academic Discussion (Writing Question Two)

Here’s a template that focuses on expanding on and challenging the points mentioned by the other students.

• This is a challenging topic, but I think that  [respond directly to the question].
• I strongly agree with  [student]’s  idea that  [mention one point made by the student]. 
• I’d add that  [expand on the point with your own idea].
• While  [other student]  raised the relevant point that  [mention one point made by the other student],  he/she didn’t mention that  [challenge that point].
• For example  [elaborate on your challenge with your own ideas].

Here’s a template that focuses on giving an entirely new answer and ignoring the other student responses.

• While I appreciate the points mentioned by both  STUDENT 1  and  STUDENT 2 , I think that …
• [elaborate on your idea for a few sentences]
• Remember that  [elaborate on your point],  so  [elaborate on your point].
• Some people may feel that  [mention a potential challenge],  but  [respond to this challenge].

Your response should be a little more than 100 words.  You can also check out my collection of sample questions .

Demonstration Video

Further reading – need more help need speaking templates.

We also have in-depth guides to the academic discussion  and integrated writing tasks.  Check them out!  We also have TOEFL speaking templates . 

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TOEFL Prep Online Guides and Tips

The best toefl writing templates for any prompt.

Even if English composition isn’t your forte, you can still earn a high score on the TOEFL Writing section by following a template. But what exactly is a TOEFL Writing template? Simply put, TOEFL essay templates teach you how to organize your thoughts, select strong pieces of evidence, and get the Writing score you want .

In this article, we’re providing you with  two high-quality TOEFL essay templates for the Integrated and Independent Writing tasks. Before that, we’ll go over the differences between the two TOEFL Writing tasks and then discuss how our TOEFL essay templates can benefit you. After, we’ll teach you how to customize and use our templates.

What Essays Will You Write on the TOEFL?

The Writing section is the final section you’ll face on the TOEFL, and it consists of two separate tasks: an Integrated Writing task and an Independent Writing task . The Integrated task requires you to write a response comparing a lecture and an article, whereas the Independent task requires you to write an opinionated essay in which you agree or disagree with an idea.

Below, we examine the two TOEFL Writing tasks in detail.

Integrated Writing Task

For the Integrated task, you must read a passage on an academic topic for three minutes and then listen to a short lecture on the same topic. This lecture will either support or challenge what’s written in the passage. Your response must  summarize the main points discussed in the lecture and explain how these points relate to the reading .

You’ll have a total of  20 minutes to write your response. Your response should be around  150-225 words . During this time, you may reread the passage; however, you may not listen to the lecture again.

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The score you receive for this task will be on a scale of 0-5 . According to the official rubric , a level-5 essay (i.e., a perfect essay) selects the most crucial information from the lecture and presents it in a coherent, accurate, and well-organized manner. A level-3 essay is satisfactory but overall vague, with fewer key points and several grammatical errors. Finally, a level-1 essay offers minimal coherency and fails to address any of the main points in the lecture. ETS (the creators of the TOEFL) offers  several samples of scored Integrated essays  online.

Below is an example of an Integrated Writing task borrowed from  ETS :

Reading Passage

Critics say that current voting systems used in the United States are inefficient and often lead to the inaccurate counting of votes. Miscounts can be especially damaging if an election is closely contested. Those critics would like the traditional systems to be replaced with far more efficient and trustworthy computerized voting systems.

In traditional voting, one major source of inaccuracy is that people accidentally vote for the wrong candidate. Voters usually have to find the name of their candidate on a large sheet of paper containing many names—the ballot—and make a small mark next to that name. People with poor eyesight can easily mark the wrong name. The computerized voting machines have an easy-to-use touch-screen technology: to cast a vote, a voter needs only to touch the candidate’s name on the screen to record a vote for that candidate; voters can even have the computer magnify the name for easier viewing.

Another major problem with old voting systems is that they rely heavily on people to count the votes. Officials must often count up the votes one by one, going through every ballot and recording the vote. Since they have to deal with thousands of ballots, it is almost inevitable that they will make mistakes. If an error is detected, a long and expensive recount has to take place. In contrast, computerized systems remove the possibility of human error, since all the vote counting is done quickly and automatically by the computers.

Finally some people say it is too risky to implement complicated voting technology nationwide. But without giving it a thought, governments and individuals alike trust other complex computer technology every day to be perfectly accurate in banking transactions as well as in the communication of highly sensitive information.

Lecture Transcript

(Narrator) Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.

(Female professor) While traditional voting systems have some problems, it’s doubtful that computerized voting will make the situation any better. Computerized voting may seem easy for people who are used to computers. But what about people who aren’t? People who can’t afford computers, people who don’t use them on a regular basis—these people will have trouble using computerized voting machines. These voters can easily cast the wrong vote or be discouraged from voting altogether because of fear of technology. Furthermore, it’s true that humans make mistakes when they count up ballots by hand. But are we sure that computers will do a better job? After all, computers are programmed by humans, so “human error” can show up in mistakes in their programs. And the errors caused by these defective programs may be far more serious. The worst a human official can do is miss a few ballots. But an error in a computer program can result in thousands of votes being miscounted or even permanently removed from the record. And in many voting systems, there is no physical record of the votes, so a computer recount in the case of a suspected error is impossible! As for our trust of computer technology for banking and communications, remember one thing: these systems are used daily and they are used heavily. They didn’t work flawlessly when they were first introduced. They had to be improved on and improved on until they got as reliable as they are today. But voting happens only once every two years nationally in the United States and not much more than twice a year in many local areas. This is hardly sufficient for us to develop confidence that computerized voting can be fully trusted.

Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage.

Independent Writing Task

For the Independent task, you will write about your opinion on a certain topic . You must provide clear reasons and specific examples for why you agree or disagree with the issue or statement. (This doesn’t have to be your real opinion, though!) You’ll have 30 minutes to write your response. A typical high-scoring essay is at least 300 words .

You’ll receive a score on a scale of 0-5 . According to the official rubric , a level-5 essay effectively addresses the topic, provides clear and ample details, and contains at most only minor issues with grammar and word choice. A level-3 essay offers a generally coherent response with occasional slips in clarity. Finally, a level-1 essay offers little to no detail and contains multiple technical errors. You can look at samples of Independent essays  on the ETS website.

Here is an example of an Independent Writing task taken from ETS :

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

Always telling the truth is the most important consideration in any relationship.

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Integrated Task vs. Independent Task

So far we’ve covered all of the basic components of the TOEFL Writing tasks. To briefly recap, here is an overview of the Integrated and Independent Writing tasks:

What Is a TOEFL Writing Template?

The purpose of a TOEFL Writing template is to help you compose a detailed and eloquent essay — and of course get you a high Writing score! But what exactly is a template?

It’s easiest to think of an essay template as a skeleton . While a skeleton is the framework for a body, a template is the framework for an essay . Thus, a TOEFL Writing template highlights basic structural patterns and phrases you can integrate into your own writing. What a template doesn’t do is write your essay for you. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how you’ll add the skin and muscles (i.e., the details and supporting evidence) to your “skeleton.”

Furthermore, writing templates are typically created to suit different types of essays . For example, a template for a compare/contrast essay will differ from a template for an editorial piece. This is why it’s so important you use a writing template specifically geared toward the TOEFL!

What Are the Benefits of a TOEFL Writing Template?

There are three major benefits to using a TOEFL Writing template.

It Organizes Your Thoughts

Using a TOEFL Writing template ensures you’ll have a focused and well-organized response . A high-quality template teaches you how to structure your response so that your introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs are all clearly defined. This way, even if your grammar and spelling aren’t perfect, your response will still have an overall strong framework that’s easy to follow.

TOEFL essay templates also show you  what kinds of transitions you can use and where . Transitions are a key component of essays that allow you to connect your thoughts and progress to new ideas smoothly. Truth be told, you probably won’t score super highly on the TOEFL Writing section if you don’t use any transitions!

It Saves You Time

Another big benefit of using a TOEFL Writing template is that it saves you time on the Writing section. Since you’ll already have a sense of how you’re going to structure your essay,  you’ll spend less time planning it out and   coming up with transitions, openings, and closings. As a result, you’ll get more time to actually write out your response!

It Gives You Confidence

Lastly, a TOEFL Writing template allows you to  feel more prepared on test day. Many test takers find it difficult to write out responses to English-language prompts in only 20 or 30 minutes. But TOEFL essay templates equip you with the skills you’ll need to feel more confident in your writing skills — and confidence is the first step toward getting a great TOEFL score!

2 TOEFL Essay Templates for You to Use

In this section, we offer you   a TOEFL Integrated Writing template and an Independent Writing TOEFL template . We also provide you with a handy list of key transitional words and phrases  you can incorporate into your essays.

Please note that you do not need to follow these templates directly. In fact, we strongly encourage you to replace our sample words and phrases with your own . We will talk more about how to customize our TOEFL essay templates in the following section. But for now, let’s take a look at the templates!

Template 1: Integrated Writing Task

Before we dive into our TOEFL Integrated Writing template, let’s get a quick reminder of what the Integrated task entails.

For this task, you’ll read a passage and then listen to a lecture. Your task is to summarize the lecture and explain whether the lecture challenges or supports what’s written in the passage. You’ll have 20 minutes to compose a response of around 150-225 words .

We’ll divide our template into four paragraphs:  an introduction and three body paragraphs . You shouldn’t need a separate concluding paragraph for this task, as you can still score a 5 without one (plus, you likely won’t have enough time to write one!). But if you want to write a conclusion, just be sure you keep it short —  two to three sentences  at most.

Now, on to the TOEFL Integrated Writing template!

Paragraph 1 (Introduction)

Your first paragraph will introduce the lecture and how it relates to the reading. This paragraph doesn’t need to be long; a simple  two or three sentences should suffice.

1. Begin with a topic sentence that summarizes the main point of the lecture.

• According to the lecture, …
• Based on the lecture, …
• The lecturer states/believes that …
• The lecturer talks about …
• The lecturer discusses …

2. Next, explain whether the passage refutes or supports the main point of the lecture.

Examples (Contrast):

• By contrast, the author of the passage explains/states/posits that …
• The author of the passage, however, disagrees with this idea/belief. Instead, he/she believes that …
• The author of the passage, however, doubts this idea/belief and thinks that …
• The author challenges this point, however, by explaining/suggesting/positing that …

Examples (Agreement):

• This line of thinking agrees with that of the author, who states that …
• The author of the passage agrees with this notion/idea/belief, stating that …
• Likewise, the author of the passage explains/states/posits that …
• The author of the passage supports this idea/belief, explaining that …

Paragraph 2 (Body)

In this paragraph, you’ll want to focus on one of the key points in the lecture and explain whether the passage refutes or supports this idea.

1. Introduce the main point you’ll be discussing.

• First, the lecturer asserts/claims/suggests that …
• For one, the lecturer thinks/believes that …
• The first point the lecturer makes is that …

2. Next, describe this particular point in more detail and then discuss how the passage either refutes or supports it. I suggest using one to two sentences here.

• On the other hand, the author asserts/claims/suggests that …
• Likewise, the author thinks/believes that …
• This concept is refuted/supported by the passage, which asserts/claims/suggests that …

3. Finally, conclude your paragraph by explaining what this difference or similarity means .

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• This difference/similarity ultimately means/indicates that …
• Basically, the lecturer/author is saying that …
• The lecturer and author are essentially in agreement with each other. Both think/believe that …
• Clearly, the lecturer and author maintain different views on …

Paragraph 3 (Body)

In this paragraph, you’ll focus on another key point in the lecture and again discuss how the passage either agrees or disagrees with this idea. The structure here is essentially identical to that of paragraph 2, so make sure you are using new transitions and varying your word choice.

1. Start by introducing the second point  in the lecture you’ll be discussing. Because this is your second body paragraph, do not use transitions such as “first” or “first of all.”

• Second, the lecturer argues/contends/asserts that …
• Next, the lecturer suggests/proposes that …
• Another key point the lecturer makes is that …

2. Next, explain this key point in more detail  and elaborate on how it is either refuted or supported by the passage. As with paragraph 2, I recommend using one to two sentences here.

• In other words, the lecturer is suggesting/proposing that …
• The author, however, agrees/disagrees with this idea/belief, suggesting/proposing that …
• Similarly, the author argues/contends/asserts that …

3. Finally, explain what this difference or similarity means .

• What this difference/similarity means is that …
• This difference/similarity in thinking tells us that …
• Evidently, the lecturer thinks/believes that … , whereas the author thinks/believes that …

Paragraph 4 (Body + Conclusion)

This final body paragraph will offer  your last key point in addition to a brief conclusion . Once again, try to vary your transitions and words here so that your body paragraphs do not sound redundant.

1. Introduce and summarize the third point in the lecture . This is your third and final body paragraph, so do not use transitions such as “first” or “next.” Instead, use transitions such as “third,” “finally,” “last,” and “lastly.”

• Third, the lecturer explains/states that …
• Finally, the lecturer introduces the idea that …
• Lastly, the lecturer goes on to say that …

2. Then, explain this point in more detail and discuss whether the passage matches or challenges it. Use one or two sentences here.

• This point is also made in the passage, which argues/contends/asserts that …
• The passage supports this idea, suggesting/proposing that …
• On the contrary, the author writes that …

3. Finally, conclude your paragraph by explaining the significance of this similarity or difference . You should also look at this sentence as the conclusion to your entire response . Remember, you do not need to write a separate concluding paragraph for this task; it’s perfectly OK to combine it with your last body paragraph!

• In conclusion, the lecturer and author appear to be in agreement/disagreement about …
• All in all, the lecturer argues/contends/asserts that … , whereas the author argues/contends/asserts that …

Template 2: Independent Writing Task

For this task, you will read a short prompt and then write a response explaining whether you agree or disagree with the issue or idea. Unlike the Integrated task, here you’ll be writing an opinionated response  (though you do not have to write about your actual opinion).

You’ll have 30 minutes to write an essay of at least 300 words . Because this essay should be longer than the Integrated task, it’s best to use the basic five-paragraph structure, with an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Note that many of the example sentences below are based on the sample Independent Writing prompt used above . This means that these sentences will not apply exactly to other prompts! So don’t simply copy the sentences onto your test; instead, use them as a general guide to help you develop a better sense of style and flow in your writing.

Now, let’s take a look at our Independent Writing TOEFL template.

In this paragraph, you’ll introduce the main issue or idea and rephrase the prompt in your own words. Then, you’ll state whether you agree or disagree with the statement and why.

1. For your first sentence, you’ll want to come up with a hook  that introduces the topic of your essay in a unique and creative way. Most people  start broad and then get specific . This sentence is also a great opportunity to insert a hypothetical question.

• There is great debate about .. .
• It is said that .. . But is this always true?
• Many people wonder  whether telling the truth at all times is necessary in order to maintain a healthy relationship with someone .

2. Next, introduce your opinion on the topic . You may list your specific reasons for your opinion here or in the following sentence(s). Remember, this doesn’t need to be your real opinion!

• In my opinion, …
• I believe that … is important because …
• I agree/disagree with this idea/suggestion because …
• For me, although telling the truth is important , there are many cases in which it’s OK to lie .

3. Here, state how many points (three is ideal) you’ll be discussing in your essay and then  briefly summarize what these reasons for agreeing or disagreeing are . Your reasons may come from facts, predictions, personal beliefs, experiences, etc.

• In this essay, I will address three potential problems with lying in relationships .
• Lying is never a smart idea because it undermines trust in relationships, causes feelings of betrayal, and often leads to more lying.

In this paragraph, you’ll introduce  your first key point about the issue and offer specific examples illustrating why you agree or disagree.

1. For the first sentence, introduce the key point you want to talk about.

• First of all, lying can make it difficult to trust someone in a relationship.

2. Next, provide an example to explain why you believe this is the case . I suggest using a hypothetical situation somewhere in your essay to help illustrate one of your points.

• For example, if a father lied to his daughter by telling her she was good at drawing, the daughter might begin to wonder whether her father has lied to her about other things, too.

3. Continue your paragraph by elaborating on your example . Explain any effect or consequence of the example and discuss how this outcome supports your viewpoint.

• The next time the father praises his daughter for something, she might believe he is lying, even if he isn’t. In other words, the daughter might find it difficult to trust her father, thereby damaging their relationship.

This paragraph will follow a similar structure to that of paragraph 2, only this time you’ll discuss your second key point . To prevent this paragraph from sounding too similar to the one before it, vary your word choice and choose a different type of example on which to focus.

1. In the first sentence, introduce your second key point . Because this is your second body paragraph (and second point), make sure you employ appropriate transitions, such as “second,” “secondly,” and “next.”

• Second, lying can cause feelings of betrayal in relationships.

2. As you did in paragraph 2, use these next few sentences to elaborate on your point and offer specific examples . Always clarify how your examples support your stance (agree or disagree) and how they relate back to the issue stated in the prompt.

• When I was young, I lied to my best friend about being able to attend her birthday party. She later told me I’d betrayed her and that we couldn’t be friends anymore. Essentially, because I’d lied to her, I destroyed our relationship.

Paragraph 4 (Body)

This is the last body paragraph in which you will introduce and explain your third and final key point .

1. First, introduce your third point . As this is your final body paragraph, make sure you’re using appropriate transitions, such as “finally,” “last,” “lastly,” and “third,” to introduce your point.

• Lastly, lying often begets more lying. This means that once you tell a lie, you will become more likely to tell other lies.

2. As you did in paragraphs 2 and 3, elaborate on this point by providing new evidence, details, and/or examples. Explain why this point is important and how it supports your stance on the issue.

• If you lie but nobody knows you’ve lied, you might begin to believe it’s OK to lie. As a result, you start to lie more and more. However, once people realize how often you lie, they’ll likely lose all trust in you and might even decide to end their relationships with you.

Paragraph 5 (Conclusion)

Like the Integrated Writing task, a separate concluding paragraph isn’t always necessary here . That said, if you have time, I recommend quickly wrapping up your points in a concise yet effective conclusion. One to three sentences should suffice.

1. In the first sentence or two, summarize your stance and explain why you feel this way . You may re-introduce your three main points here. You may also paraphrase the prompt and explain once more whether you agree or disagree with the issue and why.

• In the end, I believe telling the truth is the most important consideration in a relationship.
• Ultimately, lying can easily destroy relationships because it weakens trust, results in feelings of betrayal, and often causes more lying.

2. Finally, if you have time, bring together your concluding paragraph with a single general statement about your viewpoint .

• This is why it is imperative we always refrain from lying.
• Thus, the only way to ensure your relationships with others are healthy is to always tell the truth.

54 Key Transitions & Phrases

In addition to TOEFL essay templates, we offer you an assortment of  common transitions and phrases you can use in your TOEFL responses. These words will allow your writing to flow more smoothly and connect your thoughts in a clearer, more logical manner.

To add information to a point, or to introduce a new (related) point:

• In addition, …
• Additionally, …
• Furthermore, …
• Moreover, …
• Besides, …
• Also, …

To introduce an example:

• For example, …
• For instance, …

To introduce an opinion:

• I believe that …
• I think that …

To start a new body paragraph:

• First off, …
• First of all, …
• To begin/start, …
• Secondly, …
• Last, …

To add similar or related information:

• Likewise, …
• Similarly, …
• On a related note, …

To restate information in a shorter or clearer way:

• In other words, …
• In short, …
• Simply put, …
• Essentially, …
• In essence, …
• Basically, …

To contrast information:

• That (being) said, …
• Nevertheless, …
• Nonetheless, …
• By/in contrast, …
• On the contrary, …
• On the other hand, …

To show cause and effect:

• As a result, …
• Because of this, …
• As such, …
• Consequently, …
• Therefore, …

To emphasize information:

• Evidently, …
• Clearly, …
• Certainly, …

To conclude information, a paragraph, or your overall response:

• In conclusion, …
• All in all, …
• As you can see, …
• In the end, …
• Ultimately, …

How to Customize a TOEFL Writing Template

Below, we offer you a few pieces of advice to help you customize your TOEFL Writing template.

Integrated Writing Template

Here are two ways to customize our TOEFL Integrated Writing template.

#1: Tweak Sample Sentences & Openers

The sample sentence and openers we’ve provided above don’t contain any specific information, so you are welcome to incorporate these examples into your own Integrated Writing response however you like.

That said, you don’t need to use these examples exactly as they are . If you’d like to tweak them, try replacing the verbs and transitions with other (synonymous) words. I also suggest adding adverbs to emphasize certain words. So for example, instead of writing, “The author, however, disagrees with this belief,” you could write, “The author, on the other hand, strongly challenges this concept.”

Just be sure that the examples you’re using in your essay fit with the type of lecture-passage relationship you’re given. Remember, this relationship can be either supportive (in which the lecture agrees with the passage) or contrastive (in which the lecture disagrees with the passage).

#2: Use Different Words to Emphasize Contrast

Most Integrated Writing tasks will give you a lecture that challenges  what’s written in the passage. In these cases, it’s important you use a variety of transitions, conjunctions, and prepositions to emphasize this important contrast throughout your essay.

There is one caveat, though:  do not use a single transition more than once in your response . For instance, if you were to consistently start your supporting sentences with “however,” your essay would lack balance and begin to sound redundant. So be sure to vary your word choice!

Here is a list of strong contrastive words you can use in your Integrated Writing response:

• Nonetheless …
• Even though
• In spite of

Independent Writing Template

Here are three ways you can customize our Independent Writing TOEFL template.

#1: Choose the Side That’s Easier to Support

Although the Independent Writing task asks specifically whether you agree or disagree with an idea, you do not need to write about your real opinion . What you should really do is choose the side that’s easier to argue — regardless of whether you actually agree or disagree with it!

In other words, it’s perfectly OK to make things up for this response and pretend you support something you don’t actually believe. Remember, you are not being judged on which stance you choose but on  how effectively you support your stance.

#2: Do Not Copy Sample Sentences Word for Word

For this task’s examples, I’ve primarily supplied you with whole sentences, all of which were based on the sample Independent Writing prompt used above. Because our examples refer to a specific prompt, you cannot  copy these sample sentences word for word and use them in your own essay . Failing to change these sentences means your essay won’t make a whole lot of sense, if any at all!

Therefore, what you should actually be doing is using these example sentences to learn what types of details to include in your Independent Writing response. You may also use our examples to get a feel for how you can change up your sentences and word choice.

#3: Vary Your Supporting Details

For your response, you must come up with specific details and examples to support your viewpoint. These examples can range from facts and statistics to experiences and hypothetical situations.

In order to produce a truly compelling response (and get a high essay score), you must incorporate a variety of effective examples into your essay. This means you’ll want to  avoid using the same types of examples for each point you make . So if you were to discuss a personal experience for your first body paragraph, focus on a different type of detail, such as a universally accepted fact or a hypothetical scenario, for your second body paragraph.

How to Use a TOEFL Writing Template: 4 Tips

Finally, here are four general tips for using a TOEFL Writing template effectively.

#1: Employ a Variety of Transitions

The sample sentences and openers we’ve given you for each template above contain different transitions to help link ideas together; thus, we encourage you to use a variety of transitions in your own essays . For ideas, refer to our transition list above. This list can help you swap out some of our sample transitions for other ones you believe fit better with your writing.

Ultimately, varying your word choice is critical to ensuring your essay is well written . This means that a high-scoring TOEFL essay will not simply use transitions but use them well . So if you’ve already inserted “therefore” in one area, try using “as a result” or “thus” in another area. You’ll still get the same meaning but with a stronger, more versatile effect.

#2: Add Details Without Rambling

Don’t feel limited by the number of sentences we’ve included in each body paragraph in our templates. If you need to use two or three sentences to explain a point, that’s OK! You should always give a lot of detail for your points — so long as you are staying concise and focused.

For example, if you spend a paragraph discussing a hypothetical scenario but fail to offer any analysis, you probably won’t receive a high TOEFL score. Likewise, if you write a verbose introduction or conclusion, your score may end up being lower than you wanted it to be.

Basically, you must find the perfect balance between detail and analysis. A good way to monitor this balance is to  always try to hit the word minimum for each task . Doing this means you’ll likely have an essay that’s sufficiently detailed. Just try not to exceed the maximum or you’ll risk rambling!

#3: 2 Strong Points Is Better Than 3 Weak Ones

Each of our TOEFL essay templates above has three body paragraphs and three main points. Although three points is a solid number of points, if you can only think of two points, just stick with those and try to   support them as clearly and effectively as possible.

As you can see in the sample TOEFL essays here , many essays with scores of 2 and 3 actually address three points — but their points are altogether weak, with few supporting details and insufficient analysis. What this means is that just having three points in your essay isn’t enough to guarantee you a high essay score . Thus, it’s far better to write an essay with two strong points than three weak ones.

#4: Do Not Copy Entire Sentences From the Prompt

If you struggle with English, you might be tempted to borrow some sentences and phrases from the prompt. While it’s OK to paraphrase sentences, you should never copy exact sentences from your prompt .

Copying the prompt shows evaluators that you lack the English level necessary for writing creatively and analytically. On top of this, copying is also a form of plagiarism, which means you are essentially “stealing” another’s work.

So what does this mean for your score? If you copy entire sentences and phrases from the reading or topic, you will receive a score of 0 .

Additional Resources for TOEFL Essay Templates

In addition to our templates above, here are a couple of online resources offering high-quality TOEFL essay templates you can use for free.

• TOEFL Resources : This resource offers detailed templates for the Integrated and Independent Writing tasks along with useful transitional phrases and sentence openers.
• Magoosh : This handy PDF contains a lengthy list of transitions as well as various sample TOEFL essays.

Recap: How Can a TOEFL Writing Template Help You?

TOEFL essay templates are an especially useful component of TOEFL prep because  they raise your chance of achieving a high TOEFL Writing score .

With TOEFL essay templates, you can organize your thoughts more clearly, spend less time outlining your responses, and prepare for the TOEFL with increased confidence. Our templates are also flexible , allowing you to customize certain elements to your liking and cater the templates to many different prompts.

When using a TOEFL template, always remember the following four tips:

• Employ a variety of transitions throughout your essay
• Add details but try not to ramble
• Two strong point are better than three weak ones
• Do not copy exact sentences from the prompt

Now that you’re equipped with our TOEFL essay templates and the knowledge of how to use them, you should have no trouble getting a great TOEFL Writing score!

What’s Next?

Seeking additional help with the TOEFL Writing section?  Start practicing with our 13 Writing topics  and get information on what resources you can use for high-quality Writing topics .

What does a high-scoring TOEFL essay look like? Take a look at our analyses of two perfect-scoring TOEFL essays  to learn what you can do to guarantee yourself a high essay score on test day.

Want more TOEFL templates?  Check out our TOEFL Speaking templates to improve your English-speaking skills and confidence.

Ready to improve your TOEFL score by 15 points?

Author: Hannah Muniz

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in English and East Asian languages and cultures. After graduation, she taught English in Japan for two years via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. View all posts by Hannah Muniz