TOEFL Integrated Writing Task 2023: Examples & Sample Essays

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The Test of English as a Foreign Language or TOEFL is an esteemed English proficiency exam divided into four sections. Under TOEFL writing, candidates must show how skilled they are in reading, writing, and listening to the language. 

There are two tasks that candidates need to face when writing this section. Task 1 is TOEFL Integrated Writing Task, and Task 2 is TOEFL Independent Writing Task. Combinedly, it is an exam of 50 minutes, but here individuals will find detailed information on Task 1 and its sample question.

TOEFL integrated writing

 

What is TOEFL Writing Task 1? – TOEFL Integrated Writing Task 

Integrated Writing TOEFL expects its candidates to use their reading, listening and writing skills to complete this task. In this, these candidates get three minutes to prepare for an essay by reading a short passage and listening to an audio clip relating to a single topic. 

After preparing, they have 20 minutes to provide an essay providing their response to these two sources. There are two scenarios which applicants can encounter under this exam:

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TOEFL Integrated Writing Task 2023: Examples & Sample Essays
  • Contradictory: An audio clip that contradicts what is mentioned in the passage.
  • Supportive: An audio clip that supports what the passage says. 

However, no matter the nature of these cases, applicants need to summarize their topic in 150 to 225 words. Also, they must establish a connection between the passage and the audio clip. 

TOEFL Writing Integrated Task Exercises

Students aspiring to study abroad must take the initiative to sharpen their skills by practising sample papers. For this purpose, candidates can refer to the below questions on integrated task writing TOEFL

Question 1: Summarise the essential points mentioned in this passage and give inputs according to what is mentioned in the lecture. 

Sample Reading Passage:

The water on the west coast of North America used to contain several Sea Otters (small mammals), starting from California to Alaska. However, in these few years, the population of Sea Otters on this Alaskan coast has rapidly declined. Moreover, this has started directly affecting its coastal ecosystem because of its important role in maintaining a balance. With several concerns rising now, many investigators have started investigating this matter. They found it was mainly because of two reasons. One is due to attacks by predators, and the second is environmental pollution. 

Environment pollution formed one of the reasons because of the fact that there is a pollution source on the Alaskan coast, i.e., oil rigs. Also, investigators took water samples to test the chemical content in it. The result was high enough to affect the immune system of water creatures, which may result in death. 

Another piece of evidence pointing out water pollution as its main culprit was a similar case of decline in other sea mammals, like the seal. This proved that whatever was causing the death of Sea Otters was also taking the lives of other sea mammals. Two things can affect an entire species. It can either be water pollution or a large water predator like orcas. 

Finally, researchers also blamed the pollution hypothesis for explaining the uneven decline of Sea Otter. In other words, due to ocean currents and other natural factors, the pollution may have concentrated unevenly along the coast resulting in the death of mammals in that part. 

Question 2: Summarise the belief of the lecturer and how they relate to this reading passage given below. 

Sample Reading Passage:

The International Astronomical Union Conference declared the inexistence of Pluto planet on 24th August 2006. It was initially discovered by scientists in 1930. It is when they were searching for the cause of what was interfering with the orbit of Uranus planet. At first, researchers believed Pluto was of the same size as the earth but later found it was even smaller than our earth’s moon and other moons as well. 

Now there are thousands of planetary objects found in space similar to Pluto, like Eris, which is even a bit larger than Pluto. So, choosing to reclassify Pluto as one of the dwarf planets acknowledges that science is making progress. While it is disheartening news for Pluto planet lovers, people at large have accepted its lost status. Moreover, when it comes to today’s generation of students, they will know that currently, there are only eight planets, and Pluto was never a part of them. 

TOEFL Integrated Writing Template to Follow for Better Score

To complete this above exercise with sheer perfection, candidates should know about the recommended TOEFL integrated writing template. It is as follows:

Introduction Paragraph 1

Here, candidates must begin writing integrated task TOEFL with a sentence like:

The lecture and the reading passage both talk about (topic). The articles support the thought that (thought) and/but the lecturer feels that (sayings). The lecturer and the author agree/disagree on points 1/2/3, which I have discussed in detail in the following essay. 

Body Paragraph 2 + 3 + 4

As per this reading passage (statement 1), the point of discussion of this article is that (discussion). This point is (challenged/affirmed) by the lecturer in the audio clip. He or She states that (statement). 

Secondly, the author talks about (statement 2). The article says that (point of discussion). The lecturer agrees/claims that (audio content) in its response. He or She goes on to say that (discussion). 

Finally, the author suggests that (statement 3). He or She means that (explanation). The lecturer agrees/disagrees with this point stating (statement). He or She notes that (explanation). 

Candidates may or may not give a one-line conclusion at the end. 

Tips for TOEFL Writing Tasks

The writing section of the TOEFL exam forms an integral part of the English language proficiency exam. To clear it, here are some crucial tips for candidates to consider. It can help them perform better in their TOEFL writing integrated task and secure a seat in a foreign university:

  • Candidates must divide the time taken to complete a paragraph according to the total time given, i.e., 20 minutes. 
  • Also, if possible, students must keep their last 5 minutes for revision purposes and correcting grammatical errors.
  • Applicants should practice a concise writing style from the beginning to make it a natural habit.
  • While listening to the audio, individuals must always note important points, so the essay contains all necessary information.
  • Individuals must use transitional words to create a better flow of their content. 
  • When candidates take notes of important points, they must write one or two words to remember. This saves time. 
TOEFL integrated writing

Conclusion

Individuals looking for TOEFL Integrated Writing task samples for practice can find some references above. Along with it, there is information about the time one gets to complete this task, how many words they have to produce within this period and the recommended template to follow. Also, one can refer to these above tips while writing to make sure they score the highest marks possible. 

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Saket Kohli

An International Higher Ed professional with 7+ years of experience studying, working, and living across three geographies, currently on a mission to share his journey as an International Student.

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