TOEFL STUDY GUIDE PART 5 Writing Section Essay Question Essay Writing Tips 67 - 70 Essay Writing Tip 67 The COMPUTER-BASED test has a required essay section you must complete it within
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PART 5
Writing Section (Essay Question)
Essay Writing Tips 67 - 70
Essay Writing Tip 67
The COMPUTER-BASED test has a required essay section you must complete it within 30 minutes Use the essay
section on our website for practice Choose your side of the story Remember, ETS does not care which side you
choose
The choice of handwriting or typing is offered; the tutorial shows you how to use the word processing program; after taking the tutorial, you can still choose to handwrite if you prefer
If you choose to handwrite the essay, you will be given
paper during the 10-minute break between Structure and Reading All test takers will be given paper to outline their essays or make notes
Trang 2The essay topic is randomly selected
TIP 68 Write an outline
You will be allowed to make notes on paper the test center will provide These notes will not be included as part of your score You can handwrite the essay or type it on the computer screen
Spend about 5 minutes planning your essay
Your essay should contain:
m An introduction (why not repeat the statement and state whether you agree or disagree
m Two reasons to support your opinion
m Your conclusion, in which you summarize
everything you've already said
TIP 69 Start writing
Write legibly
Make sure it's at least 200 words long (remember you have only 30 minutes and the computer will stop after that time) Indent your paragraphs
Keep your sentences short and simple
Use grammatical structures you are comfortable with
Trang 3Only use words you know
Only use words you know how to spell
Watch your punctuation
TIP 70 Check your work
Spend the last five minutes rereading what you've written to look for mistakes
m Grammar,
m spelling,
m punctuation,
m diction (word choice)
Getting Ready for the Test
TIP 71 Taking a Practice Test
You will need:
l A quiet room
l A CD player
l A Stopwatch or a watch with a second hand
l Approximately one hour and forty-five minutes of
uninterrupted time
Trang 4THEN:
l Adjust the volume on your CD before the actual questions begin
l Use only the amount of time actually allotted for each
section
l Do not stop and start; take the entire test section in one
sitting
l Do not mark in the test booklet
l Do not forget to mark your guessing letter for any question you've left blank at the end of each section You must mark
one answer for every question
TIP 72 Getting Ready for the Test
As you practice, do not just look at your final score Pay
attention to what you got right and what you got wrong This will help you improve the next time you practice
TIP 73 Getting Ready for the Test
MISTAKES:
l Look up vocabulary words you don't know
l Stupid mistakes: answer sheet fumbles
l Impatience - didn't bother to read through all of the answer
Trang 5choices before choosing the answer
l Misunderstanding the question - you may have to read a question 2 or 3 times before understanding it
l Lucky guesses - Process Of Elimination (POE) but next time, use the reasons you chose the answers you did
l Other wrong answers - try to discover if you could have eliminated an answer or two
l Pacing Problems -
m do not fall behind on the Listening Section
l do not forget the Two-Pass System
l do not get stuck on any one question in reading
comprehension
TIP 74 ONE WEEK BEFORE THE TEST
Be prepared:
l Know exactly where the test center is and how to get there
l Be sure to allow enough time to reach the center before the exam begins
l Some people have trouble writing exams; some are very nervous; here are some techniques for calming yourself down:
Trang 6m breath deeply a few times,
m close your eyes,
m some people find it helpful to mentally picture
yourself in a location that is calming
l In your last week before the exam, stay well rested and continue to practice with the test-taking tips and reminding yourself of your two major priorities - pacing and process of elimination
l The night before the exam, plan to eat a light meal, don't study, be well rested for the morning
l Be sure to double check your alarm and perhaps have a back up plan (a friend to call to make sure you are ready) TIP 75 The Day of the Test
- Good Luck
l Wear comfortable clothes,
l eat breakfast,
l allow yourself lots of time to get to the exam location,
l make time to do some "warm-up" questions of each type,
l be sure you have the following items before you leave for the test:
Trang 7m Identification: Check for a list of acceptable forms of identification
m Your admission ticket