Steps - ToEFL Writing

8/16/2019 Steps - ToEFL Writing

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/steps-toefl-writing 1/3

Writing Task Video (the last question of the TOEFL test)– 29/10/2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnmAS-YzJVg

Question 1

Step 1. Read an Academic Passage

Step 2. Listen to a mini-lecture

Step 3. Write a response (20 minutes-reading reappears)

Don’t need to take notes during the reading, althoughit is useful to write notes during

the lecture, in fact, as many information as possible;

Pay attention to similar words from the reading;

Stance from the professor:

• He/She basically agrees with the information from the reading and purpose

will be to add more information

• He/She basically disagrees with the information from the reading and will

contrast the text with other ideas

Main points from the listening:

The stance-supporting or contrasting?

Accuracy-all the information need to be correct

Order- did you get the information in the right order? (following the professor)

Level of detail/Comprehensiveness; did you include all the details/examples from the

presentation?

How to frame your response:

-150 – 225 words

- 20 min

- cohesion is very important

FIRST: TOPIC STATEMENT: two things

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1.recognizes and identifies the basic “gist” of the task (the gist comes usually from the

first paragraph of the reading passage)

2. Immediately identifies the difference in STANCE between the professors lecture and

the reading (for the stance we need to pay attention to the lecture)

Example:

The reading is discussing the idea of… . The reading disapproves of the… . The

professor, however, disagrees with the points made in the reading… .

SECOND: WRITING THE BODY

1. Follow the order of the lecture, comparing/contrasting with the reading

2. Include as many details as possible (try to use words that both sources, the

reading and lecture, mentioned)

3. Remember: ATTRIBUTION! (the reading said this and the lecture that)

Usually the lecture follows the order of the topics from the reading. Focus on the

lecture during the writing, but you will have to mention the reading during the

explanations. Don’t copy full sentences; try to say the same thing in similar words.

This part of the TOEFL is much less formal in structure than the independent task,

but it still might be helpful to separate each part of the response into paragraphs:

Example:

The first point the professor addresses involves the readings assertion that… .

Next, the professor discusses the readings point about … . The reading states

that… . The professor, on the other hand, feels that…

5-15 Plan!!!!

First 5 minutes: review your notes from the listening passage

Review the main ideas from the reading passage

Last 15 minutes: Write the topic statement and the body

The two kind of prompts possible:

Casting doubt: explaining how they cast doubt on points made in the reading

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Adding information: the information in the listening adds to the information presented

in the reading passage

You don’t have to include all the ideas from the reading, only those points/ideas that

are being discussed in the listening passage.

Final tips:

Pay attention to technical terms in the reading, repeated words, write notes during the

lecture;

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Steps - ToEFL Writing