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WRITING

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BT TOEFL-writing 2005.10.13 1:28 PM Page 3

ContentsTable of

Introduction to TOEFL® Writing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6

Chapter 1 Thinking and Writing

Skill A Integrated Writing: Organizing Information - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 17

Skill B Integrated Writing: Paraphrasing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 31

Skill C Independent Writing: Brainstorming - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 45

Skill D Independent Writing: Writing Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences - - - - - - - - - - - - - 59

Vocabulary Review - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 67

Chapter 2 Making Writing Complete

Skill A Integrated Writing: Making Connections - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 75

Skill B Independent Writing: Making Ideas Flow - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 89

Vocabulary Review - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 111

Chapter 3 Focus: Writing Grammar

Focus A Verb Tenses - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 124

Focus B Word Forms - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 126

Focus C Subject-Verb Agreement - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 128

Focus D Sentence Fragments and Run-ons - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 130

Focus E Noun Phrases and Clauses - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 132

Focus F Coordinating Conjunctions and Coordinating Adverbs - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 135

Practice Test for Writing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 139

Transcripts - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 147

Answer Key - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 151


Integrated Writing: Organizing Information 17

Integrated Writing: Organizing InformationSkill A

Necessary Skills • Understanding information from both reading and listening passages

• Taking notes on the reading and listening passages

• Using information from your notes in your writing

• Synthesizing the information taken from both the reading and listening passages

Process Strategy

Read and listen, thentake notes

You will not see the prompt until after you finish reading andwriting, so taking notes is essential.

Take notes of major points from both reading and listening.

Read the question andunderstand the task

Identify what kind of relationship between the reading and thelistening the question asks you to discuss.

Select ideas fromyour notes

Choose the points that you need to discuss. Think about howthe points in the lecture relate to the points in the reading. Thelistening passage will present details that will either challenge theinformation presented in the reading, present a counter example,or describe the consequences of an attempt to solve a problempresented in the reading.

Organize the ideas

Include information from both the reading and listening passages.

Clearly show the relationship between the information presentedin the listening and that presented in the reading passage.

Limit the time for organizing to less than 2 minutes, in order togive yourself more time for writing and editing.

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▼

▼


CultureSkill A Q1

Issue: ______________ head scarves in class

Pro: Some ______________ in parliament, most ______________

--- proposed law

--- existing ______________ at universities

Con: Muslim women, many ______________

--- women ______________ without head scarves

Should students in Turkey be allowed to wear their head scarves in

class? This issue is currently under debate. There are even politicians in

the Turkish parliament suggesting head scarves be banned by law.

Most universities in Turkey have rules forbidding Muslim students from

wearing head scarves inside buildings, but not all professors agree with

these rules. Many professors are sympathetic toward their female Muslim

students. Muslim women are typically uncomfortable not wearing head

scarves in public.

issue (n):a topic of discussion or debate

debate (n):a discussion in which two ormore different opinions on atopic are expressed

parliament (n):the top law-making group ofpoliticians in a country

ban (v):to prohibit or forbid; to notallow

sympathetic (adj):feeling the same emotions as;relating to the feelings of

18 Chapter 1 Thinking and Writing

Practice 1

Read the following passage. Then, look at the note diagram and fill in the missing information.

Step 1


Integrated Writing: Organizing Information 19

Problem with head scarves: ______________

--- image of head scarves --- old-fashioned, ______________

--- modern image --- look like a ______________ person

Another example of ______________ fashion: the fez

--- ______________ hat for men

--- banned in ______________ 20th century

image (n):a style; an opinion based onphysical appearance

tarnish (v):to damage the appearance of; tomake imperfect

outlaw (v):to ban by law; to makesomething punishable by law

illegal (adj):contrary to the law; against therules

traditional (adj):in accordance with a standard thathas been used for a long time

Now listen to a lecture related to the topic in Step 1. Fill in the blanks of the note diagrambelow with the keywords or key phrases shown. Not all of the words or phrases will be used.

Step 2

big deal early image outlawedpublic traditional uncivilized Western

Review your notes from both the reading and the lecture. Pay attention to the main ideas andsupporting details. Rewrite the ideas as complete sentences.

Reading:

Main idea: _______________________________________________________________________________

Supporting idea: __________________________________________________________________________

Supporting idea: __________________________________________________________________________

Lecture:

Main idea: _______________________________________________________________________________

Supporting idea: __________________________________________________________________________

Supporting idea: __________________________________________________________________________

Step 3

keywords /key phrases



Use the main ideas and details from Steps 1, 2, and 3 to complete the passage. Include informationfrom both the reading and the lecture.

According to the reading, some people in _____________ _____________ to ban head scarves

_____________ _____________. _____________ politicians and _____________ universities are in favor

of _____________ or laws _____________ head scarves in class. However, Muslim women and some

professors are _____________ such rules and laws. Those who are against _____________

_____________ argue that they give Turkey a bad _____________. Women wearing head scarves give

Turkey an _______________________________ or _______________________________ image. This issue

is similar to one in the past when the _____________ in _____________ outlawed _____________ from

wearing the _____________ in public.

Step 4


ExperienceSkill C Q2

We learn new things all the time. When we are children, we learninformation from our parents, from our friends, or from teachers in school.When we are adults, we learn things from older people, from colleagues,or even from younger people. Although we are all learning all the time,people learn in different ways. Some people learn by reading. Otherslearn by doing. Personally, I learn better by doing than by reading.

One thing I learned by doing was how to install programs on mycomputer. This is a simple thing if you know how to do it. If you do notalready know, it can be confusing. The first time I got a new programfor my computer, I read the instructions for how to install it. I did not reallyunderstand the instructions. It seemed like they were written in a foreignlanguage. Then, I put the CD in my computer. I pushed buttons andclicked with my mouse. I installed the program without the instructionsat all. Now, I know how to install any program on my computer.

Some people disagree with my point of view. They say they haveto read the instructions to learn how to do things. They do not wantto make any mistakes. I think it is OK to make mistakes. When I makea mistake, I learn not to do it that way again. I also learn what happenswhen I make that mistake. These are both important things to knowwhen you learn to do something new.

information (n):facts; knowledge

adult (n):a person over the age of 18; nota child

colleague (n):a coworker

personally (adv):as far as I'm concerned; in mycase

install (v):to put in place; to load into acomputer

program (n):a series of coded instructionsthat make a computer perform aspecific function

confusing (adj):difficult to understand clearly

instructions (n):directions that tell how to dosomething

foreign (adj):from a different place; differentin origin

mistake (n):an incorrect act; an error


Practice 1

Read the question and think about your own experience. List some ideas about your experiencesin the blanks.

Some people learn by reading about things. Others learn by doing things. Which of these methods oflearning is better for you? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

Things I learned by reading: Things I learned by doing:

math swimming

changing the ink in my printer installing programs on my computer

_______________________________ _______________________________

_______________________________ _______________________________

Read the sample response below and underline three sentences that are central to the organizationof the passage.

Step 2

Step 1


Independent Writing: Brainstorming 47

Answer the following questions in relation to the thesis and topic of the response in Step 2.

1. What is the thesis statement of the essay? (Write it.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the topic sentence of the body paragraph? (Write it.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Answer the following questions in relation to the organization of the response in Step 2.

1. Which “side” of the prompt does this essay take?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What example does the writer give to support the thesis statement?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Does the writer present a comment or idea from the other side in the conclusion? If so, what is

the comment or idea?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

4. What is the main idea of the conclusion?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Step 4

Step 3


Focus A - Verb Tenses

To discuss things in present or past time, use the tenses below.

Each of the paragraphs below has 8 errors in verb tenses. Find the errors and correct them.

1. John has lived in Spain for over six months. He moves here shortly after finishing university. John

spoke Spanish very well, having studied it for many years. He likes Spanish culture, and he is loving

the food also. His plan is being to live in Spain for a few years in order to improve his Spanish, then

he planned to return to England to teach in a university. John going to move back to England in May

because he missed his family. Because his girlfriend has been Spanish, he believes that one day he

might return to Spain and start a family there.

2. Stephen and Sarah got married in May of last year. They married just over a year. They are looking for

a house for over nine months now. Yesterday, they finally found a house that they really liked. They

decide to move in next month, after all of the furniture has been bought. They both work in the

same hospital. Stephen is a doctor and Sarah was a doctor, too. Both of them worked very hard, and

have little time for organizing their new house. As a result, they hire a decorator to buy all the fur-

niture and decorate the house. In a few weeks, they hope everything will had been organized and

they looked forward to living in their new home.

Exercise 1

Dave had taughtarchaeology before hetaught history.

Dave was teachinghistory when I arrived inclass.

Dave taught a historyclass yesterday.Past

Past PerfectPast ContinuousPast SimpleTimeTense

Dave has taught historyfor ten years.

Right now, Dave isteaching history in class.

Dave teaches historytwice a week.Present

Present Perfect Present ContinuousPresent SimpleTimeTense

124 Chapter 3 Focus: Writing Grammar


Verb Tenses 125

Write the correct form of the verb.

1. When I traveled around Europe, it was one of the best times of my life. I _____________ (have)

just finished university and I _____________ (decide) I wanted to see some more of the world. It

was amazing to see so many different cultures in such a small area. While I was _____________

(travel) through Germany, I met some people who, like me, were from America. We had a great

time, so we decided to travel together for the rest of the holiday. It was so much fun. We

_____________ (make) a promise that sometime in the future we would return and do it again,

together.

2. Dublin City is home to the world’s tallest sculpture. The Dublin Spire _____________ (be) over 120

meters in height and _____________ (be complete) in January 2003. When the structure was first

being _____________ (build) in 2002, there were delays because of bad weather. However, when the

strong winds _____________ (pass), the spire was eventually able to be finished, and Dublin’s tallest

structure was finally completed.

Exercise 2


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