toefl Writing Tasks

The writing part of the IELTS comprises of two tasks.

In the first task you are asked to summarize a spoken lecture and a reading passage.

You may take notes.

You may NOT express your opinion

You need to highlight the contrasts between the lecture and the reading passage, and/or emphasize concurring point of views.

Some TOEFL questions will require that you paraphrase, rewrite sentences contained in a reading passage or a lecture (a talk, a speech).
 
The following exercise is meant to help you rephrasing sentences.

Simply rewrite the sentences in your own words.
 
Ex: Friction between moving air and the ocean surface generates undulations of water called waves.
 
Friction between air and the ocean causes waves.
 
1/ The nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution gave women the right to vote beginning with the elections of 1920.
  • The first __________________________________________________________________________
  • Women were __________________________________________________________________________
 
2/A perennial is any plant that continues to grow for more than tow years, as for instance trees and shrubs.

  • Trees are __________ __________, that is plants which _____________________
 
3/Famous for innovations in punctuation, typography and language, Edward Estin Cummings, known to us as e.e . Cummings published his collected poems in 1954.

  • In 1954, e.e. Cumming who is ____________ for his work as a ________________, published _______ work.
 
  • In 1954 a collection of poems _________ ____________ by ee Cummings, a well-known __________ (e.e. Cummings probable profession as a punctuation, typography and language specialist is most likely a linguist).
 
4/ Absolute zero, the temperature at which all substances have zero thermal energy, and thus the lowest possible temperatures is unattainable in practice.

  • A total _________ of thermal energy is virtually impossible to _________.

5/ The modern atmosphere is probably the fourth atmosphere in the history of Earth

  • The present-time atmosphere is believed to be the fourth one in Earth’s history.
 
 

DOs:

1  Use transitional words to link the information together.

This will prevent your essay from looking like a grocery list.

“besides, as well as, likewise, in addition, conversely, in contrast, on the one hand, on the other hand, however, yet, while..., although, even though”

2. Don't forget to cross-reference the data to spot and analyse reversals, overtime changes, unusal facts and contrast worth pointing out.

3. Imagine you need to give the main information you can draw from the graph or pie to someone who hasn't seen it. If your essay can answer all the questions he or she can have (what, where, when, what for, highest/lowest, contrasts- kids/adult/senior - gender- any reversals or changes?) Then chances are you'll fare well on this part.


Avoid the following pitfalls (écueil)

•Don't extrapolate from the data. Explain what the graph is about but stick to the fact.
Don’t  include your own opinion

•Don’t suggest any solution to what you may see as a problem. Just report the data.

Don't use contractions (can not=can't, do not =don't etc, will not=won't) in your writing.

Contractions may be use in the speaking part.
Test of English as a Foreign Language - IBT (Internet-based test)

Requis par: Admissions dans l'enseignement supérieur (Universités US), Services Immigration Australie, Nouvelle-Zélande et UK
Oral: oui (dématérialisé, réponses enregistrées)
Écrit: oui, sur ordinateur (essais et réponses courtes) avec clavier QWERTY
Tarifs: $245
Où le passer: Cliquer sur ce lien pour les prochaines dates du TOEFL dans tous les centres de test ETS en France.

Le TOEFL IBT se déroule sur un clavier anglais QWERTY standard. Pour s'entrainer à taper avec un clavier QWERTY, achetez ou fabriquez un cache et changez la langue de votre système d'exploitation (OS ou Windows).

Le TOEFL PBT (paper-based test: version papier) n'est plus proposé que dans les endroits où le TOEFL IBT n'est pas disponible. A la différence du TOEFL IBT, la version papier ne comporte pas de partie orale. Seules l'écoute, la grammaire et la rédaction sont testées.
vocabulary:

absence of, lack of, zero of something
well-known, famous
to continue, to go on, to keep on
to afford: se permettre
to afford someone with: donner quelque chose à quelqu'un
affordable: dans ses moyens
to cause, to generate, to trigger, to entail
due to, because of, thanks to