integrated essay meaning

Test Resources

TOEFL® Resources by Michael Goodine

How to write a fantastic toefl integrated essay (2023).

Here’s how the TOEFL Integrated Essay works:

• It is the first writing task on the TOEFL test.
• First, you will have three minutes to read an article (four paragraphs, 250 to 300 words) about an academic topic.
• Next, you will listen to a lecture (about 2 minutes) about the same topic.
• Finally, you will have 20 minutes to write an essay about the relationship between the two sources.  I recommend that you write about 280 words.
• You can see the article while writing your essay, but you cannot hear the lecture again.

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The Relationship

The relationship between the article and the lecture will be one of the following.

Argument Style (Frequent)

The reading presents an argument and the lecture presents a counter-argument.

Problems and Solutions Style (less common)

The reading presents a problem and the lecture presents solutions to the problem.

Solutions and Problems Style (less common)

The reading presents solutions to a problem and the lecture challenges the solutions.

The Article 

The article begins with an introduction which mentions the topic and the author’s main idea. Next are three body paragraphs.  Each body paragraph contains one supporting argument (opposition style), one problem (problems and solutions style), or one solution (solutions and problems style).

Here’s an example:

The idea of colonizing asteroids has long been a topic of fascination and speculation in science fiction and popular culture. In recent years, however, the idea of asteroid colonization has become more realistic and feasible, thanks to advances in technology and space exploration. There are many potential benefits to colonizing asteroids, and these benefits make the pursuit of asteroid colonization a worthwhile endeavor. One of the most obvious benefits of asteroid colonization is the scientific potential. Asteroids provide a unique environment for scientific research due to their small size, low gravity, and lack of atmosphere. Research conducted in these environments could provide valuable insights related to many different academic fields. Not only that, but asteroids could also serve as stepping stones for future missions to other destinations in the solar system, such as Mars or the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Another benefit of asteroid colonization is the potential for economic growth and development. Natural resources mined on asteroids could create new industries and job opportunities, which would generate significant revenue for both governments and private companies. Asteroid mining could also reduce the need for resource extraction on Earth, which could help to preserve our planet’s natural environment. In addition to economic benefits, asteroid colonization could also have important implications for the long-term survival of humanity. Asteroids could serve as potential refuge for humans in the event of a large-scale disaster on Earth, such as an asteroid impact or a nuclear war. Even if such a disaster doesn’t occur, asteroids could provide valuable information regarding the origins and evolution of the solar system, and how life emerged here in the first place.

You have three minutes to read it and take notes.  Then you hear the lecture. You will be able to see the article again when the lecture is finished.

The Lecture

The lecture is on the same topic, and it is about two minutes long.  You can only hear it once, so take notes.

At the beginning of the lecture, you will hear the lecturer’s main idea.   The rest of the lecture consists of three opposing arguments, three solutions, or three problems.  These directly respond to  the three arguments/problems/solutions mentioned in the reading.  Not only that, but they are  in the same order as the reading. 

Here’s a transcript of that:

While some people argue that starting colonies on asteroids could have many benefits, this claim is not necessarily supported by evidence. In fact, there are several reasons why starting colonies on asteroids may not provide the advantages that are often claimed. One reason why asteroid colonization may not provide significant scientific benefits is our lack of knowledge about asteroids. Despite decades of space exploration and study, our knowledge of asteroids is still limited. We do not know how many asteroids exist, what resources they contain, or what conditions are like on their surfaces. Until we have a better understanding of asteroids, it is difficult to predict what scientific benefits colonization might provide. Next, we can’t exactly predict the economic benefits of settling on asteroids. While asteroids are known to contain valuable resources, such as metals and minerals, it’s not clear how much of these resources exist on asteroids, or how much they would be worth when transported back to Earth. We don’t know whether mining for resources in space would be more cost-effective or efficient than simply getting them through conventional methods here on earth. Finally, asteroids are just not suitable for long-term human settlement right now. Most asteroids are small and do not have enough mass to generate significant gravitational pull. This means that any human settlements on asteroids would need to be designed to cope with the challenges of low gravity, such as serious difficulty moving around and possible damage to our bones and muscles. These challenges could make living on asteroids extremely uncomfortable and dangerous.

The Question

After the lecture finishes, the question will be shown.  It will look something like this:

• Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage.
• Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they answer the specific problems presented in the reading passage.
• Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they cast doubt on specific solutions presented in the reading passage.

After you see the question, you will have 20 minutes to plan, write and revise your essay.  Have fun!

Taking Notes

If you understand how the sources are structured, note-taking should be easy.  You can do something like this:

Here are my notes from the above samples (colonizing asteroids):

Note-Taking Tips

• Prepare your paper before the question beings by writing “reading” and “listening” and drawing arrows.
• Even though you will see the article as you write, it is a good idea to take notes.  That will force you to pay attention during the three minutes you have to read it.
• Use short forms like “grav” and “cond” and “effec” to save time.
• Use “x” to refer to negatives (not, no, can’t, etc).
• Immediately after the lecture finishes expand your notes with details still fresh in your head.  I used blue ink to show what I did.
• You will use a pencil on test day.  Not a pen.  Practice with a pencil.

Writing Your Essay with Templates

Your TOEFL integrated essay should include an introduction  and  three body paragraphs . You don’t need to write a conclusion.

The following templates suggest a way to structure your paragraphs.  I don’t really think you should use the templates below word for word. Instead, use something similar to this and personalize it as you like.

The Introduction

No matter what question style is used, you can write an introduction that looks something like this.

• The reading and the lecture are both about _____. 
• While the author of the article argues that _____, the lecturer disputes the claims presented in the article.
• His position is that _____.

The Body Paragraphs

You can use something like the following templates for the body paragraphs:

• According to the reading  _____.
• The article mentions that ____.
• This argument is challenged by the lecturer.
• He claims that ____.
• Additionally, he points out that ______.
• Secondly, the author suggests ______.
• In the article notes that _____.
• The lecturer, however, asserts that ______.
• He goes on to say that ______.
• Finally, the author puts forth the idea that _____.
• The author contends that ____.
• In contrast, the lecturer’s stance is  _____.
• He says that _____.

You don’t need to write a conclusion.

Sample Essay 

Using the above notes and suggested templates I created this essay. Notice how I gently modified the template.  I didn’t use it word for word.  Feel free to follow it 100% or to personalize it to suit your preferences!

The reading and the lecture are about the possibility of starting colonies on asteroids. While the author feels that this is a good idea due to scientific benefits, economic benefits and the long-term survival of humans, the lecturer does not believe that the author’s claims are correct. His position is that it might not be a good idea to colonize asteroids. First of all, the author argues that asteroids are a great environment for scientific research because they are small, with low gravity and no atmosphere. Moreover, the article notes that they could be a way to start missions to more distant locations in the solar system. This argument is challenged by the lecturer. He says that we just don’t know enough about asteroids to be sure of their scientific value. We don’t know how many exist, or about conditions on their surfaces so it is difficult to really predict the scientific benefits of colonizing them. Second, according to the article, there could be great economic benefits of colonizing asteroids because they contain natural resources. Mining the resources could be very profitable, and reduce the need to mine them on Earth. In contrast, the lecturer notes that we don’t know exactly how many resources asteroids contain, nor how much they would be worth back on Earth. As a result, it isn’t clear if mining in space is more cost-effective than doing so on Earth. Finally, the author claims that colonies on asteroids could ensure the long-term survival of humanity. To be more specific, we could survive on them if a war or disaster affects the Earth. In contrast, the lecturer’s stance is that human settlements would have to be designed to deal with the unique challenges of the gravity found on asteroids. These challenges could make living on them extremely uncomfortable and dangerous in the long run.

• The lecture summary is the most important part of the essay.  Shorten the reading summary if you need to save time.
• I recommend between 280 and 300 words.
• Use transitional phrases like “in contrast” and “moreover” and “finally” just like I did.
• Always be sure to indicate where the details are from (the reading or the lecture).
• Avoid copying from the reading word for word. Paraphrase as much as you can.
• You don’t need fancy grammatical structures.  The accuracy of your details is more important in this task.
• Save about one minute to proofread your work.
• I maintain a collection of complete sample questions and essays written using the above technique. Read them!
• Need another practice question?  Here’s one !

How about the Independent Essay?

If you haven’t seen it already, you might want to read my article about the independent writing task .

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TOEFL integrated writing task 2023 | Examples and sample essay.

Want to excel in the toefl writing task elevate your skills with the most up-to-date examples, carefully crafted sample essays, and insights in 2023. maximize your potential to succeed in the integrated writing task., table of contents, introduction, toefl integrated writing task structure and format , toefl writing task topics , toefl writing task sample , toefl writing task pdf and other resources , strategies for toefl integrated writing task , scoring criteria for toefl writing task , key tips for success , example 1: environmental conservation , example 2: technological advancements in medicine , introduction: , body: , key takeaways .

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is a critical stepping stone for students who aspire to study in English-speaking universities. The TOEFL writing task is one part of this examination that can often become a cause for concern. It not only tests your ability to understand English but also your ability to express thoughts, ideas, and opinions in a clear and precise manner. 

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore various aspects of the TOEFL writing task, including topics, samples, format, and specific answers to common questions. The information provided is tailored to the 2023 edition of the test, ensuring relevance and applicability to your preparation. So, if you’re planning to take on this challenge in 2023, let’s begin by understanding the structure and requirements of the TOEFL writing task. 

The TOEFL integrated writing task is the first of the two writing tasks in the TOEFL exam. It’s designed to assess your ability to combine listening and reading skills to write a coherent and well-structured essay. Here’s a detailed breakdown: 

• Reading passage : A passage around 200-250 words long is provided. You’ll have three minutes to read it. 
• Listening clip : A short lecture related to the reading passage is played. You’ll be given time to take notes to remember the content better. 
• Writing task : You will have 20 minutes to write a response of about 150-225 words, summarizing the points made in the lecture and explaining how they relate to specific points in the reading passage. 

The topics for the TOEFL integrated writing task are generally academic and range from subjects like history, science, art, and social sciences. Here’s an example of how the topics will be given: 

• Reading passage : An excerpt will be provided about Renaissance art and its influence. 
• Listening clip : A lecture discussing a specific Renaissance painting. 
• Writing task : Compare and contrast the information in the reading passage and the lecture.

Practicing in advance by working on such topics will help you write and format your writing tasks better. Here’s a sample for you to practice: 

• Reading passage: Brief description of climate change and its effects. 
• Listening clip : A lecture discussing various solutions to combat climate change.
• Writing task : Summarize the solutions from the lecture and relate them to the problems mentioned in the reading passage. 

To support your preparation, TOEFL writing task PDF materials, containing practice questions and samples are available online. These resources often include: 

• Guides on TOEFL writing format 
• Collection of TOEFL writing samples with answers PDF 
• TOEFL writing task 1 sample answers and TOEFL writing task 2 sample answers 
• Practice tests for TOEFL writing task 2 

These materials are instrumental in understanding the pattern and honing your skills to succeed in the TOEFL writing task. 

• Understanding the structure : Familiarize yourself with the TOEFL writing format, including reading, listening, and writing phases. 
• Time management: Allocate time for reading, note-taking, and writing, keeping in mind the 20-minute time limit for the writing task. 
• Note-taking skills : Practice jotting down crucial points from both the reading passage and the listening clip. Focus on the main ideas, supporting details, and the relationship between the reading and listening parts. 
• Creating an outline : Before diving into writing, create a rough outline to organize your thoughts. This helps in maintaining coherence and connection between various sections of the essay. 
• Practicing with samples : Utilize the TOEFL writing task sample, TOEFL writing task 1 sample answers, and TOEFL writing task 2 sample answers for regular practice. 

Understanding the scoring can guide you in preparing effectively. The TOEFL integrated writing task is scored on a scale of 0-5 based on the following criteria: 

• Content : Accuracy, completeness, and connection between reading and listening. 
• Organization : Logical progression, clear introduction, body, and conclusion. 
• Language use : Grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, and overall fluency.
• Use transitional phrases : Transitional words like “however,” “in addition,” and “therefore” can help in maintaining the flow. 
• Avoid repetition : While using keywords is vital, avoid unnecessary repetition. Make sure your content is varied and engaging. 
• Proofread : Reserve some time at the end for revising and correcting errors.
• Access Quality Resources : Consider TOEFL writing samples with answers PDF, TOEFL writing task PDF guides, and practice tests for well-rounded preparation.
• Tables, quizzes, and other interactive elements: Incorporating tables and quizzes can be an excellent way to enhance the learning experience. For instance, a table comparing different TOEFL writing task topics or a quiz testing understanding of TOEFL writing format can be included in online learning platforms or books. 

Examples of TOEFL integrated writing task 

The TOEFL integrated writing task presents a unique challenge to assess your ability to analyze information from both a reading passage and a lecture. In this task, you must demonstrate your comprehension of the material and your capacity to connect ideas between the text and the spoken content. To give you a clearer picture, let’s dive into a few illustrative examples of TOEFL-integrated writing tasks:

Reading passage : Description of deforestation and its impact on biodiversity.

Listening Clip : A lecture discussing various conservation methods employed globally. 

Writing task: 

• Reading: The passage highlights the critical loss of forests, leading to a decline in biodiversity and environmental balance. 
• Listening: The speaker introduces multiple conservation techniques such as reforestation, wildlife corridors, and legal enforcement. 
• Essay: The essay must summarise the conservation methods mentioned in the lecture and relate them to the problems of deforestation and biodiversity loss detailed in the reading passage. 

Reading passage: An overview of the traditional medical practices and their limitations. 

Listening clip: A lecture elaborating on recent technological advancements in medical diagnostics and treatments. 

Writing task : 

• Reading: The passage outlines traditional medical practices, emphasizing their limitations in accuracy and efficiency. 
• Listening : The lecturer elaborates on cutting-edge technologies like AI-powered diagnostics, robotic surgeries, and personalized medicine.
• Essay : The essay should connect the advancements discussed in the lecture with the limitations outlined in the reading passage, showcasing how technology is revolutionizing medical practice. 

In-depth Analysis of a Sample Essay | Environmental conservation 

The essay must have a good flow and cohesiveness. This makes it easier to understand and leave a good impression. Here is the in-depth analysis of an essay on environmental conservation.

“The loss of forests and biodiversity has long been a global concern. However, modern conservation methods, as described in the lecture, offer promising solutions to the challenges outlined in the reading passage.” 

• Paragraph 1: Discuss reforestation, its importance, and how it directly addresses deforestation. 
• Paragraph 2: Explore wildlife corridors and their role in preserving biodiversity. 
• Paragraph 3 : Explain legal enforcement, international agreements, and their impact on conservation efforts. 
• The TOEFL-integrated writing task involves reading, listening, and writing. Understand the flow and practice each part. 
• Make use of TOEFL writing samples with answers PDF, TOEFL writing task PDF guides, and various other materials for practice. 
• Your essay should logically connect the reading and listening parts, maintaining a clear and concise structure. 

The innovative conservation techniques described in the lecture provide a comprehensive approach to combating the grave issues of deforestation and biodiversity loss mentioned in the reading passage. These methods signify hope and progress in environmental preservation. 

We hope you found this article insightful. If you have any more queries please reach out to us and get them solved quickly!

Liked this blog? Read: TOEFL requirements 2023 | Documents and minimum requirements guide. 

1. How much time do I have for the TOEFL Integrated Writing Task? 

Ans. You have 3 minutes to read the passage, a listening time for the clip, and 20 minutes to write the essay. 

2. Can I take notes during the listening part of the TOEFL Writing Task? 

Ans. Yes, taking notes is allowed and advisable during the listening portion.

3. What types of topics are covered in the TOEFL Writing Task Topics? 

Ans. Topics are typically academic, ranging from history, science, art to social sciences. 

4. Where can I find TOEFL Writing Task 1 sample answers and TOEFL Writing Task 2 sample answers? 

Ans. Various online platforms, prep books, and official TOEFL guides provide these samples.

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TOEFL iBT Integrated Writing: Ten Questions (And my answers!)

By E-mail, through Blog posts, or during class, I have gotten quite a few questions regarding TOEFL iBT integrated writing. This blog post contains answers to those questions.

1. Question:   What is the integrated writing section of the TOEFL iBT ?

Answer:  During the integrated writing task , you will read a 400-500 word passage and then listen to a 3-4 minute lecture, after which you are given a 20 minute writing task .  You are asked to show the relationship between the two sources.

2. Question:  How is the integrated writing task scored?

Answer:  Your integrated writing task will be scored according to a range of 0-5 points, with 5 being the highest.  At least two human raters will score your writing task, and your score will be averaged with your independent writing task.  The average of your integrated and independent writing task will be converted into points from 0-30, with 30 being the highest.  For example, if your score on both writing tasks is 5,  your score will be converted into 30 points for TOEFL iBT writing .

3. Question:  How do I score high on this writing task ?

Answer:  Good question! You need to be a good writer in that you need to have a coherent organization, including a sharply focused thesis and topic sentences and using important supporting information, all in the context of a summary.

4. Question:  What do you mean when you say that I need a coherent organization ?

Answer:  A coherent organization means that your thesis statement, topic sentences, and supporting details need to connect together.

5. Question:  How do I create a thesis statement for this type of writing task?

Answer:   Your thesis statement should restate the question being asked.  For example, if you are asked, “How is the information in the listening passage related to the information in the reading passage?” you could restate this question in the following way:  “The topic of the reading passage is……, and the listening passage is related to the reading passage in that it……..”  Using this type of thesis statement allows you to discuss the main points of the reading passage in paragraph two and to discuss the main points of the listening as well as how it relates to the reading passage in paragraph three.

6. Question:  I think I am beginning to understand, but it is this relationship between the listening and the reading that I am having difficulty understanding. What types of relationships between the listening and the reading should I look for?

Answer:  Now you are really getting into the little known secrets of how to score high on the the TOEFL iBT integrated writing task , for, if you do not explicitly state the relationship between the two sources, you will not be able to score high.  Sometimes, the  listening passage presents a specific example to support the information in the reading passage. In other cases, the information in the listening passage may present contradictory information which disagrees with the information in the reading passage.   Finally, the information in the listening passage could give a cause or effect of what was discussed in the reading passage.  Therefore, whether the information in the listening  exemplifies, contradicts, or explains a cause or effect relationship to the reading passage, you are expected to name that relationship in the first paragraph in your thesis statement.

7.  Question:  Let’s say the information in the listening passage gives a specific example to support the information in the reading passage. How would I create a thesis statement to show that relationship?

Answer:    To help you understand this important concept of  framing your thesis around the writing task and explicitly showing the relationship, imagine that you are asked to read a passage about communism.  Shortly after that, you listen to a lecture about how communism was practiced in Russia before its collapse.   Obviously, the first thing you have to do is to identify the main idea of the reading passage (i.e.,  communism), and the second thing you need to do is to identify the main idea of the listening (i.e., an example of how communism was practiced in Russia).   Then, you would create a thesis sentence combining the information from the two sources:  “ The main idea of the reading passage is communism, and the information in the listening passage supports the information in the reading passage in that it gives a specific example of how communism was practiced in Russia .”

8.   Question:  Wow!  I see what I need to do, but the grammar you are using is complicated.  Is there an easier way to show these connections between the two sources?

Answer:  Yes there is, but you need to be able to use advanced grammar structures if you want to score high on the TOEFL iBT.  As such, you should practice taking notes from reading and listening passages and then using appropriate grammar to combine the information from the two sources.

9.  Question: You mentioned something about summaries, or summarizing, or something about being in the context of  a summary.  What do you mean exactly?

Answer:  When I use the phrase “ all in the context of a summary ,”  I am emphasizing what the purpose of the integrated writing task is, namely to identify the main ideas and critical supporting points of the reading and listening passages.  You should not include your personal opinion, you should not change the meaning of any important information, and you should not include minor details.

10.  Question:  Great advice!  Do you have  a final tip you would like to give me concerning TOEFL iBT integrated writing ?

Answer:  Yes, as you summarize the information in the reading and listening passages , make sure that you use your own words.  If you choose to use exact sentences from the sources, you should use quotation marks.  If you do not follow this advice, the TOEFL iBT human raters have been instructed to give you a score of zero.

For more information, go to http://onlinetoeflcourse.com

Michael Buckhoff , [email protected]

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5 thoughts on “TOEFL iBT Integrated Writing: Ten Questions (And my answers!)”

Pingback: TOEFL iBT Writing: How to Improve Your Writing Skills for the TOEFL iBT - Better TOEFL Scores Blog

Interesting take on the integrated section. As a rater, I can really see that most people teaching ibt, don’ t really know what goes into the grading. The books too show this.

Thanks Berty for letting me know. I have deleted those links.

The links do not work.

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How to Score a 5/5 on the TOEFL Essay: Integrated Task

For many students taking the TOEFL, scoring a 5 out of 5 on each of the two TOEFL essays—which would lead to a perfect score of 30 in the writing section—is the ultimate goal. Getting there takes a lot of practice , but it pays off nicely! Scoring so high in one section can counterbalance slightly lower scores in other sections, helping you to get to your total target score with more ease (be sure to check your institution’s requirements, however; some universities will require a minimum score per section).

Because the two essays require slightly different skills, the ETS (the organization that administers the TOEFL) provides two separate rubrics for how to obtain a top score on the TOEFL essays. For those of you who are curious about the criteria for other scores, you can find that information here: at the test maker’s website . For those of you aiming to get a five, let’s keep going! Let’s start where the TOEFL writing section itself begins: with the integrated task.

The integrated essay will provide you with a lecture and a written passage on different aspects of the same topic. According to the ETS, the criteria for a top score on this essay include:

• Correctly selecting all important information
• Accurately and clearly representing the information.
• Showing good organization
• Having minimal errors in language use. If there are errors, they must not cause the information itself to become inaccurate or unclear.

Breaking that down, the first important task in getting that top score is going to be selecting the relevant information from the lecture, and then the reading. Good note-taking is vital here, and good note-taking takes practice! Listen to the emphasis that the speaker places on keywords, and look out for the thesis statement and supporting examples in the reading. Circle them in your notes.

The second important task is relating the lecture to the reading. Look at what you’ve circled. Does one contradict the other? Build on the other? Elaborate on a different aspect of the other? Figure out how they relate before you go on to the next important step: writing a well-organized response. To do this, you’ll want to create an outline.

Make sure that your outline has your thesis statement clearly defined. This thesis statement should explain how the lecture and the reading relate to one another. You’ll also want to have a brief summary of the lecture and the reading (one to two sentences is sufficient for this!) Then, build your body paragraphs around your main examples, which you’ll already have circled in your notes.

As you write, don’t worry about everything being perfect. That said, leave 2-3 minutes at the end of the exam to proofread what you’ve written. Because these essays are graded holistically, you won’t lose points for minor errors as long as they don’t change the meaning of your ideas. However, a lot of errors can add up to a confusing essay, which will definitely lead to a lower score.

The integrated task is only one of the two essays you’ll write on test day. Next time, we’ll take a look at the independent task, and how that differs from the integrated task you’ve mastered!

Rachel is one of Magoosh’s Content Creators. She writes and updates content on our High School and GRE Blogs to ensure students are equipped with the best information during their test prep journey. As a test-prep instructor for more than five years in there different countries, Rachel has helped students around the world prepare for various standardized tests, including the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT, and she is one of the authors of our Magoosh ACT Prep Book . Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from Brown University, an MA in Cinematography from the Université de Paris VII, and a Ph.D. in Film Studies from University College London. For over a decade, Rachel has honed her craft as a fiction and memoir writer and public speaker. Her novel, THE BALLERINAS , is forthcoming in December 2021 from St. Martin’s Press , while her memoir, GRADUATES IN WONDERLAND , co-written with Jessica Pan, was published in 2014 by Penguin Random House. Her work has appeared in over a dozen online and print publications, including Vanity Fair Hollywood. When she isn’t strategically stringing words together at Magoosh, you can find Rachel riding horses or with her nose in a book. Join her on Twitter , Instagram , or Facebook !

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TOEFL Integrated Writing – Top 3 Tips

Overview of integrated writing in toefl writing, tip 1 – in the toefl test, make sure you answer the question, tip 2 – organize your response for toefl writing, tip 3 – check for language errors for a high toefl score, more help with toefl writing.

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In the TOEFL Integrated Writing task (Writing Task 1), you’ll read a passage about a topic and then listen to a short lecture on the same topic but from a different perspective. You’ll then be asked to summarize the points made in the lecture and explain how they relate to specific points made in the reading passage. You’ll have a total of 20 minutes to plan and write your response.

Our TOEFL course is the best way to train all the skills required for the latest version of the TOEFL iBT test and increase your confidence on test day.

In this post, we’ll cover our top 3 tips to help you do well in the Integrated Writing task and boost your overall TOEFL score. If you’re wanting to improve in your Writing for an Academic Discussion task, click here .

It may sound obvious, but you need to make sure you answer the question. Here’s a sample question.

The first part of the question will always be the same. It will always ask you to summarize the lecture . So, note that you’re not summarizing the reading passage – it’s the lecture you need to summarize. The wording of the second part of the question will vary, but you’ll always be asked to present the points made in the lecture in relation to points from the reading passage. Most often, the lecturer will challenge the points made in the reading passage, but it’s possible that the lecturer will support them.

In the official scoring criteria, how well you answer the question is referred to as accurate development . The score range for the TOEFL Integrated Writing task is 0 to 5. If you leave out one of the key points made in the lecture, you won’t be able to get more than 3 out of 5. If you significantly misrepresent points made in the lecture, the maximum score you can get is 2 out of 5. If you only write about points in the reading passage, you’ll score 1 out of 5.

As you can see, it’s very important to understand what’s required in the TOEFL Integrated Writing task to give yourself the best chance of getting a high score.

The second scoring criterion for TOEFL Writing Task 1 is organization . If your response is well organized, it will be easier for the reader to follow your ideas without becoming confused. Here’s a sample response.

Notice that this response is quite difficult to read. The writer is summarizing the three main points made in the lecture and how they relate to the points from the reading passage. However, since there’s just one long paragraph and very few linking words and phrases, it isn’t clear where one point ends and the next one begins. Now read this sample response.

Notice that the paragraphs allow the writer to separate their points. The use of linking words and phrases such as also , then , and Lastly make it even easier to follow what the writer is saying.

The final scoring criterion for TOEFL Integrated Writing is language use . This means it’s important to check your response for grammatical and vocabulary errors, including issues with spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. You can make some minor mistakes and still get a high score, but you should still try to make as few mistakes as possible.

Easy things to check for:

• spelling mistakes
• subject–verb agreement
• mistakes with singular and plural forms
• incorrect punctuation

Read the paragraph below. There are 5 language errors. Can you find them?

Scroll to the bottom to check your answers.

Need more help with TOEFL Writing? We have you covered! For help with the TOEFL Integrated Writing task in the TOEFL test, head to our TOEFL login page and sign up for free to access method lessons, TOEFL practice tests, live classes with expert teachers and more. We have everything you need to help you quickly achieve the score you desire in your TOEFL exam.

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Guide to Getting a Better TOEFL Integrated Writing Score

In order to improve your TOEFL Integrated Writing score , it is vital that you understand what the Integrated Writing task entails. This task in the Writing Section is unlike any other task on the TOEFL , and many students get low marks on this task simply because they don’t understand how to tackle it. So first…

What is the TOEFL Integrated Writing Task? The TOEFL Integrated Writing Task is one of two essays that you will have to write (approximately 200 – 250 words) on the TOEFL Writing Section . The essay is based on two passages, a reading passage and a listening passage. You are NOT supposed to give your opinion in this writing task .

The first passage you get on the Integrated Writing Task is the reading passage which is around 250 – 300 words. You get 3 minutes to read the passage. The author of the reading passage will discuss a particular topic, and then provide 3 main points, each lined out in a paragraph, that gives more details or supporting information on the topic.

For example, the author could be discussing this topic: origins of an ancient tribe. Then in the following 3 paragraphs, the author is going to make 3 main points about this topic. Maybe these points explain why a common theory about the tribe’s origins is right or wrong. Or maybe the main points are pieces of evidence that support the author’s theory about their origin. It is critical that you are able to identify and paraphrase the topic and author’s 3 main points in your essay.

Next comes the more difficult part, the listening passage. After having 3 minutes to read the passage (and take notes!) then you have to listen to a lecture for 2 to 3 minutes. The lecturer is always going to talk about the same topic as the author. The lecturer will also provide 3 main points about the topic.

The lecturer is almost always at odds or in disagreement with the author. Therefore, the main points in the listening will follow the order of the 3 main points from the reading . Usually the lecturer will explain why the author is wrong about his or her theory, or how there is other evidence that does not support the author’s ideas about the given topic. It is also critical that you are able to identify and paraphrase the lecturer’s 3 main points AND how they contradict or disprove the author’s main points in your essay.

Finally, the reading passage will reappear, and you are given the remaining 20 minutes to outline, write and edit your Integrated Writing essay answer.

How to structure your TOEFL Integrated Writing Task Essay? The best advice is to go into the TOEFL exam knowing how you will structure your Integrated Writing essay . This will save you valuable time, because some of your answer can actually be prepared beforehand. This is known as a template. Below is an example of a template you should emulate on the TOEFL exam:

The reading passage is about ( insert topic ). The author believes ( insert author’s opinion on the topic ), but the lecturer in the listening passage disagrees. He/She feels ( insert lecturer’s opinion on the topic ). The author provides three main points to support their opinion, and the lecturer provides three contradictory points. First, the author says that ( author’s first main point ). However, the lecturer explains ( lecturer’s first main counterpoint ). The lecturer goes on to state that ( supporting details that link back to the reading ).

Next, in the reading passage, the author claims that ( author’s second main point ). To the contrary, the lecturer provides ( lecturer’s second main counterpoint ). Furthermore, the lecturer also mentions ( supporting details that link back to the reading ).

Finally, the author in the reading states ( author’s third main point ). In contrast, the lecturer in the listening passage is of the opinion that ( lecturer’s third main counterpoint ). Additionally, he/she points out that ( supporting details that link back to the reading ).

2. Mistake #2 – Failing to Clarify the Relationship Between the Two Passages Another common mistake TOEFL test takers make on the exam is that they don’t write about how the listening passage connects to the reading. As mentioned, the lecturer is typically critical or in downright disagreement with the author. It is important to not only state what the main points of each passage are, but also explain how the listening passage attacks the claims in the reading. Imagine answering these questions: What specific details does the lecturer give to debunk the author’s position? How does the evidence in the listening disprove the theory in the reading? Therefore, to avoid this common error, include some supporting details or reasons for each counterpoint from the listening passage that relates to the author’s main point.

3. Mistake #3 – Grammatical Errors Another wrong turn test takers make on the Integrated Writing is that they have silly grammatical or spelling mistakes. The best solution for this problem is better time management and use Writing Correction Service in order to improve their mistakes well in advance. There is a lot of information and not a lot of time on this writing task. Therefore, don’t spend a lot of time writing an introduction or a conclusion. Quickly introduce the topic of both the passages and get straight into the main points of the author and lecturer as soon as possible. You also don’t technically need a conclusion, but if you do choose the right one, make it only one or two short sentences. Finally, be sure to save at least 2 minutes at the end to go back and edit your essay. Students unnecessarily lose points for spelling and grammar mistakes because they don’t give themselves time to proofread their essays.

One thought on “Guide to Getting a Better TOEFL Integrated Writing Score”

Thank You so much, for your article, it really helps lots. May the good Lord Jesus Christ, bless you.

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The TOEFL integrated essay

Hilary Testing , Writing

During the TOEFL iBT, you will have two writing tasks. The second and longer task is the independent essay . The first is the integrated essay.

In my opinion, your writing skills are less important in the integrated essay; of more importance is your listening ability and, to a lesser extent, your reading ability. In the essay, you must make  clear connections between the points in the reading and the points in the lecture. Obviously, if you don’t understand what you hear in the lecture, this will be very difficult, which is why the integrated writing task is truly integrated. Without being able to integrate listening comprehension, reading, and writing skills, you will not obtain a high score.

Neither the reading nor the lecture in the integrated writing task is as difficult as the texts in the Reading section or the lectures in the Listening section. You will have ample time (three minutes) to identify the main points in the reading passage. Also, after the lecture, you will be able to view the reading passage until the end of the writing time. The lecture is short (about 2 to 2 ½ minutes) and clearly structured; in addition, since the content of the lecture relates directly to the reading you’ve just completed, it’s easier to understand.

Nevertheless, until your reading and listening skills are developed well enough for you to understand the three points of connection between the reading and the lecture, there’s little reason to put much effort into practicing the essay itself. It’s better to work on your writing skills by attempting the independent essay and continue practicing reading and listening skills separately. In fact, initially I recommend that rather than trying to write an integrated essay, you simply make tables of the main points (as I’ve described below) to see if you’ve identified them correctly.

A sample writing task

Let’s take a sample integrated writing task to discuss how to approach it.

The reading passage from TPO (TOEFL Practice Online) 33 is as follows. You would have three minutes to read this.

Carved stone balls are a curious type of artifact found at a number of locations in Scotland. They date from the late Neolithic period, around 4,000 years ago. They are round in shape; they were carved from several types of stone; most are about 70 mm in diameter; and many are ornamented to some degree. Archaeologists do not agree about their purpose and meaning, but there are several theories. 　　

One theory is that the carved stone balls were weapons used in hunting or fighting. Some of the stone balls have been found with holes in them, and many have grooves on the surface. It is possible that a cord was strung through the holes or laid in the grooves around the ball. Holding the stone balls at the end of the cord would have allowed a person to swing it around or throw it. 　

A second theory is that the carved stone balls were used as part of a primitive system of weights and measures. The fact that they are so nearly uniform in size — at 70 mm in diameter — suggests that the balls were interchangeable and represented some standard unit of measure. They could have been used as standard weights to measure quantities of grain or other food, or anything that needed to be measured by weight on a balance or scale for the purpose of trade. 　　

A third theory is that the carved stone balls served a social purpose as opposed to a practical or utilitarian one. This view is supported by the fact that many stone balls have elaborate designs. The elaborate carving suggests that the stones may have marked the important social status of their owners.

After the reading, you will hear a lecture from a female professor:

None of the three theories presented in the reading passage are very convincing.

First, the stone balls as hunting weapons. Common Neolithic weapons such as arrowheads and hand axes generally show signs of wear, so we should expect that if the stone balls had been used as weapons for hunting or fighting, they too would show signs of that use. Marry of the stone balls would be cracked or have pieces broken off. However, the surfaces of the balls are generally well preserved, showing little or no wear or damage.

Second, the carved stone balls may be remarkably uniform in size, but their masses vary too considerably to have been used as uniform weights. This is because the stone balls were made of different types of stone including sandstone, green stone and quartzite. Each type of stone has a different density. Some types of stone are heavier than others, just as a handful of feathers weighs less than a handful of rocks. Two balls of the same size are different weights depending on the type of stone they are made of. Therefore, the balls could not have been used as a primitive weighing system.

Third, it’s unlikely that the main purpose of the balls was as some kind of social marker. A couple of facts are inconsistent with this theory. For one thing, while some of the balls are carved with intricate patterns, many others have markings that are extremely simple, too simple to make the balls look like status symbols. Furthermore, we know that in Neolithic Britain, when someone died, particularly a high-ranking person, they were usually buried with their possessions. However, none of the carved stone balls have been actually found in tombs or graves. That makes it unlikely that the balls were personal possessions that marked a person’s status within the community.

Notes on the reading and lecture

I suggest that you take notes using a table like the following:

In the top box, based on information in the introductory paragraph, you’ll make brief notes on the subject of the reading passage … just enough so that you remember what it’s about. You’ll be able to go back to the text after the lecture, so you don’t need to be very detailed here.

On the left-hand side of the table, you’ll write the three main points of the reading. You will find one key point and a few supporting details in each paragraph following the introduction. Remember, you’ll be going back to the text after the lecture. You’ll have another chance to read for details. During this three-minute reading time, what’s most important is that you clearly identify and understand the three main points. If you do this, you’ll be able to understand the lecture much better.

During the lecture, you’ll listen for the lecturer to respond to the three main points. Listen for phrases like first … second … third and first of all … secondly … finally; they will signal when the lecturer transitions from one point to another. You will only have one chance to listen to the lecture, so good notes (or a good memory) are essential here. If you miss any of the three key points in the lecture, you won’t be able to score higher than a 3 out of 5. Usually, the lecture includes at least two supporting details to support each point, and ideally you will include all of them in your notes and then in the essay itself.

The writing task

After you finish the lecture, you’ll have 20 minutes to write your essay of around 150 to 225 words. Although TOEFL study guides say that some lectures support or strengthen the information in the reading passage, this is highly unlikely. The TPOs, which are “retired” actual TOEFL tests, contain only tasks in which the lecturer challenges or disagrees with the reading passage.

Although the rater will definitely evaluate the quality of your writing, your ability to successfully describe the relationship between the ideas in the reading and the lecture for each of the three main points is key to getting a top score. Even William Shakespeare himself would not get a 5 unless he understood what he heard in the lecture. 🙂

In your essay, your emphasis should always be on the material that is in the lecture. The rater knows that the material in the reading is available to you while you’re writing; therefore, merely rephrasing what the text says will gain you little advantage.

Because the writing task is so standardized, test-takers tend to follow certain templates or formulaic language that they’ve encountered at test-preparation websites or courses. This is acceptable to a certain degree, but remember that if you’ve been taught to write in a certain way, thousands of other students have probably been taught the same way. Your rater will recognize these formulas instantly, and will be more impressed if you can avoid such a monotonous approach and write your essay with slightly more creativity and originality.

The first paragraph

Your first paragraph must contain three essential points, which you should be able to state in no more than two or possibly even just one sentence. The key information includes:

1) enough information about the topic so that a reader unfamiliar with it will understand it — you will identify the REAL thesis and restate it without using the exact same wording as the reading

2) what the author of the reading is doing (for example: offering some theories, suggesting some reasons, discussing some beliefs)

3) what the lecturer is doing (almost always refuting, disagreeing, or contradicting, but if you can be more specific, you should be)

Here are some examples of introductory paragraphs:

The salinity of California’s Salton Sea has been rising steadily in recent years. While the author suggests several solutions to reverse this trend, the lecturer believes these are unrealistic and impractical. (TPO 54)

The reading passage cites a number of social benefits resulting from high taxes placed on cigarettes and unhealthy foods. However, the lecturer challenges the arguments in favor of such taxes. (TPO 53)

Although the text suggests that colonizing asteroids might be a better option than sending people to the moon or to Mars, the lecturer disagrees. (TPO 52)

The reading discusses several beliefs that humans have developed about elephants. However, the lecturer believes that these ideas are misguided and reflect our misunderstandings about elephant behavior. (TPO 51)

When writing your essay, you’ll want to use a variety of reporting verbs to describe what the reading and the lecturer say. Avoid using the same verbs over and over again; also, try to make them precise and specific. Is the author claiming or merely suggesting? Is the lecturer pointing out or contradicting? My article on reporting verbs should provide you with lots of information to make these distinctions clearly.

However, rather than using variety, I think you should be consistent in how you refer to the reading and the lecture. If you choose to call it the reading, stay with that. Or call it the text or the author. In the same way, call the person giving the lecture either the speaker, the lecturer, or the professor and stick with that. You can also use the pronouns he or she ; just make sure you get the gender correct.

Suggestions for the subsequent paragraphs

Some of my students tend to follow a very repetitious and monotonous structure: variations of The reading says this, but the lecture says this … The reading says this, but the lecture says this … The reading says this … and so on and so forth. I recommend that you vary this structure a little bit if you can. Here are three ways that you can do this. Some alternative word choices are included, but consult my article on reporting verbs for a more extensive list.

Although (while) the author states (believes, notes, suggests) that [a point from the text that you restate in your own words], the lecturer disagrees. She (he) points out that … [try to include two ideas from the lecture]

The lecturer refutes (disputes, rejects) the idea (theory, belief, suggestion) that [another point in the text]. She (he) claims (suggests, points out) that …. [try to include two points from the lecture].

The author asserts (contends, argues) that [another point from the text]. However (in contrast), the lecturer (disputes, contradicts, disagrees with) this (statement, idea, opinion). He (she) maintains (affirms, observes) that [two ideas from the lecture].

A sample essay

Finally, what does an integrated essay look like? Here’s my attempt at answering TPO 33.

Archaeologists have found round, carved stone balls dating from the late Neolithic period at several sites in Scotland. Although several theories about the meaning and purpose of these balls are discussed in the reading, the lecturer strongly disagrees with their validity.

First, although the reading states that the presence of holes and grooves in the balls indicates that they might have been used as some type of weapon, the lecturer refutes this idea. She points out that common weapons such as arrowheads found at these sites show signs of wear. If used as weapons, these balls would likely be cracked or broken. Their well-preserved surfaces contradict the theory that they were used as a weapon.

Second, the lecturer refutes the theory that the stones, which are uniform in size, could have been used in a primitive system of weights to measure grain or food. She notes that although interchangeable in size, the masses of the stones vary considerably. Because the balls are made from different types of stones, the balls have different densities, and thus different weights. So it would not have been possible to use them as a device for common measurement.

Third, the reading proposes that, due to their elaborately carved designs,  the stones might have had a social purpose and been used to mark the social status of their owners. The lecturer disagrees. She observes that although some stones have intricate patterns, others are quite plain. Furthermore, she points out that, in the Neolithic period, those people of higher status were buried with all their possessions. Yet no graves have been found with balls in them, making it unlikely that the balls were a marker of social status.

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very interested for people who want to take the exam, exelent tips.

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TOEFL Prep Online Guides and Tips

The best toefl writing templates for any prompt.

Even if English composition isn’t your forte, you can still earn a high score on the TOEFL Writing section by following a template. But what exactly is a TOEFL Writing template? Simply put, TOEFL essay templates teach you how to organize your thoughts, select strong pieces of evidence, and get the Writing score you want .

In this article, we’re providing you with  two high-quality TOEFL essay templates for the Integrated and Independent Writing tasks. Before that, we’ll go over the differences between the two TOEFL Writing tasks and then discuss how our TOEFL essay templates can benefit you. After, we’ll teach you how to customize and use our templates.

What Essays Will You Write on the TOEFL?

The Writing section is the final section you’ll face on the TOEFL, and it consists of two separate tasks: an Integrated Writing task and an Independent Writing task . The Integrated task requires you to write a response comparing a lecture and an article, whereas the Independent task requires you to write an opinionated essay in which you agree or disagree with an idea.

Below, we examine the two TOEFL Writing tasks in detail.

Integrated Writing Task

For the Integrated task, you must read a passage on an academic topic for three minutes and then listen to a short lecture on the same topic. This lecture will either support or challenge what’s written in the passage. Your response must  summarize the main points discussed in the lecture and explain how these points relate to the reading .

You’ll have a total of  20 minutes to write your response. Your response should be around  150-225 words . During this time, you may reread the passage; however, you may not listen to the lecture again.

By the way: we have built the world's best online TOEFL course . Get online practice (TPO-sytle!) and individual grading and feedback on Speaking and Writing.

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The score you receive for this task will be on a scale of 0-5 . According to the official rubric , a level-5 essay (i.e., a perfect essay) selects the most crucial information from the lecture and presents it in a coherent, accurate, and well-organized manner. A level-3 essay is satisfactory but overall vague, with fewer key points and several grammatical errors. Finally, a level-1 essay offers minimal coherency and fails to address any of the main points in the lecture. ETS (the creators of the TOEFL) offers  several samples of scored Integrated essays  online.

Below is an example of an Integrated Writing task borrowed from  ETS :

Reading Passage

Critics say that current voting systems used in the United States are inefficient and often lead to the inaccurate counting of votes. Miscounts can be especially damaging if an election is closely contested. Those critics would like the traditional systems to be replaced with far more efficient and trustworthy computerized voting systems.

In traditional voting, one major source of inaccuracy is that people accidentally vote for the wrong candidate. Voters usually have to find the name of their candidate on a large sheet of paper containing many names—the ballot—and make a small mark next to that name. People with poor eyesight can easily mark the wrong name. The computerized voting machines have an easy-to-use touch-screen technology: to cast a vote, a voter needs only to touch the candidate’s name on the screen to record a vote for that candidate; voters can even have the computer magnify the name for easier viewing.

Another major problem with old voting systems is that they rely heavily on people to count the votes. Officials must often count up the votes one by one, going through every ballot and recording the vote. Since they have to deal with thousands of ballots, it is almost inevitable that they will make mistakes. If an error is detected, a long and expensive recount has to take place. In contrast, computerized systems remove the possibility of human error, since all the vote counting is done quickly and automatically by the computers.

Finally some people say it is too risky to implement complicated voting technology nationwide. But without giving it a thought, governments and individuals alike trust other complex computer technology every day to be perfectly accurate in banking transactions as well as in the communication of highly sensitive information.

Lecture Transcript

(Narrator) Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.

(Female professor) While traditional voting systems have some problems, it’s doubtful that computerized voting will make the situation any better. Computerized voting may seem easy for people who are used to computers. But what about people who aren’t? People who can’t afford computers, people who don’t use them on a regular basis—these people will have trouble using computerized voting machines. These voters can easily cast the wrong vote or be discouraged from voting altogether because of fear of technology. Furthermore, it’s true that humans make mistakes when they count up ballots by hand. But are we sure that computers will do a better job? After all, computers are programmed by humans, so “human error” can show up in mistakes in their programs. And the errors caused by these defective programs may be far more serious. The worst a human official can do is miss a few ballots. But an error in a computer program can result in thousands of votes being miscounted or even permanently removed from the record. And in many voting systems, there is no physical record of the votes, so a computer recount in the case of a suspected error is impossible! As for our trust of computer technology for banking and communications, remember one thing: these systems are used daily and they are used heavily. They didn’t work flawlessly when they were first introduced. They had to be improved on and improved on until they got as reliable as they are today. But voting happens only once every two years nationally in the United States and not much more than twice a year in many local areas. This is hardly sufficient for us to develop confidence that computerized voting can be fully trusted.

Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage.

Independent Writing Task

For the Independent task, you will write about your opinion on a certain topic . You must provide clear reasons and specific examples for why you agree or disagree with the issue or statement. (This doesn’t have to be your real opinion, though!) You’ll have 30 minutes to write your response. A typical high-scoring essay is at least 300 words .

You’ll receive a score on a scale of 0-5 . According to the official rubric , a level-5 essay effectively addresses the topic, provides clear and ample details, and contains at most only minor issues with grammar and word choice. A level-3 essay offers a generally coherent response with occasional slips in clarity. Finally, a level-1 essay offers little to no detail and contains multiple technical errors. You can look at samples of Independent essays  on the ETS website.

Here is an example of an Independent Writing task taken from ETS :

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

Always telling the truth is the most important consideration in any relationship.

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Integrated Task vs. Independent Task

So far we’ve covered all of the basic components of the TOEFL Writing tasks. To briefly recap, here is an overview of the Integrated and Independent Writing tasks:

What Is a TOEFL Writing Template?

The purpose of a TOEFL Writing template is to help you compose a detailed and eloquent essay — and of course get you a high Writing score! But what exactly is a template?

It’s easiest to think of an essay template as a skeleton . While a skeleton is the framework for a body, a template is the framework for an essay . Thus, a TOEFL Writing template highlights basic structural patterns and phrases you can integrate into your own writing. What a template doesn’t do is write your essay for you. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how you’ll add the skin and muscles (i.e., the details and supporting evidence) to your “skeleton.”

Furthermore, writing templates are typically created to suit different types of essays . For example, a template for a compare/contrast essay will differ from a template for an editorial piece. This is why it’s so important you use a writing template specifically geared toward the TOEFL!

What Are the Benefits of a TOEFL Writing Template?

There are three major benefits to using a TOEFL Writing template.

It Organizes Your Thoughts

Using a TOEFL Writing template ensures you’ll have a focused and well-organized response . A high-quality template teaches you how to structure your response so that your introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs are all clearly defined. This way, even if your grammar and spelling aren’t perfect, your response will still have an overall strong framework that’s easy to follow.

TOEFL essay templates also show you  what kinds of transitions you can use and where . Transitions are a key component of essays that allow you to connect your thoughts and progress to new ideas smoothly. Truth be told, you probably won’t score super highly on the TOEFL Writing section if you don’t use any transitions!

It Saves You Time

Another big benefit of using a TOEFL Writing template is that it saves you time on the Writing section. Since you’ll already have a sense of how you’re going to structure your essay,  you’ll spend less time planning it out and   coming up with transitions, openings, and closings. As a result, you’ll get more time to actually write out your response!

It Gives You Confidence

Lastly, a TOEFL Writing template allows you to  feel more prepared on test day. Many test takers find it difficult to write out responses to English-language prompts in only 20 or 30 minutes. But TOEFL essay templates equip you with the skills you’ll need to feel more confident in your writing skills — and confidence is the first step toward getting a great TOEFL score!

2 TOEFL Essay Templates for You to Use

In this section, we offer you   a TOEFL Integrated Writing template and an Independent Writing TOEFL template . We also provide you with a handy list of key transitional words and phrases  you can incorporate into your essays.

Please note that you do not need to follow these templates directly. In fact, we strongly encourage you to replace our sample words and phrases with your own . We will talk more about how to customize our TOEFL essay templates in the following section. But for now, let’s take a look at the templates!

Template 1: Integrated Writing Task

Before we dive into our TOEFL Integrated Writing template, let’s get a quick reminder of what the Integrated task entails.

For this task, you’ll read a passage and then listen to a lecture. Your task is to summarize the lecture and explain whether the lecture challenges or supports what’s written in the passage. You’ll have 20 minutes to compose a response of around 150-225 words .

We’ll divide our template into four paragraphs:  an introduction and three body paragraphs . You shouldn’t need a separate concluding paragraph for this task, as you can still score a 5 without one (plus, you likely won’t have enough time to write one!). But if you want to write a conclusion, just be sure you keep it short —  two to three sentences  at most.

Now, on to the TOEFL Integrated Writing template!

Paragraph 1 (Introduction)

Your first paragraph will introduce the lecture and how it relates to the reading. This paragraph doesn’t need to be long; a simple  two or three sentences should suffice.

1. Begin with a topic sentence that summarizes the main point of the lecture.

• According to the lecture, …
• Based on the lecture, …
• The lecturer states/believes that …
• The lecturer talks about …
• The lecturer discusses …

2. Next, explain whether the passage refutes or supports the main point of the lecture.

Examples (Contrast):

• By contrast, the author of the passage explains/states/posits that …
• The author of the passage, however, disagrees with this idea/belief. Instead, he/she believes that …
• The author of the passage, however, doubts this idea/belief and thinks that …
• The author challenges this point, however, by explaining/suggesting/positing that …

Examples (Agreement):

• This line of thinking agrees with that of the author, who states that …
• The author of the passage agrees with this notion/idea/belief, stating that …
• Likewise, the author of the passage explains/states/posits that …
• The author of the passage supports this idea/belief, explaining that …

Paragraph 2 (Body)

In this paragraph, you’ll want to focus on one of the key points in the lecture and explain whether the passage refutes or supports this idea.

1. Introduce the main point you’ll be discussing.

• First, the lecturer asserts/claims/suggests that …
• For one, the lecturer thinks/believes that …
• The first point the lecturer makes is that …

2. Next, describe this particular point in more detail and then discuss how the passage either refutes or supports it. I suggest using one to two sentences here.

• On the other hand, the author asserts/claims/suggests that …
• Likewise, the author thinks/believes that …
• This concept is refuted/supported by the passage, which asserts/claims/suggests that …

3. Finally, conclude your paragraph by explaining what this difference or similarity means .

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• This difference/similarity ultimately means/indicates that …
• Basically, the lecturer/author is saying that …
• The lecturer and author are essentially in agreement with each other. Both think/believe that …
• Clearly, the lecturer and author maintain different views on …

Paragraph 3 (Body)

In this paragraph, you’ll focus on another key point in the lecture and again discuss how the passage either agrees or disagrees with this idea. The structure here is essentially identical to that of paragraph 2, so make sure you are using new transitions and varying your word choice.

1. Start by introducing the second point  in the lecture you’ll be discussing. Because this is your second body paragraph, do not use transitions such as “first” or “first of all.”

• Second, the lecturer argues/contends/asserts that …
• Next, the lecturer suggests/proposes that …
• Another key point the lecturer makes is that …

2. Next, explain this key point in more detail  and elaborate on how it is either refuted or supported by the passage. As with paragraph 2, I recommend using one to two sentences here.

• In other words, the lecturer is suggesting/proposing that …
• The author, however, agrees/disagrees with this idea/belief, suggesting/proposing that …
• Similarly, the author argues/contends/asserts that …

3. Finally, explain what this difference or similarity means .

• What this difference/similarity means is that …
• This difference/similarity in thinking tells us that …
• Evidently, the lecturer thinks/believes that … , whereas the author thinks/believes that …

Paragraph 4 (Body + Conclusion)

This final body paragraph will offer  your last key point in addition to a brief conclusion . Once again, try to vary your transitions and words here so that your body paragraphs do not sound redundant.

1. Introduce and summarize the third point in the lecture . This is your third and final body paragraph, so do not use transitions such as “first” or “next.” Instead, use transitions such as “third,” “finally,” “last,” and “lastly.”

• Third, the lecturer explains/states that …
• Finally, the lecturer introduces the idea that …
• Lastly, the lecturer goes on to say that …

2. Then, explain this point in more detail and discuss whether the passage matches or challenges it. Use one or two sentences here.

• This point is also made in the passage, which argues/contends/asserts that …
• The passage supports this idea, suggesting/proposing that …
• On the contrary, the author writes that …

3. Finally, conclude your paragraph by explaining the significance of this similarity or difference . You should also look at this sentence as the conclusion to your entire response . Remember, you do not need to write a separate concluding paragraph for this task; it’s perfectly OK to combine it with your last body paragraph!

• In conclusion, the lecturer and author appear to be in agreement/disagreement about …
• All in all, the lecturer argues/contends/asserts that … , whereas the author argues/contends/asserts that …

Template 2: Independent Writing Task

For this task, you will read a short prompt and then write a response explaining whether you agree or disagree with the issue or idea. Unlike the Integrated task, here you’ll be writing an opinionated response  (though you do not have to write about your actual opinion).

You’ll have 30 minutes to write an essay of at least 300 words . Because this essay should be longer than the Integrated task, it’s best to use the basic five-paragraph structure, with an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Note that many of the example sentences below are based on the sample Independent Writing prompt used above . This means that these sentences will not apply exactly to other prompts! So don’t simply copy the sentences onto your test; instead, use them as a general guide to help you develop a better sense of style and flow in your writing.

Now, let’s take a look at our Independent Writing TOEFL template.

In this paragraph, you’ll introduce the main issue or idea and rephrase the prompt in your own words. Then, you’ll state whether you agree or disagree with the statement and why.

1. For your first sentence, you’ll want to come up with a hook  that introduces the topic of your essay in a unique and creative way. Most people  start broad and then get specific . This sentence is also a great opportunity to insert a hypothetical question.

• There is great debate about .. .
• It is said that .. . But is this always true?
• Many people wonder  whether telling the truth at all times is necessary in order to maintain a healthy relationship with someone .

2. Next, introduce your opinion on the topic . You may list your specific reasons for your opinion here or in the following sentence(s). Remember, this doesn’t need to be your real opinion!

• In my opinion, …
• I believe that … is important because …
• I agree/disagree with this idea/suggestion because …
• For me, although telling the truth is important , there are many cases in which it’s OK to lie .

3. Here, state how many points (three is ideal) you’ll be discussing in your essay and then  briefly summarize what these reasons for agreeing or disagreeing are . Your reasons may come from facts, predictions, personal beliefs, experiences, etc.

• In this essay, I will address three potential problems with lying in relationships .
• Lying is never a smart idea because it undermines trust in relationships, causes feelings of betrayal, and often leads to more lying.

In this paragraph, you’ll introduce  your first key point about the issue and offer specific examples illustrating why you agree or disagree.

1. For the first sentence, introduce the key point you want to talk about.

• First of all, lying can make it difficult to trust someone in a relationship.

2. Next, provide an example to explain why you believe this is the case . I suggest using a hypothetical situation somewhere in your essay to help illustrate one of your points.

• For example, if a father lied to his daughter by telling her she was good at drawing, the daughter might begin to wonder whether her father has lied to her about other things, too.

3. Continue your paragraph by elaborating on your example . Explain any effect or consequence of the example and discuss how this outcome supports your viewpoint.

• The next time the father praises his daughter for something, she might believe he is lying, even if he isn’t. In other words, the daughter might find it difficult to trust her father, thereby damaging their relationship.

This paragraph will follow a similar structure to that of paragraph 2, only this time you’ll discuss your second key point . To prevent this paragraph from sounding too similar to the one before it, vary your word choice and choose a different type of example on which to focus.

1. In the first sentence, introduce your second key point . Because this is your second body paragraph (and second point), make sure you employ appropriate transitions, such as “second,” “secondly,” and “next.”

• Second, lying can cause feelings of betrayal in relationships.

2. As you did in paragraph 2, use these next few sentences to elaborate on your point and offer specific examples . Always clarify how your examples support your stance (agree or disagree) and how they relate back to the issue stated in the prompt.

• When I was young, I lied to my best friend about being able to attend her birthday party. She later told me I’d betrayed her and that we couldn’t be friends anymore. Essentially, because I’d lied to her, I destroyed our relationship.

Paragraph 4 (Body)

This is the last body paragraph in which you will introduce and explain your third and final key point .

1. First, introduce your third point . As this is your final body paragraph, make sure you’re using appropriate transitions, such as “finally,” “last,” “lastly,” and “third,” to introduce your point.

• Lastly, lying often begets more lying. This means that once you tell a lie, you will become more likely to tell other lies.

2. As you did in paragraphs 2 and 3, elaborate on this point by providing new evidence, details, and/or examples. Explain why this point is important and how it supports your stance on the issue.

• If you lie but nobody knows you’ve lied, you might begin to believe it’s OK to lie. As a result, you start to lie more and more. However, once people realize how often you lie, they’ll likely lose all trust in you and might even decide to end their relationships with you.

Paragraph 5 (Conclusion)

Like the Integrated Writing task, a separate concluding paragraph isn’t always necessary here . That said, if you have time, I recommend quickly wrapping up your points in a concise yet effective conclusion. One to three sentences should suffice.

1. In the first sentence or two, summarize your stance and explain why you feel this way . You may re-introduce your three main points here. You may also paraphrase the prompt and explain once more whether you agree or disagree with the issue and why.

• In the end, I believe telling the truth is the most important consideration in a relationship.
• Ultimately, lying can easily destroy relationships because it weakens trust, results in feelings of betrayal, and often causes more lying.

2. Finally, if you have time, bring together your concluding paragraph with a single general statement about your viewpoint .

• This is why it is imperative we always refrain from lying.
• Thus, the only way to ensure your relationships with others are healthy is to always tell the truth.

54 Key Transitions & Phrases

In addition to TOEFL essay templates, we offer you an assortment of  common transitions and phrases you can use in your TOEFL responses. These words will allow your writing to flow more smoothly and connect your thoughts in a clearer, more logical manner.

To add information to a point, or to introduce a new (related) point:

• In addition, …
• Additionally, …
• Furthermore, …
• Moreover, …
• Besides, …
• Also, …

To introduce an example:

• For example, …
• For instance, …

To introduce an opinion:

• I believe that …
• I think that …

To start a new body paragraph:

• First off, …
• First of all, …
• To begin/start, …
• Secondly, …
• Last, …

To add similar or related information:

• Likewise, …
• Similarly, …
• On a related note, …

To restate information in a shorter or clearer way:

• In other words, …
• In short, …
• Simply put, …
• Essentially, …
• In essence, …
• Basically, …

To contrast information:

• That (being) said, …
• Nevertheless, …
• Nonetheless, …
• By/in contrast, …
• On the contrary, …
• On the other hand, …

To show cause and effect:

• As a result, …
• Because of this, …
• As such, …
• Consequently, …
• Therefore, …

To emphasize information:

• Evidently, …
• Clearly, …
• Certainly, …

To conclude information, a paragraph, or your overall response:

• In conclusion, …
• All in all, …
• As you can see, …
• In the end, …
• Ultimately, …

How to Customize a TOEFL Writing Template

Below, we offer you a few pieces of advice to help you customize your TOEFL Writing template.

Integrated Writing Template

Here are two ways to customize our TOEFL Integrated Writing template.

#1: Tweak Sample Sentences & Openers

The sample sentence and openers we’ve provided above don’t contain any specific information, so you are welcome to incorporate these examples into your own Integrated Writing response however you like.

That said, you don’t need to use these examples exactly as they are . If you’d like to tweak them, try replacing the verbs and transitions with other (synonymous) words. I also suggest adding adverbs to emphasize certain words. So for example, instead of writing, “The author, however, disagrees with this belief,” you could write, “The author, on the other hand, strongly challenges this concept.”

Just be sure that the examples you’re using in your essay fit with the type of lecture-passage relationship you’re given. Remember, this relationship can be either supportive (in which the lecture agrees with the passage) or contrastive (in which the lecture disagrees with the passage).

#2: Use Different Words to Emphasize Contrast

Most Integrated Writing tasks will give you a lecture that challenges  what’s written in the passage. In these cases, it’s important you use a variety of transitions, conjunctions, and prepositions to emphasize this important contrast throughout your essay.

There is one caveat, though:  do not use a single transition more than once in your response . For instance, if you were to consistently start your supporting sentences with “however,” your essay would lack balance and begin to sound redundant. So be sure to vary your word choice!

Here is a list of strong contrastive words you can use in your Integrated Writing response:

• Nonetheless …
• Even though
• In spite of

Independent Writing Template

Here are three ways you can customize our Independent Writing TOEFL template.

#1: Choose the Side That’s Easier to Support

Although the Independent Writing task asks specifically whether you agree or disagree with an idea, you do not need to write about your real opinion . What you should really do is choose the side that’s easier to argue — regardless of whether you actually agree or disagree with it!

In other words, it’s perfectly OK to make things up for this response and pretend you support something you don’t actually believe. Remember, you are not being judged on which stance you choose but on  how effectively you support your stance.

#2: Do Not Copy Sample Sentences Word for Word

For this task’s examples, I’ve primarily supplied you with whole sentences, all of which were based on the sample Independent Writing prompt used above. Because our examples refer to a specific prompt, you cannot  copy these sample sentences word for word and use them in your own essay . Failing to change these sentences means your essay won’t make a whole lot of sense, if any at all!

Therefore, what you should actually be doing is using these example sentences to learn what types of details to include in your Independent Writing response. You may also use our examples to get a feel for how you can change up your sentences and word choice.

#3: Vary Your Supporting Details

For your response, you must come up with specific details and examples to support your viewpoint. These examples can range from facts and statistics to experiences and hypothetical situations.

In order to produce a truly compelling response (and get a high essay score), you must incorporate a variety of effective examples into your essay. This means you’ll want to  avoid using the same types of examples for each point you make . So if you were to discuss a personal experience for your first body paragraph, focus on a different type of detail, such as a universally accepted fact or a hypothetical scenario, for your second body paragraph.

How to Use a TOEFL Writing Template: 4 Tips

Finally, here are four general tips for using a TOEFL Writing template effectively.

#1: Employ a Variety of Transitions

The sample sentences and openers we’ve given you for each template above contain different transitions to help link ideas together; thus, we encourage you to use a variety of transitions in your own essays . For ideas, refer to our transition list above. This list can help you swap out some of our sample transitions for other ones you believe fit better with your writing.

Ultimately, varying your word choice is critical to ensuring your essay is well written . This means that a high-scoring TOEFL essay will not simply use transitions but use them well . So if you’ve already inserted “therefore” in one area, try using “as a result” or “thus” in another area. You’ll still get the same meaning but with a stronger, more versatile effect.

#2: Add Details Without Rambling

Don’t feel limited by the number of sentences we’ve included in each body paragraph in our templates. If you need to use two or three sentences to explain a point, that’s OK! You should always give a lot of detail for your points — so long as you are staying concise and focused.

For example, if you spend a paragraph discussing a hypothetical scenario but fail to offer any analysis, you probably won’t receive a high TOEFL score. Likewise, if you write a verbose introduction or conclusion, your score may end up being lower than you wanted it to be.

Basically, you must find the perfect balance between detail and analysis. A good way to monitor this balance is to  always try to hit the word minimum for each task . Doing this means you’ll likely have an essay that’s sufficiently detailed. Just try not to exceed the maximum or you’ll risk rambling!

#3: 2 Strong Points Is Better Than 3 Weak Ones

Each of our TOEFL essay templates above has three body paragraphs and three main points. Although three points is a solid number of points, if you can only think of two points, just stick with those and try to   support them as clearly and effectively as possible.

As you can see in the sample TOEFL essays here , many essays with scores of 2 and 3 actually address three points — but their points are altogether weak, with few supporting details and insufficient analysis. What this means is that just having three points in your essay isn’t enough to guarantee you a high essay score . Thus, it’s far better to write an essay with two strong points than three weak ones.

#4: Do Not Copy Entire Sentences From the Prompt

If you struggle with English, you might be tempted to borrow some sentences and phrases from the prompt. While it’s OK to paraphrase sentences, you should never copy exact sentences from your prompt .

Copying the prompt shows evaluators that you lack the English level necessary for writing creatively and analytically. On top of this, copying is also a form of plagiarism, which means you are essentially “stealing” another’s work.

So what does this mean for your score? If you copy entire sentences and phrases from the reading or topic, you will receive a score of 0 .

Additional Resources for TOEFL Essay Templates

In addition to our templates above, here are a couple of online resources offering high-quality TOEFL essay templates you can use for free.

• TOEFL Resources : This resource offers detailed templates for the Integrated and Independent Writing tasks along with useful transitional phrases and sentence openers.
• Magoosh : This handy PDF contains a lengthy list of transitions as well as various sample TOEFL essays.

Recap: How Can a TOEFL Writing Template Help You?

TOEFL essay templates are an especially useful component of TOEFL prep because  they raise your chance of achieving a high TOEFL Writing score .

With TOEFL essay templates, you can organize your thoughts more clearly, spend less time outlining your responses, and prepare for the TOEFL with increased confidence. Our templates are also flexible , allowing you to customize certain elements to your liking and cater the templates to many different prompts.

When using a TOEFL template, always remember the following four tips:

• Employ a variety of transitions throughout your essay
• Add details but try not to ramble
• Two strong point are better than three weak ones
• Do not copy exact sentences from the prompt

Now that you’re equipped with our TOEFL essay templates and the knowledge of how to use them, you should have no trouble getting a great TOEFL Writing score!

What’s Next?

Seeking additional help with the TOEFL Writing section?  Start practicing with our 13 Writing topics  and get information on what resources you can use for high-quality Writing topics .

What does a high-scoring TOEFL essay look like? Take a look at our analyses of two perfect-scoring TOEFL essays  to learn what you can do to guarantee yourself a high essay score on test day.

Want more TOEFL templates?  Check out our TOEFL Speaking templates to improve your English-speaking skills and confidence.

Ready to improve your TOEFL score by 15 points?

Author: Hannah Muniz

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in English and East Asian languages and cultures. After graduation, she taught English in Japan for two years via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. View all posts by Hannah Muniz

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• Knowledge Base
• Working with sources
• How to Integrate Sources | Explanation & Examples

How to Integrate Sources | Explanation & Examples

Published on July 12, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on June 1, 2023.

Integrating sources means incorporating another scholar’s ideas or words into your work. It can be done by:

• Paraphrasing

Summarizing

By integrating sources properly, you can ensure a consistent voice in your writing and ensure your text remains readable and coherent. You can use signal phrases to give credit to outside sources and smoothly introduce material into your academic writing .

Below is an example that uses all three methods of integrating sources, but you can integrate sources using only one method or a combination of them.

For Jung, the collective unconscious is expressed through innate, universal images. These are associated with the stages of self-actualization that result in the integration of the conscious and the unconscious. As Jung stated, the “goal of the individuation process is the synthesis of the self” (1969, p. 164).

Table of contents

Signal phrases, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about integrating sources.

When you quote , you include the exact words of another author in your research paper , in quotation marks, without changing them.

Quoting can be useful for providing precise definitions . You can also quote material when you want to analyze the author’s language or style, or when it’s difficult to convey the author’s meaning in different words.

Quoted text must be enclosed in quotation marks . You can integrate quotes effectively by introducing them in your own words, providing relevant background information, or explaining why the quote is relevant.

Scribbr Citation Checker New

The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

• Missing commas and periods
• Incorrect usage of “et al.”
• Ampersands (&) in narrative citations
• Missing reference entries

Paraphrasing means putting another author’s ideas into your own words while retaining the original meaning.

Paraphrasing is useful when you want to show your understanding of the original source. It also helps you to integrate sources smoothly, maintaining a consistent voice throughout your paper and maintaining focus on the material that’s relevant to your argument.

When paraphrasing, be careful to avoid accidental plagiarism . Make sure that your paraphrase is sufficiently different to the original text and is properly cited. You must put the material into your own words, substantially changing the structure or wording of the original text. This is true for all source types . You can also paraphrase the text by   by using a paraphrasing tool.  

When you summarize a source, you give an overview of its central arguments or conclusions .

Summaries should be much shorter than the original text. They should be written in your own words and should not quote from the original source.

When summarizing, you don’t analyze the original text—you only describe it.

Signal phrases are used to attribute a quote or idea to another author. You can use them when you quote, paraphrase, or summarize primary, secondary and tertiary sources .

Signal phrases:

• Introduce material from an outside source
• Provide relevant background information
• Help to characterize the author’s ideas and your own perspective on them

A signal phrase usually includes the name of the author and an attribute tag such as “has criticized,” followed by the relevant quote or idea.

Signal phrases can be used alongside in-text citations to distinguish your work from the sources you cite. Each citation style has its own format that you must follow. The most common styles are APA in-text citations and MLA in-text citations .

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• ChatGPT vs human editor
• ChatGPT citations
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Using ChatGPT for your studies
• What is ChatGPT?
• Chicago style

 Plagiarism

• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Consequences of plagiarism
• Common knowledge

There are three ways you can integrate sources into your writing:

• Quoting : This means including the exact words of another author in your paper without changing them.
• Summarizing : This means giving an overview of a source’s key points.
• Paraphrasing : This means putting another author’s ideas into your own words.

Whenever you reference a source, you must provide a citation in order to avoid plagiarism .

In academic writing , there are three main situations where quoting is the best choice:

• To analyze the author’s language (e.g., in a literary analysis essay )
• To give evidence from primary sources
• To accurately present a precise definition or argument

Don’t overuse quotes; your own voice should be dominant. If you just want to provide information from a source, it’s usually better to paraphrase or summarize .

To paraphrase effectively, don’t just take the original sentence and swap out some of the words for synonyms. Instead, try:

• Reformulating the sentence (e.g., change active to passive , or start from a different point)
• Combining information from multiple sentences into one
• Leaving out information from the original that isn’t relevant to your point
• Using synonyms where they don’t distort the meaning

The main point is to ensure you don’t just copy the structure of the original text, but instead reformulate the idea in your own words.

A summary is a short overview of the main points of an article or other source, written entirely in your own words. Want to make your life super easy? Try our free text summarizer today!

To avoid plagiarism when summarizing an article or other source, follow these two rules:

• Write the summary entirely in your own words by paraphrasing the author’s ideas.
• Cite the source with an in-text citation and a full reference so your reader can easily find the original text.

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Ryan, E. (2023, June 01). How to Integrate Sources | Explanation & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/integrating-sources/

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Integrated Writing Essay: Better Choices for the Future 

Use this integrated writing essay sample to practice your English reading, listening, note-taking, and writing skills

Essay Sample Background

I didn’t have much success. It's difficult to find related selections, especially some that are short enough for the TOEFL time limits. 

The best task I made is below. It’s good academic skill and timed essay practice. But it isn’t direct practice for the TOEFL Integrated Writing task.

Reading and Audio Passages

If you want to write a timed essay, please read this whole section (without reading or listening to the linked passages) before you start the timer .

Write your Integrated Writing Essay

Locate the articles, a timer  or stopwatch(online or off) and a way to write and take notes. Then read the writing prompt (instructions) below and start your timer . You have 20 minutes to read, listen, and write.

The speaker in the task on this page does not oppose or even contrast her points with the points made in the reading. They are not connected at all.)

Sample Integrated Writing Essay

• ‘co.’= company

When  you  take notes, use any abbreviations you know you will recognize. ( That’s one good reason to practice note-taking in English . You will develop your own system.)

took time, but when a co. willing to try, tripled savings rates in > 3 yr.

2. My Essay, allowing 14 minutes and 30 seconds:

George Washington Carver set the example. He encouraged poor farmers to grow peanuts, and he made them profitable by making products that used them. His purpose was not to just make a new crop, but give farmers one that would have the soil benefits of peanuts.

Conclusions: find win-win solutions that aren’t too difficult in the present but still offer great future gains, and work with our cognitive biases, not against them.  

Comments on that essay:

I also may have some disadvantages compared to you. I no longer can type well, and I hit a lot of wrong keys due to twisted fingers. The spell-checker is like a ‘handicap- accommodation' for that.

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• Teaching and Learning

Alternative Writing Assignments: The Integrated Paper

• June 29, 2011
• Genevieve Pinto Zipp

As faculty working with students to explore topics of interests we frequently request that they review the literature to gain an understanding of what is known and unknown about a topic and then present their findings in an integrated manner. While many students are familiar with developing papers termed “literature reviews” or “reviews of the literature,” these types of papers frequently do not afford the students the opportunity to integrate what has been found. Thus faculty have begun to require that students present their findings and thoughts via what is known as an “integrated paper format.”

For graduate students the term, “integrated paper” sometimes stirs up a state of confusion. Is an integrated paper a literature review, a research proposal, or an essay? Well the answer is simple, no. An integrated paper is a type of review of the literature that includes the analysis, synthesis and evaluation of information on a well-defined content area and includes the writer’s original thoughts and ideas on the topic which are based upon the available evidence .

The integrated paper begins with a brief introduction to the area of interest and focuses the reader’s attention on the issue and background of the problem. This brief introduction leads the writer into a review of each of the pertinent areas that must be explored to gain an understanding of the many facets associated with the subject of interest. It is the writer’s responsibility to provide logical transitions from one pertinent area to another. It is through these transitions that the reader begins to understand the larger picture. While discussing the findings within a pertinent content area the writer should:

• distinguish between assertion and evidence in the studies
• identify methodological strengths and weakness of the studies
• identify relationships among the studies
• identify major trends or patterns in the results
• note how the reviewed articles relate to your topic
• identify gaps in the literature
• finally, consider designing a table(s) that compares important characteristics of studies reviewed.

After discussing each of these pertinent areas, it is the writer’s responsibility to write a conclusion that provides closure for the reader . The conclusion should be coherent and well pointed and lead the reader’s attention to the direction which the writer perceives is the logical next step. If the review is multifaceted and challenging for the reader to make all the necessary connections the writer should provide a summary section prior to the conclusion. The summary section should present the key points that resonated from your review of each pertinent area presented. Once the reader has processed through this integrated summary the writer can provide the paper’s conclusion and direct the reader to the next logical point of inquiry.

As a faculty member, I have found that reviewing my expectations with regard to the integrated paper at the beginning of the semester provides the students with a clear road map for success. Constructing a grading rubric that coincides with these expectations also adds clarity to the process for the student. But clearly, writing an integrated paper requires reflection and critical thinking , plus ample time to organize your thoughts in both a non written and written format and a willingness to write multiple drafts. Students don’t always immediately recognize the depth that instructors are looking for in these papers so any direction we can offer them at the start will help them better meet our expectations.

Genevieve Pinto Zipp, PT, EdD, is an associate professor in the Department of Graduate Programs in Health Sciences at Seton Hall University’s School of Health and Medical Sciences.

This Post Has 5 Comments

Fascinating. The advice offered in the final paragraph is applicable to any major assignment.

Pingback: Teo-Education.Com » Blog Archive » Alternative Writing Assignments: The Integrated Paper

this description of an integrated paper really helped me a lot for my graduate studies assignment… i'll also share this with my peers. Thanks a lot!

Thanks, Dr. Zipp. I am going to distribute this to my students so that they have a clearer understanding as to what an integrated paper really is all about. As always, you are a great educator, and I am so glad to have had the opportunity to take classes with you.

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Unit 4: Fundamentals of Academic Essay Writing

30 Steps for Integrating Evidence

A step-by-step guide for including your “voice”.

To integrate evidence, you need to introduce it, paraphrase (or quote in special circumstances), and then connect the evidence to the topic sentence. Below are the steps for “ICE” or the “hamburger analogy.”

Step 1 Introducing evidence: the top bun or “I”

A sentence of introduction before the paraphrase helps the reader know what evidence will follow. You want to provide a preview for the reader of what outside support you will use.

• Example from the model essay: (“I”/top bun) Peer review can increase a student’s interest and confidence in writing. (“C”/meat) Rather than relying on the teacher, the student is actively involved in the writing process (Bijami et al., 2013, p. 94).
• Notice how the introduction of increasing interest and confidence provides a hint of the evidence that will follow; it links to the idea of becoming a more independent and engaged learner.

Step 2 Paraphrasing and citing evidence: the meat or “C”

Typically, in academic writing, you will not simply paraphrase a single sentence; instead, you will often summarize information from more than one sentence – you will read a section of text, such as a part of a paragraph, a whole paragraph, or even more than one paragraph, and you will extract and synthesize information from what you have read. This means you will summarize that information and cite it.

Paraphrase/summarize the evidence and then include a citation with the following information (A more detailed explanation of documentation, including citations, can be found in Unit 44: Documentation.

• The author’s last name (but if you do not know the author’s name, use the article title).
• The publication date.
• The page number.

Formats for introducing evidence (when you know the author)

• Gambino (2015) explains how social networks help foster personal connections (p. 1).
• According to Gambino (2015), social networks help foster personal connections (p. 1).
• Social networks help foster personal connections (Gambino, 2015, p. 1).

Formats for introducing evidence (when you the author is unknown)

• Several tips for college success are explained (“Preparing for College,” 2015, p. 2).
• Example from the model essay: Rather than relying on the teacher, the student is actively involved in the writing process (Bijami et al., 2013, p. 94).
• Here we can see a paraphrase, not a direct quotation, with proper citation format.

Step 3 Connecting evidence: the bottom bun or “E”

In this step, you must explain the significance of the evidence and how it relates to your topic sentence or to previously mentioned information in the paragraph or essay. This connecting explanation could be one or more sentences. This “bottom bun” is NOT a paraphrase; instead, it is your explanation of why you chose the evidence and how it supports your own ideas.

• Example from the model essay: (“I”/top bun) Peer review can increase a student’s interest and confidence in writing . (“C”/meat) Rather than relying on the teacher, the student is actively involved in the writing process (Bijami et al., 2013, p. 94) . (“E”/bottom bun) As students take more responsibility for their writing, from developing their topic to writing drafts, they become more confident and inspired .
• Notice how the “E” or “bottom bun” elaborates on the idea of becoming an independent learner.  

Step 3 Strategies : Questions to ask yourself when analyzing the function of evidence

What “move” is the “E” / bottom bun is making? (e.g. What’s the “function” of the “E” / bottom bun?”)

• Is it interpreting the evidence?
• Is it analyzing the evidence?
• Is it describing an outcome?
• Is it providing an example?
• Is it making a prediction?
• Is it evaluating the evidence?
• Is it challenging the evidence?
• Is it elaborating on evidence that came before in the paragraph/essay?
• Is it comparing the evidence with something else or another piece of evidence?
• Is it connecting the evidence to a previously stated idea in the paragraph/essay?

Choose a function: Evaluate, Compare, Analyze, Connect, Predict

Watch this video: Evidence & Citations

Watch this video on the importance of explaining your evidence and including citations.

From: Ariel Bassett

Language Stems for Integrating Evidence

The sentence stems below can help you develop your command of more complex academic language.

Stems to refer to outside knowledge and/or experts

• It is / has been believed that…
• Researchers have noted that…
• Experts point out that…
• Based on these figures… / These figures show… / The data (seems to) suggest(s)…

Stems for introducing example evidence

• X (year) illustrates this point with an example about… (p. #).
• One of example is…. (X, year, p. #).
• As an example of this/___, ….. (X, year, p. #)
• …. is an illustration / example of… (citation).
• For example, …or For instance, …

Stems to support arguments and claims

• According to X (year), …. (p. #).
• As proof of this, X (year) claims…. (p. #).
• X (year) provides evidence for/that… (p. #).
• X (year) demonstrates that… (p. #).

Stems to draw conclusions (helpful to use in the explanation / bottom bun)

• This suggests / demonstrates / indicates / shows / illustrates…

(In the above examples, you can combine the demonstrative pronoun “this” with a noun. Ex: “these results suggests…” or “this example illustrates…” or “these advantages show….”)

• This means…
• In this way,…
• It is possible that…
• Such evidence seems to suggest… / Such evidence suggests…

Stems to agree with a source (helpful to use in the explanation / bottom bun)

• As X correctly notes…
• As X rightly observes, …
• As X insightfully points out, …

Stems to disagree with a source (helpful to use in the explanation / bottom bun)

• Although X contends that…
• However, it remains unclear whether…
• Critics are quick to point out that…

Academic Writing I Copyright © by UW-Madison ESL Program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Here’s Why Writing An Integrative Essay Might Be Easier Than You Think!

What Is An Integrated Essay?

What are the different types of integrative essays, what is integrative writing in toefl, difference between integrative review and systematic review, learning outcomes of an integrative essay, some tips to up your writing game, get expert help on your integrated writing assignment.

You may be asked by your professor to submit an integrative essay on a given topic at any point in time as part of your internal assessment. This is considered to be among the crucial aspects on which your writing skills will be assessed.

An integrative essay is a means for a student to express their perspective on a particular subject. The integrative paper should make frequent use of the first-person narrative throughout the text.

Although it may seem like a simple task, the exact meaning of an integrative essay is often unclear for students across various disciplines pursuing higher education. We will try to address multiple queries through this blog and the doubts students encounter while attempting an integrative paper.

In classrooms as well as professional settings, integrative writing is a major element. However, because of the ambiguity of what defines an integrated essay, the sorts of activities included in this category, as well as the assessment of the resulting writing, vary greatly. We argue in this study for a more precise definition of the phrase "integrative essay assignment."

Let us begin by examining existing definitions in the literature, then describe the construct underpinning integrated tasks, and then propose a number of qualities that we believe should be included in integrated tasks.

Since integrative writing is a broad embodiment of writing styles, we shall now look at the various forms of integrative essays and papers that are commonly written. Some of them are as mentioned below:

Integrative Summary

An integrated summary is essentially a concise rephrased version of the authors' words and should thus adhere to the authors' original thoughts.

The summary should contain an introduction, and the first line of the introduction should properly cite the titles of the articles and the names of the writers. The commonalities and contrasts should be addressed in depth in the body itself.

Integrative Review

An Integrative Review is written with the following objectives in mind:

• Evaluate, modify, and criticize the literature
• Conduct meta-analysis of the literature
• Analyze, critique, and synthesize the literature
• Reconceptualize the topic covered in the literature
• Answer specific research questions about the topic

The TOEFL Integrated Writing part is intended to assess your ability to write in English in an academic context. You should be able to convey your thoughts in a clear and well-organized manner.

There are two sections you will be required to attempt:

• Integrated writing activity (20 min): read a brief piece and listen to a short lecture before writing in response to what you read and heard.
• Independent writing task (30 min) – compose an essay in response to a writing topic based on own experience or viewpoint.

Since the writing activities are meant to assess your English ability, you do not need extensive knowledge of specific topics to achieve a good grade. Evaluators understand that each essay is the first draft, and an essay with mistakes might nevertheless earn a good score.

The primary distinction between a systematic literature review and an integrated analysis is the nature of the research used in the review.

Systematic reviews contain experimental investigations, and randomized controlled trials are frequently included. All experimental and non-experimental research are included in integrative reviews.

Students will gain an understanding of the qualities (beliefs and attitudes) that contribute to positive learning and implement to their productivity in the program as well as their selected course or academic major.

Accomplishing the task of writing an integrative essay will also enable students to become more comprehensive when it comes to understanding subject matter. An integrated writing task also helps students develop time management skills. Being able to divide the time given to specific tasks will make the student efficient and accustomed to this type of task.

Listed below are some practices which are essential to developing impeccable writing abilities:

Integrated writing is often a perplexing task since half the effort goes into understanding what exactly the integrated writing style is. Moreover, when you have a deadline coming up, the pressure just becomes three-fold.

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Nick is a multi-faceted individual with diverse interests. I love teaching young students through coaching or writing who always gathered praise for a sharp calculative mind. I own a positive outlook towards life and also give motivational speeches for young kids and college students.

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1.1: Introduction to Integrated Reading and Writing

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Integrated Reading and Writing

Reading and writing are integrally connected. Before we consider the connection between reading and writing, we must consider how our brains function when we read something. Reading is a workout for our brains and essential to keep it sharp. When we read, we process the ideas, relate it to our own life experiences and create new knowledge. Reading stands at the heart of the process of writing academic essays. No matter what kinds of sources and methods you use, you are always reading and interpreting text. Most of us are used to hearing the word “reading” in relation to secondary sources, such as books, journals, magazines, websites, etc. But even if you are using other research methods and sources, such as interviewing someone or surveying a group of people, you are reading. You are 'reading' the subjects’ ideas and views on the topic you are investigating. When you study photographs, cultural artifacts, and other non-verbal research sources, you are 'reading' them by trying to connect them to their cultural and social contexts and to understand their multiple meanings. Principles of critical reading, which we are about to discuss in this chapter, apply to those research situations as well.

In the following video "Why Reading Matters," Rita Carter a writer, broadcaster and journalist who specializes in the workings of the human brain, discusses how reading creates new pathways in our brains.

Reading and writing are not two separate activities, but two tightly connected parts of the same whole. That whole is the process of learning and the creation of new meaning. It may seem that reading and writing are complete opposites of one another. According to the popular view, when we read, we “consume” texts, and when we write, we “produce” texts. But this view of reading and writing is true only if you see reading as a passive process of taking in information from the text, and not as an active and energetic process of making new meanings and new knowledge. Similarly, good writing does not originate in a vacuum, but is usually based upon, or at least influenced by, other ideas, theories, and stories that come from reading. So if, as a college student, you have ever wondered why your writing teachers have asked you to read books and articles and write responses to them, it is to help you actively engage with the reading and respond to it meaningfully.

As rhetorical processes, reading and writing cannot exist without each other. The goal of good writers is to engage the readers into a dialog presented in their writing. Similarly, the goal of a critical and active reader is to participate in that dialog and to have something to say to the writer and to others. Writing leads to reading, and reading leads to writing. We write because we have something to say, and we read because we are interested in what others have to say.

Reading what others have to say and responding to them helps us make that all-important transition from simply having opinions about something, to having ideas. Opinions are often over-simplified and fixed. Different people may have different opinions that they are not willing to change or adjust. Ideas, on the other hand, are ever evolving, fluid, and flexible. Our ideas are informed and shaped by our interactions with others, both in person and through written texts. In a world where thought and action count, it is not enough to simply “agree to disagree.” Reading and writing, used together, allow us to discuss complex and difficult issues with others, to persuade and be persuaded, and, most importantly, to act.

Contributors

• Adapted from EDUC 1300: Effective Learning Strategies(opens in new window) . Provided by: Lumen Learning. Public Domain: No Known Copyright(opens in new window)
• Adapted from Writing for Success(opens in new window) . Provided by: The Saylor Foundation. L CC-NC-SA(opens in new window) 3.0(opens in new window) .

Quote integration

Quote integration is arguably one of the most difficult parts of essay writing; however, it does not need to be. Here are some tips to make quote integration easier. 

First things first, the most basic way to integrate quotes into any piece of writing is with the following format

Signal phrase + Quote + Citations

• Signal phrase: A short phrase or verb that indicates to the reader that you are going to introduce a quote.
• Quote: Short quotes are less than four lines and can be integrated into the actual body of your essay. Quotes over four lines typically should be formatted as block quotes (based on the citation style you are using).
• Citations in MLA 8th edition
• Citations in APA 7 th
• Citations in Chicago
• Citations in AMA  

The following example follows the pattern of signal phrase , quote, and citation (in MLA style)

• Exercise has many benefits for not only an individual’s present health but in the long term as well : “exercise is known to reduce a number of inflammatory markers…which are linked to a number of diseases” (Walton 1).

Another way to introduce a quote into a source is to use the author’s name as your signal phrase with a subsequent verb that is used to introduce the quote. For citation styles such as MLA or APA, when you start with the author’s name to introduce the source, the end of text citation only needs to have the page number/year.

• Alice Walton writes that “exercise is one of the best-illustrated things we can do for our hearts, and this includes markers like blood pressure and cholesterol, in addition to the physical structure of the heart itself, and blood vessel function” (3).

Verbs to use to signal the beginning of a quotation

• Demonstrates
• Illustrates

Other methods to integrate a quote into a sentence

Introduce a quotation and have subsequent sentences that expand on the relevance.

• This is the best way to integrate quotes into a paper. It is crucial that anytime you use from an outside source, you  explain the relevance of the quote to the rest of your paper .
• Dr. Carrie Fisher details some of the most pressing ethical concerns that arise in the field of public health: “the primary ethical concern of public health officials is creating a balance between the common good and the right of the individual, when we undermine autonomy we create distrust among the general public, destabilizing the governing principles of public health” (2). Dr. Fisher’s concerns surrounding the field of public health echoes the main dilemma that has plagued the field since its conception. Her argument that undermining autonomy betrays public trust demonstrates that as public health officials it is crucial to understand that if individual autonomy is restricted, it can only be in the direst of circumstances.

Make the quotation part of a complete sentence

• Current research indicates that exercise is beneficial for long-term health as it “can help control blood lipid abnormalities, diabetes, and obesity” (Fletcher et al., 1996).

Utilize brackets and ellipses to help improve clarity of a sentence

Brackets are used to add words to improve understanding. Ellipses are used to remove words to shorten a phrase.

• According to physical therapist Dr. Smith, developing a consistent and sustainable workout foundation is the key to long term success: “[Workout programs] must be enjoyable, you cannot expect an individual to adhere to a regimen where they dread each day they must go. I recommend that individuals find a workout routine that both challenges them but also excites them, where it does not feel like a chore to workout” (2).

Here is an example sentence that utilizes all of these tactics to integrate a quote into a sentence

• In the field of medicine, exercise recommendations remain hotly contested, “although a consensus is growing on the importance of the relation between physical activity and health and wellness, the specific dose of physical activity necessary for good health remains unclear… some of the inconsistency among physical activity recommendations is due simply to the inherent uncertainties of biomedical science” (Blair 2). It is crucial that the differing ideologies be addressed as they have the potential to impact the dissemination of information to the general public. The average American already struggles to meet the weekly exercise recommendations and conflicting information regarding these recommendations will only further exacerbate the issue.

Paraphrasing

• You may be thinking “isn’t this supposed to be about integrating quotes into an essay?” You are correct; however, there are many times (and citation styles) where it is best to paraphrase a source instead of integrating a whole quote into the paper. Quote integration is crucial when the exact wording of the primary source is critical to the point being made, whereas paraphrasing is sufficient when restating the general idea is all that is required. 
• Despite continual recommendations put forth by the CDC regarding exercise and physical activity “80% of the population is not meeting the guidelines. Each year in the US, an estimated 10% of premature deaths and $117 billion in healthcare costs are associated with inadequate physical activity” (Smith, 2017).

Paraphrased 

• The CDC estimates that 80% of the United States population is not adhering to the guidelines regarding weekly physical activity recommendations (Smith 3). Inactive adults cost the U.S health care system an estimated $117 billion per year; estimates suggest 10% of premature deaths are due to inactivity (Smith, 2017).

*Remember that when paraphrasing a quote from a source an in-text citation is still included.

Common mistakes to avoid

Drop quotes.

This is when you “drop” a quote into your essay without any form of introduction; the most common mistake is making the quote its own sentence.

This is what you don’t want to do

• There are numerous health benefits to working out. “Adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. Some physical activity is better than none. Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity gain some health benefits” (CDC).

A better way to approach this is

• There are numerous health benefits to working. According to the CDC, “adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. Some physical activity is better than none. Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity gain some health benefits” (2019).

Not using brackets

Using brackets when integrating a quote actually helps improve clarity while writing. Otherwise, if you integrate a quote directly without adjusting it through the use of brackets, the sentence can be confusing to readers.

• Dr. Smith, talks to patients candidly about the importance of physical activity while they are young, “it is important that you start working out when you are younger as it helps you build up bone density, which can decrease the risk of developing arthritis as you get older” (Horton 3).
• Dr. Smith talks to patients candidly about the importance of physical activity while they are young: “it is important that [individuals] start working out when [they] are younger as it helps [them] build up bone density, which can decrease the risk of developing arthritis as they get older” (Horton 3).