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One of the most daunting sections of the TOEFL for many people (including me) is the 20min Essay which is also called Integrated Writing. In this section of the test you read a text
and listen to a related lecture. You have to quickly scramble notes from both the reading
and listening passages and then proceed to writing the essay.
I personally have struggled with the time aspect of this task. I just couldn't complete it in
time due to the fact that I had no structure to use. Then one of my tutors suggested using
a template and I gave it a try. Even though its always better to come up with new and
original sentences all the time, speed is vital here. So this is the template I used, note that
its not the best but at least you can complete the task in time. Also, adjustments may be
required if the information in the template doesn't match the reading and listening
passages.
20-min Essay
Introduction:
The listening and the reading passage share the same topic, but present it from two
different perspectives. While the reading states that (topic), the listening gives strong
arguments in favor of the opposite.
1st Argument
To begin with, it can be inferred from the text that .. (1-2 sentences). However, in the
lecture it is argued that .. (1-2 sentences).
2nd Argument
What is more, the reading passage claims that (1-2 sentences). In contrast, in the
listening it is implied that (1-2 sentences).
3rd Argument *not always
Last but not least, the reading states that .. (1-2 sentences). Nevertheless, the professor
casts doubt on this by saying that (1-2 sentences).
Conclusion:
All in all, the reading and the listening passages both discuss the same topic, giving
opposing arguments in favor of their point of view.
I would like to point out again that this is NOT the end-all be-all template but if you are
struggling with this task, this can set you on the right track.