Three tasks, three kinds of writing
The current TOEFL iBT Writing section asks you to use English for both sentence-level accuracy and practical communication. ETS lists three task types. You arrange language into a grammatical sentence, write an email for a situation, and contribute to a classroom-style academic discussion.
The three current TOEFL iBT Writing task types described by ETS.
Task | What you do | A useful practice focus |
|---|---|---|
Build a Sentence | Arrange words or phrases to form a complete sentence or question. | Word order, clause structure and punctuation. |
Write an Email | Write to someone in an academic or social situation. | Purpose, audience, clear requests or information, and tone. |
Write for an Academic Discussion | Add a supported view to an online class discussion. | A direct claim, relevant support and a clear response to the topic. |
Practise the sentence task for accuracy
For Build a Sentence, learn to recognize the structure that the meaning requires. Find the subject and main verb, check where modifiers belong, and verify that the finished sentence is complete. When a sentence is wrong, identify the pattern that caused the problem instead of only memorizing the corrected answer.
Practise statements and questions, including clauses joined with connectors.
Check agreement, tense, articles and prepositions after arranging the words.
Read the finished sentence once for meaning and once for grammar.
Make an email easy to act on
An email prompt gives you a situation and a reason to write. Before drafting, identify the recipient, your purpose, and any points the prompt asks you to cover. Put the main request or message early, answer every part, and use a tone that suits the relationship. Leave a moment to check clarity and basic conventions.
Contribute a focused academic discussion response
For the discussion task, state your position clearly, then explain it with a reason or example. Keep each sentence connected to your main point. If the prompt presents other viewpoints, show that you understood the issue before adding your own contribution. Clear development is more useful than complicated vocabulary that obscures your meaning.
ETS describes the current section as three tasks, with a base estimate of about 23 minutes and 12 items. The adaptive test can vary in item count and timing.
Prepare with the current format
Older TOEFL materials may describe an integrated writing task based on a reading passage and lecture. That is not one of the three task types listed on ETS’s current Writing page. Use up-to-date material for task names and directions, then practise the underlying English skills regularly.