TOEFL essay writing tips !

Hey guys ! As the EPT examination is around the corner , I want to share some tips for us in TOEFL essay writing . Check this out !

TOEFL Essay Writing Tips


I. Before you begin:

I. Relax and feel confident.
II. Remember that you have 30 minutes to write your essay. Use your time wisely.
III. You may write your essay on the computer or on paper. Choose the one you are MOST comfortable with.
IV. You can write an excellent essay if you remember all these tips!

II. Understanding the TOEFL question:

There are different types of TOEFL questions. You never know which question you will receive, so you must be prepared to write on ALL the types of questions. It is very important that you completely understand the question BEFORE you begin to write. Below are some different essay question types.

1. Choose a point of view and support that view.
Example: Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.

This type of question asks you to look at only ONE side of the issue…the side you agree with. DON’T write about both sides. You tell which side you agree with and support your ideas with details and examples.

2. Describe something.
Example: If you could invent something NEW, what product would you develop? Use specific details to explain why this invention is needed?

In answering this type of question, you MUST be creative. It asks you to describe something NEW, something that does not exist. You must describe it in detail AND tell why it is necessary.

3. Compare two points of view and tell which one you agree with.
Example: Some people think that children should begin their formal education at a very early age and should spend most of their time on school studies. Others believe that young children should spend most of their time playing. Compare these two views. Which view do you agree with? Why?

In this type of question, you must write about BOTH sides of this issue and then tell which side you agree with. You may NOT say that you agree with both sides. You MUST make a choice. First, give support, details and examples of both sides of the issue. Then, tell which side you agree with and why.

4. Agree or disagree with something.
Example: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: ONLY people who earn a lot of money are successful. Do you agree or disagree with this definition of success? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

In this type of question, you MUST agree or disagree. You cannot be unsure or indecisive. After you have said whether you agree or disagree, you must give convincing reasons and examples for your choice.

5. Explain why something is true.
Example: People remember special gifts or presents that they have received. Why? Give specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

In this question, you should use lots of examples. (For this question, you would use examples of gifts one might receive and tell why those gifts are memorable). Do not write in the first person, “I.” Write in more general terms.

6. Support an idea or plan.
Example: It has recently been announced that a new restaurant may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

In this question, first tell whether you support or oppose the plan and then tell why. Since this question is somewhat personal, it is ok to use personal pronouns such as: “I, me, my” in your answer.

III. The parts of an essay:

In every essay, there should be an introduction, a body and conclusion.

A. The introduction:
The introduction restates the question using different vocabulary and/or sentence structure. The introduction also includes your thesis statement…the most important sentence in your essay.

B. The body:
The body of your essay is also the “heart” of your essay. It will include your main ideas and details and examples to support those ideas. Each new idea should be a new paragraph. Typically, a TOEFL essay will have 3 – 4 body paragraphs.

C. The conclusion:
The conclusion will be your final paragraph. It will summarize all the main ideas in your essay and it may also include your opinion.

IV. How to write a good introduction:

Let’s look at some more essay questions to see how to restate the question and how to write your thesis statement.

TOEFL essay question #1:
Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people prefer to prepare and eat food at home. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Restatement & Thesis:
People have two options when deciding where to eat. They can prepare meals and eat at home or they can go out to stands or restaurants. I prefer to go out to eat because the food is more varied and interesting, it is less work for me and it saves time.

Analysis:
The restatement mentions the two types of options people have for eating and tells which one the author prefers. In addition, it gives three reasons for that preference. These three reasons will make up the three main idea paragraphs in the body of the essay.

TOEFL essay question #2:
Is it better for children to participate in team sports or individual sports? Why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Restatement & Thesis:
It is better for children to participate in team sports rather than individual sports. In team sports, children learn how to cooperate. They learn good sportsmanship and how to rely on their teammates. These are important lessons that will benefit children throughout their lives.

Analysis:
The first sentence clearly states the author’s opinion. This is followed by three reasons for the opinion. Finally, the author mentions life lessons. In the essay, the three reasons will make up the three main idea paragraphs in the body of the essay. In addition, the author will mention how each main idea is useful throughout life.

TOEFL essay question #3:
Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

Restatement & Thesis:
There are many good reasons to live in a big city and an equal number of good reasons to live in a small town. I, myself, prefer to live in a small town because it is more personal and homey; it is easier to get around in and it is safer than a big city.

Analysis:
The first statement says that both a city and town have positive aspects. The next sentence tells the author’s preference and reasons for that preference. These reasons will make up the body of the essay.

V. How to write good body paragraphs:

Each paragraph in your essay introduces a new idea. It should include a thesis statement followed by support and examples. Be sure to use LOTS of examples. Within and between paragraphs be sure to use transition words like: on the other hand, however, though, for example, in contrast, likewise, in addition, first, finally. The paragraph should end with a concluding sentence which briefly summarizes the ideas in the paragraph.

VI. The elements of a good concluding paragraph:

A good concluding paragraph should include a summary of your main points. It may also include the author’s opinion. It should NOT introduce any new ideas. A good concluding paragraph often leaves an impression on the reader. It may make the reader think more deeply about the topic.

VII. Preparing to write and writing your answer:

I. Read and understand the essay question. (2 minutes).
II. Organize your ideas on paper by writing a short outline of the introduction, body and conclusion. (8 minutes).
III. Write your essay. Remember to restate the question in your introduction. Use clear details and LOTS of examples in the body of your essay. Finally, summarize the main ideas in the concluding paragraph of your essay. (15 minutes).

I. Reread your essay and make any changes in spelling, verb tense, word choice or sentence structure. (5 minutes).

VIII. A sample TOEFL outline:

TOEFL Question: In some countries, teenagers have jobs while they are still students. Do you think this is a good idea? Support your opinion by using specific reasons and details.

I. It is a good idea for teenagers to have jobs while they are students because they can learn about responsibility; they can learn the value of money and they can learn how to work as a member of a team.

II. Students can learn responsibility
a. They have to come to work on time every day
b. They must serve customers in a friendly manner
c. They have to maintain the store shelves with inventory

III. Students can learn the value of money
a. Students will learn that it takes a lot of time and effort to make money
b. Students will make wiser choices when buying things with their own money

IV. Students will learn how to work as a member of a team
a. Students will learn how to compromise with other employees (helping out when someone is sick, etc.)
b. Students will learn about the friendship that comes from teamwork (feeling like you can trust others)

V. Conclusion
It is a valuable experience for teenagers to have jobs while they are students because they will learn to be responsible adults. They will have an appreciation for money and they will learn about working with others. All of these traits will benefit them throughout their lives.

IX. A sample TOEFL essay (based on the outline above)

It is a good idea for teenagers to have jobs while they are students because they can learn about responsibility; they can learn the value of money and they can learn how to work as a member of a team.
When teenagers have jobs while they are students, they can learn how to be responsible. As an employee, you must follow a weekly schedule. This means, you have to come to work on time. If you are scheduled to begin work at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning, you have to be there at 8 a.m. It doesn’t matter if you went to a party the night before and do not want to get up. You have to get up. Your boss is relying on you to do your job. As an employee, you also learn that you must serve the customer in a friendly manner. If you are not friendly, the store may lose business and you may lose your job. Finally, an employee is responsible for maintaining the store shelves with inventory. If you work in a department store, you have to keep the shelves filled with merchandise. The products have to be priced and placed on the shelves. If the shelves look empty, customers may get a bad impression of the store and may not continue to shop there. It is good for students to learn responsibility when they are young because it will benefit them as they get older.
Another benefit to teenagers working is that they will learn the value of money. Often students get money from their parents, but they do not realize how hard their parents work for that money. When students work, they begin to appreciate how difficult it can be to make money. They also realize that “money doesn’t grow on trees” as some students seem to believe when asking their parents for money. Another reason it is good for students to work is that they will make wiser choices when they use their own money to buy things. For example, if students work 20 hours per week at $7.00 per hour, they will make $140 per week. In one month, that is about $540. Perhaps a student will think twice about spending $120 for a pair of tennis shoes or $350 for a stereo system when s/he has had to work very hard for that money. On the other hand, when students do spend money for personal objects, they will appreciate them more than if they had gotten the money from their parents.
Finally, working teenagers learn from being members of a team. As employees, students learn to work with others and help one another. For example, if someone is sick, you may be asked to help out. In addition, other employees will depend on you to do your share of the work. If one person does not do his/her job, other employees may have to do extra work to compensate. Students will learn very quickly that it is not good teamwork to expect others to do your work. Finally, students will develop friendships with other employees because they have learned to count on each other. Working as a member of a team will build strong character in students.
To conclude, it is a valuable experience for teenagers to have jobs while they are students because they will learn to be responsible adults. They will have an appreciation for money and they will learn about working with others. These experiences will help them grow into adulthood and benefit them throughout their lives.





by Muhammad Shawqie

Muhibbah Craze!

lot of my friends have said some points down here that might be same to mine, so i'll make this short and simple. haha :D

As we all know, Malaysia or Malaya (back in the 50's) have LOTS of races. when i say a lot, i mean A LOT. haha. the most common races that everyone know is MALAYS, INDIANS, and CHINESE. we've been living with all these races for quite few years and i can say that our muhibbah among all these races are quite OK. haha. can't find any other suitable word rather than OK.

So, what have these 'living with multiracial' life affect Malaysia? A VERY UNIQUE COUNTRY. yup, that's Malaysia. UNIQUE. these multiracial living had cause an evolution to our country. Example, the chinese have always been the 'tauke' for shops or businesses while malays have always been the miscellaneous. i can't say anything about the indians because i haven't lived in a community that have any indian. but, what i know through my learning of history during high school, the indians used to be the owner of any rubber plantation (if im not mistaken lah. lol)

THE BEST THING about living in the multiracial community is during any cultural celebrations! even the people from the westerns admire this. i think Malaysia have the most cultural celebration than other country, i mean, look it for yourself! we got HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI, DEEPAVALI, CHINESE NEW YEAR, HARI RAYA HAJI, THAIPUSAM, ETC! haha. why is it the best? well, it's the foods of course! HAHA. every celebration have it's own special food and theme! you can people would decorate their house based on these celebrations. it kinda cheers up the community.

other than FOODS, people will also have this event where we call it as 'open house'. open house is like a party with full ethics (ok, im bad in describing this, haha) people from any race will be part of the open house. this is where the MUHIBBAH grows! it really does tighten up our relationship between races especially in the kampungs because whenever people from kampung want to do an open house, peole from the whole village will help to cook or help with the preparations. isn't that the best! even kids will be part of this. builds up the sweet memory a kampung kid.

well, that's my review for the project MUHIBBAH by miss nesa. peace! (^^)v


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AFNAN'S MUHIBBAH

GREETINGS! Afnan's here. The title says it all.=D So, this is my outcome of the project along the first week of Raya.

What do you think about friendship?

Friendship is priceless. It has no value to the money.

Friendship is a bond between friends that built up by interaction between each other.

A positive, continual, interaction between each other will brace up the relationship.

A single soul, dwelling in two bodies - Aristotle

 

What do you think of relationship?

Knowing each other very well. In other word is getting close to each other.

This can lead to deep conversations.

In this conversation, they listen and understand to each problems and working it out together.

That explains how a person really cares about one another in a close relationship.

Besides that, one could give his/her perspective on something,

Where the other person listens and agrees or could give opinions which will eventually

develop the conversation.

With this situation, the relationship will grow and can be brought to the next level.

 

Inter - racial

We live in inter-racial country, Malaysia where it consists of variety of races like Malay, Indian,

Chinese and the aborigine. So it makes us learning each other’s similarities and differences and

of course respecting each other. We also can help each other when we have issues which holds

the saying "i scatch your back, you scratch my back".

 

Inter - religious

As we live in this lovely, inter-racial country, of course we all have our own faith.

As we can see that most of the Malays are Muslim, some of Chinese and Indians are Christian.

Some of them are Buddhist, Hindus etc.

It is crystal clear that this country is also an inter - religious country.

Project Muhibbah

Every year on 31^st August, we celebrate the independence of our beloved country Malaysia. We get a public holiday for it, we hold a grand celebration at the Dataran Merdeka, we display with pride the Jalur Gemilang at home and at work – it is a day full of celebration, to commemorate the day our country acquired its freedom from western colonisation.

And while we celebrate Merdeka this year in a less celebratory mood as it falls during Aidilfitri, let us take this opportunity to observe the 54^th anniversary with a slightly different approach. This year, let us focus the day’s significance to ourselves, observe how each of us play a role in the development of our country.

I feel that many of you do not realise that you are a valuable contributor to our country’s growth and progress. You may think what you do for a living is insignificant when compared to the country’s corporate heads and leaders. But in reality, every person in this country makes up the workforce of the country’s economic workforce, and each has an equal role in the creation and development of the country.

Whatever industry you are in and whatever you do to make an honest living, you must know that, you have an impact on the country’s economic development. It should not just be about making money for a living. Do know that whatever work you do, in one way or another, has an impact to the society and country. Each of you, whether you are a corporate executive, a taxi driver, a teacher, a student, a farmer, a shopkeeper, or a sanitation worker, are an integral part of an intricate socio-economic machinery that moves this nation forward.

Our forefathers took pride in their endeavours to secure this nation’s independence and ensuing development. They had a vision for a free and prosperous country. We now have a vision for a fully-developed, high-income country. It is now our turn at the reins. We inherited this country, and I believe, the same spirit to defend its prosperity. Therefore we must take pride in what we do. Take pride in the fact that, our success in our occupation contributes to the success of the country. This is our role as a Malaysian, our part in the country’s wellbeing. It is thus very important that this pride must come along with the spirit and determination to perform the best. It is not just a job for the paycheque at the end of the month. It is part of a patriotic struggle to take the country to greater heights.

If you are a taxi driver, be the best, most courteous and efficient driver you can be. If you are a farmer, do your best to produce top quality crops. If you are a sanitation worker, do your best to ensure the cleanliness of the cities, towns and villages. If you are a teacher, provide your students with the best skills and education to move ahead.

It is not just up to the country’s political and economic leaders to elevate the country to the next level. It is for each and every Malaysian, the whole nation, to truly believe that it is possible for us to make Malaysia as the forefront of all nations, and to turn that belief into deeds.

Rafie

Muhibah Project

1Malaysia Concept

On the last Saturday, dated 27^th August,  I had interviewed my neighbour, regarding current issue entitled 1Malaysia Concept for the Muhibah Project.

My neighbour is Mr. Hamdan Bin Husin. He has been working as History Teacher at Sekolah Menengah Taman Kota Raya for about 15 years and he is very interested in political issues. However, he declined to share his photo in this blog.

First question :

1Malaysia Concept had been introduced by Datuk Sri Najib. From your opinion, what is the ideology or purpose of applying this concept among Malaysians?

Firt answer :

1Malaysia Concept stresses national unity and ethnic tolerance. It aims for adaptations of some significant values that articulated by Datuk Sri Najib which are perseverance, a culture of excellence, acceptance, loyalty, education, humility, integrity, and meritocracy. With ‘Rakyat didahulukan, Pencapaian diutamakan’ as a slogan, this concept acts as a guideline to transform and prosper Malaysiain every field. 

Second Question :

You really agree with the implementation of 1Malaysia concept do you.  How the progression of this concept can be assure?

Second answer :

Ok. Government is responsible to enhance the quality of our country, and implementations of new alternatives are necessary to reach the objective. Nobody able to assure about the accomplishment of the alternatives, but from my knowledge, politicians have introduce the usage of KPI in politic to observe the progression of 1Malaysia Concept.

Third Question :

Oh I see. I am wondering on what does KPI stands for, and how does it responses?

Third Answer:

KPI is Key Performance Indicators. It is used to measure and improve the efficiency and quality of government services as well as realizing the 1Malaysia concept. Also, KPI would provide motivation for every minister to perform well.

Fourth Question :

As 1Malaysia Concept is closely related to multiracial aspect, how can the accomplishment of this concept benefits our community condition?

Fourth Answer:

listening from Mr. Hamdan (",)

1Malaysia Concept aims for satisfaction and equalization. Obviously, our community condition could be improved from this concept as all people will have their rights equally.

Multiracial community

~wazien112535~

project muhibbah vs eid mubarak. :D

the task! expiry date : 7 September 2011 <---- TOMORROW!

project muhibbah :)

for this project i interviewed my brother.he had many chinese and indian friends so guess he do have a good spirit in interracial friendship.although we are just 5years different in age but he himself said that previous generation and nowdays generation are different.

Q:what is the differences you are talking about ?

A:what i meant is that previous generation they communicate between each other and in fact the malays,chinese and indian treat themselves like brothers.they have a strong friendship among them but nowdays generation most of the races do not treat other races like thier brothers or even as their friend.they usually communicate among their own races and do not care about the others.sometimes they feel like they shouldn't be near other races too!this kind of thinking that might bring our country down.they are just unmatured to think about this matter in fact they don't even bother about it.as you know that with the colaboration of many races we might combine forces to improve the country and we might also have a wider view in every thought.

Q:ok then what do you think of this raya ?

A: alright i guess this raya all the muslim shall invite the non-muslim friends to their open house.this might increase the relatioship among the other races.futhermore,the chinese and indian must also invite the other races to their occasion so that all the races are close apart.this will prevent the other races from being arrogant among the races.besides that the races will be more close to each other they will laugh,talk and share whats on their mind when they meet.

Q:brother what's your opinion about celebrating raya and merdeka's day together ?

A:i think that this is the only chance for all the races to meet together and to be close together.this might the only chance that we have to be close with the other races.we can celebrate this two wonderful days with our different races friends.we must follow like wht the previous generation does.they do celebrate this occasion with thier beloved multiracial friends.


so i guess that we as a malaysian must always do be close with the other races so that there are no misunderstanding between each races.this occasion is the only way we may forgive each others fault and be together back as before :)








posted by :muhammad nabil bin mohd rajeeb