TOEFL iBT & IELTS Academic · TOEFL & IELTS English Skills
TOEFL iBT Writing
Writing tasks including Build a Sentence, Write an Email and academic discussion.
Six concepts for the enhanced TOEFL iBT Writing section (from 21 January 2026): three task types in one linear block — Build a Sentence, Write an Email, and Write for an Academic Discussion — about 12 items in roughly 23 minutes. Scoring is a 1–6 Writing band; the old read-and-lecture integrated essay is gone.
- TOEFL iBT & IELTS Academic
- Medium level
- 6 concepts
- 5 practice questions
1Three task types, one Writing section
Enhanced TOEFL iBT Writing is a linear (not adaptive) section with three named task types: Build a Sentence, Write an Email, and Write for an Academic Discussion. ETS lists about 12 Writing items and roughly 23 minutes of base time for the whole section — directions sit outside that clock.
Build a Sentence is the majority item type: you rearrange given words or phrases into one complete, grammatical sentence or question. The two longer tasks ask you to produce short purposeful prose — an email in an academic or social situation, then a contribution to an online classroom discussion. There is no read-then-listen integrated essay and no long independent essay of the pre-2026 shape.
Figure. Writing is one linear block with three named tasks. Build a Sentence is the majority item type; email and discussion are the productive posts.
| Task | What you do | What it mainly tests |
|---|---|---|
| Build a Sentence | Arrange words/phrases into a complete sentence or question | Sentence structure and word order |
| Write an Email | Write an email for a request, information, or proposed solution | Clarity, staying on topic, writing conventions |
| Write for an Academic Discussion | Post a supported opinion in a classroom discussion thread | Idea development, responding to viewpoints, academic tone |
A prompt shows scrambled word chunks and asks you to form one grammatical sentence. Which Writing task is this?
- Write for an Academic Discussion
- Build a Sentence
- The old integrated Writing task (lecture vs reading)
Rearranging given chunks into one complete sentence is Build a Sentence. Academic Discussion asks for a short opinion post in a classroom thread. The lecture-vs-reading integrated essay is not on the enhanced Writing section.
2Build a Sentence: order the chunks, finish the grammar
In Build a Sentence you are given words or phrases and must arrange them into one complete, grammatical sentence or question. The score turns on whether the finished string is well-formed English — subject–verb fit, clause order, question inversion, and modifier placement — not on inventing new content.
Work from the finite verb and its true subject first, then slot dependent material (time phrases, relative clauses, complements) where English allows it. A rearrangement that keeps every word but leaves a fragment, a double subject, or a stuck question word is still wrong.
Figure. Build a Sentence rearranges given chunks into one grammatical sentence. Start from the finite verb and its true subject.
Rebuild the sentence
- Find the finite verbLocate the main tensed verb (or modal + verb). Everything else hangs off this spine.
- Seat the true subjectPlace the subject that agrees with that verb; ignore distractor nouns inside prepositional phrases until the core clause stands.
- Attach the restAdd objects, complements, and modifiers in legal English order; for questions, apply inversion or leave the wh-word fronted as required.
- Read aloud onceReject fragments, double subjects, and dangling connectors before you lock the answer.
Chunks: the results / published / have been / in a journal / already. Which arrangement is grammatical?
- Have been the results published already in a journal.
- The results have been published in a journal already.
- The results have been in a journal published already.
Passive perfect needs subject + have been + past participle together: The results have been published…. Fronting Have been without the subject is not English statement order. Splitting published away from have been (have been in a journal published) breaks the verb group.
3Write an Email: purpose, points, register
Write an Email puts you in an academic or everyday situation — making a request, giving information, or proposing a solution — and asks for a short email that stays on that purpose. ETS scores whether you write clearly, cover the situation, and follow basic email conventions (greeting, body, closing) with usable language control.
Treat every bullet or requirement in the prompt as mandatory. A fluent email that never makes the request, or that switches into casual slang with a professor, misses the task even if the grammar is clean. Choose the side of politeness the recipient relationship requires and keep the body short enough to finish inside the task clock.
Figure. Email scoring checks purpose coverage, usable conventions, and register. Every prompt bullet is mandatory.
Write the email
- Name the purposeIn the opening lines, state why you are writing (request, information, proposal) so the reader need not guess.
- Cover every prompt pointTick each required detail before you polish wording; an uncovered bullet is an incomplete response.
- Match registerUse a greeting and closing that fit the recipient; keep tone polite and direct without slang or essay padding.
| Failure | What goes wrong | Fix cue |
|---|---|---|
| Missed bullet | Prompt asked for three points; body covers two | Outline the required points before typing |
| Wrong register | Slang or essay-style thesis to a faculty member | Polite request language; short paragraphs |
| Purpose buried | Story first, ask last (or never) | State the request or proposal early |
Prompt: email your professor to (1) request a meeting, (2) name two times you are free, and (3) say what you want to discuss. A response that politely asks for a meeting and lists two times but never names the topic is mainly weak because it
- Uses the wrong cohesive device between paragraphs
- Leaves a required prompt point uncovered
- Should have summarised a lecture that casts doubt on a reading
The prompt required three points; omitting what you want to discuss leaves a mandatory bullet uncovered. Cohesion is secondary when content is incomplete. Summarising a lecture vs reading is the retired integrated task, not Write an Email.
4Academic Discussion: stance, support, join the thread
Write for an Academic Discussion asks you to contribute to an online classroom thread: state and support your opinion, develop the idea, and respond to others’ viewpoints in an academic tone. You are not writing a multi-page essay; you are adding a clear, usable post that a classmate could follow.
A strong post takes a position early, backs it with a specific reason or example, and engages the discussion — agreeing with a distinction, disagreeing with a claim, or adding a condition — rather than pasting a generic opinion that never notices the other posts. Specialised course knowledge is not required; invented facts and off-topic stories do not help.
Figure. Academic Discussion wants an early stance, specific support, and engagement with the thread — a clear post, not a long essay.
Build the discussion post
- Take a clear stanceAnswer the professor’s question in the first sentence so the position is not buried.
- Support with something specificAdd one developed reason or concrete example; a bare claim without support is a weak contribution.
- Engage the threadRefer to a classmate’s point (agree, disagree, or qualify) so the post joins the discussion instead of ignoring it.
In an Academic Discussion thread, two classmates disagree about whether group projects should be graded jointly. Which response best matches the task?
- A long essay that never mentions the classmates and argues only from personal taste
- A short post that states a position, gives one concrete reason, and answers a point one classmate raised
- A summary of how a lecture casts doubt on three claims in a reading passage
The task wants a clear stance, developed support, and engagement with others’ viewpoints. A long generic essay that ignores the thread misses the discussion demand. Summarising lecture-vs-reading pairs is the old integrated Writing task, not Academic Discussion.
5Organisation and cohesion on the productive tasks
On Write an Email and Academic Discussion, readers — and raters — follow topic sentences and cohesive devices more easily than a single undifferentiated block. Sequence markers (First, Also), contrast (However, On the other hand), example (For example), and result (Therefore) earn their place only when they mark a real relationship; decoration without a logical job clutters the post.
Keep paragraphs short: one job per paragraph in the email body, and a tight stance–support–engagement arc in the discussion post. A comma alone cannot join two independent clauses — that splice is still an error even in a timed response.
Figure. Cohesive devices help only when they mark a real relation. Empty markers clutter email and discussion posts.
| Job | Devices | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Sequence | First, Second, Also, Finally | Listing prompt points or reasons in order |
| Contrast | However, On the other hand, In contrast | Qualifying a classmate’s claim or an alternative |
| Example | For example, For instance | Before a concrete case that supports the claim |
| Result | Therefore, As a result | When the next sentence follows as a consequence |
Draft: "Group grades can hide weak contributions. ____, instructors should add a short peer-evaluation component." Which device fits the relation?
- For example
- Therefore
- On the other hand
The second sentence is a consequence of the first claim, so Therefore (result) fits. For example would need an instance of hiding weak contributions. On the other hand would introduce a contrasting view, not a follow-on recommendation.
6Accuracy, range, and the final proofread
Writing band guides reward correct grammar plus a usable range of vocabulary and sentence structures. A few complex sentences used correctly score better than either a string of only simple sentences or complex attempts packed with agreement, article, and tense errors.
Leave a short final window on the email and discussion tasks to fix high-visibility faults: subject–verb agreement, articles, verb forms, and spelling. Scoring focuses on clear, effective communication, not on a perfect first draft — but unchecked slips still pull the language-control dimension down.
Figure. Band guides reward controlled range. Complex sentences packed with agreement and tense faults score worse than cleaner mid complexity plus a proofread.
Use the last minutes
- Stop adding ideasWhen the clock is nearly gone, freeze content; new claims steal the proofread.
- Scan agreement and verbsCheck each finite verb against its true subject; fix tense and form errors you can see quickly.
- Scan articles and spellingCatch a/an/the mistakes and obvious typos that make otherwise good sentences look uncontrolled.
One minute left on Academic Discussion. Your stance and example are already on screen, but two verbs disagree with their subjects. The best use of the minute is to
- Add a second long example to push word count higher
- Fix the agreement errors and leave the content as is
- Delete the stance sentence so the post looks more neutral
Language-control slips are still scored; a short proofread that repairs agreement protects the band. Adding length with no time to check invites more errors. Deleting the stance undercuts the main Academic Discussion demand.
Notes
- Two Task Types: The Writing section pairs an integrated task (read a passage, hear a lecture, then write about how they relate) with a task that asks you to write a well-organised response stating and supporting your own view (e.g., the academic discussion task).
- Integrated Writing Focus: Do NOT give your opinion in the integrated task. Report how the lecture responds to the reading — usually the lecture casts doubt on or contradicts each point in the reading. Accurately pair each reading point with its matching lecture point.
- Discussion/Opinion Task: State a clear position and support it with specific, developed reasons and examples. A strong response engages with the discussion context and adds a well-explained contribution rather than a generic statement.
- Organisation and Cohesion: Use clear paragraphing and cohesive devices ('First', 'In contrast', 'For example', 'Overall'). A logical structure with topic sentences helps the reader follow your argument and boosts your score.
- Accuracy and Range: Graders reward correct grammar and a range of vocabulary and sentence structures. A few complex sentences used correctly score better than either all-simple sentences or error-filled complex ones.
Formulas
- Integrated essay structure: Intro (state that the lecture challenges the reading) → Body 1/2/3 (each pairs a reading point with the lecture's counterpoint) → optional brief close.
- Opinion/discussion structure: Clear thesis → Reason 1 + specific example → Reason 2 + specific example → concise conclusion.
- Paraphrase rule: restate reading and lecture points in your own words rather than copying sentences.
- Cohesion toolkit: sequence (first, second), contrast (however, on the other hand), example (for instance), result (therefore).
- Sentence-variety rule: mix simple, compound, and complex sentences, and use accurate academic vocabulary.
- Proofreading step: reserve the final minutes to fix agreement, articles, and spelling errors.
Exam traps & shortcuts
- In the integrated task, take clear notes so you can match each reading point to the exact lecture point that opposes it.
- Never insert your own opinion in the integrated essay — it only asks you to relay the source relationship.
- For the opinion task, choose the side you can support with concrete examples fastest, even if it's not your true view.
- Leave two to three minutes at the end to proofread for grammar, articles, and spelling — clean writing lifts the score.
Reference tables
Pin the current task list; do not revise toward the retired integrated essay.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Section size | About 12 items; roughly 23 minutes base time (directions excluded) |
| Task types | Build a Sentence · Write an Email · Write for an Academic Discussion |
| Majority items | Build a Sentence (rearrange chunks into one grammatical sentence/question) |
| Email focus | Purpose + every prompt point + appropriate register |
| Discussion focus | Clear stance + specific support + engage other viewpoints |
| Not on this section | Read-and-lecture integrated essay; long independent essay |
| Section score | Writing reported on the 1–6 band scale (overall = average of four sections) |
Recap
Carry these into the Writing section clock.
- Task list
- Build a Sentence, Write an Email, Academic Discussion — not the old lecture-vs-reading essay.
- Sentence build
- Finite verb + true subject first; a fragment with every word used is still wrong.
- Every prompt bullet is mandatory; bury the request and the task fails.
- Discussion
- Stance early, one concrete support, engage a classmate — skip the generic paste.
- Cohesion
- Devices mark real relations; a comma alone cannot join two independents.
- Proofread
- Last minutes: agreement, articles, spelling — not a second unplanned example.
Practise TOEFL iBT Writing
Reading is free and needs no account. Practice, mocks and progress live in the app.
- 5 exam-style questions on this topic, with explanations
- A 5-question practice set that ends the chapter
- Timed mocks scored with the real marking scheme
- Readiness tracked per topic, kept on your device