Understanding the Integrated Writing Task
The Writing section is the final part of the TOEFL test, designed to assess your ability to express ideas clearly and coherently in written English. It consists of two tasks: Integrated Writing and Writing for an Academic Discussion. You will be given 20 minutes for the Integrated Writing task and 10 minutes for the Writing for an Academic Discussion task. Both tasks require not only strong English writing skills but also critical thinking and time management to effectively organize and express your ideas within the given time limits.
The Integrated Writing task specifically evaluates your ability to combine information from a reading passage and a listening lecture. In this task, you’ll read a short text and listen to a lecture discussing the same topic, often presenting contrasting or complementary viewpoints. Your goal is to summarize the key points from both sources and demonstrate how they relate, without including your own opinions. It tests your ability to synthesize information, an essential skill for academic success.
To help you excel, this guide introduces structure templates and strategies tailored for the Integrated Writing task, along with a model essay for reference. A sample reading passage and lecture script are also included, so you can better understand how to use the templates in a real test scenario.
Integrated Writing Task Example: Reading Passage & Model Answer
Below is a sample reading passage and lecture, which are designed to help you practice the Integrated Writing task. The following model answer will show you how to effectively summarize and synthesize information from both sources
Question Prompt:
Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage.
Reading Passage:
Despite the worldly fame of William Shakespeare’s literary works, little is known about his life. Most of the facts we know are simply theories and rumors. The lack of specific records created many doubts about Shakespeare’s existence. Some have been arguing that there were other people who actually wrote the works under Shakespeare’s name.
The first candidate is Francis Bacon, who was a famous scientist, theorist, and philosopher in the 16th century. This theory gained support because of the legal references indicated in Shakespeare’s plays and poems. For example, some of Shakespeare’s poems such as “Venus and Adonis” and “The Rape of Lucrece” imply legal ideas that Francis Bacon was known to support.
The second candidate is Christopher Marlowe, who was a playwright and poet that lived in the same period as Shakespeare. Marlowe’s death is thought to be linked to the birth of the Shakespeare name. Some people believe that his death was faked to allow him to escape religious trials. He is then thought to have used the name of William Shakespeare to continue writing.
The third candidate is Edward de Vere, an English nobleman who worked as a courtier in the 16th century. Back then, the writings of the authors that were from the noble class were restricted to a private audience. Edward de Vere was also one of those authors. Since he wasn’t able to take credit for his writing publically, many claim that Edward de Vere used a false name, William Shakespeare, to reach a broader audience. This enabled him to receive the spotlight and create famous masterpieces.
Listening Lecture :
Note: “In the actual TOEFL exam, the lecture for the Integrated Writing task is presented in an audio format
Although there is no clear historical evidence that proves William Shakespeare’s existence, the theories in the reading about the identity behind the Shakespeare name are full of errors.
First of all, even though Francis Bacon and Shakespeare shared similar legal ideas, Francis Bacon’s academic background contradicts some of the scientific ideas in Shakespeare’s works. For instance, certain parts in Shakespeare’s canon and plays show a misunderstanding of the mainstream scientific beliefs of the time that Francis Bacon would not have had. Especially about astronomy beliefs, we can know that the ideas of these two figures don’t match.Next, Christopher Marlowe’s death has nothing to do with Shakespeare. All the plays Marlowe wrote were published under his own name after his death in 1593, which was very unlikely to happen for a person who was regarded as a religious criminal. Meanwhile, 37 other plays and 154 sonnets were published under the name of William Shakespeare. This theory doesn’t make sense because there was no reason for Marlowe to use a different name.
And lastly, Edward de Vere couldn’t have used the name of Shakespeare because he died before the time some of Shakespeare’s works were newly published. Evidence clearly shows that many of Shakespeare’s plays and poems such as Macbeth, King Lear, and Tempest were written and revised in 1621, which is long after Edward de Vere died in 1604. Even if someone else had given the works to the publishers instead, revising them would have been quite impossible because no one would know what kind of stories Shakespeare wanted to publish.
Model Answer :
Both the reading passage and the lecture discuss three theories regarding the real identity of William Shakespeare. The reading passage mentions three people who could have used the name William Shakespeare as an alias, while the lecture contradicts the reading passage on all three points.
First, the reading passage talks about the possibility of Francis Bacon being the person behind the name of Shakespeare. This theory is based on the idea that the legal references that appear in Shakespeare’s works are also known to be supported by Bacon. However, the lecture refutes this claim by stating that although the two people shared the same legal ideas, Shakespeare’s works also included scientific ideas that would not be supported by Bacon. Bacon’s academic background would contradict such ideas. Since Shakespeare’s works did not follow the mainstream scientific beliefs, his ideas on astronomy significantly differed from Bacon’s.
Second, the reading passage suggests Christopher Marlowe as the second candidate. According to the passage, Marlowe faked his death to escape from religious trials and used the name of Shakespeare to publish his work. The lecture refutes this by asserting that Marlowe’s death had nothing to do with Shakespeare. Since some of Marlowe’s works were published under his own name after his death, it does not make sense for Marlow to also use a different name.
The final theory in the reading is about Edward de Vere, an English nobleman who might have used the name of Shakespeare to receive credit publically. The lecture opposes this theory as well by stating that de Vere could not have used the name of Shakespeare since he died before some of Shakespeare’s works were revised and published. Even if someone else had given the works to a publisher, there is no way that the publisher would have known how to revise the work.
In conclusion, while the reading passage introduces three different candidates who might have used the name of William Shakespeare, the lecture refutes all of the theories.a
General Structure of a TOEFL Integrated Essay
Before diving into individual paragraphs, it’s important to understand the overall structure of a TOEFL Integrated Essay. Your essay will consist of an introduction, three body paragraphs (one for each point), and an optional conclusion. Since the goal is to demonstrate how the reading passage and lecture relate to each other, each body paragraph should address one point from the reading and the corresponding point from the lecture.
Let’s break down how each paragraph is structured, starting with the introduction.
1. Introduction Paragraph
Main Topic:
In the introduction, you should clearly state the topic being discussed in both the reading passage and the lecture. This demonstrates that you understand the key subject matter of both sources.
Link Between the Reading Passage and the Lecture:
This is where you explain the relationship between the two sources. Often, the lecture contradicts the reading passage, so be sure to highlight this connection.
2. Body Paragraphs
Transition Word:
Start each body paragraph with an appropriate transition word. This helps your essay flow logically and makes it easier to read. You can also use transitions to move between the reading passage explanation and the lecture.
Reading Passage:
In this section, paraphrase the information from the reading passage. Avoid copying the text word for word; always rephrase it in your own words. Remember, your explanation of the reading should be concise (2 sentences or fewer). Some students mistakenly focus too much on providing every detail from the reading, but it’s more important to keep it brief and focused.
Lecture:
The lecture is the most important part of your body paragraph. Solid note-taking skills are crucial for this section. After taking good notes, the lecture portion should be relatively easy to write. Your task is to connect the lecture content to the reading passage. Make sure to provide detailed support for the key points mentioned in the lecture. Keep in mind that the lecture explanation should be more detailed than the reading explanation.
3. Conclusion Paragraph
Conclusion:
While the conclusion paragraph is optional in TOEFL Integrated essays, it can be helpful if you have enough time. If you choose to write one, restate the link between the reading passage and the lecture in a rephrased form. If time is limited, it’s perfectly fine to skip the conclusion and focus on the body paragraphs.
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