TOEFL iBT Speaking Independent Topics(Ques # 1)

1. Who would you like to go on a trip abroad with? Describe this person and say why he/she would be a good travel companion for you.
2. What is your favorite place to visit on weekends? Describe it and explain why it is your favorite place to go.
3. What is your happiest childhood memory? Describe it and give reasons to explain why it is your happiest memory.
4. What is your most important possession? Describe it and say why it is so important.
5. Talk about a person who has inspired you. Describe the person and explain why you found him/her inspirational.

6. Where do most like to go to eat out? Describe this place and say why you like it most.
7. Talk about an important national holiday in your home country. Describe it and explain why it is important.
8. What is your favorite book or movie? Describe it and say why it is your favorite.
9. Who do you feel close to in your family (or extended family)? Describe this person and say why you feel close to him/her.
10. Where is a good place to have fun in your city or town? Describe this place and explain why it is fun.


11. Talk about an experience in your life that made you feel embarrassed. Describe it and say why it was embarrassing.
12. What was your favorite subject at school? Describe it and explain why this subject was your favorite one.
13. Who is an important person in your country? Describe this person and explain why he/she is important.
14. Talk about an interesting tourist attraction you have been to. Describe it and say why it was interesting.
15. Talk about a time when you experienced success. Describe the experience and say why it was a success for you.

16. What is your favorite style of clothing? Describe it and explain why it is your favorite.
17. Name a person whom you truly admire. Describe the person and say why you admire him/her.
18. Think of a place that makes you feel relaxed and peaceful. Describe it and explain why it is relaxing and peaceful for you.
19. Talk about a difficulty you have overcome in your life. Describe the experience and say why it was difficult to overcome.
20. What is your most useful study aid? Describe it and explain why it is useful in helping you to study.

10 Common TOEFL Essay Mistakes

Improve your TOEFL essay writing score by avoiding these 10 mistakes.

There are a few mistakes that you should never make in your TOEFL IBT essays. Here is our list of 10 things you should never do:

1. Never use abbreviations
Students often make the mistake of using inappropriate abbreviations in their writing. Never do this. Never write u instead of you. Don't write l8r instead of later.


2. Never end a sentence with three dots...
When you end a sentence with three dots (...), you are telling the reader that you don't have the words and vocabulary to complete your thought. Don't do this. Ending your sentences in this way is simply bad English.

3. Don't use slang
The TOEFL writing tests your ability to write an academic essay, not to use slang with your friends in the pub. Never use any words or phrases that could be considered slang: coulda, woulda, shoulda, gonna, wanna, blah blah blah. Slang will not impress the TOEFL assessor, but it will lower your essay score.

4. Don't use emoticons :-)
Again, the TOEFL writing is academic in nature, and this is not the same as the writing you use when sending SMS messages. Always avoid smileys and other emoticons. :-(


5. Don't use big words and complicated language
Many students think that their TOEFL IBT writing score will improve if they use big words and complicated language. This is not true. In fact, the opposite is true. If you try to use big words and complicated language, it will not sound natural. There is also a chance that you will use the words incorrectly or make mistakes in grammar. It is important to express yourself naturally, in a simple and elegant way, as a native English speaker would.

6. Never memorize a text
Never memorize an essay text, format, or template to use in the TOEFL iBT writing. The assessors have a lot of experience correcting essays, and it is very easy to recognize when a student has simply memorized text.

7. Do not begin a sentence with a conjunction
A conjunction is a word that is used to connect two words, phrases, or sentences. Here are some examples: and, but, or. Only use these words for connections. Never begin a sentence with one of these words.

8. Do not use contractions
A contraction is the combined form of two words. For example, if we have the words are and not, they can be combined as aren't. Theoretically, this is good English. In academic writing, however, it is usually not acceptable to use these short forms.


9. Do not write more than 5 paragraphs
Most TOEFL iBT essays are 4 paragraphs long. An essay with 5 paragraphs is possible, but it is difficult to write because your time is limited. Our recommendation: 4 paragraphs.

10. Never leave a sentence, paragraph, or idea incomplete
Always write in complete sentences and make sure that each sentence ends with the proper punctuation. Similarly, when you write a paragraph, be sure to develop your ideas. You always need at least two or three supporting sentences after the topic sentence. It is usually not possible to have a paragraph with only two sentences.

Using Transitional Phrases in the TOEFL Essay

A transitional phrase helps you move from one paragraph to the next. It also helps you move from sentence to sentence. Transitional phrases help the reader understand your essay. Learning how to use them will really make your TOEFL essay flow. They can be used in two places: at the beginning of a paragraph or at the beginning of a sentence. Here's how

Pargraph 1
This is your introduction. Do not use any transitional words or phrases at the beginning of this paragraph.

Pargraph 2
This is the first paragraph of the essay body. Use any of these at the beginning of this paragraph:
first, first of all, for a start, for starters, in the first place, for one thing, to begin with

Pargraph 3
This is the second paragraph of the essay body. Use any of these at the beginning of this paragraph:
second, next, in addition to the previous point, more importantly, more important than, another key point is

Pargraph 4
This is your conclusion. Use any of these at the beginning of this paragraph:
in conclusion, in closing, to summarize, in sum, in summary

At the beginning of a sentence
There are many transitional words and phrases that we can use at the beginning of a sentence. These words have many different meanings, and this makes it more difficult for us to use them correctly.
However, in spite of that; on the other hand; but,moreover

It is true that guns are dangerous. However, they are not responsible for the sudden rise in violent crime.

For instance

The internet is one of the greatest achievements in history. For instance, people can now learn about almost anything online--it has more information than most libraries!

Similarly,in the same or similar way

Both of my parents were teachers. Similarly, I am also a teacher.


In contrast,on the other hand

Animals just make sounds. In contrast, humans can speak and communicate

Grammar note: don't forget the comma!
Transitional phrases are usually used at the beginning of a sentence. They are always followed by a comma. Examples:

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How to write TOEFL essay conclusion?

The conclusion is the essay's last paragraph. It restates the thesis and summarizes the main points. The conclusion of your TOEFL essay is probably the easiest part to write. Before we begin, here is what you should know about the conclusion:

• It's the last paragraph of the essay.
• It's usually 3 or four sentences long.
• It restates the essay's thesis.
• It summarizes the essay's main points.

The conclusion must restate your thesis statement and summarize the essay's main points. If it doesn't do this, then it's a bad conclusion.

In order to write the conclusion, we have to look at three important sentences in our essay. We look at our thesis statement and we look at our two topic sentences.

First we have to look at our thesis statement:

I strongly believe that no police officer should ever carry a gun.

Next we look at our two topic sentences:

First of all, guns cause more harm than good.

In addition to the previous point, in most cases police officers don't need guns.

Now we simply put them all into one paragraph, beginning with the thesis statement:

In conclusion, police officers should not carry guns. Guns usually cause harm to people. Moreover, police officers often don't need them to do their jobs.

Maybe you have noticed that we made small changes to the thesis statement and topic sentences. This is because it's not good to copy the sentences exactly--it's boring for the reader. These changes give our writing more variety.

We also added two transitional phrases to our conclusion: in conclusion and moreover.

How to Write TOEFL Essay Supporting Ideas?

Our TOEFL essay's supporting ideas all come after the topic sentences. They support the topic sentence by telling the reader why we believe the topic sentence is true.

Supporting ideas can be almost anything. The important thing is that they are all related to the topic sentence and that they support the topic sentence in some way. Here are some things we can use for our supporting ideas:

• A personal experience
• Something you've heard or read about
• A logical argument
• Statistical evidence
• Factual information
• Expert opinion

Before we begin, let's have another look at our first topic sentence. Here's what we have so far:

First of all, guns cause more harm than good.

Our paragraph might look something like this:

First of all, guns cause more harm than good. There are often stories in the newspaper about people who are accidentally shot. Moreover, many of these stories involve police officers. If guns had not been involved, these accidents would not have happened. On the other hand, there are very few stories about how a gun has saved somebody's life.

In this example, our supporting ideas come from stories we've read in the newspaper. And they all explain why guns cause more harm than good.

Now let's take a look at our second topic sentence. Here it is:

In addition to the previous point, in most cases police officers don't need guns.

Now let's try using a personal experience for our supporting ideas. Here's one way we could write the paragraph:

In addition to the previous point, in most cases police officers don't need guns. My father, for example, has been a police officer for over 20 years, and he has never had to use his gun. In fact, he says that most people who break the law are unarmed. Thus, it is often unnecessary for police officers to carry guns.

How to write TOEFL Essay Topic Sentence?

Topic sentences are important because they support your thesis statement.

First, let's have a quick review. We already know that the thesis statement is the last sentence of the introduction. We also know that the thesis statement is where we give our opinion. Here's the example we used:

I strongly believe that no police officer should ever carry a gun.

It's a good thesis because it tells the reader what the essay is about and it gives an opinion. Now the reader knows what our opinion is, but he doesn't know why. This is what topic sentence does, it tells the reader why.

Writing a topic sentence

First we look at our thesis statement one more time:

I strongly believe that no police officer should ever carry a gun.

Next we make a list of all the reasons why we believe our thesis statement is true. Here's what we have:

1. There is already too much violence in the world.
2. Police officers don't need protection.
3. Guns cause more harm than good.
4. Police officers like to shoot people.
5. Guns frighten people.
6. In most cases police officers don't need guns.
7. Violence of any kind is a bad thing.

Now we simply choose the best reasons. Let's choose number 3 and number 6. They look like good reasons to me.

Now that we have two reasons that support our thesis statement, we are almost finished. We only have to put the finishing touches on, and we'll do that next.

For our first topic sentence, we can use phrases such as First, First of all, In the first place, To begin with, For one thing. And this is what our first topic sentence might look like:

First of all, guns cause more harm than good.

For our second topic sentence, we can use these phrases: Second, Next, In addition to the previous point, More importantly. Like this:

In addition to the previous point, in most cases police officers don't need guns.

How to write essay body?

The body of the essay is everything that comes between your introduction and the conclusion. Here's what you need to know:

• It's usually 2-3 paragraphs long.
• Each paragraph has 1 topic sentence.
• Each paragraph has 3 to 5 supporting ideas.
• Its goal is to support thesis statement.

Topic Sentence (first sentence)

• supporting idea #1
• supporting idea #2
• supporting idea #3
• supporting idea #4

The topic sentence

The topic sentence is the first sentence of the paragraph. This sentence should do 2 things:

• Give 1 reason to support your thesis statement.
• Tell the reader what the rest of the paragraph is about.

Supporting ideas

Everything that comes after the topic sentence is called a supporting idea. This is because it "supports" your topic sentence.

A supporting idea could be almost anything: a story from your life, a philosophical argument, a personal experience, or some statistical information. The important thing is that it explains why you believe that the topic sentence is true.

How to write Essay Introduction?

Beginning the introduction

The best way to begin the introduction is with a general statement about the essay topic. This explains what the essay is going to be about and mentally prepares the reader for the arguments that will follow. Do not give your opinion in this sentence--this is only a general statement about the topic. Lets say we are given a topic for an essay like: Should police officers carry gun or not?

Here's an example of what a typical first sentence looks like:

Many communities have been debating whether or not police officers should carry guns.

Developing the introduction

After we have written our first sentence, it is time to develop the introduction. We do this by adding a few more general statements about the topic. One strategy you can use is to explain both sides of the argument. Here's an example:

In some situations, guns protect the police officer as well as the public. However, guns often result in injuries and death.

By explaining both sides of the argument (this is called contrasting), you show the reader that you have thought carefully about the issue.

You should also know that when you contrast both sides of the argument, it is better to begin with the side of the argument that you do not agree with. This is more natural in English, and your essay introduction will develop logically toward the thesis statement.

Writing the thesis statement

Now it is time to write our thesis statement. This is the last sentence of the first paragraph. It is also the most important sentence in the essay. The thesis statement does two things:

• It directly answers the essay question.
• It tells the reader what your opinion is.

For our introduction, here's what the thesis statement could look like:

No police officer should ever carry a gun.

In this example, we have a strong thesis statement. It is simple and direct: it answers the essay question and tells the reader exactly what our opinion is.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the thesis statement is the most important sentence in the essay. In fact, if the reader has difficulty understanding the essay, he will often return to the thesis statement to be reminded what the essay is about. A bad thesis statement results in a bad essay.

Putting it all together

We've finally completed our introduction. Here it is:

Many communities have been debating whether or not police officers should carry guns. In some situations, guns protect the police officer as well as the public. However, guns often result in injuries and death. I strongly believe that no police officer should ever carry a gun.

In the first sentence we began the introduction with a general statement about the essay topic. Then, in the second and third sentences, we contrasted both sides of the argument. Our last sentence was the thesis statement this is where we answered the essay question and gave our opinion.

How to Write TOEFL Essay?

Writing a good essay starts with abiding by the format of an essay. TOEFL essay usually consists of 4-5 paragraphs and NOT more than that. The main paragraphs included by the essay are:

Introduction

The introduction is the first paragraph of your essay. The first few sentences of this paragraph simply introduce the reader to the topic. The last sentence is called the thesis statement and clearly states your opinion. This is the most important sentence in the essay. The introduction is the first paragraph of your essay, and it is important to make a good impression here. If you don't start out well, it will be difficult to convince your readers (or the TOEFL assessor!) to take your writing seriously. Here's what you should know about the introduction:

• First paragraph of the essay
• Usually 3 to 5 sentences long
• Introduces the essay topic
• Clearly gives your opinion
• Has a strong thesis statement

All introductions must meet these five conditions. If it is missing one or two of them, then it is a weak introduction.

Body

The body of the essay is usually two to three paragraphs long and these paragraphs are known as supporting paragraphs. Each paragraph begins with a topic sentence that tells the reader what the rest of the paragraph is going to be about. The remaining sentences are called supporting ideas because their main function is to "support" the topic sentence.

Conclusion

The conclusion is the last paragraph of the essay. It restates the thesis and gives the reader a brief summary of the essay's main points. This paragraph is usually about 3 sentences long.

How to cheat in TOEFL?

Is cheating possible in Speaking Section?Technically Not. However you can be smart enough to over hear some topics which can give you more time to prepare yourself in the speaking section. First of all, you need to know two facts about Toefl exam.

1. Everyone gets the same question on the same day.
2. Speaking Section does not begin at the same time for everyone.

So did you get what the above facts mean and how can they help you?

The main advantage in this section is that because speaking section does not begin at the same time for everyone. This means other people might have begun their speaking section before you. So, if you hear carefully you can hear what the topics are. So this will give you more time to prepare. The best time to hear other speak is the 10 minutes break you get after reading and listening section. During this break, instead of going out of the test room, you can stay at the room and hear others speak.

So, technically you are not cheating but if you over hear something then that can surely help you to IMPROVE YOUR SCORE !

Sample Responses for Speaking Section -II

Some more sample responses for question no. 1 in the speaking section are:

Favourite Subject

I think Math is fascinating. It is fun when you get this really hard problem and you finally figure it out. It is like wow i just figured that out all by my self. It gives a Great feel of accomplishment. Besides that, it is the subject with certainty because there's always a definite answer. Moreover a lot of times you can shorten things and i don't like writing what i do not have to.

Favourite Sport

My favourite sport is baseball.-One reason i like the baseball most among other sports is that baseball is a sport where you have to anticipate, think ahead, have agility and good hand-eye coordination. The best thing about baseball that not many sports can boast is there is no time clock. you can hit for as long your team is proficient & limit your time in the field by defending well. There's no greater feeling than coming into pitch with the tying run on 3d and getting the hitter to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Greatest Accomplishment

My greatest achievement in life is my family's trust and love. I love sharing my life with them. They make me so proud. I love my family so much and they are the reason why I continue to shine. Graduate degrees, baseball championships, and even million dollar financings just can't compare. Sure, it is an ongoing accomplishment that requires me to give of myself unconditionally, but the return I get back comes at a multiple that is immeasurable.

Describe your best quality.

My positive attitude is my biggest asset.I am enthusiastic about taking up new challenges in life.Life is quite exciting to me as it has galores of opportunities and experiences to offer and i feel one should always make the right use of it.I firmly believe that one should always strive towards excellence.Therefore I'm never tired of beginning where others end. Knowing who you are and how to use your skills to make a positive difference is a euphoric experience.

Favourite movie

The movie that has influenced me the most is the movie 'Cast Away' starring Tom Hanks.
It has all the hallmarks of a great motion picture: well-developed characters, solid drama, non-traditional adventure, and an intelligent script.It is more than a simple physical survivor story.It is a story about a person stranded alone in an island and how he learns to adapt to this new life.One reason that interests me the most is it's theme of optimism and clinging on to the situation without losing hope.

Greatest Weakness and Greatest Strength

Weakness
Weakness is simply a part of being human. My greatest weakness is my impatience. As far as my weakness is concerned i m constantly working to improve my patience. Moreover i have known that i can do it so by working with the people who donot work int he same pace as i do. In that way i can achieve a fruitful result than by being frustrated and doing nothing.

Strength
My greatest strength is an optimistic approach towards any challenge in life. I am enthusiastic about taking up new challenges in life. Life is quite exciting to me because it has galores of opportunities and experiences to offer and i feel one should always make the right use of it.
I firmly believe in is that one should always strive towards excellence.Therefore I'm never tired of beginning where others end.

Idioms You should Know For Listening Section

all of a sudden: suddenly
All of a sudden, the man fell down.

boil down: summarize; amount
He boiled down the report to a page and a half.
The report boiled down to a plea for more funding.

catch up: to complete something belatedly
I need to catch up on my sleep.

drop off: deposit or deliver
She dropped off the package at his house.

find out: discover, learn
I don’t know the answer, but I’ll find out for you.

get down: give one’s attention to; depress
Let’s get down to business.
The rain was getting her down.

have on: wear
The man has on a new sweater.

keep + –ing verb: continue without interruption
She kept talking throughout class despite the teacher’s
warnings.

jump in: begin or enter eagerly
The woman didn’t wait for instructions, she just jumped right in.

make up your mind: settle, decide
I made up my mind to take the earlier train.

put off: to hold back to a later time
You will have to put off buying that dress until you have
more money.

show up: arrive, appear
He always late—he would show up late to his own funeral!

sleep on it: delay making a decision until the next day
After considering the plan, the council decided to sleep on
it and cast a vote the next day.

take place: happen, occur
U.S. presidential elections take place every four years.

used to + verb: something accomplished in the past, but
not in the present
She used to work as an investment banker, but now she’s a
teacher.

Excel in Speaking Section

The main qualities that the examiner will look for in the speaking section are following:

Fluency of spoken language
The main quality examiner look for in the speaking section is the fluency of your spoken English.

Clarity and preciseness
Until and unless, the words you speak is not clear, the examiner cannot understand you. So the clarity is very important in the speaking section.

Relevance of content with the topic
If you are given a topic about the your best color and you spend an entire 45 seconds about the green colored dress you have, then that is not going to give you expected score though you speak clearly and fluently.

Organization of sentences and grammar
Before you start speaking, keep in mind one thing. You will speak in a simple language using short sentences. Another main factor to be considered is that your sentences should be grammatically correct.

Necessary pauses like 2-3 seconds of gaps between sentences
Fluency does not mean speaking continuosly without any pauses. Pauses are as important as the sentences to be grammatically correct. There should be 2-3 seconds gap between sentences. Between the sentences you can take a deep inhale to maintain this gap.

Use of transitional phrases like Okay, Now, Then etc
Using transitional phrases will give you time to reflect on what you are going to say next. These phrases will also help you to keep the pace of your listener with you.

Sample Responses for Speaking Section

Some of the sample responses for question no. 1 in the speaking section are:

Describe yourself
I would describe myself as a very ambitious, hardworking and sincere girl.Friendly and joyful is what my friends would describe me as.I am enthusiastic about taking up new challenges in life.Life is quite exciting to me as it has galores of opportunities and experiences to offer and i feel one should always make the right use of it.I firmly believe that one should always strive towards excellence. Therefore I'm never tired of beginning where others end. Knowing who you are and how to use your skills to make a positive difference is a euphoric experience.

Favorite book
The book that have influenced me the most is a book "the monk who sold his Ferrari" by Robin S.Sharma. The book provides an approach towards the self-mastery of body, mind and soul. This well crafted story is the tale of Julian Mantle, a lawyer brought face to face with a spiritual crisis.One reason that i got most inspired by is its perspective of failure. It has taken a failure as a part of growth. For the people who are in the rat race for pursuing success and money, this book can be a food for the thought. Failure whether it is personal,professional or spiritual is necessary for personal expansion and inner growth.

Favorite Hobby
My favorite hobby is gardening. I love to spend the winter thinking about what I want to plant in the late winter as much as I enjoy beauty of garden in the spring. I love to wander out in the mornings or evenings just to see what grew since the last time I was out.I think being close to the earth and learning to grow things give an appreciation of the balance of nature.I have other hobbies too but nothing seems to interest me much as gardening does.

Favorite color
My favorite color is green because it reminds me of the peace found in nature. I know that nature can be deadly sometimes, but walking and just being outside calms me down when I am irritated. Green is a symbol of freshness and looking at the greenery makes me feel fresh and energized when i feel exhausted.Pretty much most of the things in my life is green such as: my curtains, couch, bookshelves, the majority of my clothing, and lots of other stuff.

Favorite teacher in school
My Favorite teacher in school is Mr. Lawrence D souza. He always brougt up a positive attitude in a classroom that set us all going.His lectures were well organized,interesting and the way he put every information across with a dramatic flair was remarkable. His door was always open for consultations on previous or upcoming assignments. His comments on papers were constructive and encouraging. Above all he not only helped me in becoming a better student but also a better person.

If you want me to help you out with more topics then do post your topics in the comment I will be more than happy to help you out.

How to speak precisely and correctly in Speaking section?

Most of the people say that the speaking section is the hardest part in the Toefl IBT. Initiated with a purpose of analyzing the fluency and the preciseness of spoken English has made many examinees lose their words at this section.

In this section, the examiner mainly looks for the fluency rather than the content. Another quality that is prominent in this section is clarity. Speaking hastily in order to show off the fluency with be a biggest mistake. So here I list out some of the tips that are really helpful in this section.

1. First of all, during your preparation time, just write down as many words you can think about the given subject. It can be adjectives, nouns or verbs.
2. When you are asked to speak, keep in the mind that you will speak in a slow pace.
3. Keeping your sentences short and simple helps you to organize what you are going to say.
4. Just decide to say two things in a sentence. For example: If asked about my best food, I would say something like this: My favourite food is momo because it is tasty and spicy. So before starting the sentence I have to remember just two things :spicy and tasty.
5. Take a deep inhale between the sentences. Short pauses are very essential while speaking. A deep inhale will help you to have a pause of around 2-3 seconds.

Learn to Listen

How can you become a more active listener? Practicing the following listening techniques will improve your ability to understand spoken English:

Focus on the speaker. Do not be distracted by your surroundings or by daydreaming.

Use non-verbal responses, like nodding your head or leaning toward the speaker as you listen. Even if you are listening to a pre-recorded audiotape for the TOEFL exam, your physical responses will engage you in the act of listening and help you concentrate on the information.

Concentrate on the message. You will see pictures of people on your computer screen before each recording. These visuals will orient you to the setting and participants of the conversation, but they may also distract you. Focus on the conversation, not the picture. If you are taking the paper-based TOEFL, find a place in the room—a blank chalkboard or wall—to direct your attention. Do not be distracted by the reader’s appearance as you listen to him or her. You may also try closing your eyes as you listen to the reading of each passage.

Pay close attention to other visuals. Images of maps, tables or charts, graphs, drawings, or objects may accompany longer talks and conversations. These visuals contain information from the talk—information that you need to answer the questions.

Read the questions on your computer screen as you listen to them. This can help you better understand them.