Strong academic writing involves planning and revision. During your studies, you will write essays and reports that require:

General Writing Practice

• Understanding spelling, punctuation, and paragraph structure.
• Organizing ideas into well-structured paragraphs with clear topic sentences.
• Using appropriate verb tenses for different contexts.
• Proofreading your work multiple times, checking for common errors such as subject-verb agreement and run-on sentences.
• Replacing vague or overused words with more precise vocabulary.
• Using transitions (e.g., "however," "in conclusion") to improve clarity.
• Practicing typing on a QWERTY keyboard, which is commonly used in English-speaking countries.

Targeted Writing Activities

Paraphrasing and Summarizing:

• Identify key words or phrases and find synonyms without using a dictionary.
• Rewrite sentences using different grammatical structures while keeping the meaning intact.
• Summarize a passage based only on your notes.

Integrated Writing Practice:

• Read academic texts and listen to related lectures, taking notes in both your native language and English.
• Write summaries comparing the main points from different sources.
• Analyze similarities and differences between two related articles.
• Listen to recorded lectures and summarize key ideas at regular intervals.
• Compare written and spoken perspectives on the same topic.

Academic Discussion Practice:

• Read opinion articles and discuss them with others.
• Respond to online debates, articulating and defending your viewpoint.
• Compare different perspectives, such as a friend’s opinion and an expert’s view in a news article.

TOEFL Practice Questions

Key Lesson Concepts:

• Practice essay topics are essential for TOEFL preparation
• Key writing strategies include brainstorming, outlining, and revising
• Improving writing skills can boost your confidence for the exam