6 Tips for Writing a Successful Essay for TOEFL Writing

Whether at university or work, you will inevitably have to write a lot of essays, emails, proposals, project plans, and other materials to communicate effectively. For this reason, the TOEFL test dedicates a separate section entirely to this skill, which is assessed in the TOEFL Writing Section. 

Therefore, you have to improve your writing skills as much as possible not only to pass the exam, but also to be successful in university and, consequently, in your professional career. To achieve this, you need to make your English writing skills as effective and powerful as possible by developing them with elements such as clarity, precision, and directness. Say a lot in a few words, and make those few words understandable to the reader. 

In this guide, essay writers from EssayAssitant will look at the characteristics of clear, direct, and penetrating text – exactly what you need to acquire to get the highest score on the test. 

1. Practice from Day One

Effective writing goes beyond theory. It’s practice. That’s because you can only write clearly if you think clearly. However, people who don’t have writing as a habit usually only do the second part (clear thinking), and although they have everything well thought out in their heads, they can’t convey those ideas in a writing exercise. 

So the best recommendation for a good start from the best college essay writing services is to practice from day one. Writing without knowing what you’re doing? That’s exactly right! After you are introduced to the basic rules of English grammar, to the elementary construction of sentences, you can begin to use the keyboard – pen or pencil, if you belong to the old school. 

Don’t be afraid to cross out, look up words in the dictionary, translate, or make mistakes as many times as necessary until you reach a correct, acceptable version of what you want to say with your writing. 

Writing is not a gift you are born with, it is a resource that develops gradually over time, and it can only be achieved through practice. 

2. Convey Your Ideas Without Beating Around the Bush

In other words, be direct. For TOEFL purposes, for university, for work, and almost everything in life, this is the best decision you can make. Both your readers and your examiners, who will be grading your essays, will thank you for it because your job is to make their job easier by coming up with a text that doesn’t have to go around and around, that gets “straight to the point” and leaves no room for doubt or confusion. 

Many writers make the mistake of putting off the main point of their thesis until later in the essay, i.e., stretching it by adding “chaff” in the introduction or at the beginning of the main body of the text. 

On the other hand, if you start by putting your idea forward right away, and then develop it, justify it, and support it throughout the essay, you will be on the right track to fame and success. 

Bottom line: remember to present your main idea first. Then everything else. 

3. Remove the Excess Dough

Have you ever made pizza? If the answer is yes, then you know that when the dough is shaped and made in the classic round style, it adjusts slightly to the size of the mold. More specifically, the excess dough is always removed from the edges to bring it to the perfect size. 

Simplifying sentences is another key to being clear and direct in your writing. 

When sentences are overloaded with unnecessary words, the text loses the reader and takes them away from the essay’s main point. Your goal is for each sentence to focus on an issue, whether it is a specific question or a connection to another idea. The important thing is that it should close and be punchy. 

For example, using too many verbs or figures of speech is not productive if you want to clarify your position with ideas, arguments, and assertions. As a practical exercise, you can try writing your test essays and “trimming the extra mass” as an editing or proofreading process at the end, which we will discuss later. 

4. Plan What to Say Before You Say It

The day of the exam, for which you will come fully prepared, is not the time to go with the flow, nor is it the time to apply the “as you go, we’ll see what happens” principle. On the contrary, coming in with a well-thought-out strategy is ideal. When it’s time to write, apply that strategy by planning what you will say before you start writing. 

This is why we explained at the very beginning that clear writing is the product of clear thinking, but that both processes are only possible with practice, cultivating writing as a habit. Then take time to get your ideas in order before putting them in writing.  Just make sure you think things through before you write them down. 

That way, you can start with the most important things and build a sequence of facts and ideas that will solidify everything that has been on your mind. As a result, you will get a perfect score in both parts of the Writing section. 

5. Avoid Idioms and Slang Words

You’ve probably seen this advice in many other articles online. However, it is very important to keep it in mind in this topic because our goal is to give you the tools to write a clear and concise essay. 

Idioms and slang words are the number one enemies of clear and concise writing because, in addition to ruining your writing style, they can cause confusion or doubt for evaluators who may see that their criteria are driven by phrases or sentences that lend themselves to interpretation. 

There is no room for this on the TOEFL test, nor is their room for easy jokes or jokes designed to give the impression that you are an eloquent, irreverent, or frivolous student. 

Avoid all informality. Just focus on clarity, simplicity, and understandability, always giving only what is necessary to get your point across, no more and no less. 

6. Read Your Paper Before You Move On

Your excellent work can go to waste if you make the slightest mistake that goes unnoticed and seems silly, but can ultimately change the meaning of the whole thing. To avoid this, always reread what you’ve written before you move on.

This means that in the short time you are ready to read, switch roles and put yourself in the shoes of the evaluator or any other person reviewing your work. 

Conclusion

Does what you have written make sense? Is there a logical connection between ideas, are your arguments supported by evidence and examples, are your sentences strong, clear, and concise, and is there a conclusion to your main point? Are there words that are too complex or technical to replace with simpler ones? 

Answer each of these questions, take action if necessary, and finally move on. You have reached your goal: the perfect essay.