josh_ph

I actually think you did great. A lot of people would want those band scores.

Some people prefer to look at the questions first before reading the passage so they will just have to look for the answer. Others will tell you to do a quick scan before attacking the question. Which do you prefer and why? Hahaha Nah seriously, scan first so you will know where in the passage will you find the answers. Also, this gives you a mental note on what the passage is about and allow you to adapt to its difficulty and style of writing. It will also help you in the summarization section where you'll have to drag and drop three boxes yada yada. This is an exhausting section and whats worst, its the first section of the exam. Try to save your strength for the succeeding parts.

Hmmm, I'm not an authority in the listening section; I would suggest paying close attention to the "Who, What, Where, When, and How's" of the listening part, that way, you can easily focus on the details. On the speaking section, practice makes perfect, or almost :) . Avoid stammering and going around in circles with your thoughts. Have confidence in your answer. Don't pay much attention on how you're speaking, instead, pay attention on the topic and speak naturally as you will in any English conversation. Good luck on your sponsorship.

Writing task 1: 150 - 225 words if I'm not mistaken Writing task 2: at least 300 words I didn't follow the guidelines during the actual test. In writing task 1, I did about 570. Its alright I guess, as long as you include every detail to back composition. I did 630 I think in writing task 2. I read somewhere that exceeding 700 words may become a downside in task 2.

Congratulations Tom, you did very well.

Hi rogers, Please refer to the following to help you understand the how raters scored you in the speaking and writing section: http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/Speaking_Rubrics.pdf http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/Writing_Rubrics.pdf http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/Converting_Rubric.pdf you may also want to browse the following page for more information click here How much score do you need by the way? (R-20 L-23 S-22 W-28) is a bit high for the average 80 required by most US universities.

That is sad to hear but hey, from my experience, you may have performed better than you think. Try to put the exam behind now.

Hey there buddy, here are my comments to your essay: 1. In this task, you are asked to choose only 1 option, that is to either support that Earth is being harmed by human activity or support that human activities makes the Earth a better place to live. Though I am not aware of any formal rules if you can be neutral (I didn't have a TOEFL iBT book or a formal guide which stated the do's and dont's when I took the test) in my opinion, you have to select a side and focus on that side alone. Some people believe that the Earth is being harmed by human activity. Others feel that human activity makes the Earth a better place to live. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. 2. Structuring or creating an outline was a very good move. Not only will outlining provide your essay a solid discernable structure but it will also save you time as your outline will provide you your answers and not worry about coming up with them, you only have to expound your key points. 3. You gave a very good conclusion and it is actually applicable even if you picked an opinion. 4. Your choice of words and the way you delivered your essay was quite impressive. I can tell from your essay that you have a good command of the English language. 5. Try revising your essay by selecting one specific side of the question and work on that. Overall, the structure and your choice of words are good and you made very sensible points. :grad:

thanh_tham_88: I'm not really sure how you want me to comment on your writing, are the points or claims you have established yours or was it given in the course? Did you formulate the introduction and conclusion or was it also given in the training course?

Although most of the students choose universities that require one subject, in my opinion, the best approach is to take many subjects as possible. Studying several subjects could help students learn more knowledge, discover their strengths and weaknesses and help them stay competitive. Try opening your essay by stating something about the topic first, followed by your opinion. Students who take several subjects learn gain more knowledge. A student may not learn other interesting subjects by merely focusing on one subject (consider rephrasing). For example, A student who takes signs up for a calculus subject, would only learn problem solving. On the other hand, a student who takes calculus and english subject at the same time could receive two benefits. He could would learn how to solve a problem and perhaps learn the rules of grammar (we are only referring to English) as well. Thus, the (or a) student who takes several subjects has a greater opportunity to learn more things. Students who study several subjects could may be able to discover their hidden abilities; Similarly, they could also discover their weaknesses areas that need improvement ('weakness' is a negative word, avoid using negative statements as much as possible). A student who tries to learn new skills, attending a piano lesson for instance, could help him appreciate music. Eventually, he would loves music and starts to compose a new songs. He would then discover his unseen abilities hidden talent (try to play with the words. One purpose of the essay portion is for the examinee to demonstrate his vocabulary prowess). In addition, limited ability limitations could may be discovered by taking more than one subjects. Students have to learn the complexities of two subjects. Math and history subjects for example, are quite different. Students have to understand both computations equations and past events. Some students may find one of these subjects harder (or more difficult) compared to the other (We are comparing 2 subjects so keep in mind our comparative degrees). By acknowledging their limited knowledge an area of weakness, they could find ways to improve their performance. (In statements like these, it is OK to give a negative statement/word, providing that it is countered by a later statement or provided with an alternative or a solution). Students who study several subjects maintain being a competitive attitude. They can compete with other students, who have the same level of abilities. This would help students become more motivated. Hence, they are more likely to achieve success than students who prefer to concentrate in only one subject. (You might want to try a different point) As I have stated, taking multiple subjects offers a great advantages. Students would learn a lot of valuable information, know their abilities and keep them motivated. Likewise, students who take limited subject are less likely achieve these benefits. (The conclusion part is often treated as a place to nutshell everything mentioned. Try injecting a food for thought in the conclusion instead of repeating the first lines of each paragraph body. "Flexibility is a trait that can prove to be a valuable asset in future career, a person who has broad general knowledge may find it easier to get along with people from various professional fields and backgrounds; and is more likely to be less resistant to change and innovation. People who are exposed to wide range of subjects is more likely to achieve flexibility compared to people who are trained to be in a specialized field.")

With practice, you'll be able to achieve your goals. :tup: I did about 630 during the actual test. You'll be surprised once you're in front of the PC. On the essay part, time is not against you unlike in the speaking portion. Good luck! two months is enough time for your preparations. I wish you well, if there are other things about the test I can help you with, just send me a message. Just remember, have faith in your self. Confidence accounts for a lot in this exam. - Josh;)

Schools provide a training ground for improving one's knowledge, skills, and leadership. Through various programs in the curriculum, schools play an integral part in a community as being a key institution to acquire the needed credentials to move up the academic field also, it provides an avenue for social interactions needed by students. In my community which is moderately developed, the construction of a new school will be a welcome sight which will meet no opposition from the locals. My answer is supported by three arguments: First, the construction of a new school will provide employment for the locals. Secondly, the school's resources will be a fine addition for the community's use. And lastly, the construction of the school will invite other investments for my community. //This is the only part where I had a hard time coming up with ideas for my essay, the body of the essay is alloted for expounding on these three ideas and also gave me a smooth flow of thoughts.// A school requires a system of people for it to operate, people of varying fields and multidisciplinary skills to ensure that that maximum learning and excellence is achieved. Most of the people that will be employed to man these positions will be coming from the community where it will be built. To share my personal experience, my mother used to be a university teacher but because she was aging and did not have the strength to endure day to day travel, she has decided to resign from her work; about three years later, a near-by school was erected and she was hired to be a teacher because of her competence. She is still teaching but she now enjoys her profession at a near-by school. There are many similar stories like my mother's and the construction of another near-by school would provide another pool of jobs for the local community. When the first school opened in our community, they had various information campaign launched in order to inform the locals about the dangers of drug abuse and about seasonal communicable diseases that accompany the rainy season. When a private school opened, they shared with the public their library which provided a vast array of printed materials and internet access to help students and other professionals find the information they needed. More valuable resource like these will be made available to the community as schools have facilities that they will share for the people's use. A high school in particular may share their gym for physical welfare of the community and perhaps an information campaign about Sexually Transmitted Diseases. As these schools were built, additional government resources were allocated for our town to develop surrounding infrastructure and improve the roads. We also experienced increased interest from corporate investors. When the first public school was opened for our country, a small health clinic was established to provide first aid needs for the community and the students in the school, and a bank was built for our community. When a private school was opened, canteens were built at near-by locations from the school which provided food alternatives for both the school and the local community, a bookstore was also erected to arm the students with the text materials and school supplies needed. Plans for an additional school, specifically high school. may open doors to the construction of a community hospital and even a mall to support the growth of our community. Additionally, these structures provided another pool of jobs for the citizens and increased the town's revenue. // I mentioned the last sentence to enforce the point, a similar reason has mentioned before but this statement enforces reason 3, not reason 1 // The number of schools in a community along with other major infrastructures provides us with an indication of a community's growth and strive to achieve excellence. Schools provides the training grounds for students who will be the future leaders of not only the community but also the nation. -593 words

Good Job! Nice scores too BTW. :grad:[clap] I'm a nurse from the Philippines, majority of those in my profession took IELTS, most said that it was not easy. I agree that speaking with a live consul is more settling than speaking over a microphone with your thoughts condensed. Nothing beats live interaction yes? But TOEFL iBT has the advantage of being evaluated by more than 1 person. For some people that I know,sub tests in the IELTS were administered at a different date from the other parts. But the waiting time for the results is halved for the IELTS, 8 working days compared to TOEFL's 15 working days. I'm also considering taking the IELTS, it would open doors for EU countries. I took the TOEFL first because my application was US bound. :hmm:

Paragraph1: Since you chose to support the construction of the new school: The purpose of giving your reasons plainly without explanation in the 1st paragraph is to somehow make the reader expect what is to be found on the proceeding paragraphs, provide a systematic structure, save you time, avoid redundancies, and supply you with the number of words needed for the test (TOEFL independent writing: at least 300 words). Paragraph 2: Paragraph 3: Paragraph 4: Paragraph 5: I'm really sorry if I confused you, I'll write an essay with this topic and post it here so you can see what I mean, I'll do it in the morning though. :)

From what I remember when I took the test, The Reading section is divided into 3 parts: 1st: 20 mins, 1 reading passage 2nd: 40 mins, 2 reading passages 3rd: 40 mins, 2 reading passages Total of 140 mins (1hr 40 mins) I think this length varies though, some took it for just an hour. Type of questions: 1. Multiple choice 2. Drag and Drop the appropriate statements (identify best suited statements for creating a summary) 3. Select all that applies 4. Mark a check to all applicable statements