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search on youtube for toefl integrated writing or for toefl writing question 1. There are quite a few videos there which may be useful to you.

Hi, Please provide your valuable comment on this essay. I have posted many essays over the past few days but sadly, I have not received any replies despite a considerable number of views. Please feel free to comment even if you are not too sure about it. I just want some kind of an idea as to whether my essays are heading in the right direction. Question: Television has destroyed communication among family and friends. Do you agree or disagree Answer: Television plays an integral part in people’s lives, whatever age they may be. Right from the toddler to the family elders, everyone is glued to the television, be it for news, entertainment or leisure. In my personal view, our increasing attachment to the television has resulted in a loss of communication among family and friends. I discuss the following reasons to support my opinion. Firstly, the increasing number of entertainment related shows on television, have resulted in people being glued to their television sets all day. Right from the time we get back from work, are main mode of relaxation is watching television and for many of us, this goes on till late in the night. The result of this is that, our time for interaction and lively discussion with family and friends is greatly reduced and slowly we get detached from them. This is evident especially in the youngsters in the family. As soon as they get back from school, they are hooked on to the numerous cartoons, sitcoms and other shows on TV and adults find it very tough to coerce them to participate in family discussions and other activities. The second reason is that news from every corner of the world is available to us on our television sets. In the earlier days, news about our hometown, our job related issues or other interesting topics were discussed with friends and relatives only through the phone or at get-togethers. Nowadays we get all our advice, analyses and statistics from news channels itself. Moreover there are even group discussions hosted by these channels about general topics of concern that quench out thirst for more details on these issues. Hence, the need to discuss such matters with our friends and kin reduces and gradually all forms of communication with them dies out. For example, I remember that, about a decade ago, when my cousin was entering college, our family had various group discussions with relatives, who pitched in their ideas and advice. But a couple of years ago, when I decided on joining engineering, all the information I needed to know about the various streams were discussed, on a large scale, on numerous channels on television, since these are topics of concerns for all youngsters entering college. Even though, this information was extremely useful, it was a prime example of a situation where communication within family and friends was on a decline. For these reasons, and a few more, as well as numerous examples that I have encountered, I feel that television has destroyed communication among friends and family. Television had numerous advantages and is an integral part of our lives, but it also has the tendency to make us loners since it brings the entire world to us without us having to interact with the world. Thanks and regards.

Hi, Please evaluate and give your valuable comments. Question: How do movies ans television influence people's behavior? Answer: Movies and television are an importance source of entertainment to people of all age groups and belonging to all walks of life. They have become an integral part of people’s lives and have a telling influence, both positive and negative, on their behavior. Following, are some reasons as to why movies are so influential in people’s lives. Firstly, the roles depicted by actors, especially the popular ones, leave a lasting impression on people, especially youngsters. Movies of the action and thriller types generally have actors, who display a daredevil attitude and scant regard for rules etc. These movies are extremely popular with youngsters and it is not unnatural to see kids developing such traits in them. They don’t back down from fights, are ready to flout rules and use language that is not appreciated in the society. When such behavior is seen on television, it is fun and entertaining, but the problem is that this has a lasting influence on youngsters as well. For example, in my hometown it is very common to see youngsters behave in styles that are reminiscent of our state’s famous actors. Kids see them on television and on the big screen every day, and they are so called ‘heroes’ that children tend to look up to. On the other hand, movies influence people for the better too. There are some issues related to the society or the environment that all of us are aware of, but we feel that there is no strong platform on which we can discuss them. Some movies discuss these very concerns and are instrumental in motivating the society to take action. When we see these issues being portrayed on the big screen, or being discussed through the television, we get the feeling that they are of concern to many and not just a few, and this motivates us to take our first steps towards addressing these concerns. For instance, many of the improvements that I have seen in my society, with regard to better facilities for the poor, gender equality and so on, have been discussed previously through the media and they have played an important role in achieving these improvements. I too have felt inspired by these programs and I have felt the urge to contribute as well. For these reasons and examples, as well as many more, I fell that movies and television have indeed played a very important role in influencing the decisions and the behavior of people. The effects of the visual media are both positive and negative and it is up to us to be careful, as to which of these effects has a telling influence on our lives. Thanks and regards.

Hi, Please evaluate and give me your valuable inputs. Question: Movies are popular all over the world. Explain why they are so popular. Answer: Movies are popular among people of all age groups and who belong to different walks of life. There are various reasons for movies being so popular including the strength of the storyline, the quality of acting etc. In my opinion there are two main reasons for movies being so popular and they are discussed below. The first reason is that the stories depicted in movies have a lot taken out of real life scenarios. By this, I mean that the lives of the heroes that are portrayed in the movies are something we can connect with, since we can imagine or dream to be in that position ourselves. This makes us emotionally and mentally involved within the movie and this makes us appreciate these movies better. It gives us the opportunity to step out of our everyday lives and into the life of the actors whose life, over three hours, is action packed and thrilling. For instance, when we watch movies based on rags to riches storylines, we can appreciate the movie at an emotional level because, at some point in our lives, we too have been at indecision in terms of money matters and may have dealt with questions and hardships related to that. This is true for the majority of the people watching these movies and hence makes them very popular. Secondly, movies are popular simply because they are an excellent form of leisurely relaxation. Nowadays, most of us, all over the world, lead jam packed lives, that are tedious and we find it tough to find time to have fun or relax. Movies give us the opportunity to forget our monotonous day to day activities, our daily worries and let our minds wander. This always results in us being mentally refreshed, and we are ready to step into our lives again after the deserving break. For example, I, being a student, have to manage with numerous classes, peer pressure, mounting projects, and the day to day tension of academics. After a hard week at college, it gives me immense pleasure to enjoy a movie or two, during which I don’t have to worry about the pressures of the upcoming week. This is true not only for students like me, but for people from all walks of life. For these reasons I feel that movies are extremely popular and will continue to be so as the lives portrayed in the movies are refreshingly interesting compared to those we lead. The reasons described above are two among many reasons for movies being popular, but I feel that these are the most significant of them. Thanks and regards.

Hi, I would appreciate it, if you could give your comments and opinions on my TOEFL essay. Question: If you could change one thing about your hometown, what would you change? Answer: Like most people in the world I too am very fond of my hometown, but there are several aspects about it that I would like to change. If I had the opportunity to change one important thing about my hometown, it would be to reduce air pollution. My hometown is one of the largest populated cities in India, and like so many major cities its population levels are extremely high. I give the following reasons and examples to strengthen my stand on why this would be the most important thing that I would like to change. Like every city in India, my hometown is densely populated and one major result of this is the numerous vehicles on the roads everyday. With fuel costs constantly on the rise, people over here tend to switch to other cheap sources of fuels that are very harsh on the environment. Our government has regulations on vehicular exhaust but these are not effective enough in keeping the pollution within the limits. There are thousands of people in my city who suffer from asthma and other respiratory problems and vehicular exhaust is one of the prime reasons for this. With the huge number of vehicles on the road, round the clock, the very air we breathe is always filled with the poisonous emissions of these vehicles. Another major cause of pollution in my city is the large number of factories that indiscriminately discharge various toxins into the atmosphere. My hometown is one of the more commercialized cities in India and so it ranks very highly in pollution caused due to carbon discharge from factory chimneys. Again, there are regulations to counter over discharge of toxins, but sadly these are not followed very strictly by these factories. The pollution produced by my hometown is among the highest in my country and with the increasing threats due to global warming and other environmental catastrophes, it is important that some change is brought about to restrain these major sources of pollution. For these reasons and a few more, I believe that pollution control is the mot important thing that I would like implement in my hometown, if I had the opportunity to do so. This of course, is an issue that is highly discussed all around the world and I feel that I too would like to contribute in any possible way, to make mother earth a safer and a better place. Thanks and regards.

Hi, I would deeply appreciate it, if you could read through the essay and give your comments and suggestions. Also I would like to know that in this sort of question, should I state my stand in the 1st paragraph itself or is it enough if I take a stand after discussing the pros and cons. Question: Large factory to be set up near your community. Discuss advantages and disadvantages. Do you support or oppose the move? Answer: The establishment of a factory near my community is a debatable venture since there would be numerous advantages as well as disadvantages caused by it. It would be important to weigh the pros and cons carefully before taking a stand for or against it. The following paragraphs discuss the advantages and disadvantages as well as my stand on this issue. Firstly, looking at the advantages, the main positive out of the establishment of a factory in my community would be the commercialization of this area. Such a factory would put our community on the map, on a larger scale. More funds, both private and governmental, would be allocated to this area, and that would help in improving the general facilities in our community and its surrounding areas. Such a setup would naturally be a source of employment as well, and it would be helpful to both sides if people from our community were provided job opportunities. This is a very important advantage in my opinion. Other advantages which may occur over time include setting up of new schools or hospitals etc, since the area would be more commercialized and the factory would want to provide for its staff and their families. On the other hand, there are numerous disadvantages as well which would arise out of this venture. The first and foremost of these would be the pollution factor. A large scale industry would almost certainly result in increasing pollution levels in the surrounding area and this would affect the community in the long run. Also, the capital required for setting up a factory would be large and this would mean that there would be large scale chopping down of trees and loss of greenery which would further worsen the pollution levels. Over commercialization would mean that the charm of a quite residential area is lost. This means that it would be impossible for us, the community members, to enjoy an evening stroll, breathing the fresh air and gazing at the sights and joys of nature. The entire ambience and quiet of a simple residential locality could be lost. The excessive noise pollution would also be a severe source of hindrance especially to the community elders and youth. There are clearly numerous advantages and disadvantages that this factory would bring about and it is my personal opinion that it would be better for our community, both for the present and the long run, if the factory was not set up. Commercialization may be a positive but it is not worth losing the pleasurable surroundings of our locality. With these reasons in mind, I oppose the venture to set up a factory near my community. Thanks and regards.

Hi, I would greatly appreciate it, if you could provide your valuable inputs on my essay. Note -- I personally felt that I did not do a very good job on this one due to lack of ideas. Does it seem that way? And if so, can you suggest some other issues that I could have touched up on? Question: Not everything that is learned is contained in books. Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with that gained from books. Answer: Knowledge is gained by people through various sources. Two such important sources are books and experience. The knowledge gained through both these sources is vital and one can never fully compensate for the other. But in my opinion, knowledge gained from experience is more important than that gained from books. I provide the following reasons to support my stand. Firstly, the knowledge gained from books can never be directly applied to real life situations. By this, I mean that the theory about some specific topic, described in a book, assumes some particular features in the surrounding environment, that are very tough to exactly reproduce in real life situations. So, the understanding of applying the theory cannot be perfected this way. For example, when we read in science about various chemical experiments, we learn about how to perform them. But the results obtained, that are described in the book, pertain to specific temperature and pressure conditions that we would find difficult to reproduce in labs or at school. But when we actually perform the experiment, we learn from our mistakes, about small changes in chemical compositions that we could make, in order to counter the environmental changes, to give us the required results. This working knowledge, be it in science or in any other issue, can only be learnt and mastered through experience. When we gain knowledge from books, it is more of accepting facts that are stated there, than really understanding the need for such experiments or processes or why doing one particular thing would lead to another and so on. We can get the entire idea about what we are doing, and why we do it, only when we get to experience such a situation at first hand. For example, being an electronics student, I have learnt and memorised circuit theory with whatever understanding that I could get from books. But, when I stepped into the lab and actually had the chance to build the circuits I had learnt about, it took my understanding of the subject to a whole new level. This was because I was the life behind the circuits, I made the mistakes and I rectified them. For these reasons, and a few more I believe that the knowledge gained from experience plays a more important role than that gained from books. Both rank highly as sources of knowledge, but I feel that experience matters most. Thanks and regards.

your 1st para is the 'impact' paragraph as it gives the reader a clear idea of where you stand, even though the content in 1st para is minimal. So try to make sure, the that the 1st para is grammatically very sound.

very well written. connectors used very well and a good flow through out the essay. There are a few grammatical errors and slight faults in sentence formulation.. But those are very few/minor. You have done a very good job.

good content. grammar needs a bit of tightening. and try to mention the topic once in the conclusion to finish off nicely. over all, good work

Hi, I would greatly appreciate it, if you could provide your valuable inputs on my essay. Question: Nowadays, food had become easier to prepare. Has this improved the way people live? Answer: Nowadays, developments in science and technology areas related to the food industry has lead to quick-fix recipes and ready-eat-dishes that have helped in making food a lot easier to prepare. And in my personal view, this has improved the way people live. I give the following reasons to support my view. Firstly, it has brought a significant improvement to the lives of working mothers. Hectic and jam packed schedules result in work hours exceeding 10 hours a day and this means that mothers have their hands full, with cooking food at home and working through out the rest of the day. As it becomes easier to prepare food, mothers are able to get more time to pursue leisure activities as well and this improves the atmosphere at home and also helps them to remain fit and healthy. For example, my mother used to have a tough time fixing meals, taking care of household work and working till late hours as well. But over the years, I have seen that she has had more time at home to enjoy leisurely activities as well and I feel that this is mainly because the time she had had to spend in the kitchen has decreased considerably. This has improved her lifestyle and has had a positive effect on that of our family as well. Another reason is that the fact that food has become easier to prepare has helped students living by themselves, working bachelors etc. When you live alone, and if you are working, you hardly have time to manage all aspects of life well and this usually takes its toll on your eating habits. I personally know people who have lived on just bread and butter for more than a couple of years when they had to stay alone either for studies or other reasons. These people just don’t find time to fix themselves a proper meal and this affects their health. Meals, that are easy to prepare, have helped such people to live on a larger variety of dishes as they do not need to put in too much effort to fix themselves a decent meal. This has resulted in healthier lifestyles and helps them concentrate on their work better as well. For these reasons and many more, I firmly believe that, the fact that food has become easier to prepare, has vastly improved the lifestyles of people from different walks of life, and have made their lives far easier and comfortable. Thanks and regards.

Hi, I would deeply appreciate it, if you can read through my essay and provide valuable inputs. Question: Do you agree with the following statement? "Parents are the best teachers" Answer: I agree firmly with the statement that parents are the best teachers. Right from the time that the child is born, parents have numerous roles to play in their kids’ lives. Be it being a good friend to their kids, or a huge source of fun and happiness, or a strong disciplinarian, these roles are very important in modelling their children’s lives. In my opinion, one of the most significant roles parents play, is the role of a teacher. They are the best teachers that their children can have and they don’t need a degree for that. I provide the following reasons to support my opinion. Parents, obviously, have their kids’ best interests at heart. Every small, and seemingly insignificant, value that parents inculcated in their children is only out of love and affection. This means that parents put in the extra effort to inculcate those values in their kids. They try to be perfect examples and role models for such values and this helps kids to understand their importance. For example, my parents have taught me to respect elders and to hold my traditions close to heart. I have seen them follow this staunchly right from the time I was a kid and so, it has come naturally to me. I doubt if I would have been able to follow these values to the same extent, if I had been taught them by a teacher at school or elsewhere. Secondly, parents get to spend quality time with their kids and are able to focus their attention completely on them. This results, in parents being able to sense and understand their kids’ moods so well and this helps them to grasp our attitude better and so, they are able to correct us when we go wrong. This, I feel, is important in the role of every teacher. Not just to teach, but to ensure that students are able to follow these teachings to the maximum possible extent. For instance, when, as kids, we were unhappy about something and were not able to express it well in words, parents are still able to pinpoint the issue out and do their best to correct it or advice us about it. This is tough for teachers at school to do, since they have so many students to look after and do not know them at a personal level. For these reasons I feel that parents are, by far, the best teachers. Teachers elsewhere do their best to help their students to head in the right direction, but they are can do this only up to an extent, since their knowledge of the student and his/her background is limited. Parents play the most significant roles in their kids’ lives, and being a good teacher to them ranks highly among these parental roles. Time taken: 26 minutes. Thanks and regards.

Hi, I would deeply appreciate it if could provide your valuable opinions on my essay. Question: People attend college/university for many reasons. Why do you think people attend college or university? Answer: There are numerous reasons as to why people attend college or university and these include, for increasing knowledge, for career preparation, for new experiences and so on. In my personal view, the main reason for people attending college is to increase their knowledge, so that, they can stand on their own legs in the professional world. I believe that the following reasons are behind my personal view. Nowadays, companies all around the world are looking for people who are technically superior so that they can contribute substantially to projects and events in the company. The competition among students to prove themselves to be technically superior is very high, and nowadays students feel that they have the extra edge when they go to college and increase their technical knowledge effectively over there. For example, in my college, which is highly ranked in the field of electronics, companies absorb only about 20 percent of the students in this field, even though all of them are highly competent. With this causing a cut throat competition among students, it would be even more difficult for students to be accepted into these companies if they have not been to college. Another reason is that students straight out of high school have a more generalized knowledge about various technical and non-technical aspects. They briefly touch on important issues in high school but they fail to learn more about the finer aspects of any particular field and so they are not suitable to be directly absorbed into jobs. At college, on the other hand, students are able to pursue a particular course in a specialized department and concentrate on areas pertaining mostly only to that field. They develop new skills in their area of specialization and when the complete college they are mentally and technically fit, to be absorbed by these same companies. At college, students are able to interact with professors and faculty who are pioneers in their field of interest and are able to work, in a small way at least, on projects that are similar to those that they would have to work on professionally. Such technical knowledge can be gained only at college or university and it would be very tough for students to learn the same at home, on their own, or at high school. For these three reasons, as well as a few more, I am confident that one of the main reasons for which people attend college, is to strengthen their technical knowledge so that they can use the same, either for further research or to contribute effectively to their work in companies. The other reasons mentioned previously are important factors as well and cannot be discounted when students make the important decision to choose college as the next step, but they are slightly insignificant when compared to the reason discussed here. Time taken -- 24 minutes Thanks and regards.

this 10 minutes that referring to is excluding the listening time right? As in it will be like : lecture1(6 m) + questions(x m) + conversation(5 m) + questions(y m) + lecture2(5m) + questions ( z m) where x+y+z=10 minutes?

I would like to know how much time is given per lecture. The length of the speech is around 5 minutes and after that they speak out the questions also. Now is it necessary that I have to finish answering the questions for that lecture within the time of them finishing reading out the questions? Or do i get some more time after they finish speaking i.e after the end of listening to the questions over the headphones do i still have time to answer?