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watchsmart

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Everything posted by watchsmart

  1. One point is certainly possible to achieve in a rescore. Go for it, if you can afford it. Just note that there is likely less than a fifty percent chance of you getting what you need. Your essays are evaluated by multiple graders, so it is unlikely that a "mistake" was made.
  2. Might I suggest checking out some speaking templates: TOEFL Speaking Templates - TOEFL Resources A lot of students suffer because they panic and are unable to organize their thoughts in the tiny amount of preparation time given. Templates can sometimes help with that.
  3. The writing section should not be your lowest score. Have you been able to get some good feedback on your practice essays? If you are able to spend a bit of money, you may benefit from essay evaluations: TOEFL Essay Evaluation and Scoring - TOEFL Resources It's worked for a lot of students so far!
  4. I've been posting some "how to" videos for the writing section of the test. Perhaps they can be of use to you: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpi4cyj1hTscwo0XRDqlSsA
  5. I don't believe that the number of attempts matters. As always, though, you should check with the specific institution for guidance.
  6. Increasing your score by that much in a month and a half will be difficult. Find some tutoring help. Talk as much with a native speaker as you can. Write as much as you can and get your writing checked. Read something every day... listen to something every day. The solutions are obvious but you have very little time. :( I think that getting a 7.5 on the IELTS is easier than a 110 in TOEFL, but if you haven't been preparing for IELTS already it won't be easier for you.
  7. Your grammar is pretty good, but there are a couple of issues you should think about. 1. The essay is too short. Try for at least 300 words. 2. You don't really address the question that is asked. Your essay should be about ONE gift that you think is best for a child. That's what is being asked: "What gift would you give..." You've written about two gifts. And here's a few grammar/usage corrections: 1. Try just "...there are certain gifts that are really useful..." 2. "living being" 3. Be assertive: "...an animal can help a child..." instead of "could help..." 4. "a medicine against selfishness" is, I'm afraid, not natural English. Try "...protection against becoming selfish." 5. "...who deserves kisses and hugs..." 6. we "comprehend that..." (think that, feel that, believe that) 7. A person is an "aunt." An insect is an "ant." 8. "...not all gifts are good gifts..." --- That isn't a list of every grammar issue, but it should get you started on writing a stronger essay.
  8. Hello there. I'll try to make a few comments. I can't fix your grammatical errors because you've got more than one in each sentence, but I can make some general comment. So here goes: -Use "article" instead of "piece of paper." -Use "man" instead of "guy." "Guy" is too informal for an essay. -Try to flesh out your introduction. Check out the guides at the link in my signature for introduction tips. -Don't make silly typos... capitalize "I" -Think about writing just TWO body paragraphs. Two long paragraphs with good supporting details are better than three short ones Hope this helps a little!
  9. Depends on your level. If you are at a high level, one month is enough time to familiarize yourself with the demands of the test. However, I usually recommend that my high-intermediate students prepare for at least three months.
  10. Here's a few suggestions: -You need to have clear paragraph breaks. This seems like a simple thing, but if it is hard for the person grading your essay to figure out where one paragraph ends and the other begins you may lose points. Just put an empty line between them. -You aren't exactly addressing the question that was asked. You are writing about the benefits of TV and how it can help people, but not about how TV can actually change people's behavior. You can perhaps use the same points, but you'll need to reword your introduction a bit. -Try starting your body paragraphs with transitional phrases like "first" and "second." -You need a clear conclusion. This can be short (three or four sentences) but it is necessary. -In an essay you should write "child" rather than "kid." The latter is too informal. -Your grammar is okay, but keep studying! Hope this helps. Feel free to send me a private message and I can supply some helpful links!
  11. You know, I've always suggested to my students that they only provide two supporting reasons. If your reasons are supported with enough detail and plenty of examples, two is enough. Indeed, two well-supported reasons are better than three poorly supported reasons.
  12. That's stronger work. Here's a few final notes: 1. The "hook" would work better as two sentences, or with a connector like "and": "More and more the world moves together and people have to constantly travel around the world." 2. Your use of the word "obstacle" is a little bit awkward. Maybe just try "Due to the invention of the airplane, it is no longer difficult to travel long distances." 3. Inventions always have the article "the." As above! 4. Just "vehicle." Not "transportation vehicle." But even better would be "method of transportation" or "mode of transportation." 5. Spell it out in full: "two and a half hours." 6. Paranthetical commas: "which would take days, if not weeks, to get me there." 7. Write "one." Don't use digits for numbers below ten. Hope these new notes help!
  13. That depends on your college. But in some cases, you are right. For example I am working with a student who is planning on studying at the University of Kansas, and that is her plan. Indeed, the policy at that school is that students who take ESL classes at the university instead of TOEFL may NOT take the TOEFL. They are required instead to take an in-house proficiency test. To be sure, though, you should contact the student services office at your prospective school. They can quickly give you an answer to your question.
  14. Hi Bojo, You might want to try making your essay a bit longer. I counted about 290 words. Aim for about 350. Anything less and you will suffer a point deduction. Your structure is pretty good. You've included a clear introduction, body and conclusion. Here's a few grammar notes that might help you next time. This list is not comprehensive, but should get you started: -"lives" instead of "lifes" -"everyday" instead of "every day." The later means "daily." The former means "ordinary," -try: "more and more the world moves..." -try: "airplanes change how we travel." Your sentence - "in the context of travellingin the context of travelling" sounds awkward. -try "years ago we spent" -try "though that was nice..." -try "Thailand, Australian, the USA or Africa" -try "enjoy a week on the Canary Island every January..." -try "have changed the way we do business..." -try "it would be impossible to do their jobs" That grammar list should help you get started. If you fix those mistakes I can take another look and point out a few more. Just re-post your work. I'm also going to suggest that you check out TOEFL Independent Writing Section - TOEFL Resources. That is a sort of style-guide for writing independent TOEFL essays. Might help you somewhat.
  15. Well, yeah, you have to study everything. After you have familiarized yourself with the general format of the test and types of questions you might get an idea of which area you need to focus most on. Perhaps you have great reading skills, but lousy listening skills. You'll understand your strengths and weaknesses soon enough. When I teach students who need help with everything we generally start by studying the writing section first. I find that getting a good grasp of the writing stuff helps with other section. For example, a nice introductory paragraph is structured a lot like an independent speaking answer, and knowing how an essay is structured will help them understand the reading passages since they are structured like essays.
  16. You have to do both, of course. I hope that answer isn't a cop out. If you find a teacher who knows what they are doing, classes will help a lot. A good teacher can really simplify the organization needed to write a good essay, or structure an answer in the speaking section. And they can teach you good strategies for finding answers in the reading and listening sections even if you don't really understand what you are reading or listening to. And of course it is easier to practice speaking if you have someone to speak to. However... you need to do A LOT of studying on your own. For every hour that you spend with a teacher, you should really spend three working on your own. It's critical to spend time reading books and articles to improve that skill. Or listening to podcasts and whatnot to improve your listening. And working through the simulated tests you can find online and included with textbooks.
  17. Hey, I'm going to suggest that you repost that in the TWE section of the TOEFL of this forum. I think that's a more appropriate place for essays.
  18. A few notes for you: 1. There are grammar and usage errors throughout your essay. I'll point a few of them out here, but know that you should spend some time working on your grammar. It will get better... but you just have to study hard. 2. You have a good structure. I am happy to see an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. 3. Your introduction is a bit weak. I suggest that you include a clear statement of your preference. Somewhere in your introduction you should include a sentence along the lines of "I prefer home cooked food over food from a restaurant." You should include a sentence like this in ALL of your essays. It is critical to clearly state your main point in your introduction. I do have an article about how to write good introductions. It might help. 4. Try starting your second paragraph with a transitional phrase like "to continue" or "second." 5. Here's a few grammatical and usage corrections. There are more mistakes, though. See if you can find them on your own: "a human cannot survive..." "There are two sources of food..." "different people make difference choices depending on their..." "To start with, getting food from a restaurant or food stand saves time, is comfortable and offers a wide variety..." "Low income people..." "In our country hygienic restaurants are not available everywhere..." Overall, you seem to have a good sense of organization. Just review how to write a good introduction (it's easy) and when you study in the future concentrate on grammar, sentence construction and usage. You'll get to where you want to be. Hope this helps a bit.
  19. They are one at a time. You get a lecture followed by some questions. Then you get another lecture and some more questions. Etc. Same for the reading section.
  20. As you said, ayda, you are just starting out. You should write your essay in a typical four paragraph style. Even a weak essay written by a beginner can get a few points from an essay if it has some sense of organization. The essay you wrote has poor organization. Here is a guide to planning and writing an essay in a four paragraph style: TOEFL Independent Writing Section It's written for beginners in simple English. I think it might help you. Meanwhile, keep studying grammar! Organization can help you in the short term, but your long term goal MUST be to improve your grammar. Practice that every day.
  21. Sure. I actually have evaluated a couple of essays that were posted in the TOEFL section of this forum. I think I was able to make a few helpful suggestions. If you want me to help you, just post your work in the TOEFL section and I will try my best to help out.
  22. As I understand it, the scores are sent by ETS to the institutions you indicated when you signed up for the test. If you need it sent to someone else, you can do that online... but again, it will be sent by ETS to the institution.
  23. This is a very good essay. You've got great organization and good vocabulary. Your grammar and your command of sentence construction is excellent. I noticed a little problem with articles which is odd considering that everything else is great. Here are some corrections: a myriad of reasons a knack for learning new things a higher pay grade few in number There are a few other grammatical errors, but they are minor. Take a look at these corrections, however: "The most important reasons..." "People who have a knack for learning new things..." You might also try to make your essay a little bit longer if possible. Expand on the details you give in the body paragraphs, or perhaps include a personal example. I hope that this helps a bit.
  24. A few notes: 1. I generally don't begin sentences with "but" like you did in the first paragraph. That's not a firm rule, but I find it better to begin with "however" most of the time. This would improve your introduction. 2. You might expand your introduction. You can briefly mention the points you are going to make in each of your body paragraphs. Do this in one or two sentences. 3. I usually avoid using "etc" in essays. Again, this is not a firm rule, but I find that "and so on" sounds a little bit better." You could also say "and people with certain jobs" in this essay. 4. Avoid using "for example" twice or more in the same essay. Try something like "for instance" the second time. Variety in word choice helps! 5. Nice conclusion. Short but sweet. 6. There are a few grammatical errors and errors in word choice. Try using: "when we look closely at people" and "behave in the way that their job demands" and "movie star's" and "mimic the character." There are a few more errors. See if you can spot them on your own! Otherwise, I like what you've done. I hope these comments help a bit.
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