Even though the 20 minutes you have to write the integrated essay will fly by, it’s still worth taking a minute or two to write an outline of your own prior to beginning your response (the test proctor will provide as much scratch paper as you need). Even jotting just a few lines that connect parts of your notes and circling the main examples you want to cover will give you the guidance you need to stay on task when writing your response.

Below I’ve written an outline that demonstrates an effective structure to use on the exam when responding to TOEFL Integrated Writing topics.

I. Introduction

A. General statement about the relationship between the resources you heard and read.

B. Short description of the structure of the lecture

II. Body

A. Paragraph on first point

1. 1. 1. Paraphrase the professor’s point
      2. Contrast/compare with the reading
      3. Give extra detail and additional specific examples on the professor’s point (optional)

B. Paragraph on second point

1. 1. 1. Paraphrase the professor’s point
      2. Contrast/compare with the reading
      3. Give extra detail and additional specific examples on the professor’s point (optional)

C. Paragraph on third point

1. 1. 1. Paraphrase the professor’s point
      2. Contrast/compare with the reading
      3. Give extra detail and additional specific examples on the professor’s point (optional)

III. Conclusion

A. Restate the relationship between the two sources (optional)