Toefl exam Essentials

NEXT STEP: BRAINSTORMING
Once you know how you will answer the question in the prompt,
you can begin to brainstorm—think up ideas—that will support
your thesis. Use one sheet of paper to list three to five reasons,
examples, or details that support your main idea.
Brainstorming, also called free writing, is a technique in
which you write down whatever comes to mind. To brainstorm,
follow this strategy:
■
Write non-stop for two to three minutes. Keep your
hand moving to get your ideas out.
■
Write down as many ideas as you can. Don’t edit
yourself; write whatever comes to mind.
■
Pick the strongest ideas for your essay.

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WRITING
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For both the computer-based test and the TWE exam, you
will be given a piece of scrap paper for making notes. Because this
paper will not be graded, don’t worry about grammar or struc-
ture while you brainstorm. You can also write your notes in your
native language if you choose—just be sure to use standard Eng-
lish in your essay.
The following is an example of how you might brainstorm
supporting details for the e-mail prompt above:
Thesis: In my opinion, e-mail is a less personal form of com-
munication than letter writing.
Why?
■
people take less time to write e-mails than letters
■
people don’t choose their words carefully in e-mails
■
e-mails don’t show a person’s handwriting or choice of
stationery
■
e-mails are just words on a machine; letters tell more
about a person
Examples:
e-mails I write to my friends
letters my grandparents wrote to each other during their
courtship
Practice 2
Brainstorm three to five reasons, examples, or details to support
the thesis statements you formulated in Practice 1. Check your
ideas against the criteria listed in this section and see how they
rate.

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