TOEFL Speaking Templates & Phrases

• Flashcards providing templates and phrases for the TOEFL Speaking section.

Question #1: Independent Speaking

• Template for expressing an opinion: "I feel that... // I believe that... // In my opinion..."
• Structure: State opinion, give two reasons, and summarize.
• Transition phrases: "First of all... // First..." and "Secondly... // Moreover..."
• Closing: "To sum it up... // And that's why I feel that.... // And that's why I believe that..."

#1 Personal Preference Question

• Example prompt: Describe a place you would like to visit and explain why.

State Personal Preference (Example)

• "I would like to visit Italy."

Reason #1 (Example)

• "I WOULD CHOOSE TO Italy BECAUSE it has a lot of history."

Specific Detail for Reason #1 (Example)

• "FOR EXAMPLE, Italy has many interesting Roman ruins. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO see these historic sites."

Reason #2 (Example)

• "ANOTHER REASON IWOUD LIKE TO visit Italy IS FOR the culture."

Specific Detail for Reason #2 (Example)

• "Italy HAS BEEN home to many great artists and the museums there CONTAIN SOME OF THE MOAT FAMOUS works of art."

Reason #3 (Example)

• "FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO visit Italy TO to sample the food."

Specific Detail for Reason #3 (Example)

• "I LOVE Italian food and WOULD REALLY LIKE THE CHANCE TO try some authentic Italian cooking."

Question #2: Independent Speaking Preference Question

• Template: "I prefer to... // I prefer that... // I prefer X over Y"
• Structure: State preference, give two reasons, and summarize.
• Transition phrases: "First of all... // First" and "Secondly... // Moreover..."
• Closing: "To sum it up... // That's why I prefer X over Y"

#2 Choose an Option Question

• Example prompt: Compare financial aid grants vs. loans; which is better and why?

State Option

• "I think it is better to offer students' loans."

Reason #1

• "I PREFER loans BECAUSE they make the student responsible."

Specific Detail for Reason #1

• "A student who has to pay back a loan becomes personally responsible for his or her education."

Reason #2

• "FURTHERMORE, loans are safer for the school."

Specific Detail for Reason #2

• "Grants require the school to give away large amounts of money, and there is no guarantee that the school will get the money back."

Reason #3

• "LASTLY, a student with a loan is probably more likely to stay in school."

Specific Detail for Reason #3

• "IF the student DOESN'T complete the degree, IT WII BE harder to pay back the money."

Question #3: Integrated Reading/Listening/Speaking

• Focus: Summarizing an opinion from a reading and listening passage.
• Template phrases for the reading: "The reading is about... // The reading concerns..." and "It says that... // It states that... // It explains that..."
• Template phrases for the listening: "The man disagrees with the proposal (or announcement, or memo, etc) // The man agrees with the proposal..."
• Structure: State the opinion, give two reasons.
• Transition phrases: "First... // First of all..." and "Secondly... // Moreover..."

#3 Summarize an Opinion Question

• Example: Summarize a woman's opinion on the university's decision to restrict computer lab hours.

State Opinion

• "The woman BELIEVES THAT the decision to reduce the hours of the computer lab is A BAD IDEA."

Reason #1

• "Her FIRST REASON FOR CLAIMING THIS IS THAT she needs a computer for her class work."

Detail for Reason #1

• "The woman STATE THAT she doesn't have a computer and that some of her classes require her to use one."

Reason #2

• "ALSO, the woman CLAIMS IT WILL BE harder to complete all of her work."

Detail for Reason #2

• "ACCORDING TO the woman, the best time to do work is on the weekends. NOW she fears that the labs will be too full during the week."

Question #4: Integrated Reading/Listening/Speaking

• Focus: Summarizing information from a reading and a lecture.
• Template phrases for the reading: "The main idea of the reading is... // The reading is mainly concerned with..." and "The author says that..."
• Template phrases for the listening: "The lecturer provides more information on the topic by talking about..."
• Structure: State the main idea, then provide details from the lecture.
• Transition phrases: "First, he says that..." and "Second, he says that."

#5 Summarize/Preference Question

• Example: Two students discuss one of the student's problem finding time to do all his schoolwork

State Problem

• "THE man'S PROBLEM IS THAT he HAS two projects DUE AT the same time."

State the Solutions

• "His friend OFFERS two possible solutions. He CAN ask for an extension, OR he CAN drop the class."

State your Preference

• "I THINK askIING for the extension IS THE BETTER solution."

Reason #1

• "An extension IS BETTER BECAUSE droppING the class IS TOO drastic."

Detail for Reason #2

• "IT SEEMS silly to drop the class BECAUSE of just one conflict."

Reason #2

• "I ALSO THINK the extension IS BETTER BECAUSE the professor will probably give him one."

Detail for Reason #2

• "The woman TOLD OF A similar SITUATION, AND she WAS ABLE TO get the extension."

Question #5: Integrated Listening/Speaking

• Focus: Summarizing a problem and offering a solution.
• Template phrases: "The man's (or woman's) problem is..." and "He explains that..."
• Describing suggestions: "The man's friend offers several suggestions..." and "First, he suggests..." and "He also suggests..."
• Expressing your opinion: "The man's response to these suggestions is..." and "In my opinion, the man should..."
• Justification: "I feel this way because..."

#6 Summarize Question

• Example: Lecture in a sociology class: Topic: The internet promotes a new kind of censorship

State Main Idea

• "The professor ARGUES THAT the internet actually promotes censorship, RATHER THAN fights it."

Reason #1

• "THE FIRST REASON GIVEN BY the professor IS THAT the Internet HAS so much information on it."

Detail for Reason #1

• "The Internet contains information from a wide variety of sources, including the government and companies."

Link between Reason #1 and Main Idea

• "This censors information BECAUSE the huge amount of information MEAN THAT some views WILL NEVER BE heard."

Reason #2

• "FURTHERMORE, the internet MAKE IT hardER TO find information."

Detail for Reason #2

• "FOR EXAMPLE, the professor STATES THAT search engines only show the most popular websites."

Link between Reason #2 and Main Idea

• "THIS CONTRIBUTORS TO censorship by leading users to a very small number of websites and hiding the other sites from them."

Question #6: Integrated Listening/Speaking

• Focus: Summarizing information from a lecture.
• Template phrases: "The lecturer explains... // The lecturer discusses...."
• Structure: State the main idea and provide supporting examples.
• Transition phrases: "First, he states that... // First he claims that..." and "Second, he states that... // Second he claims that..."