Expressions and Structures to Avoid in TOEFL Writing
TOEFL Writing
The TOEFL Writing section has three parts: Build a Sentence, Email Writing, and Academic Discussion. Among these parts, the second and third require test takers to write responses based on a prompt. Although the required format differs from one task to another, there are still some words and expressions that should be avoided throughout TOEFL writing.
This article introduces some common expressions that are not suitable for TOEFL writing. Avoiding these expressions alone will not immediately raise your score; however, by replacing them with more appropriate and formal alternatives, you can gradually improve the quality of your writing and your performance in the TOEFL Writing section.
Points You Must Consider in TOEFL Writing
Remember that the TOEFL is designed to assess your ability to use formal English, not casual or colloquial language. For that reason, you should maintain an appropriate level of formality in your writing.
The table below summarizes some common expressions and features that should be avoided in TOEFL Writing, along with the reasons they are less appropriate in a formal text.
| Expression or Feature to Avoid | Why It Should Be Avoided | Better Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Contractions such as it’s, don’t, can’t, won’t | Contractions are more common in casual or conversational English. TOEFL Writing usually requires a more formal written style, so full forms are generally safer. | Use it is, do not, cannot, will not |
| Overly casual words such as a lot of, kind of, stuff, guys | These expressions sound informal and may weaken the academic tone of the response. | Use many, somewhat, things, people / individuals / students depending on context |
| Vague words such as thing, nice, good, bad | These words are too general and do not show precise meaning. TOEFL responses are stronger when ideas are expressed more specifically. | Use more specific words such as factor, beneficial, harmful, effective, problematic |
| Overly emotional language such as amazing, terrible, horrible | These words can sound exaggerated or subjective if they are not well supported. | Use more measured wording such as valuable, harmful, serious, beneficial |
| Sentence fragments (incomplete sentences) | Incomplete sentences weaken grammatical accuracy and make the response sound less polished. | Make sure each sentence has a complete structure |
| Overly repetitive sentence openings | Repetition makes the response sound mechanical and limits stylistic range. | Vary expressions. |
Now, let’s see why they should be avoided and effective substitutes.
Avoid “a lot of” and “a bunch of”
As you may already know, “a bunch of” is common in spoken English and is therefore better avoided in formal writing. Some learners may be surprised to learn that “a lot of” is also relatively informal in many contexts.
Instead of using these expressions, formal writing often prefers simpler and more neutral alternatives such as “many” and “much.” Depending on the context, the following expressions may also be appropriate:
- a large amount of
- a sheer amount of (used when emphasizing the surprising size or intensity of something)
- numerous
These expressions are more suitable for formal and academic writing.
Avoid Contractions
Contractions are shortened forms such as “it’s,” “can’t,” and “isn’t.” Although they are very common in spoken English, they are generally less appropriate in formal writing. In many cases, using contractions gives a sentence a more casual tone, which is better avoided in TOEFL Writing.
Instead of using a contraction, use the full form to maintain a more formal style.
Intuition isn’t always correct.
In casual situations, this sentence is perfectly natural. However, in formal writing, it’s better to avoid the contraction “isn’t.” Using the full form makes the sentence sound more formal.
Intuition is not always correct.
Now, the contraction has been replaced with the full form “is not,” which makes the sentence more appropriate for formal writing.
Avoid Casual Expressions
As you may already know, casual expressions should be avoided in TOEFL Writing. The more difficult issue is recognizing expressions that are not obviously informal but are still less suitable for formal writing. You probably don’t need to worry about very casual words such as “gonna,” since they are unlikely to appear in a test response.
However, some expressions fall somewhere between clearly casual and clearly formal language. The table below shows common expressions that are often used in everyday English but are less suitable for formal writing, along with more appropriate alternatives.
| Expression to Avoid | More Appropriate Alternatives |
|---|---|
| a lot of | many, much, a great deal of, a large amount of, numerous |
| kind of | somewhat, rather, relatively, to some extent |
| bunch of | group of, number of, collection of, several |
| stuff/thing/things | materials, items, information, factors depending on context |
| good / bad | beneficial, effective, positive, harmful, problematic |
| casual intensifier such as "really" and "pretty" | very, highly, especially, significantly depending on meaning |
| get + past participle in passive-like expressions | be + past participle |
| Overly repetitive sentence openings | Repetition makes the response sound mechanical and limits stylistic range. |
The expressions in the table are worth avoiding, especially vague words such as “good,” “bad,” “stuff,” and “things.” Because these words have very broad meanings, they often make a sentence sound vague and less formal.
For example, instead of writing “This is a good way to learn,” you should write “This is an effective way to learn.” The latter uses “effective,” which is more specific than the more general word “good.” As a result, the meaning of the sentence becomes clearer.
Similarly, some intensifying words are also better avoided because they often sound too casual in formal writing. Common examples include “really” and “pretty,” as in the sentence “It was a pretty large earthquake.”
Avoid “Get + Past Participle” Passive-Like Expressions
In spoken English, the passive-like pattern “get + past participle” is often used. However, this pattern is generally more colloquial and is less suitable for formal writing.
In formal writing, it is better to replace this pattern with the standard passive form “be + past participle.” Consider the following sentences. The first is more casual, while the second is more formal.
We got stuck in a traffic jam on the way home.
The sentence above uses the “get + past participle” pattern, which gives it a more conversational tone. In formal writing, it is more natural to use the standard passive form instead, as shown below.
We were stuck in a traffic jam on the way home.
Now, the sentence uses the more formal passive construction. When you want to use a passive construction in formal writing, it is usually better to choose the standard “be + past participle” form instead of the more casual “get + past participle” pattern.
