We also explain effective study strategies for the new writing section. Please take time refer to the article if needed.
Three Subsections in the New TOEFL Writing Section
In the traditional TOEFL Writing section, there were two tasks: Integrated Writing and Academic Discussion. Under the new TOEFL format, however, the Writing section consists of three parts:
- Build a Sentence
- Write an Email
- Write for an Academic Discussion
While the third task closely resembles the conventional Academic Discussion task, the first two are entirely new. These new subsections require skills that were not emphasized in the traditional TOEFL, making targeted preparation essential. As a result, it is important to adopt effective study strategies tailored to these new question types.
| Traditional TOEFL Writing | New TOEFL Writing (Jan 21, 2026-) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Structure | Two-task structure | Three-task structure |
| Question Types | Integrated Writing + Academic Discussion | Build a Sentence + Write an Email + Write for an Academic Discussion |
| Test time | 30 minutes | Up to 23 minutes |
This page provides study resources for the three question patterns in the Writing section.
Part 1: Build a Sentence
In this part, you are given a set of words and asked to arrange them into a grammatically correct sentence. Success in this task depends largely on explicit grammatical knowledge. Relying solely on intuition often leads to inconsistent results, especially when the sentence structure is unfamiliar.
Intuition can be helpful when you are dealing with grammar patterns you have encountered many times before. However, it becomes unreliable when a question involves more complex and less familiar structures, such as inverted expressions like “Had it not been for.”
To achieve stable performance in Writing Part 1, a solid and systematic understanding of grammar is essential.
Below is a sample question in the Part 1 format.
Each question begins with a prompt, and your task is to complete the utterance based on that prompt.
Be sure to arrange the word order according to grammatical rules rather than relying on intuition. Grammatical accuracy develops through logical, rule-based practice.
Below are resources for practicing TOEFL Writing Part 1. When working through each question, focus on grammatical reasoning instead of intuition. Detailed grammatical explanations are provided for every item.
Practice Questions (Build a Sentence)
- Asking Questions Back to the Prompt (Intermediate)
- Responding to Questions (Intermediate)
- Sentences Beginning with Conjunction (Intermediate)
- Relative Pronouns (Intermediate)
- Simple past vs Past Perfect (Intermediate)
- Participial Construction (Intermediate)
- Participial Construction (Difficult)
- SVOO Sentence Construction (Intermediate)
Part 2: Write an Email
In TOEFL Writing Part 2, you are asked to write an email based on a specific situation. The prompt typically falls into one of the following categories.
- Writing to colleagues about ways to improve an event that has already taken place
- Writing to colleagues or peers about an upcoming event
- Writing a formal email to inquire about a specific issue
- Writing an email to a professor to make a request
You have only 7 minutes to complete this task, so preparing useful template structures and expressions in advance is important. This section also requires familiarity with email-specific conventions, such as appropriate tone, formatting, and expressions.
The key to success in this part is knowing how to structure an email effectively as well as maintaining the required level of formality.
You can practice email-writing questions below. Each question includes a model answer, useful email expressions, relevant grammar points, and key considerations to keep in mind.
Practice Questions (Write an Email)
- Improving Future Survey (Intermediate)
- Feedback on Guide for New Employees (Intermediate)
- Inquiry Email About a Hotel Reservation (Intermediate)
- Inquiry Email About Online Shopping (Intermediate)
- Inquiry Email About Webinar Details (Intermediate)
- Inquiry Email About Certificate Program (Intermediate)
- Encouraging Colleagues to Attend Networking Event (Intermediate)
- Providing Feedback to Colleague’s Proposal (Intermediate)
- Changing a Research Topic (Intermediate)
Part 3: Academic Discussion
This is the only same question pattern that you see in the conventional TOEFL Writing section.
You are required to contribute to a discussion in online discussion forum for a certain university class, where two students have already provided comments. A professor gives you a prompt about certain topic, and you have to make a comment in more than 100 words.
The prompt can be categorized into three types:
- Agree or disagree
- Which do you prefer: A or B?
- Open-ended questions
The first two types are the most common, while the last format is less common in the academic discussion questions.
You Do Not Have to Address Other Students’ Opinions
There is an important point to understand about the academic discussion task. While many test takers assume that they must respond to ideas presented by other students, this is not always necessary.
This is not merely anecdotal. In an official ETS video demonstrating the academic discussion task, a response that received the highest score (5 out of 5) focuses solely on the writer’s own idea without explicitly referring to other students’ opinions.
This suggests that, as long as you can clearly develop and support your own position in a response of 100 words or more, you are not required to incorporate others’ views.
This can be especially helpful for test takers who are confident in presenting their own ideas but find it challenging to integrate multiple perspectives into a short written response.
Practice Questions (Academic Discussion)
- Online vs. Traditional Learning (Agree/Disagree)
- Remote Working (Agree/Disagree)
- Quiet Place and Mental Well-Being (Agree/Disagree)
- Exercise and Diet (Which Do You Prefer A or B)
- Preserving or Archiving Historical Sites (Which Do You Prefer A or B)
- Short-Term and Long-Term Motivation (Which Do You Prefer A or B)
- Greatest Impact on Society and Culture (Open-Ended)
- The Greatest Change in Daily Habit in 100 Years (Open-Ended)
