Blog Homework 4: To work or not to work...

Hi everyone,

Thanks to those who submitted essays last week. While they were all well written, some were a bit "off-topic". Make sure you read the question well before starting to write your essay.

This week, I want you to aim for 300 WORDS!! You can achieve this by including more details, reasons and examples. I'll be checking your number of words next week and there may be some prizes in store for those who write 300 words or more.

Okay, here is this week's question:

In some countries teenagers have jobs while they are still high school
students. Do you think this is a good idea? Support your opinion by using
specific reasons and details.

* jobs = part time jobs

Looking forward to reading your essays. And don't forget that you have a writting test in class next week!!

Best Wishes,
Kris

Blog Homework 3: Is not attending class okay?

Hi everyone,

I really enjoyed reading your essays from last week. In general, they were very well written. However, they were a bit short, so I encourage you to try writing a bit more this week.

Okay, this week I would like you to write an essay answering this question:

Some people believe that university students should be required to attend
classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students.
Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to
explain your answer.

When writing your essay, try to use words like "which", "who" and the other methods we discussed in class to make your sentences longer.

Please try to write about 300 words, and don't forget to write your name in your response.

Best Wishes,
Kris

Blog Homework 2: Change jobs or not?

Hi everyone, and thank you for doing your blog homework last week. In the next few days I’ll offer some comments and an example answer for last week’s essay topic.

Okay, now to this week’s topic. This week I want you to write an essay on this topic:

Some people prefer to work in one company for all their career. Others think it is better to move from company to company. Discuss the advantages of both. Which do you think is better and why?

And, this week, I want you to use the “introduce then disagree” pattern we practiced in Tuesday’s class.

You can write your essay in just 30 minutes, or you can spend more time on it. It’s your choice. But you should read through and edit your essay as necessary. I also suggest that you read your classmates’ essays to pick up some essay writing ideas. Aim for about 300 words, and don’t forget to write your name in your response.

Best of luck,
Kris

Blog Homework 1: The best age to marry?

Hi everyone, and welcome to the TOEFL b class blog. Each week in the second half of the semester, I will ask you to write a practice TOEFL essay and to post it to this blog. I think there are two main ways you can write your essay. 1: You can write within the 30 minute time limit of the TOEFL exam and see how much (and how well) you can write. Or 2: You can spend more time writing your essay. I do not mind which style you choose. However, I do ask you to find the time to briefly read through your essay and to edit it if necessary. I also encourage you to read your classmates' essays to pick up some essay writing ideas. Once the deadline for posting your essay has passed, I will post an "example answer" for your reference. I also recommend you to write your essay in Word, and then to cut and paste it into the comment section, to avoid losing your essay. You should aim for about 300 words. Make sure you write your name in your response.

Please write an essay answering the following question: "What is the best age to marry? Give reasons and examples to support your response."

I think there are many possible ways to answer this question. I'm looking forward to reading your essays.

Best Wishes,
Kris