Agree/Disagree Style TOEFL Essays

This is the most common essay style. Question 1 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Overall, the widespread use of the internet has a mostly positive effect on life in today’s world. Question 2 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is better to use printed materials such as books and articles to do research than it is to use the internet. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Question 3 Grades encourage students to work harder at school. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Question 4 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People in today’s world have become too dependent on automobiles. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Question 5 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?  In my country, young people have a better life today than their parents enjoyed when they were young.  Use reasons and examples to support your answer. Question 6 Movies and television strongly influence the way people behave. Do you agree or disagree? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer. Question 7 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People communicate with each other less than in the past because of the popularity of television. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Question 8 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? When people succeed, it is entirely because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with their success. Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position. Question 9 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a large city. Use specific reasons and examples to develop your essay.  Question 10 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Human activity is making the earth a worse place to live. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Question 11 In twenty years, there will be fewer cars in use than there are today. Do you agree or disagree? Question 12 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People today spend too much time on personal enjoyment, and not enough time on more serious duties and obligations. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer Question 13 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? My lifestyle is easier and more comfortable than the one my grandparents experienced when they were young. Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.  Question 14 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Sometimes it is better to be dishonest. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. Question 15 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Question 16 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?  The knowledge we gain from personal experiences is more valuable than the knowledge we gain from books.  Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.  Do not use memorized examples. Question 17 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Students do not respect their teachers as much as they did in the past. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Question 18 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?  The most serious problems in the world will be solved during my lifetime.  Use details and examples to support your answer. Question 19 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “People should keep trying to reach their goals, even if they seem impossible to achieve.” Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position. 

Multiple Choice Style TOEFL Essays

Question 20 Neighbors are the people who live near us. In your opinion, what type of neighbor is the best to have?

•         someone who is quiet 
•         someone who we are similar to 
•         someone who is supportive 

  Question 21 When you face a difficult problem in life, what do you feel is the best way to solve it?

•         asking someone with more experience for advice about the problem 
•         finding information about the problem using the Internet 
•         taking a long time to think about the problem 

Question 22 In general, people are living longer now. Which of the following do you think accounts for this phenomenon?

•         Technological improvements 
•         Changes to education systems 
•         Improvements to our diets 

  Question 23 People have a lot of opinions about the value of advanced education.  Which do you think is the most important reason to attend college or university? Use reasons and examples to support your answer.

•         new experiences 
•         career preparation 
•         increased knowledge  

  Question 24 Imagine you could improve the town where you live by changing one important thing about it. Which of the following would you choose to do?

•         Build additional parks 
•         Construct more libraries 
•         Improve public transportation 

  Question 25 These days, people enjoy a lot of time away from their work and school obligations. Many people use this time to visit new places and learn about them. What do you think is the best way to learn about a place you are visiting for the first time?

•         Going to a museum 
•         Joining a guided tour of popular attractions 
•         Visiting a popular shopping area 
•         Talking to a local resident 
•         Watching a local television station 

   Question 26 People in society work in many different settings, and for a variety of reasons.  What do you think is the main reason why people have jobs?

•         to feel happier about their lives 
•         to save money for the future 
•         to develop new skills 

   Question 27 Everyone wants to be as healthy as possible. Fortunately, in modern society there are many things that people can do to improve their physical condition. What do you think is the best way to stay healthy?

•         Get exercise on a regular basis 
•         Eat healthy food every day 
•         Visit a doctor for regular examinations 

  Question 28 The people we work with have many different characteristics and all of them affect the quality of our time at work. Of the following, what do you think is the most important quality for a boss or supervisor to have?

•         a serious attitude about their work 
•         a lot of related experience 
•         a tendency to always tell the truth 

  Question 29  All around the world, people are living longer than ever before. Which of the following do you think are the main causes of this phenomenon? You may choose more than one option.

•         The development of new technology 
•         Changes to our eating habits 
•         Improvements to our working conditions 

  Question 30  During our careers, we work with many different kinds of people.  All of them have unique characteristics and personality traits. In your opinion, which of the following is the most important characteristic of a coworker?

•         a serious attitude regarding their work obligations 
•         a willingness to learn new things 
•         the ability to make other people laugh 

  Question 31 Which of the following values do you think is most important to teach a young child?

•         Being honest
•         Being helpful
•         Being patient

Question 32 When employees feel that the management of their company is doing something wrong, what do you think is the best way for them to respond?

•         Talking to the media
•         Speaking to the management directly
•         Discussing the problem with each other

Paired Choice Style TOEFL Essays

Question 33 Some students prefer classes with frequent discussions between the professor and the students with almost no lectures. Other students prefer classes with many lectures and almost no discussions. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Question 34 Some people like to travel with a companion. Other people prefer to travel alone. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice. Question 35 Some people think that the government should use extra money to fund programs to improve the environment.  Others think that it is better for the government to spend money to support artistic programs.  Which option do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Question 36 Some people like to spend their money as soon as they earn it, while others think it is better to save their money for some time in the future. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Question 37 Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. Question 38 Some students prefer to study and do homework alone. Others prefer to study and work on class assignments with a group of fellow students. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Question 39 Some people prefer to eat meals at restaurants, while others prefer to prepare and eat food in their own home. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Question 40 Some people think that they can learn much more by themselves than if they work with a teacher. Others think that it is always better to get help from a skilled teacher. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons to support your choice. Question 41 (new) A company wants to train its employees to use new techniques. Which is the best way to train the workers? Have all of them attend a training program together Have some of the employees attend the program and later show their coworkers what they learned   “Good Idea” TOEFL Essays Question 42 The administrators of a university are revising their budget and have decided to change their funding priorities.  As a result, the university will now spend more money on sports and athletic facilities than they do on the campus libraries.  Do you think this is a good idea?  Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position. Question 43 Many people welcome the opening of shopping areas near their homes.  On the other hand, some people are strongly opposed to the construction of such facilities.  If the opening of a large shopping center in your neighborhood were announced, would you support or oppose its construction? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. Question 44 It is very important for students to learn as much as possible before their graduation from university.  For this reason, many schools require students to attend all of their classes in person in order to achieve a passing score.  Do you agree or disagree with this kind of policy?  Use specific reasons and examples to support your argument.  Question 45 It is important to improve our skills and knowledge as much as possible. Some people prefer to learn from individuals who have more experience than they do – like teachers and supervisors – instead of learning from peers, like their colleagues and classmates.  Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not? Question 46 Nowadays, the world is developing at a very rapid pace and we are constantly forced to make a lot of choices that can affect the rest of our lives. Do you agree or disagree with the idea that we should always ask someone else for help when we need to make an important decision?  Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice. Question 47 Consider a situation where you are asked by your supervisor to work with one of your co-workers on a project. This co-worker has opinions that are very different from yours and they feel very strongly about these opinions. Do you think this is a good idea? Use reasons and examples to support your answer. Question 48 Imagine that your city government has given permission for a major company to build a large factory near your neighborhood. Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not? Explain your position using specific reasons and examples.