What to Expect in TOEFL Writing
The three Writing tasks on the 2026 TOEFL — Build a Sentence, Write an Email, and Write for an Academic Discussion — with timing, word targets, scoring, and a plan for each.
Writing is the last section of the TOEFL and takes about 23 minutes. The two long essays of the old test are gone. In their place are three shorter, more practical tasks, each with its own timer. If your preparation materials mention an "integrated essay" or an "independent essay," they are describing a test that no longer exists.
How the section is organized
The three tasks always come in the same order, and each one is timed separately. When one timer ends, the test moves you to the next task automatically.
| Task | Items | Time | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build a Sentence | 10 | about 7 min | — |
| Write an Email | 1 | 7 min | roughly 80–120 words |
| Write for an Academic Discussion | 1 | 10 min | at least 100 words |
Build a Sentence is scored automatically as right or wrong. The email and the discussion post are scored on a rubric by ETS's AI scoring engine with human raters checking the results.
Task 1: Build a Sentence
Each item shows a short conversational exchange. One speaker's line is complete; the other's has blanks. Below it is a bank of words and phrases, and you drag them into the blanks to form a grammatically correct sentence that fits the conversation. Some items include extra words you will not use, and some have words already locked in place.
What it tests. Word order, verb forms, agreement, prepositions, and the grammar of everyday spoken English.
How to approach it. Find the subject and the main verb first; they anchor everything else. Then place objects, then modifiers. Read the finished sentence silently before moving on, because a sentence that "sounds wrong" almost always is. Each item is all-or-nothing, so an unsure answer is still worth giving.
Roughly 40 seconds per item is the pace to aim for. Do not let one puzzle eat the time for three others.
Task 2: Write an Email
You are given a realistic situation, for example asking a professor for an extension or requesting information from a campus office, and three specific points you must include. You write the email in 7 minutes.
What it tests. Whether you can complete a real communication task: cover every required point, use an appropriate level of politeness, and organize the message clearly.
How to approach it. The three required points are your outline. A reliable shape:
- Greeting and one sentence stating why you are writing.
- One short paragraph (or one sentence each) for the three points.
- A polite closing and sign-off.
Match the register to the reader: more formal for a professor or office, friendlier for a classmate. Missing one of the three points is the most common way to lose marks, so check them off before you submit.
Task 3: Write for an Academic Discussion
A professor has posted a question to a class discussion board. Two classmates have already replied with different viewpoints. You write your own contribution in 10 minutes. The instructions ask you to state and support your opinion and to add something new to the discussion. An effective response has at least 100 words; 120–150 is a comfortable target.
What it tests. Taking a clear position, supporting it with reasons and examples, and engaging with what has already been said rather than ignoring it.
How to approach it. Spend the first minute reading the professor's question and both classmates' posts, and decide your position. Then write:
- Your position in one sentence, ideally linking it to one of the classmates ("I agree with Maria that…, but…").
- Your main reason with a concrete example.
- A second reason or a brief counterpoint if time allows.
- A closing sentence that restates your view.
Leave 60 seconds at the end to reread for obvious errors. Fixing three small grammar mistakes can be the difference between bands.
What raters are looking for
For the email and the discussion post, the rubric rewards:
- Task completion — every required point addressed; a clear position taken.
- Organization — a logical order with transitions that make it easy to follow.
- Vocabulary — precise word choice that fits the situation.
- Grammar — accurate sentences with some variety in structure.
Length beyond the target does not earn extra credit. A focused 120-word post with no errors outscores a rambling 200-word one.
Common mistakes
- Writing a generic essay in the discussion task without mentioning the classmates' views.
- Forgetting one of the three email points because you started writing before reading the prompt fully.
- Running out of time on Build a Sentence by treating one hard item as a puzzle to solve at all costs.
- Overly formal or overly casual emails. Read the situation and match it.
How to practice
Practice each task on its own before combining them. For Build a Sentence, ten items a day is enough to make the patterns automatic. For emails, practice writing to different readers with the same three points, so switching tone becomes easy. For the discussion post, write timed responses and then edit them; comparing your draft with a model answer shows you exactly where the structure slipped.
On Let's Get That Score, Writing Practice by Type lets you drill any single task, and Writing Section Practice runs all three tasks in sequence with the same separate timers you will see on test day. Reviewing your responses against the model answers afterward is where the score gains come from.