TOEFL Speaking Templates

Tasks 1 and 2
Because the first two speaking tasks are about your thoughts, many of the helpful transition
words are about reasons and examples. You will probably give two reasons or two examples in
your answers, so you have to connect them correctly. You might also contrast two opposite
examples to make your opinion clear. After giving the reasons and/or examples, you can
summarize with a general statement. Be sure to transition into your summary.
Phrases for Tasks 1 and 2

Explaining why
● That’s because…
● The reason I say that is that…
● After all,…
Listing
● First of all,…
● …, for one.
● First,… Second,…
● Also,…
● Besides that,…
● What’s more,…
● More importantly,…
● But what’s more important is that…
● There’s also the fact that…
Giving examples
● For example,…
● Take, for example, [noun].
● For instance,…
● If…., say,…
Showing a contrast
● But on the other hand,…
● Meanwhile,…
● In contrast,…
Returning to a previous idea

● Anyway,…
● But still,…
Clarifying
● What I mean to say is that…
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● I guess I’m trying to say that…
● To put it another way,…
● That is,…
● I mean,…
Summarizing
● So basically,…
● Essentially,…
● In general,…
● My main point is that…

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Speaking Task 1
Sample Question
Where would you prefer to study, if you could choose from any type of location? Using details
and examples, explain why.
Choosing one thing

● If I had to choose [a place to study…]
● If you ask me, [the best place to study…]
● In my opinion, [the best place to study…]
● Out of all the [places to study], I’d pick [the library…]
● One of the [best places to study] I can think of is…
● The first [place to study] that comes to mind is…
Sample Answer 1
The first p lace to study that comes to mind, maybe the best place, is home. T hat’s because…
well, i n my opinion, the most important things to have when studying are, uhh, are quiet and
comfort, and that’s exactly what my home has. T here’s also the fact that home is the easiest
place to go, because, uh… you don’t actually have to go anywhere. B ut more importantly, I
have everything I need at home. If I’m hungry, I can just open the refrigerator. B esides that, i f I
need to research something, I have my computer right there. What I mean to say is that home
is less distracting than other places. Basically, t here is nothing you don’t expect, and you have
everything you need.
Sample Answer 2
One of the best p laces to study, if you ask me, is at school, or, you know, a university. After
all, that’s where students and teachers are. F or example, if I’m in class, after it finishes, I can
ask classmates if they want to study with me. I can get help from those classmates, or maybe
from my professor. Out of all the places you can study, only a university has that…that
resource… I mean, the resource of classmates and teachers. What’s more, a… uh, a school is
less distracting than other places. Studying at home, for instance, can lead to watching TV, or
doing the laundry, or whatever. In contrast, school is only for learning, so you don’t get… get
distracted. It’s basically the best place to focus on studies.
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Speaking Task 2
Sample Question
Some people prefer playing team sports. Other prefer physical activities that you do alone,
such as swimming or running. Which do you prefer? Explain why.
Choosing one from two

● Personally, I prefer [playing team sports]…
● I’d rather [play a team sport]…
● If I had to choose between [team sports and exercising alone], I’d…
● If you ask me, [team sports] are better because…
● Between [team sports] and [exercising alone], I’d rather…
Giving Examples
● For example,…
● Take, for example, [noun].
● For instance,…
● If…., say,…
Sample Answer 1
Between team sports and exercising alone, I’d rather exercise alone, personally. If you ask
me, i t’s better b
ecause y ou can do it any time, for one. For example, if I wanted to get some
exercise, but I only played team sports, I’d, uhh, I’d have to call friends or, I don’t know—or find
a group of people who played regularly. B ut on the other hand, if I want to go running, I can
just go any time. Also, I can listen to music while running or hiking. You need to talk, to, uhh…
to communicate when playing a team sport, so you can’t do that… you can’t wear
headphones at all. In general, I guess I just like exercising alone better, because I have more
control of when and what I do.
Sample Answer 2
If I had to choose between team sports and exercising alone, I ’d definitely play a team sport,
like volleyball, my favorite. It’s more enjoyable to spend time with people. There are a couple
of reasons I say that. When you’re, uh, with people, you can share it… share the experience,
for one. I mean, you can talk, or maybe joke, like, uhh…, if you’re playing volleyball, say, and
you make a mistake—you drop the ball, for instance—your friends can reassure you. But
besides that, friends can help motivate you. When you’re exercising alone, o n the other hand,
you need to motivate yourself. So, uhh… my main point is that exercising with people makes
the time spent more fun.
Tasks 3 and 4
Both tasks three and four include a text, then a recording, and you have to summarize both
what you read and heard in your answer. It’s important to use phrases that explain which
passage you are summarizing--text or audio. Reported speech is very important, but because
what you summarize was written and recorded—not experienced in person—you can keep
everything in the present tense. (This is very good to know, because tense changes in reported
speech can be difficult!)
Phrases for Both Tasks 3 and 4

Naming the source
● According to [the announcement/student/professor]…
● The [text/student/professor] says that…
● The [text/student/professor] states that… (for reporting facts, not opinions)
● In the text, we saw that…
● In the [lecture/conversation], we heard that..
● From the [reading/lecture], we know that… (for a definite fact)
● As the [text/student/professor] says, …
Showing a contrast
● Meanwhile,…
● In contrast,…
● …, however,…
● But at the same time…
Listing
● …, for one.
Clarifying
● That is,…
● I mean,…
Speaking Task 3
Sample Question
The woman expresses her opinion about the plan described in the article. Briefly summarize
the plan. Then state her opinion about the plan, and explain the reasons she gives for holding
that opinion.
Showing disagreement
● While [the text says…], [the student thinks…]
● Although [the text says…], [the student thinks…]
Reporting an opinion
● The [man] agrees/disagrees that…
● In the [student’s] eyes/opinion...
● [She] believes that…
● The [man] is of the opinion that…
● The [student] claims…
● [He/she] points out that..
Sample Answer 1
The announcement told us that next year, students will have to pay to park cars—that is,
park near the class buildings, specifically. People will need to register their cars in order to
park there. But one of the students… the man in the conversation… h e believes that it’s a bad
decision. He says that the university isn’t going to make money, because the money students
pay will be spent on additional security to check that cars in the lots are uhh, paid for… I
mean, that they’re registered. More importantly, he believes that students will be upset, and
although the school will write tickets to punish unregistered cars, the students aren’t, uhh,
aren’t gonna pay them. Basically, the student is of the opinion that the school is going to
create dissatisfaction without gaining anything, while they could instead just keep the current
system.
Sample Answer 2
According to the text, there’s a new policy on campus parking, and students are gonna need
to register their cars. What’s more, they’ll have to pay a fee to be allowed to park in the lots
near the classroom buildings, and, uhh…. the reading states that the fee is going to provide
extra money for the school to spend on building more parking lots. But the male student, on
the other hand, disagrees that the school will actually be able to earn any money. H e claims
that the expenses of the new registration system, will… are gonna cost too much, so i n his
eyes the registration system can only create problems. W hile the text says that students who
don’t register will be fined, t he student points out that security won’t know who unregistered
cars belong to, so he claims that people won’t pay the fines.
Speaking Task 4
Sample Question
Using the examples of North American English and Jamaican English, explain what is meant
by “stress timing” and “syllable timing” in languages.
Describing an overview
● [The reading/text/passage] introduces the [concept of…/theory of…]
● [The reading/text/passage] defines the term [“exoplanet”/”parthenogenesis”/“stress
timing”…] as…
● [The reading/text/passage] gives an overview of…
● We get a brief explanation of what [“exoplanet”/”parthenogenesis”] means from the
text. It is…
● In the [reading/text/passage], we get general definition of…
Reporting examples
● The professor explains this [with the example of…/by describing…]
● The professor illustrates [that point/the idea] [with the example of…/by describing…]
● [He/she] elucidates [the concept/the idea] [with the example of…/by describing…]
● [He/she] elaborates with some more specific examples, such as…
● According to the [lecture/professor], one instance of this is…
Sample Answer 1
In the reading, we get a general definition of “syllable timing” and “stress timing,” which are
ways to describe how a language sounds when it is spoken. In other words, they are
categories we can put languages in based on their rhythms. T he professor illustrates the
difference with the examples of Jamaican English and standard North American English. The
lecturer states that Jamaican English speakers, for instance, don’t, uhh… they don’t stress
individual syllables very much. Instead, they… well, they stress each syllable the same,
whereas North American English speakers, do the opposite, according to the professor. I
mean, they stress some syllables extra. So basically, that makes the language stress-timed,
because the speed of a sentence changes based on how many stresses there are.
Sample Answer 2
The text introduces the topics of, uhh… , of two different types of language rhythm. It
basically just defines the two, which are, um, either with emphasis on every sound or only on
some sounds. One concrete i nstance of this, uh.., according to the professor, is North
American English. What I mean to say is that North American English has emphasis on only
some sounds, and so the syllables in between go faster. On the other hand, the professor
explains languages with the other timing by describing Jamaican English. In Jamaican, the
sounds all get similar emphasis, and, more importantly, the speed of the language depends
on how many syllables there are… unlike, a s the professor says, North American English,
which depends on how many emphasized sounds there are.
Speaking Tasks 5 and 6
The final two speaking tasks are about recordings that you will need to listen to carefully.
Similar to tasks three and four, reporting speech is important. Task five also includes your
opinion, so some of the same language from tasks one and two can also be used there. Task
six is very similar to task four, except it describes the relationship between two ideas or
phenomena—whereas task four sometimes gives two specific examples of just one idea.
Because they are so similar, many of the same words and phrases can be used.
Phrases for Both Tasks 5 and 6

Naming the source
● According to [the woman/professor]…
● The [male student/professor] says that…
● The [student/professor] states that… (for reporting facts, not opinions)
● In the [lecture/conversation], we heard that..
● As the [student/professor] says, …
Showing a contrast
● Meanwhile,…
● In contrast,…
● …, however,…
● But at the same time…
● Whereas…, ….
Listing
● …, for one.
Clarifying
● That is,…
● I mean,…
Speaking Task 5
Sample Question
Briefly summarize the problem the speakers are discussing. Then state which of the two
solutions from the conversation you would recommend. Explain the reasons for your
recommendation.
Summarizing the problem

● [The female student] is facing a problem with…
● The issue is that…
● The problem the students discuss is that…
● The situation is
Reporting suggested solutions

● [The male student] is thinking about…
● [He/she] is considering…
● [He/she] points out that [he/she] could…
Reporting opinions
● [She] is afraid that… (possible negative result of solution)
● [He/she] feels that…
● The [man] is of the opinion that…
Giving your opinion

● If you ask me,…
● Personally, I… (Always include “I” after “personally”!)
● If it were up to me, I would…
● I’d say that [he/she] should…
● I think it’s better to…
Explaining why
● That’s because…
● The reason I say that is that…
● After all,…
Sample Answer 1
The issue is that the woman has two different plans for Thursday evening, and she’s not sure
which she should do. First, her friend’s gonna go to Spain, and she wants to be at the
going-away party. According to the woman, she won’t see her friend for a long time after that.
But at the same time, uhh… she’s afraid that there will be many people at the party, so
she—she won’t be able to see her friend. The second plan is to study for her history test… it’s
the next day. However, she points out that she already has a high grade, so she doesn’t need
to ace the test. If you ask me, I’d say that she should study for the test. After all, she can
explain to her friend and say good bye separately, not at the party.
Sample Answer 2
Well, ummm…. the problem the students discuss is pretty simple. The woman is choosing
between going to a party, uh…., her friend’s goodbye party, or studying for a history quiz. On
the one hand, she wants to say goodbye to her friend… but t he man points out that many
people will be at the party, not just the Spanish friend. And on the other hand, she feels that a
good student would study. But still, she already has good marks in the class, and she thinks
that she might insult her friend by not going to the party. P
ersonally, I think it’s better to go to
the party. The reason I say that is that a bad quiz grade, like… it won’t have a big effect on the
student’s total grade, but meanwhile, she only has one opportunity to go to the party.
Speaking Task 6
Sample Question
Using points and examples from the lecture explain the difference between inbound and
outbound marketing.
Describing an overview
● At the beginning of the lecture,…
● At the start, the professor defines…
● [He/she] introduces the [concept of…/theory of…]
● [He she] defines the terms [“inbound marketing”] as…
● [The professor] gives a brief explanation of what [two types of marketing are].
Comparing
● Both [inbound] and [outbound marketing] are…
● In both cases…
● Similarly,…
● In the same way, …
● That’s also true of….
Contrasting
● See phrases for both tasks 5 and 6
Reporting examples
● The professor explains this [with the example of…/by describing…]
● The professor illustrates [that point/the idea] [with the example of…/by describing…]
● [He/she] elucidates [the concept/the idea] [with the example of…/by describing…]
● [He/she] elaborates with some more specific examples, such as…
● According to the [lecture/professor], one instance of this is…
Sample Answer 1
At the start, the professor defines uhh…. he calls them “inbound” and “outbound” marketing.
Both types are ways that businesses get new customers. But whereas outbound marketing
includes things like advertisements, inbound marketing includes umm… like, articles and
information. That is, inbound marketing is material for people to find, y’know, when they want
help. The professor illustrates the difference with a website, uhh, a site that sells shoes. He
gives the example of a billboard advertisement as outbound marketing. It, uhh, the customer
does not try to find it, and maybe they don’t want it. Then the professor explains how the
same company could…. they could rate different brands of shoes on their site, and people
might search for those ratings and find the site. The big idea is that both inbound a
nd
outbound marketing bring people to the website, but inbound customers are, uhhh… they’re
being helped by the marketing.
Sample Answer 2
The professor first… he gives a brief explanation of “inbound” and “outbound” marketing.
e elaborates with a specific example, a shoe
The latter is, umm, it’s traditional marketing. H
website that buys some advertising. Maybe customers will see the ads, and then they’ll go to
the website. As the professor says, in the same way, inbound marketing has the goal of
bringing customers to the website. But at the same time, it has some differences, because the
advertisement didn’t help the customer… umm… they didn’t try to find the ad. On the other
hand, inbound marketing could help the customer. In the lecture, we heard the example of
that same shoe company, uhhh, writing articles rating different shoes. So if somebody is
researching shoes, they might find the articles and go to the shoe company’s website. I n both
cases, customers go to the website, but the professor says that inbound marketing is based
more on the customer’s needs.

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Tasks 1 and 2

Phrases for Tasks 1 and 2

Returning to a previous idea

Choosing one thing

Choosing one from two

Phrases for Both Tasks 3 and 4

Phrases for Both Tasks 5 and 6

Summarizing the problem

Reporting suggested solutions

Giving your opinion

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