About the Writing Test

The Writing Test consists of a total of eight questions in which you are presented with
different types of writing tasks. In response to various prompts, you will compose
sentences using the words provided, respond to written requests, and write an essay.

QUICK GUIDE: Writing Test

Definition The Writing Test evaluates your ability to convey information and to express
your ideas in written English in a comprehensible manner using appropriate
vocabulary and grammar forms. You will demonstrate this by responding to a
variety of question types and prompts.

Targeted Skills In order to do well on the Writing Test, you must be able to:
• write simple, compound, and complex sentences.
• use appropriate vocabulary.
• use correct grammar.
• respond to requests in writing.
• explain problems and ask questions in writing.
• express and explain your opinion in writing.
• organize and write an essay.

Parts of the Questions 1-5: You will write sentences about photos.
Writing Test Questions 6-7: You will respond to e-mails.
Question 8: You will write about your opinion on a particular topic.
(See below for more thorough descriptions of each part of the Writing Test.)

Timing The Writing Test takes approximately 60 minutes to complete.

Parts of the TOEIC® Writing Test

Questions 1-5: Write a Sentence Based on a Picture
For each of Questions 1-5, you will see a photo accompanied by two words or phrases.
You will write a sentence about the photo using the two words or phrases provided. You
will have a total of eight minutes to complete all of Questions 1-5. In this section, you can
go back to previous questions by clicking the "Back" button. The photos show people
involved in common everyday activities, such as:
• Meeting with colleagues • Traveling
• Doing office work • Enjoying leisure time
• Cooking • Banking
• Eating at home or at a restaurant • Shopping
• Using public transportation
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 ABOUT THE WRITING TEST

Word combinations you may see in Questions 1 -5 may include:

• Noun /noun • Verb / coordinating conjunction
• Noun / verb • Noun / adjective
• Noun / preposition • Noun/adverb
• Verb / preposition • Noun / subordinating conjunction
• Noun / coordinating conjunction • Verb / subordinating conjunction

In Questions 4-5 , one word or phrase of the pair will always be a subordinating
conjunction. Therefore, to respond to these questions, you will have to write a sentence
with a subordinate clause. Types of subordinating conjunctions you may see in Questions
4 -5 include:
• Time: when, while, after, before, until
• Location: where
• Cause and effect: because, as, since, so, so that
• Contrast: although, even though, though, in spite of the fact
• Condition: if, even if, unless
For Questions 1-5, you will be evaluated on:
• Grammar • Relevancy of the sentence to the picture
• Appropriate use of both provided words or phrases

Questions 6-7: Respond to a Written Request

For Questions 6-7, you will read an e-mail and write a response to it in which you address
the tasks you are given. For each of the e-mails, you will be given two or more tasks
to address in your response. You will have ten minutes to read each e-mail and write a
response to it. The e-mails in Questions 6 -7 deal with common scenarios in everyday
business and personal life, such as:
• Making appointments • Organizing events
• Scheduling meetings • Solving office problems
• Ordering supplies • Making travel plans
• Explaining problems with shipments • Applying for jobs
• Requesting repairs • Advertising employment opportunities

You will be asked to address tasks such as the following:

Making suggestions • Explaining reasons for problems
Asking questions • Describing problems
Making requests • Making statements about specific things
• Giving information

For Questions 6-7 , you will be evaluated on:

• Organization and cohesion of ideas • Use of a variety of correct sentence structures
• Appropriate tone • Appropriate use of vocabulary

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SKILLS FOR THE TOEIC® TEST: SPEAKING AND WRITING

Question 8: Write an Opinion Essay

For Question 8, you will be asked a question and will respond with a written essay in
which you explain and support your opinion. You will have a total of 30 minutes to read
the question, plan your response, and write your essay. Question 8 asks your opinion on a
topic such as:
Workplace issues • Transportation issues
Family • City issues
Friendships • Shopping
Career choices • Leisure time
Education
You will be asked to state your opinion on the topic in one of the following ways:
• Agree or disagree with a statement
• State your preference for something
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of a situation
• Explain the importance of something
You will be evaluated on:
• Organization and cohesion of ideas
• Use of reasons and examples to support your opinion
• Relevancy to the topic
• Appropriate use of vocabulary and grammar

Writing Test Challenges and Solutions

» CHALLENGE 1: “I never write this type of material in English. I don’t even know where to start.”
SOLUTION: Practice writing as often as you can. One way to do this is to keep a journal in English. You
can write about your daily activities, thoughts, and plans. This will help you get used to expressing your
ideas in written English.
SOLUTION: Expand your vocabulary by learning the English words and phrases for things you most
commonly write about in your own language. You can practice by translating e-mails that you’ve
recently written to friends, colleagues, or customers into English. This is another way to get used to
expressing your ideas in written English.
SOLUTION: Become familiar with business English. Go online and look for companies with English-
language websites. Many of these websites allow people to write in with questions. Write e-mails and
notice the language of the responses. Some companies even have social networking sites where you
can practice interacting personally with others in writing. This will help you get used to using written
business English.
SOLUTION: Look for employment ads online and practice writing e-mails in response to them. This
will help you develop the language you will need for responding to written requests on the test.
SOLUTION: Look for photos in magazines that show people in a variety of situations. Practice writing
sentences that describe what is happening in the pictures. This will help you write sentences about
photos on the test.

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 WRITING TEST CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

» CHALLENGE 2: “My grammar and spelling are weak, so I’m afraid I’ll make a lot of mistakes.”
SOLUTION: Review and practice useful grammatical structures. Pay attention to the grammar used in
this book. What you see on the test will be very similar. Make a note of any grammatical structures that
are difficult for you. Find a good English grammar book, and practice the things you find most problematic.
SOLUTION: Do practice activities to keep your grammar and spelling skills sharp. Check online
sources for free grammar and spelling practice activities. There are dozens of tests online that have
answer keys. Some also offer explanations about grammar or spelling. This will help you become
familiar with correct grammar forms and spelling.
SOLUTION: Learn about different types of sentences, and practice writing different sentence types
as often as possible. This will help you use correct sentence structure when you write during the test.
It will also help you become more comfortable with a variety of sentence types— something that can
improve your score on the test.
Sentence Types: Sentences are made up of clauses. A clause is a part of a sentence that contains
a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand alone. A dependent clause must be part of a
sentence with an independent clause.
A simple sentence consists of one independent clause.
The clerk answered the phone.
A compound sentence consists of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction,
such as and, but, or, or so.
The man dropped the box, and the computer broke.
(independent clause) (independent clause)
A complex sentence consists of an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. A
dependent clause is one that begins with a subordinating conjunction, such as because, after, before,
although, if, while, or when.
If we get the contract, we will need to hire some people.
(dependent clause) (independent clause)
A compound-complex sentence consists of three or more clauses. At least two are independent
clauses, and one is a dependent clause.
The conference was interesting, but not many people attended because it was so expensive,
(independent clause) (independent clause) (dependent clause)

» CHALLENGE 3: “I can handle the short sentences, but I have a hard time writing a long essay.”
SOLUTION: A long essay is basically just a lot of well-written sentences organized in a logical way.
If you can write good sentences, you just need to learn to become comfortable combining them in
interesting ways to produce paragraphs and longer essays.
SOLUTION: Learn how essays are developed by studying basic organizational structures used in
the essays and templates in this book. Look on university websites for examples of student essays
and study how the essays are organized. Looking at a lot of sample essays will help you understand
different ways to organize your ideas in writing.
SOLUTION: Practice writing essays. The more you practice essay writing, the easier it will be for you.
You can use the sample essay questions in this book. Write about each topic twice. Take a different
point of view each time.

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SKILLS FOR THE TOEIC® TEST: SPEAKING AND WRITING

SOLUTION: Study other written pieces to see how other writers do it. Look online for editorials and
other opinion pieces to see how writers present opinions. After you read an editorial, think about your
own opinion on the topic, then write an essay expressing your opinion.
» CHALLENGE 4: “I just can’t think of anything to say when I have to answer a written request.”
SOLUTION: Begin by focusing on just one thing. Practice writing e-mails about a single topic. For
example, write an e-mail apologizing for missing a meeting, an e-mail requesting a day off, an e-mail
offering advice to a co-worker about a raise, or an e-mail explaining a problem.
SOLUTION: Practice brainstorming. This will help you come up with a lot of different ideas. When you
come up with a lot of ideas, you can choose the best ones. This will make your writing much easier.
Think about any topic, and brainstorm ideas. You can do this while riding on the bus, waiting for a
doctor’s appointment, or eating lunch by yourself. You can start with the e-mails in the exercises in this
book. For each task, brainstorm a list of at least ten possible ways you could address the task. Some
of the ideas you come up with may be silly, but it doesn’t matter. The point is to loosen up your mind.
If you have trouble coming up with ideas, think about different people you know and how they might
respond to the situation presented in the e-mail. Practicing in this way will help you get used to coming
up with ideas when you need them on the test.
» CHALLENGE 5: “I never have a chance to write to native English speakers.”
SOLUTION: Join an online forum. Post your thoughts on different subjects that interest you. This will
give you a chance to practice writing English in a situation of real communication.
SOLUTION: Take advantage of free online resources and read native speaker texts. Even if you
don’t have the chance to write to someone in English, you can learn a lot by reading correspondence
in English. Look at how the responses are structured. Look at some of the words and phrases used.
The more you read, the more examples you will see and the more accustomed you will become to the
ways the language is used.
» CHALLENGE 6: “By the time I think about what to write and then write it, I’m out of time.”
SOLUTION: For the Writing Test, you will need to be comfortable using a computer for writing. Practice
typing on a computer using a word-processing program. Also, be sure to practice editing what you write
because you will be able to change what you write during the test. You should be comfortable cutting
and pasting text.
SOLUTION: You will also need to be very comfortable using an English keyboard. It is extremely
important that you know where all of the letters are on the keyboard, how to make capital letters, and
where the punctuation marks are. You do not want to waste time figuring these things out during the
test. See page vii for more about typing practice needs.
SOLUTION: Practice working within a time limit. Use the timing suggestions in this book, and practice
writing to meet time limits. Do this frequently. This will help you learn to use your time more efficiently.
SOLUTION: Write simply. Don’t make things overly complex. A good simple piece will get a better
grade than a poorly written complex one. It will also take less time.
SOLUTION: Don’t spend a lot of time trying to figure out what your opinion really is or what the most
interesting response to a task might be. Just think of something that you can write about and that is
relevant to the given task. When you answer the questions, you must respond to the tasks, but other
than that, the content is not as important as your ability to demonstrate good writing skills.

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Questions 1-5: Write a Sentence Based on a Picture

TOEIC® Test Writing

Questions 1- 5
The Writing Test is done on computer. For Questions 1-5, you will see five photos.
For each photo, you will be given two words, and you will write a sentence
about the photo using the two words. You will have eight minutes to complete
this part of the test, and you will be able to move at your own pace. You click on
“Next” to move to the next photo when you are ready, and you can also click on
“Back” to go back to previous photos. You will be scored on your ability to write
grammatically correct sentences that are relevant to the photos.

The photos will depict common everyday scenes in places such as:
» Offices » Stores » Parks
» Banks » Restaurants » Airports

QUICK GUIDE: Write a Sentence Based on a Picture

Definition Questions 1-5 test your ability to write meaningful sentences using correct grammar.
Targeted In order to correctly respond to Questions 1-5, you should be able to:
Skills • use correct word order.
• write sentences with one clause.
• write sentences with two clauses.
• use adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions correctly.
• use subordinating conjunctions correctly.
• write sentences that are relevant to the photos.
Question You will be given a pair of words for each photo. The two words will be some
Types combination of the following:
• Noun • Preposition
• Verb • Coordinating conjunction
• Adjective • Subordinating conjunction
• Adverb
A Good A good response uses the two provided words correctly in terms of both
Response grammatical structure and word meaning and is relevant to the photo.
Things to 1. Begin by thinking about how you can use the two words to describe something
Remember in the photo.
2. Decide what your subject and main verb will be. These may or may not be one
or both of the words provided.
3. Nouns will always be provided in the singular form, and verbs will always be
provided in the base form. You can change these forms if you want.

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SKILLS FOR THE TOEIC® TEST: SPEAKING AND WRITING

WALK THROUGH: Write a Sentence Based on a Picture

A What You’ll See
For Questions 1-5, you will see the directions, and you will see a photo and two words on the
screen. Look at the sample. Think about how you can use the words to describe something
about the photos.

Writing Test

Questions 1-5: Write a sentence based on a picture

Directions: You will write one sentence about a photo. You wall be given two words or phrases. You
must use them in your sentence. You can change the word forms, and you can use the words in a
different order.
Your sentence will be scored on
• appropriate use of grammar.
• relevance of the sentence to the photo.

In this part, you can move to the next question by clicking on “Next.” If you want to return to
a previous question, click on “Back.”

You will have eight minutes to complete this part of the test.

<1 POWERED BY COBUILD

newspaper: a
publication consisting read/newspaper
of a number of large
sheets of folded
paper, on which news,
advertisements, and
other information is
printed
 WRITING QUESTIONS 1-5: WRITE A SENTENCE BASED ON A PICTURE

B What You’ll Do
For Questions 1-5, you will write a sentence about a photo using the pair of words provided.
Now, write a sentence for the photo in Part A using the word pairs given. Then look at the
sample response. Notice that the grammar is correct, the response is relevant to the photo,
and it uses both of the words provided.

SAMPLE RESPONSE ► The m a n is reading the newspaper.

GET IT RIGHT: Tips and Tasks for Answering Correctly

GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY
Writing Basic Sentences
In order to do well on Questions 1-5, you must be able to write sentences that are
grammatical, coherent, and relevant to the photo. Study the following tips to familiarize
yourself with the basic grammar and vocabulary points you will need to know when you
QUICK TIP write your sentences.
When one of the words
» TIP 1 Learn the basics of good sentence-writing in English. Writing strong sentences in
is a noun, first decide
English requires you to follow sentence structure rules. These are the rules about the order of
whether it should be the
words in English sentences. The most common sentence structure in English is the S-V-0 pattern
subject or the object of
(subject-verb-object).
your sentence.
By learning this pattern, you will have a useful starting point for writing easy-to-understand responses.
Study the chart below for an explanation and examples of each of the sentence parts.

S (Subject) V (Verb) O (Object or complement*)

• Tells who or what is doing • Describes an action, a • Receives the action of the
Explanations

the action state, or a feeling verb

• Usually a noun or • Examples show a noun,
pronoun pronoun, adjective,
adverb, and prepositional
Remember that you phrase following the verb.
must use both of the I visit Elisa.
words on the screen in c/5
<U He didn’t ask us.
your sentence. If you My mother is tall.
s
forget to use one of X
w The car is turning right.
the words, you will get
Mike was waving at the man.
a lower score. Also,
you may write only *For the purposes of this discussion, 0 is whatever may follow the verb.
one sentence. Do not TASK Write the sentence parts in the correct order.
write more than one
1. [She] [a bike.] [rides]_______________________________________
sentence.
2. [at the screen.] [Sally] [looks]
3. [The map] [folded.] [is ]_____
4. [The book] [on the table.] [is ].
5. [is] [empty.] [The refrigerator]
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SKILLS FOR THE TOEIC® TEST: SPEAKING AND WRITING

TIP 2 Use correct capitalization and punctuation. To write a good sentence that is easy to
understand, you need to use capitalization and punctuation correctly.
Capitalization refers to the use of capital letters. These large letters are also called uppercase letters.
All sentences in English begin with a capital letter. The English language also uses capital letters to
begin all proper nouns. Proper nouns include the names of people, companies, languages, and places.
The English language also uses capital letters on months, days, and titles. Look at these examples.

• Mary Smith • Tuesday, June 3 • Fox Theater

QUICK TIP • IBM • Dr. Evans (Notice the period • Miami, Florida (Notice the comma
In Questions 1-5, after the title.) between the city and state.)
you will be writing Punctuation refers to the symbols, such as periods (.), question marks (?), and commas (,), in the
statements, not sentence. These marks are used to make written language easier to understand. AH sentences in
questions, so you must English end with some type of punctuation.
use a period at the end.
TASK These sentences need capital letters and punctuation. Rewrite the sentences with the correct
capitalization and punctuation.
1. i need to order some pens_____________________________________________________________
2. we went to new york in june___________________________________________________________
3. did mr smith call you_________________________________________________________________
4. the spanish book is on the desk_______________________________________________________ _
5. has the flight from paris france arrived___________________________________________________
TIP 3 Know the basic grammar features to use in your sentences. When you write your responses
for Questions 1-5, you must choose the right sentence structure and verb tense. In most cases, you will
be able to use the basic S-V-0 structure with the present continuous tense. However, in some cases,
you will use There is/are + subject.

QUICK TIP The verb tense that you use depends on the photo. Other than the two tenses shown in the chart, you
Be careful not to use
will not usually have to use other verb tenses for Questions 1-5. This chart will help you choose the
capitals on general
correct tense for your response.
words. A word like
Grammar for Basic Descriptions of Photos
theater does not have a
Photo Types Verb Tenses Sentence Examples
capital letter unless it is
Constructions
part of the name of the
Photos with Present Subject + verb + • The men are eating pancakes.
theater or is the first
people in them continuous object • The woman is talking to the clerk.
word of a sentence.
Photos with no Simple present There is/are + • There is som e m ilk in the glass.
people in them subject • There are several books on the table.

TASK Write the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

1. There_________________________(be) several empty seats in the theater.
2. They________________________ (make) a phone call.
3. There_________________________(be) a lamp on the table.
4. The m an________________________ (write) a letter.
5. There_________________________(be) a ladder against the house.

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 WRITING QUESTIONS 1-5: WRITE A SENTENCE BASED ON A PICTURE

Using Prepositions and Modifiers to Give Details

In addition to choosing the correct sentence construction and verb tense, you should also
know how to use prepositions and modifiers in your responses to provide more details
about the photograph.
» TIP 1 Use prepositions to talk about where people or things are. Prepositions are words that give
information about the location of an object. By combining prepositions with nouns, pronouns, or clauses,
you can create prepositional phrases that provide more information about the person or object. Look at
these examples of prepositional phrases.
The woman at the desk is busy, (indicates which woman and where she is)
The table next to the door is empty, (indicates which table and where it is)
TASK Use the given words to write sentences about the location of items in the photograph.

1. photo frames / clock / in between

2. laptop / table / on top of

3. bottle / glass / phone / next to

» TIP 2 Use modifiers to describe other words and give details. Modifiers are words, phrases, or
clauses that provide more information about words in a sentence. Adjectives modify nouns and
pronouns, while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
For Questions 1-5, you may want to use participles as adjectives in your responses. Participles are
verb forms that serve as adjectives in sentences. This chart has more information on participles.

Forms Positions in Usage Examples

Sentences
Present Participles: • Before the noun • Modify a noun that The tiring trip takes over
Regular verb + -ing* that it modifies is the cause of an ten hours.
• After a linking experience
The trip is tiring.
verb (be, become,
Past Participles: • Modify a noun that The tired man is sleeping
seem, etc.)
Regular verb + ~ed is experiencing in his seat.
something
The man is tired.
*Note that the present participle has the same form as the present continuous verb form.

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SKILLS FOR THE TOEIC® TEST: SPEAKING AND WRITING

TASK Place a check mark ( / ) where the modifier in parentheses should be added to the sentence.
1. (homemade) The □ cookies □ were □ .
2. (interesting) The □ film □ starts □ at □ 8:00.
3. (bored) The □ man □ looks □ at □ his □ watch □ .

Using Function Words

» TIP Familiarize yourself with function words. Function words are words that don’t have a lot of
meaning on their own, but they express grammatical connections with other parts of the sentence.
Prepositions, conjunctions, and some adverbs are examples of function words. You may need to use
function words in your responses. See the chart below for more information about function words.

Function Word Types Usage Examples

Coordinating Conjunctions • Connect two clauses • Teresa enjoys watching movies,
and, but, or, yet, for, nor, so • Ideas connected by the and she enjoys reading books.
conjunction receive • I ’ll order either the soup or the
equal emphasis salad.
Subordinating Conjunctions • Connect an independent • After she bought the ticket, she
Time /location: after, before, clause and a dependent boarded the train, (time)
since, when, while, until, where, clause • Elisa studies because she wants
wherever • Express the relationship a good grade, (cause)
between two clauses • Unless he takes his medicine,
Cause /effect: because, since, so
(e.g., of time, reason, jack will not feel better.
that, why
QUICK TIP place, etc.) (condition)
Contrast: whereas, although • Idea in the first clause
On Questions 4 and
Similarity: like, just as more important than
5, one of the words in
the idea in the second
the given word pair Condition: if unless, until, in case, clause
will be a subordinating as if, as though, provided that
conjunction. Since it Correlative Conjunctions • Connect two ideas • Both Sally and James work at
is more challenging both . . . and; not only. . . but • Ideas receive equal the office.
also; n o t. . . but; either. . . or; emphasis • It not only takes a long time to
to create sentences
neither. . . nor; w hether. . . or; as • Second noun must agree open the file, but also it is very
with subordinating
. . . as with the verb that follows difficult to store.
conjunctions, you
Non-Location Prepositions • Don’t indicate location • He goes to work by bus.
should always leave
• Often part of phrasal • Ellen must turn in the project
yourself a few more
verbs on Monday.
minutes to work on
• Often idiomatic, so they • They should pay f o r it at the
these questions. must be memorized register.
Intensifiers • Typically m o d ify • She is very happy with the
very, too much/many, quite, adverbs and adjectives results.
rather, so • Make the meaning of • It is quite cold there.
the words they modify • The ferry is traveling rather
stronger slowly.

TASK Choose the correct function words to complete the sentences.

1. The dessert is flavorful ( yet / fo r) light.
2. ( Whereas / Just a s ) Sidney prefers warm weather, Sam prefers cold weather.
3. They only have enough money to visit ( not only / either) Greece ( but also / o r) Spain.
4. There was a bit of confusion ( about / fo r) the final bill.
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 WRITING QUESTIONS 1-5: WRITE A SENTENCE BASED ON A PICTURE

WRITING YOUR RESPONSE

» TIP 1 Understand the possible combinations of word pairs that you may see on the test. On
Questions 1-3, you may find any of the following combinations.

noun + noun verb + noun

noun + preposition verb + preposition
noun + function word verb + function word
Questions 4 and 5 are typically more difficult, and you may find the following combinations.

noun + subordinating conjunction adverb + subordinating conjunction

verb + subordinating conjunction preposition + subordinating conjunction
adjective + subordinating conjunction

By familiarizing yourself with types of word pairs you may see, you will be able to figure out what you
need to do in order to write the sentence. Study the chart below for a review of the parts of speech and
how they are typically used in sentences.

Parts of Speech in the Word Pairs

Parts of Explanations Uses in Sentences Examples
Speech
Nouns Refer to a person, place, • Can be the subject or The woman (subj.) is
or thing object of the sentence holding the has (obj.)-
Verbs Refer to an action, state, • Should go after the He drinks from the bis
QUICK TIP or feeling subject in a statement mug.
Remember that you Adjectives Modify nouns or • Usually come before The old man is walking up
will always be given pronouns nouns or pronouns the stairs.
the singular form of a • Can be part of the subject He always wears a long
noun and the base form or object clause coat.
of a verb. Thus, you Adverbs Modify verbs, adjectives, • Often come after verbs The woman types quickly.
will have to choose the and other adverbs • Often end with -ly
correct form in order to Prepositions Show the time, space, • Can be part of the subject The computer on the table
fit the situation shown or logic relationship or object clause does not function.
in the photo. between things

TASK Write the part of speech for each of the words in the pairs.

1. umbrella/hold____________________________ /____
2. helmet/on____________________________ /_______
3. hair/scissors_____________________________ /____
4. take/camera_____________________________ /____
5. refrigerator/empty____________________________ /.

» TIP 2 Identify the connection between the words provided and the photo. When you first see the
photograph, scan it quickly for its connection to the pair of words provided. For example, if one of the
words is a verb, look for this action in the photo. By doing this, you will understand the relationship
between the words in the pair. For example, you will know if a word is an adjective describing a noun or
a verb showing what is happening.
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SKILLS FOR THE TOEIC® TEST: SPEAKING AND WRITING

TASK 1 Look at the photo. Then read the word pairs. Write what the subject, verb, and object for each
pair might be. There may be more than one possible answer.

Word Pairs Possible Subjects Possible Verbs Possible Objects

1. woman/suit
2. whiteboard/behind
3. hold/documents

TASK 2 Complete each sentence using the correct form of the word in parentheses.
is setting
1. The server______________________________ (set) the plate on the table.
2. The______________________________ (chair) are stacked on top of each other.
3. He______________________________ (look) at the menu.

TIP 3 Look for function words. If the word pair includes a function word, be sure to consider the
possible role of the function word in the sentence first. Look at this photo and explanation.

barefoot/although
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 WRITING QUESTIONS 1-5: WRITE A SENTENCE BASED ON A PICTURE

Explanation: First, consider the function word although. It is a subordinating conjunction used
to express contrast. Next, scan the photo for the other word in the pair (barefoot), and use it
to make a sentence: This person is barefoot. Finally, complete the sentence using the function
word, making sure that you express the meaning of the function word: This person is barefoot
although there is snow on the ground. The words can be used in any order, so you can also
write: Although there is snow on the ground, this person is barefoot Notice the comma when
the clause is used first.

TASK Look at the photo in TIP 2 TASK 1 on page 102. Then read the word pairs. Look back at the chart
of function word types on page 100. Decide the meaning of each function word below and write a
possible first and second clause. There may be more than one possible answer.

Word Pairs Function Word Possible First Clause Possible Second

Meaning Clause

pen/and

whereas/stand

point/as

Two-Clause Responses
» TIP Look for conjunctions. Word pairs that include conjunctions (typically Questions 4 and 5) will often
require you to write one sentence with two clauses. A clause is a group of words that includes a subject
and a verb. An independent clause can stand on its own as a complete sentence, while a dependent
clause is not a complete sentence and must be combined with another sentence. Look at these
examples; pay special attention to the negative verbs.
Independent clauses: They are waiting, but they are not talking.
Dependent clause: They are not talking while they are waiting.
In some cases, both words in the word pair can go in the same clause or in separate clauses. Look at
these examples.
read/while
While the woman reads the newspaper, she drinks her coffee.
While the woman drinks her coffee, she reads the newspaper.

TASK Choose the correct conjunction to complete each sentence.

1. You will miss your flight ( unless / i f ) you hurry.
2. ( Because / Even though) it was dark, we turned on the lights.
3. He only has a light jacket, ( but / so ) he must be cold.
4. The woman is driving, ( nor / ye t) she is talking on her cell phone.

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Relevancy
» TIP Be sure your response is relevant to the photo. In addition to your use of correct grammar, raters
will be grading you based on whether your sentence accurately describes the photo. Be sure to only
mention objects that are obvious from the photo. Also, don’t guess about how people in the photo feel or
what they think.

TASK Look at the photo and word pair. Then answer the questions.

cart/aisle

1. Which sentence best describes the photo?

a. The woman is pushing the cart through the aisle.

b. The woman thinks the aisle is too narrow for the cart to fit.
2. Why was the incorrect answer in number 1 NOT a good response?

a. The sentence mentions the woman’s thoughts.

b. The sentence mentions an object that isn’t in the photo.

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 WRITING QUESTIONS 1-5: WRITE A SENTENCE BASED ON A PICTURE

PROGRESSIVE PRACTICE: Get Ready

A Look at the photos and word pairs. Next, circle the correct part of speech for each
word given. Then circle the most appropriate subject, object, and verb to fit the photo.
Photo 1

Word Pair: flower/table

Word 1: noun verb preposition
Word 2: noun verb preposition

Subj./Obj.: flower flowers table tables

Verb: is are

Photo 2

Word Pair: man/kick

Wordl: noun verb preposition
Word 2: noun verb preposition

Subj./Obj.: man men ball balls

Verb: kick is kicking
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SKILLS FOR THE TOEIC® TEST: SPEAKING AND WRITING

Photo 3

Word Pair: woman/by

Word!: noun verb preposition

Word 2: noun verb preposition

Subj./Obj.; woman women

Verb: stand is standing

B Look at the photos and word pairs in Part A. Read the possible responses. Check ( /)
the best response for each photo. For each incorrect response, write the letter of the
reason it is wrong. Use the reasons in the box.

a. grammar error b. forgotten key word c. not relevant to photo

1 . ___Are flowers on the table. ___ The flowers are on the table.
2. ___The man is in the stadium. ___ The man is kicking the ball.
3. ___ The woman is standing by the door. ___ There is a woman by her house.

C Write your own sentences for the photos in Part A. Use the word pairs given.
1 . vase/on

2. play/stadium

3. carry/tray

D Now, evaluate your responses in Part C using the checklist below. How well did your
responses meet the scoring criteria? Check ( / ) Yes or No. Keep practicing until all of
your answers are Yes.

Response Checklist: Questions 1-5

Yes No

1. My response has a subject and a verb.

2 .1 used correct verb forms.

3 . 1 used correct noun forms (singular /plural).

4 . 1 used both key words.

5. My response is relevant to the photo.

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 WRITING QUESTIONS 1-5: WRITE A SENTENCE BASED ON A PICTURE

PROGRESSIVE PRACTICE: Get Set ____

A Look at each photo and word pair. Then complete the information. Write the correct
part of speech for each word in the word pair. Then choose a possible subject and verb.
Photo 1

Word Pair: box/very

Part of Speech: Word 1 _________________Word 2

Subject: ______________________________
Verb: ______________________________

Photo 2

Word Pair: sit/on

Part of Speech: Word 1 ________________ _ Word 2

Subject: _____________________________ _
Verb: ______________________________
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SKILLS FOR THE TOEIC® TEST: SPEAKING AND WRITING

Photo 3

Word Pair: even though/rain

Part of Speech: Word 1 _________________Word 2 _________________

Clause 1 Subject:_______________________________________________
Clause 1 Verb: _______________________________________________
Clause 2 Subject:_______________________________________________
Clause 2 Verb: _______________________________________________

B Write a response for each photo by answering the questions with complete sentences.
Don’t forget to use both key words in your response.
1. Is the box very heavy or very light?________________________________________________
2. Where is the man sitting?________________________________________________________
3. What is the woman doing even though it is raining?___________________________________

C Now create your own responses for the photos using these new word pairs.
1. carry/back_____________________________________________________________________
2. sit/while______________________________________________________________________
3. woman/cold___________________________________________________________________
D Now, evaluate your responses using the checklist below. How well did your responses
meet the scoring criteria? Check ( / ) Yes or No. Keep practicing until all of your
answers are Yes.

Response Checklist: Questions 1-5

Yes No

1. My response has a subject and a verb.

2 .1 used correct verb forms.

3 . 1 used correct noun forms (singular /plural).

4 . 1 used both key words.

5. My response is relevant to the photo.

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 WRITING QUESTIONS 1-5: WRITE A SENTENCE BASED ON A PICTURE

PROGRESSIVE PRACTICE: Go for the TOEIC® Test

TOEIC® TEST PRACTICE

Writing Test

Questions 1-5: Write a sentence based on a picture

Directions: You will write one sentence about a photo. You will be given two words or phrases. You
must use them in your sentence. You can change the word forms, and you can use the words in a
different order. Your sentences will be scored on
• appropriate use of grammar.
• relevance of the sentence to the photo.
Give yourself eight minutes to complete this part of the test.

wind/hard

2.
 4.

5.

Time Used:_______ minutes

To READ SAMPLE RESPONSES, SEE PAGE 159.

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