Class Supplement, TOEFL Essay, L 14, 2011

Writing Topic 1
If you could study a subject that you have never had the opportunity to study, what would you choose? Explain your choice, using specific reasons and details.

Let’s think
What to write:
You could choose a subject related to your study or interests. They can be related to your major, hobby, future goal, or interests. Also, you could choose a subject that is totally different from the field that you are usually into. For example, if you are a major of physics, you could choose economics or Latin American literature. What are the things that you are often intrigued by and tell yourself that you would study them if your life lasted 300 years?

How to write:
Of course you are supposed to explain why, why you want to take the particular course, but what if you cannot think of many reasons? TOEFL requires you to write at least 300 words in an organized way. One thing might be to answer the questions starting with Wh or H. Who / What made you interested in it? When / Where was it? How did you become interested in it?


Your short response:
If I had time to study a subject that I have never had the opportunity to study, I would study … because …


(Answers to Who / What / When / Where / How)






Sample short response:
If I had time to study a subject that I have never had the opportunity to study, I would study astrophysics because I have a feeling that it will give me an opportunity to think about life and universe, for it deals with the physics and the universe and involves studies of both the invisible matters and huge objects in the vast space.

(Answers to Who / What / When / Where / How)
A memorable word of one of the members of the art club I belonged to in my high school days has made me interested in it. He said, “Electrons circling around atoms is similar to planets orbiting the sun, isn’t it?” Even though I found it interesting then and I still remember it, this inspiring analogy of physics between the smaller and the larger never really sank into my dull mind and I missed the opportunity to study the related subjects by choosing the humanities. When young, people are sensitive to the clues to solve questions in life and universe which all things around them are hinting to them, and I think this man had a particularly strong perception of these clues; he would often teach physics in class at the request of his physics teacher. In the course of gaining knowledge about this word of his, I hope that I have a glimpse of the secret of life and universe as he may have done.


Essay for Ideas and Expressions
(Barron’s, Writing for the TOEFL iBT, pp.283-284)
I have always been interested in art and literature, so people will think my choice is strange. If I could study something I have never had the opportunity to study, I would choose calculus. If I could actually learn something as difficult as that, it would give me a lot of confidence. Besides that, I think I would like it and it could help me learn some useful skills.

The only mathematics I have studied are the required courses in high school. I finished those requirements early and since then I have chosen to study other subjects. I never liked my math classes and I didn’t do well in them. I have always thought that I couldn’t learn calculus. If I learned calculus, I would feel very smart.

I like art and literature because I like beauty and creativity. I never liked math because I didn’t think it was beautiful and creative. I like solving problems, however. And I might actually discover something beautiful and creative about math. I think if I tried studying calculus, I would actually like it.

There are some new skills I would like to develop. There are some electrical problems in my house and I would like to learn how to fix them myself. I would like to learn how to do repair work on my CD player or even on my computer. If I learned calculus, it would help me develop the skills I need to do these things.

I think it would be really interesting to try learning something completely new. For me, calculus would be a big challenge. If I learned it, I would feel smart, I would enjoy myself, and I could develop new skills. It would be a big accomplishment for me.



Writing Topic 2
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Only people who earn a lot of money are successful. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.


Let’s think
Reading the question carefully is the first step toward writing a satisfactory essay. The words to mark in this statement are probably “Only” and “successful.” Not many things can be described with words like “only” or “all,” so I would like to focus on proving this statement is wrong. To prove a statement that only A is B is wrong, all you have to do is to show that non-A is also B. Therefore, if you do not agree with the statement that only people who earn a lot of money are successful, you just show that those who do not earn a lot of money are also successful.

Now, what is the definition of being successful? Reaching one’s goal helps one to feel successful personally, but to others, he might not be successful. A murderer who has killed the person he believed should not be in this world cannot be called a successful person. It seems that, to be successful, a person must meet some unsaid criteria that society sets.

What kinds of people are said to be successful? Do they have money, a higher status, or a good life? Are they admired by many people? Have they accomplished something important? Is money an indispensable factor to be regarded as a successful person? Is your uncle who owns a venture business producing a lot of money successful while another uncle of yours who is a dedicated high school teacher everyone in his community respects is not?


Your short response:
I think / do not think earning a lot of money is necessary to be successful because there are /aren’t people who are looked upon as successful even though they do not make a lot of money. A person can be regarded as successful if …



For example, …




Sample short responses:
1) I do not think earning a lot of money is necessary to be successful because there are people who are looked upon as successful even though they do not make a lot of money. A person can be regarded as successful if the person is leading a happy decent life which most people would wish to be theirs.
For example, a devoted scientist who is happily married can be successful even though he does not earn enough to enjoy extravagance. His life is full of joy because he is doing what he wants to do and he has life. He has a purpose in life and makes efforts for it day by day. Even if it is not the case that his research is sure to see a breakthrough in his lifetime, he is still happy because he knows that what he is doing is part of a large current of a scientific pursuit in which he shares his interest and passion with his numerous associates around the world, including those in the past. If a person earns sufficiently and lives a respectable, fulfilling life, he can be called a successful person.

2) I do not think earning a lot of money is necessary to be successful because there are people who are looked upon as successful even though they do not make a lot of money. A person can be regarded as successful if the person earns respect from the world by doing what he believes right. Many artists and musicians young people aspire to be like in the future were never rich.
For example, Vincent van Gogh is one of the most famous and successful artists. His paintings are sold at high prices. It might be difficult to find a museum of modern art without a Gogh. Department stores have retrospectives of van Gogh as often as those of Impressionists and almost all the school textbooks introduce his life and art. However, he never became rich by selling his paintings while he was alive. What makes him successful is that he knew his artistic experiment was on the right track and made the world recognize it through his works. Although he was not happy in his private life and he was never rich, his life was successful as an artist.


Sample Conclusion:
(Barron’s, Writing for the TOEFL iBT, p.322)
When we think of history, there are few people we remember simply because they were rich. Overall, we remember people who did something with their lives―that were influential in politics, or contributed to science or art or religion. If history is the ultimate judge of success, then money surely isn’t everything.