TOEFL 라이팅 예시 (2026)

Dear Professor Chen, I hope you are well. I am writing because I have been struggling with the material from our last two lectures on cellular respiration. In particular, I cannot see how the electron transport chain connects to ATP production, and my notes on the Krebs cycle do not match the diagrams in the textbook. Since the midterm is next Thursday and these topics make up a large part of it, I would really benefit from going through a few practice questions with you. Even fifteen minutes would help me identify where my reasoning goes wrong before I review on my own. Would it be possible to meet during your office hours on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.? If that time is already taken, I am free on Wednesday morning as well. Thank you for your time. Best regards, Alex Kim

Content

All three points are covered, each with a concrete detail: the two topics named, why before the midterm, and a specific time plus an alternative.

Syntactic and lexical variety

Varied sentence shapes ("Since the midterm…", "Even fifteen minutes would help…") and precise word choice ("identify where my reasoning goes wrong").

Social conventions

A polite, appropriately formal register for a professor, a clear purpose in the first lines, and a request phrased as a question.

Accuracy

No errors that affect meaning.

Dear Housing Office, I am writing about an ongoing noise problem in Hartley Hall. For about three weeks, the resident of room 214, next to mine, has played loud music almost every night until 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. I have spoken to him politely twice, and although he apologized both times, the noise continued the following night. As a result, I am averaging about five hours of sleep a night. I fell asleep during a statistics lecture last week, and my score on Friday's quiz was the lowest I have had this semester. Could a resident advisor speak with him and remind him of the 11:00 p.m. quiet hours? If the problem continues after that, I would be grateful to discuss moving to another room. Thank you for your help. Sincerely, Maya Patel (room 216)

Content

Duration, times and the two earlier conversations are specific; the effects are concrete (sleep, a lecture, a quiz); the request is a precise action with a fallback.

Syntactic and lexical variety

Subordinate clauses and transitions used naturally ("although he apologized both times", "As a result").

Social conventions

Firm but courteous, which suits a complaint to an office, and the writer identifies herself by room number.

Accuracy

Error-free.

Hi Jordan, I've been looking at our sociology project, and I think we're behind mainly because nobody is sure who is doing what. Here's an idea for splitting the rest: you take the literature review, since you already found most of the sources; Sam handles the survey analysis; and I'll write the introduction and pull everything into one document. To stay on track, how about the literature review and the analysis by next Friday, the introduction by Sunday, and a full draft we all read on Tuesday, two days before it's due? Does that work for you? If you'd rather take the analysis instead, I'm happy to swap — I just want us all working from the same plan. Thanks, Riley

Content

A clear division with a reason, a deadline for each section and a buffer before the due date, and a genuine question that offers an alternative.

Syntactic and lexical variety

Natural, varied structures ("since you already found…", "If you'd rather…").

Social conventions

A friendly register that suits a classmate, with no stiffness and no bossiness.

Accuracy

Error-free.

I think universities should require some form of work experience, but Tomas is right that an unpaid internship cannot be the only way to meet it. Mina's point stands: experience teaches things a classroom cannot, such as how to manage a deadline that affects other people. Making it a requirement also matters, because the students who skip optional internships are often the ones without family connections to find one. However, the requirement should count paid part-time jobs, research assistantships and campus work, as long as students reflect on what they learned. For example, a student working twenty hours a week at a café is already practicing teamwork and handling difficult customers. A flexible requirement like this would give every student work experience without forcing those who need an income to work for free.

Content and elaboration

A clear, qualified position, developed with a reason (who misses out when it is optional), a proposal and a concrete example.

Response to the discussion

Engages both students: it builds on Mina's point and adapts Tomas's objection into a solution, in its own words.

Syntactic and lexical variety

Complex sentences used precisely ("as long as…", "without forcing…").

Language accuracy

Error-free.

I would side with Elena, mainly because of who actually depends on the library. Ravi's point about convenience is real, but it mostly benefits people who already own a laptop and reliable internet, and they have plenty of other ways to find information. The residents who rely on the library most, such as students in crowded apartments or older people without devices, need something an e-book cannot provide: a quiet, free place to be. In my own neighborhood, the library is full every afternoon with high school students doing homework because they have no space at home. Cutting books and space to fund databases would shift the budget away from them. Libraries should keep buying some digital resources, but not at the cost of the building and the shelves.

Content and elaboration

The position is argued through a clear principle (who depends on the library) and supported with a specific observation.

Response to the discussion

Takes Ravi's point seriously and explains its limit, rather than simply agreeing with Elena.

Syntactic and lexical variety

Varied and precise ("shift the budget away from them", "not at the cost of").

Language accuracy

Error-free.

Lucas's example convinces me that bans should come first, although Aisha describes a better long-term goal. The problem with relying on education is the gap between knowing and doing: most people already know plastic harms the ocean, yet they still accept a bag at the checkout because it is the easiest option. A ban removes that choice, and, as Lucas's city shows, a new habit forms quickly once the old option disappears. That said, bans can only target a few obvious products, so Aisha is right that education matters for everything else. The most effective approach is probably to ban the worst items and use the publicity around each ban to teach people why, so that the rule and the understanding grow together.

Content and elaboration

Explains the mechanism (the gap between knowing and doing) and proposes how the two approaches combine.

Response to the discussion

Uses Lucas's evidence and concedes Aisha's point precisely, without just splitting the difference.

Syntactic and lexical variety

Sophisticated structures handled cleanly.

Language accuracy

Error-free.