Useful Verbs in the TOEFL iBT Essay
Show off your writing skills in the TOEFL essay by using verbs that add color and variety to your writing.
Three common verbs that students use on their TOEFL essays are think, believe, and say. These verbs are especially useful when you have to give an opinion about something:
- think
- Some people think that television is a complete waste of time.
- believe
- Some people believe that television is a complete waste of time.
- say
- Some people say that television is a complete waste of time.
Each sentence is grammatically correct. Each sentence is perfectly acceptable. However, English is a rich language, and there are many verbs for expressing opinions. It's easy to do this, too. There are many verbs that we can use in our TOEFL essay to replace think, believe, and say. Here are some of the most common:
- argue
- Some people argue that television is a complete waste of time.
- claim
- Some people claim that television is a complete waste of time.
- maintain
- Some people maintain that television is a complete waste of time.
- assert
- Some people assert that television is a complete waste of time.
- insist
- Some people insist that television is a complete waste of time.
- contend
- Some people contend that television is a complete waste of time.
Amazing, isn't it? In every case, we've just substituted one of our new verbs for think, believe, or say. This is an easy way to bring your TOEFL essay to life.
A word of warning, however: be careful not to use the same verb many times throughout your TOEFL essay. These verbs are very expressive, so don't repeat them--it's always best to use a variety of verbs in your TOEFL writing. Here's an example:
Some people argue that television is a complete waste of time. Other people claim that the television is a great educational resource. I maintain that despite all of the violence and sex in many programs, television plays a useful and important role in our society.
The important thing in this passage is that we are using different verbs to express opinions. This not only makes your TOEFL essay more interesting, but it also shows off your language skills to the TOEFL assessor.
