The TOEFL writing section's integrated task requires students to first read an academic article and then listen to a speaker discuss the same topic. The objective of the writing task is to summarize the main points of the speaker's discussion, write how they relate to the passage and to answer a question based on their relationship. It is important to read the article and listen to the speaker carefully in order to perform the task properly. You may take notes during both the reading and speaking periods of the test.
The academic passage introduces the topic. A passage about movies might read something like this: Popular movies are simple, valueless and harmful to society. When a movie's only purpose is to entertain, it becomes a waste of time for people who want to escape, and escaping is not the way to deal with real-life problems. Popular movies also are directed primarily at low-income families, depriving them of money that could go to food or shelter.
The audio portion introduces additional or contrary information. For example, you might hear something like this: New studies suggest that time spent at movie theaters can increase happiness more than other consumer activities. Psychologists have found that when a family goes to a theater, they are three times more likely to report happy feelings than families who did not go to the theater. Scientists believe that visiting the movie theater is a healthier way to spend family time than the alternatives.
The question you would answer could be: Summarize the points of the audio example while making sure to explain how they oppose the points in the passage.
During the independent task, the test taker must write an essay that provides his opinion on a subject, providing support and explanation of that opinion. In this task, be careful to read the test question carefully. Stories from personal experience are the best forms of support, and remember that no one will check if the stories are true.
An independent task section about the merits of handwriting versus typing might read: Explain whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: With the development of new technologies, handwriting is being viewed as less important than typing, but knowing how to write by hand always will be more important than typing. Use specific examples from your reading or experience to support your opinion.