1. Test-taking strategy

Step 1 – Write short, meaningful sentences

Look at the picture, look for details to describe the picture exactly like the 2 words given in the question. Note: You can only write exactly ONE sentence, you must use both words given in the test.

Always pay attention that progress is better than length. A short sentence with basic grammar will get points instead of writing long sentences with incorrect grammar.

In this step, just write short, meaningful sentences.

Step 2 – Check again

Check spelling: Are the topic keywords spelled correctly?

Check to see if all 2 keywords are used in the sentence

Check grammar: basic grammar points such as using articles, active/passive, types of words in noun phrases,...

Step 3 – Don't delay too long in front of a painting

If you come across a picture that you can't write about right away. Maybe it's because you haven't found relevant points or ideas related to the given keyword. Quickly click Next to move to another picture, don't delay too long. You only have 1 minute and 30 seconds to answer each picture. When you finish the other paintings, there's still time, it's not too late for you to come back.

You should remember, in the TOEIC Writing section describing this picture, you can move freely between 5 questions within 8 minutes.

Step 4 – Complete the sentence and score points

Try to get a perfect score with simple but accurate expressions.

2. The secret to writing complete sentences and achieving maximum TOEIC Writing Part 1 scores

This is a way to help you write sentences with few errors and still get a perfect score.

1. Write a complete sentence

A complete sentence is a sentence with a complete subject and verb. Sentences can include 1 clause or 2 clauses, but those clauses must also have a complete subject, verb, and object.

A sentence that only lists words and does not include a subject, verb, or object will receive no points.

2. Must use TWO of the given words in one sentence

Make sure the 2 Key Words of the given topic must be in one sentence, and you must use all 2 Key Words.

Sentence not scored: There are many cars. They are parked on the street

The question requires writing only ONE sentence, here write 2 sentences and 2 keywords are in 2 different sentences (car/park)

Complete sentence: There are many cars parked on the street.

Use 2 keywords in full and write in the same sentence.

3. Pay attention to the agreement between subject and verb

Instead of using difficult grammar structures, focus on writing grammatically correctly. In particular, the harmony between subject and verb is a very common grammatical error in TOEIC Writing. This grammar point is not difficult, but it is easy to lose points if you are careless.

4. Use the present continuous tense to describe a picture to make it more vivid

Use present continuous: be + V-ing

 

When describing a painting, putting it in the present continuous tense will help make the sentence more vivid. If there are people in the picture, do not describe the actions of everyone in the picture, but only describe the actions that match the given keywords.

Here we use the shortened form of relative clause. The full sentence is: A woman (who is) wearing a scarf is having lunch

5. Use active/passive sentences flexibly depending on the subject or keywords given in the topic

If a painting has no people, or the main subject of the painting is an object, it is highly likely that you should use a passive voice to describe it. In recent exam questions, pictures of this type appear a lot. Feel free to use active/passive to describe paintings depending on the subject.

6. Make sure to use the correct determiner before the noun

Determiners are words that define and limit the noun that follows them. Articles (a, an, the) are one of the most common types of determiners.