Whether you are studying at a university or preparing for a test like TOEFL or IELTS, essay writing is an important skill you need to master. Many students can write a good essay if they get enough time. Unfortunately, this is not possible on a test. So how can you write a good essay in 30 or 40 minutes? Follow the strategies given in this section to improve your score in the TOEFL and IELTS writing sections.

Be familiar with the structure of an essay

Your essay should be neatly divided into paragraphs. The task type could be different. For example, you may be asked to defend an argument, express a preference or make a comparison. Regardless of the type of your essay, the organization should be the same.

Introduction

The first paragraph of your essay is the introduction. It should include an interesting opening statement called a hook. It should be followed by a thesis statement which gives a short summary of your opinion or preference.

Body paragraphs

The introduction is followed by the body paragraphs. Each body paragraph should discuss one supporting point. Don’t discuss more than one point in a paragraph. Ideally, your essay should have an introduction, three body paragraphs and a conclusion.

Conclusion

In the conclusion, restate your opinion or preference and add some general comment or suggestion to your essay. Of course, you can include more paragraphs. However, due to time constraints this is not necessary or possible on a test like TOEFL or IELTS. Your IELTS essay needn’t necessarily contain more than 275 words (250 is the prescribed word count). Your TOEFL essay should contain more than 300 words.