Students often ask what they should mention first in each integrated essay body paragraph – the reading or the lecture?
Update: I returned to this topic in 2023.
Here is what ETS says in the new Official TOEFL Prep Course:
It is best to structure each body paragraph in the following way:
First, briefly describe the main idea of one of the reading passage paragraphs. Then, summarize the corresponding idea from the lecture and its supporting details, with a clear explanation of how they relate to the reading idea.
Accordingly, I always recommend mentioning the reading first. However, I decided to do some research to figure out what ETS suggests. I examined a variety of official sources, all of which include sample essays described as “high scoring.”
I learned that the reading is generally mentioned first, but sometimes the lecture comes first. This means you can probably do what feels best to you.
Official Guide to the TOEFL
- Test Two: The reading is not mentioned. Really.
- Test Three: The reading is mentioned first.
- Test Four: The reading is mentioned first.
I did not include test one in my research as the sample question is terrible, and the sample essay is worse (one giant paragraph).
Official iBT Tests Volume 2
- Test One: The reading is mentioned first.
- Test Two: The lecture is mentioned first.
- Test Three: The reading is mentioned first.
- Test Four: The reading is mentioned first.
- Test Five: The reading is mentioned first.
Note that the Official iBT Tests Volume 1 has no sample essays.
Official Practice Sets
- Writing Set (voting systems): The lecture is mentioned first.
Official Practice Test
- The reading is mentioned first.
Propell Workshop Supplement Dated 2017
- The reading is mentioned first (a weird essay with two paragraphs in total).
The Official TOEFL Prep Course (2022)
- The reading is mentioned first (and note the quote above).