Shadowing Practice: How to Avoid Common TOEFL Writing Mistakes - 2026 Edition - Learn English Speaking with Video

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In the TOEFL writing, the first big mistake I see students make is that they don't prepare for the test conditions.

What do I mean?

Well, for example, for write an email, you have seven minutes to read and write.

A lot of test takers don't use a timer and don't know how long it takes.

Or they use an app that has spell check and on test day there's no spell check.

For build a sentence, the first task.

You have 10 sentences.

You have about 35 seconds to complete each one.

Some students take their time with this.

You want to prepare for the test conditions, which means for build a sentence, you do 10 sentences in 5 minutes and 50 seconds.

For write an email, no spell check.

You write the email in 7 minutes.

And for academic discussion, same thing, no spell check, and you have 10 minutes to write. And

if you want to give yourself a bigger challenge to help

you improve your writing score is to give yourself less time when you're preparing.

Yeah, so instead of more time, give yourself less time.

Why is that?

Because if you give yourself, let's say, six minutes for writing an email instead of seven minutes, you have to try to write faster.

What that does is that helps you prepare for the test conditions.

So when it's test day and you have seven minutes, it feels like forever because you're so used to practicing for just six minutes.

If you're struggling with a test, you don't have to do that,

but that's one recommendation I have for students to help them manage their time on test day

and feel comfortable and confident no matter what happens.

If you want to know more about the test conditions, you can download the TOEFL writing guide.

It's completely free.

Link in the description below to that.

The second mistake might surprise you.

It's that a lot of students write too much.

I recommend a word count for write an email for 100 words at least, and for academic discussion, at least 120 words.

And I have said before in the past that usually the more you write, the better.

But a lot of times students take this advice too far

and they write too much and don't leave enough time to edit

because they want to write so much that they don't check their writing.

Let me show you an example of a sloppy response.

This is for academic discussion for this question here.

I'm going to pause the video, or you can pause the video.

I'm not going to pause the video, but you can pause the video to try to find all of the mistakes,

but it's really hard without spellcheck, right?

So look at all of the spelling errors, the run -on sentences, that last sentence is underlined because it's a big mess.

The impact of fashion extends beyond mere style influencing our self -esteem

and the way we are treated by others and sometimes people judge.

So you see how this just goes way too long, it should be separated.

This is something you would notice if you have time to edit.

If you finish your writing a minute or two before the time is over and you check your spelling,

you check your grammar, you check your punctuation, and make sure everything looks good.

You don't want to get points off for typos, spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, these can be avoided by taking the time to edit.

So, when you're practicing, if time is an issue for you, don't worry about the test conditions for now.

You do want to practice under test conditions, but if you're trying to improve your score,

don't worry about them for now and work on improving your time management so you have time to edit.

You can't just write a lot of words.

You have to write the words well.

So, that's another big mistake that I think is surprising to a lot of students

because most just write a lot and think that's the cure for everything, but it's not, trust me.

You want to make sure you write well and you spell everything correctly.

The next big mistake is to just watch YouTube videos and not enroll in the TOEFL emergency course.

So this has everything you need to get your score as quickly

and easily as possible so you don't have to just roam around the internet to random sites, random videos, all the practice questions you need,

all the practice tests you need, all the tips and tricks you need all in one place in a condensed version.

You don't need a lot of time to prepare.

We have two days, one week, two weeks, and one month study schedules for the TOEFL emergency course, so check that out.

Link in the description below.

This offer is only for the YouTube audience, but there is an actual other mistake besides that one, which is to not include polite language.

So this is for the write and email task, the second task.

If you look at the grading criteria from ETS.

Part of the grading criteria is your social conventions.

What that means is that your ability to use polite language.

Now you might know what it means to be polite, but what exactly is social conventions?

What are they looking for?

So there are three ways that you can use it in your response.

One is would or could.

And so you would use would when you're asking someone to do something or giving a polite suggestion.

So these emails, usually the structures you're begin by saying why you're sending an email, and then you have a request usually at the end,

towards the end of the email.

That's not always the case, but a lot of times that's the structure.

And so the question, would you be able to help with this?

Or I would appreciate it if you could send me.

This comes up a lot.

You can look at this example here where they're gonna ask for somebody to come to repair some problems in their apartment.

Would it be possible for you to arrange repairs for both of these issues right away?

So we need to say this polite language because in everyday life, when we're asking for something,

if I say, come to my house and fix this stuff, it doesn't sound so great.

Would it be possible for you to come?

So you'd have to be kind of softer and more polite.

So that's something that they're going to measure on test day for write an email.

There's a big list of different ways of softening a request.

Notice that the parts highlighted in red, you can cut them out and the sentence is fine.

So, would it be possible for you to arrange repairs for both of these issues?

Please arrange repairs for both of these issues.

I don't have to say all that.

Or, I would appreciate it if you could arrange repairs for both these issues.

Arrange repairs for both these issues.

So, you see how if I just stay the statement, it's too direct, too strong.

I need to soften it.

So, these are examples of softening your request using polite language to sound a bit more polite basically.

Now you're also going to use polite language in your opening and in your closing statements.

So a lot of times the beginning of your email is going to be the same.

I apologize for bothering you because I know you must be very busy.

You know, I hope you're doing well.

I'm writing too.

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And then in your conclusion, thank you for your time.

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Please let me know if you need any other information.

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I look forward to hearing from you.

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So you have these natural introduction and conclusions in your email as well.

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And that's another way to show polite language, is to start with something polite and to end in a polite way as well.

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Besides the would and could opening and closing statements, you can also use hedge words.

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Now, what is a hedge word?

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So, a hedge word is a way to make your message more polite when you're giving instructions or you're giving suggestions.

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So, for example, if you're describing a problem, there may be an issue with the computer, not the computer has a problem.

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There may be a problem with the computer, so that's a hedge word.

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Maybe there may have be a problem or perhaps, perhaps we could meet earlier instead of let's meet earlier.

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Perhaps we can meet earlier.

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So these are all different ways of making your request a bit softer.

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It seems that it appears that it may be, I'm not sure if I'm having a bit of trouble.

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So all of these are different ways of showing that you know how to use polite language,

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which is one of the grading criterias for the TOEFL writing.

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So really important that you include this in your response, that you include these hedge words, would or could.

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Another example here, perhaps we could reschedule the meeting.

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So a polite way to ask to reschedule instead of saying, hey, let's do the meeting another time.

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Too strong.

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Perhaps we could reschedule.

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Now mistake number four happens to a lot of first -time test takers, and that's they do not develop the topic.

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Look, this is why we have templates.

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This is why we have templates for the academic discussion and for writing an email, so you know how to begin,

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how to write your response in the middle, and how to finish it up.

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You know how to go from one idea to the next idea.

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If you don't do that, your writing is just random sentences that don't go anywhere.

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Let me just show you an example of an academic discussion essay that doesn't go anywhere, that doesn't have any progression,

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doesn't show that you're developing the topic.

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Clearly, fashion plays a significant role in shaping both self -image and the way others perceive us.

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Okay, so that's the opinion.

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Fashion plays a role in how people see us.

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When I think about clothing, many things come to mind.

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Confidence, professionalism, comfort, and personality.

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Okay, so okay, maybe they're trying to you know, emphasize how they feel.

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Okay, but let's, let's show me something else.

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Show me the consequences.

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What happens in life to prove your point, to support your reason and your opinion?

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I also noticed that fashion can influence first impressions

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and it can open doors in social or academic settings and it can show our culture or political views.

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So, and, and, and.

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There's way too much and here.

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It's not, just pick one of these things and talk about it.

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So, for example, can influence first impressions and open doors in social or academic settings.

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For example, when I was in college, I dressed really well, or when I make these YouTube videos, I have to put on a tie.

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You know, so you want to give an example to help expand on your reason and show that you're

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developing the topic that you're saying, okay, this is my opinion.

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This is a reason for my opinion.

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Let me explain my reason.

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I can even give an example to support my reason.

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That's why we have a template for the academic discussion, where it starts with opinion, reason, example, acknowledging the other speaker,

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and then you expand on your second reason.

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And so here, this same topic, let me show you how to develop it.

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Clearly, fashion plays a significant role in shaping both self -image and the way others perceive us.

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Okay, so that's the introduction, right?

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I remember dressing up for a college interview and noticing an immediate boost in my confidence, which in turn made me feel more capable and professional.

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So giving an example right away to explain why I feel this way from my college days.

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Then I'm going to talk about one of the speakers.

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Although Maria argues that fashion is about comfort and expression,

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I've experienced how a great outfit can influence first impressions and open doors in social settings and academic settings.

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So here I'm showing my opinion, my reason, and an example.

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I'm expanding on it, developing the topic.

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Don't just have a list of things.

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Okay, so make sure you do that.

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Those are the four mistakes you want to make sure you avoid to get a high score in the TOEFL writing.

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Now is the time to actually practice this.

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So you can check out this video here of a TOEFL writing test

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so you can know what to expect on test day

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and not make the first mistake and not practice under the test conditions.

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All right, thank you guys for watching.

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I hope you found this helpful.

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Don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

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Make a free account at tsdprep .com for more practice, and I'll see you in the next one.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “How to Avoid Common TOEFL Writing Mistakes - 2026 Edition”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: write, test, polite, example, email. This video has 172 sentences and 2187 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:46. The speaker talks fast, about 186 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
polite adjective	/pəˈlaɪt/	Well-mannered, civilized.
repair verb	/ˈɹiːpɛɚ/	To restore to good working order, fix, or improve damaged condition; to mend; to remedy.
topic noun	/ˈtɑpɪk/	A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest.
spell noun	/spɛl/	Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers.
arrange verb	/əˈɹeɪnd͡ʒ/	To set up; to organize; to put into an orderly sequence or arrangement.
hedge noun	/ˈhɛd͡ʒ/	A thicket of bushes or other shrubbery, especially one planted as a fence between two portions of land, or to separate the parts of a garden.
edit verb	/ˈɛdɪt/	To change a text, or a document.
pause noun	/pɔːz/	A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation.
expand verb	/ɪkˈspænd/	To change (something) from a smaller form or size to a larger one; to spread out or lay open.
impression noun	/ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/	The indentation or depression made by the pressure of one object on or into another.
spelling noun	/ˈspɛl.ɪŋ/	The act, practice, ability, or subject of forming words with letters, or of reading the letters of words; orthography.
template noun	/ˈtɛm.plɪt/	A physical object whose shape is used as a guide to make other objects.
comfort noun	/ˈkʌm.fət/	Contentment, ease.
conclusion noun	/kənˈkluːʒən/	The end, finish, close or last part of something.
suggestion noun	/səˈd͡ʒɛst.ʃən/	Something suggested (with subsequent adposition being for)

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
check out verb	To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
come up verb	To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly.
look forward to verb	To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

What do I mean?
You can't just write a lot of words.
You don't need a lot of time to prepare.
Would it be possible for you to come?
I don't have to say all that.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	is underlined · are treated · should be separated
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	have said · I've experienced
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	conditions, which means · one, which is

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 53 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: clothing /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/, bother /ˈbɑðɚ/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: impression /ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/, conclusion /kənˈkluːʒən/, suggestion /səˈd͡ʒɛst.ʃən/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/, recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: apologize /əˈpɑləˌd͡ʒaɪz/, recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/, criterion /kɹaɪˈtɪɹ.i.ən/, professionalism /pɹəˈfɛʃənəˌlɪzəm/, punctuation /ˌpʌŋk.t͡ʃuˈeɪ.ʃən/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like polite, repair, topic.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: How to Avoid Common TOEFL Writing Mistakes - 2026 Edition - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?