Academic English Skills with Dr. Byrnes

  Problem: R epeating the same words Let me ask you something: Have you ever finished a TOEFL essay and realized you kept repeating the same words over and over? Don't worry—we’ve all been there. Today, we're going to talk about how to fix that and impress TOEFL raters by showing lexical variety. What's that? Well, it just means using different vocabulary to express similar ideas. And trust me—this is one of the key things TOEFL raters are looking for. It's especially important in the Integrated Writing Task, where you need to summarize both a reading and a lecture. Let me show you what I mean. Here’s a repetitive version of a TOEFL response: "The passage talks about the disappearance of sea otters in North America. One theory for the disappearance of sea otters is that pollution caused it. The professor in the lecture disagrees with the idea that pollution caused the disappearance of sea otters. Instead, the professor maintains that predators like sea lions are th...

Hi everyone! Dr. Nanhee Byrnes here. Today, I want to share one of my favorite writing tips that can truly elevate your TOEFL essay: the strategic use of participle phrases. I've noticed that many students tend to connect ideas using the word "and." While this conjunction is perfectly fine when used occasionally, overusing "and" can make your writing sound repetitive, choppy, and lacking the grammatical sophistication needed for a high-scoring TOEFL essay. Today, I will show you how to upgrade your sentence structure using participle phrases. [Advertisement] Are you aiming for a 26 or higher in TOEFL Writing but don’t know how? Enroll in Dr. Byrnes’ TOEFL Writing course! Our program offers flexible templates, numerous sample responses for both integrated essays and academic discussions, and detailed essay reviews personally conducted by Dr. Byrnes. Sign up and study at your own pace. It’s affordable, and once purchased, it’s yours forever. Learn the techniques...