Writing: 15 Latihan Soal Independent Essay dalam Writing

Latihan berikutnya adalah sesi yang akan kamu hadapi terakhir dalam rangkaian tes TOEFL, yaitu writing. Menjadi sesi yang terakhir, jangan sampai konsentrasi dan energi untuk kategori yang satu ini hanya tinggal sisanya, ya!

Writing perlu konsentrasi tinggi karena kamu dituntut untuk bisa menuangkan pendapat dalam bentuk tulisan yang terstruktur. Bukan tulisan sembarangan yang sulit dipahami, melainkan tulisan dengan kalimat-kalimat pendek efektif serta tidak keluar dari pembahasan dan pertanyaan utama.

Ada struktur yang perlu kamu pahami dalam menulis independent essay. Hal ini pernah kita bahas dalam artikel sebelumnya, tentang bagaimana membuat outline dari apa yang ada di benak kita hingga akhirnya terwujud dalam bentuk tulisan yang menarik. Teruslah berlatih menulis jelang hari digelarnya tes TOEFL.

Kamu perlu tahu kan, berapa banyak waktu yang kamu perlukan untuk membuat kerangka essay, mengambil contoh nyata dari kehidupan sehari-hari, hingga berapa lama waktu yang kamu perlukan untuk menulis tiap paragraf. Tidak hanya sampai di situ, penting juga untuk tahu kata hubung antara satu argumen ke argumen pendukung yang lain.

Dan kali ini, kita akan mengajak kamu untuk melihat beberapa contoh independent essay yang bisa menjadi acuan kamu saat menjawab nanti di hari H tes digelar. Ini adalah essay yang ditulis dalam sesi kedua dengan waktu 30 menit.

Mari kita mulai simak 15 contoh independent essay berikut ini:

1. It is better to make mistakes when learning a new skill, so you can learn from the errors.
   Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
2. Good friends should have varied interests and personalities, instead of having similar tastes.
   Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
3. Team sports do more harm than good by creating unnecessary fighting between teams and their fans.
   Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
4. Important decisions should only be made with measurable data clearly supporting the decision.
   Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
5. Frequent communication is the most important part of working well with peers on a shared task.
   Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
6. Some companies talk to their customers very formally, while others use a more informal or conversational style.
   Which type of communication do you think is better? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
7. Colleges and universities have the responsibility to give their students options for clubs and activities outside of classes.
   Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
8. Colleges and universities should make all lectures open to the public for free, including people who are not planning to graduate with a degree.
   Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
9. As the internet becomes increasingly more important in daily life, writing skills become more important to teach in schools.
   Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
10. It is important for children to do puzzles and play games in order to learn new ways of thinking. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
11. Some parents give their children a small amount of money regularly to be spent as the children choose. Other parents hold the money, and only allow the children make purchases with parental approval.
    Which do you think is better, and why? Explain your reasoning with specific examples.
12. Changing schools is emotionally difficult for children, and so it should be avoided if possible.
    Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
13. Because technology changes so quickly, it is better to only spend money on new technology rarely, in order to avoid spending money on new technology that will soon be outdated.
    Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
14. Art museums should not be funded by governments, because they are not helpful for or desired by the large part of the population who take no interest in visual arts.
    Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
15. When in a new location, some people prefer to fill their days with sightseeing activities, while others prefer to explore with less planning.
    Which do you prefer? Use reasons and examples to support your answer.

Untuk berlatih menjawab, siapkan stopwatch dan pasang waktu selama 30 menit untuk mengukur durasi kamu dalam menjawab. Setelah selesai menjawab, jangan lupa untuk meninjau ulang apa yang kamu tulis.

Lakukan hal ini seminggu kemudian saat pikiran kamu lebih fresh dan bisa lebih jeli mengidentifikasi kesalahan sekecil apapun. Semakin sering kamu memperkaya wawasan, maka essay yang kamu buat akan lebih berbobot dan memiliki nilai argumen lebih dibandingkan dengan yang lain. Hadiahnya? Tentu saja skor TOEFL yang memuaskan. Selamat berlatih!