Explaining Why Something Is True

In this independent essay question, you will be asked to explain why you think something is true. You will have 30 minutes to plan, write, and revise your essay. A good response will usually require that you write a minimum of 300 words.

In this type of essay, you should:

• Offer two or three reasons in the introduction.
• Explain each reason in separate paragraphs.

Offering reasons

This type of essay is different from most other TOEFL essays. Most essays require that you first give an opinion about something, and then offer supporting information. This type of essay starts with an idea that is generally accepted as true, so you don't have to offer an opinion. You simply have to explain why it is true. Therefore, your thesis should mention all of the reasons and your body should explain them in detail.

Example thesis: I believe that the popularity of social networking sites is due to the fact that they are easy to use, have broad appeal, and allow users to escape the real world.

Explaining reasons

Begin each paragraph by restating a reason that you mentioned in the introduction. Then offer examples or details to explain the reason.

Example: First of all, popular social networking sites are easy to use, even for people who are not good with computers. For example, my grandfather recently got his first computer. Even though he is a beginner, he has already created a profile on My Space.