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TOEFL Speaking Template — Task 1-6

SpeakingUpdated 5 min read

About the test format

This template set was written for the six-task TOEFL Speaking structure used before August 2019 (two independent tasks plus four integrated reading/listening-then-speaking tasks). Since the January 2026 redesign, Speaking uses two task types — Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview — with no independent opinion task and no reading- or listening-then-speak integrated tasks in this form.

These six templates cover the older TOEFL Speaking structure task by task: two independent, personal-opinion tasks (Q1–Q2), followed by four integrated tasks that combined a reading passage and/or a lecture or conversation with a spoken response (Q3–Q6). Fill in your own content where you see "…", and keep the connecting phrases as they are — they're what makes an answer sound organized under time pressure.

TOEFL Speaking Template Q1 — Personal Preference

Personally, I would like to say that my favorite is …, and there are a couple of reasons why.

The most important thing is that… What's more, …

So that's why…

TOEFL Speaking Template Q2 — Agree or Disagree

Several alternative openings, depending on the question:

Well, in my opinion, I would definitely agree with the point that… The first reason is that… More importantly… So that's why I chose… for the two reasons listed above.

Personally speaking, I prefer… for several reasons. Firstly, … Besides, in my experience, … But probably the most important reason for my preference is that… That's why I prefer…

I think … is more appropriate for… for several reasons. For one thing, by doing…, … Another advantage is that… It's true that…, but unless…, …

TOEFL Speaking Template Q3 — Campus Announcement + Conversation

Version A (short):

The school has introduced a new policy that… because…

The man/woman has a positive/negative view of the announcement. The first reason he/she gives is that… The second is that…

Version B (longer):

In the reading material, there is an announcement/message/notice/proposal about… The university/college is going to…

In the listening material, two students discuss the… The man/woman opposes/supports the… and is unhappy/pleased about…

He/she thinks the… is unfair/inconvenient/unaffordable for the following reasons:

  • Firstly, he/she thinks/says…
  • Also, he/she points out that…
  • In addition, in his/her opinion, …

Whichever version you use, keep the summary of the announcement to one or two sentences. The task is about connecting it to the conversation, so spend most of your time on the student's opinion and the reasons behind it.

TOEFL Speaking Template Q4 — Academic Reading + Lecture

In the lecture, the professor mainly talks about the theory that… To reinforce it, the professor gives two reasons/examples: the first is that…, and the other is that…

Type 1: Reading gives a definition, lecture gives research/examples

The reading passage gives the definition of…, which is… In the lecture, the professor goes on to demonstrate it by introducing research and examples.

  • The first is… This research proved that…
  • The second is… (Additional research also showed that…)

Type 2: Reading describes a phenomenon or process, lecture gives analysis

The reading passage describes the phenomenon/problem/process/feature of…, which is… In the listening passage, the professor continues by introducing research and analysis.

  • The first is…
  • The second is…

Type 3: Reading introduces a concept, lecture gives specific aspects

The reading passage introduces a concept held by…, its principle, application, cause, or effect. In the listening passage, the professor describes several specific aspects of…

  • Firstly, …
  • Secondly, …

When the lecture challenges or extends the reading

Types 1–3 cover lectures that illustrate the reading. Sometimes the lecture does something else: it questions the reading's claims, or it adds information the reading didn't cover. Use one of these frames instead.

Contrast — the lecture pushes back on the reading:

The reading passage mainly deals with…, and it claims that… In the lecture, however, the professor points out that this doesn't fit with… Another point the professor raises is that…, which also calls the reading's claim into question.

Extension — the lecture builds on the reading without contradicting it:

The reading passage gives background information about…: … The lecture deals with the same topic, and the professor adds that… This goes beyond the reading by showing…

Choosing a frame quickly

Listen for a signal early in the lecture. "For example" or "let me give you a case" usually means illustration (Types 1–3), "however" or "but actually" means contrast, and "in addition" or "what the reading doesn't mention" means extension. Deciding in the first few seconds leaves more of your preparation time for the details.

TOEFL Speaking Template Q5 — Conversation: Problem and Solutions

A common pacing guide for this task: roughly 10 seconds on the problem, 17 seconds on each solution, and 10 seconds on your choice and why.

Template A:

In the conversation, the woman's problem is that she's having a hard time dealing with… The man comes up with two or three solutions:

  • At first, he suggests that she do…. However, she's concerned that…
  • His other recommendation is to…, while in the woman's opinion…
  • Besides, the man thinks it's reasonable to…, while the situation is that…

From my point of view, I think the second choice is preferable, for the following reasons: … If it were my choice, I would choose the former/latter one, because…

Template B:

The woman is trying to decide/figure out what to do about…, and her friend makes a couple of suggestions, encouraging her to…. The advantage of this method is… The other idea is to…

I think she should go with the second idea because…

Template C (one suggestion or a piece of advice):

The man has run into a problem: even though he has tried…, he still can't… The woman suggests that he…, which means… This way, he could… If I were in his position, I'd follow this advice, because…

While you listen, note each solution in two or three words. That way you aren't trying to rebuild the options from memory while you speak.

TOEFL Speaking Template Q6 — Lecture: Theory and Examples

In the lecture, the professor provides two examples to illustrate the theory/phenomenon that… The first one is that…; another example is that… Those are the two examples the professor presents to explain the theory/phenomenon.

Or, for a lecture organized around several points:

In the lecture, the professor discusses … in several points/aspects.

  • Firstly, he/she points out that…. For instance, …
  • Secondly, he/she mentions… and shows data/research about… Finally, he/she states that…, and according to the lecture, there are two major criteria for…

Useful reporting verbs

When summarizing what a speaker said, vary your verb choice: point out, present, describe, state, mention, discuss, provide, demonstrate, introduce, give an example. Quoting a short phrase directly ("First, she mentions, and I'm quoting here, …") also works well when the professor's own wording is precise.

How These Templates Still Help Today

None of these six tasks exists in the current TOEFL Speaking section, which uses two task types — Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview. Still, the skills these templates train are not tied to one task format: stating your point quickly (Q1–Q2), and summarizing someone else's situation, opinion, or reasoning in a clear sequence (Q3–Q6). Both help any spoken answer sound organized rather than rambling, including answers to interview-style questions. The connecting phrases are also useful for Write for an Academic Discussion, where you respond to other people's views in writing.

For related practice, see TOEFL Speaking Answers Example and 10 TOEFL Speaking Sample Answers.

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