The errors of EFL students’ TOEFL iBT integrated writing task - error analysis

Oct 1, 2026

Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing form the four assessed skills in TOEFL iBT, where the writing section includes independent and integrated tasks. This study focuses on the integrated writing task requiring reading a passage, listening to a related lecture, and summarizing how the lecture connects to points in the reading. Samples from seven candidates were analyzed through 14 integrated tasks, with errors categorized into grammar, mechanics, and content. Most grammatical errors occurred in verbs (22%) and agreement (20%), mechanics errors involved capitalization, punctuation errors included comma omission, and content errors covered plagiarism, adding own ideas, ignoring one passage, and missed information.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

TOEFL and TOEFL iBT in brief

Integrated Writing Task

The errors of EFL students’TOEFL iBT integrated writing task Nurhayati Irmawan1, Rahmi Aulia Nurdini2 1,2 Bina Sarana Informatika University, Indonesia [1](1 nurhayati.nhi@bsi.ac.id)[ nurhayati.nhi@bsi.ac.id](1 nurhayati.nhi@bsi.ac.id), [2](2 rahmi.rau@bsi.ac.id)[ rahmi.rau@bsi.ac.id](2 rahmi.rau@bsi.ac.id)[ ](2 rahmi.rau@bsi.ac.id)*) [correspondence: nurhayati.nhi@bsi.ac.id](correspondence: nurhayati.nhi@bsi.ac.id) ABSTRACT Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing are four skills tested in TOEFL iBT. The two types of questions in the writing task of TOEFL iBT are independent and integrated. Focusing on the integrated task in which test-takers require to read a passage, to listen to a lecture related to the topic of the reading and to summarize the listening by explaining how it relates to the points in the reading (Peterson, 2007:8). This research analyzed the errors of students' writing production of integrated task. The research samples of the task were taken from 7 (seven) TOEFL iBT candidates. Examining 14 integrated tasks, this study categorized the errors into three major categories: grammar, mechanics, and content errors. This study found that most frequent grammatical errors were in the verb (22%), agreement (20%), and followed by a noun (14%) . The findings of mechanic errors are mostly in the use of capitalization at the beginning of a sentence. In the part of punctuation errors, it was found that the omission of a comma as a frequent error. The last results are content errors which consist of plagiarism; own idea addition; question addressing in which if the test takers’ response focuses on one of the two passages and completely ignores the other one; and missed information in which testtakers are unable to absorb key information from reading and listening passage. It is expected that these findings enable TOEFL iBT tutors to recognize candidates' problems and improve their teaching approach to reach better results. Keywords: error analysis; TOEFL iBT; integrated writing task; summarizing INTRODUCTION Rilcy and Wyatt (2009:6) stated that ETS launched the “next generation TOEFL” in 2005. This new version of the test combines all four language skills (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing) and is internet-based (iBT), which makes it more widely accessible all over the world. There are 4 skills tested in TOEFL iBT: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. One of the skills is supposed to be the most complicated one is writing tasks as test-takers are expected to equip themselves with some proficient English skills. As it is known that there are two types of questions in the writing task: independent and integrated. Focusing on the integrated task, test-takers require to read a passage and listen to a lecture that is related to the topic of the passage. They will be asked to summarize the listening passage and explain how it relates to the points in the reading passage (Peterson, 2007:8) . It means that test takers are supposed to have 3 skills : reading, listening, and writing. To do writing tasks, they must also have technical skills of writing such as planning, organizing, and revising as well as the mechanics of the writing such as spelling, punctuation, and capitalization (Richards and Renandya in Keyvanfar and Khoskhou, 2015:61) . Considering that many skills are to be equipped to do the integrated writing task, the researchers as the TOEFL iBT tutors as well, intend to investigate detailed errors made on the participants'integrated writing task. Thus, error analysis is used to examine their writing production. TOEFL and TOEFL iBT in brief According to Rilcy and Wyatt (2009:6), TOEFL is administered by ETS (Educational Testing Service), one of the world’s leading organization in the field of educational and psychometric research, based in Princeton, New Jersey. Since it was introduced in 1964, TOEFL has become a global standard for the assessment of English language proficiency. It aims

FAQs

What does the TOEFL iBT integrated writing task require from test-takers?

Test-takers read a passage, listen to a related lecture, and summarize the lecture while explaining how it relates to points in the reading.

How many TOEFL iBT candidates and integrated tasks were analyzed?

The study used samples from seven candidates and examined 14 integrated tasks.

What major categories of errors were found in students’ integrated writing?

Errors were categorized into three major groups: grammar, mechanics, and content errors.

Oct 1, 2026

Uploaded by Quinn Holloway