25 original Writing and Speaking tasks in the 2026 TOEFL iBT format: Build a Sentence, two emails and two academic discussion posts (the test has one of each), Listen and Repeat sentences and interview questions, with model answers and checklists. In Build a Sentence you choose the right word order instead of moving the chunks yourself.
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Writing and Speaking are not marked automatically: compare your answer with the checklist and the model answer. The word counts and speaking times are our own guide, as ETS publishes none. The Listen and Repeat sentences are printed here: read one, cover it and say it from memory. Nothing you type is sent or saved, and nothing you say is recorded.
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Read the first speaker's line and the jumbled word chunks. Choose the option that puts all the chunks in the right order to make a grammatical, natural reply. In the real test you build the sentence yourself by moving the chunks; here you choose from four orderings.
Correct answer: B — Do you know when the final is?
Why? Indirect question: after 'Do you know', the question word is followed by normal statement order (subject + verb): 'when the final is', not 'when is the final'.
Correct answer: D — I had to stay late at the library to finish my lab report.
Why? 'Have to' is followed directly by the base verb ('had to stay late'); the place comes after that verb, and 'to finish my lab report' is an infinitive of purpose that keeps the verb and its object together.
Correct answer: A — No, it has been canceled because of the snow.
Why? Present perfect passive: has + been + past participle ('has been canceled'). The shuttle does not cancel anything; it is canceled, so the passive is needed.
Correct answer: C — The advisor whose office is next to the lounge can help you.
Why? Relative clause with 'whose': 'whose office is next to the lounge' comes directly after the noun it describes ('The advisor'), and the main verb 'can help you' follows the whole subject.
Correct answer: C — No, but I would have applied earlier if I had known about it.
Why? Third conditional for an unreal past: 'would have' + past participle in the main clause and 'if' + past perfect ('had known') in the if-clause. 'Would have' does not go in the if-clause.
Correct answer: A — I'm not used to getting up so early yet.
Why? 'Be used to' means 'be accustomed to'; here 'to' is a preposition, so it is followed by an -ing form ('getting up'). 'So early' follows the verb, and 'yet' goes at the end of the negative sentence.
Correct answer: D — Walking is probably faster than waiting for the bus.
Why? Comparing two activities: a gerund subject ('Walking'), the adverb 'probably' before the comparative, then 'faster than' + a second -ing phrase ('waiting for the bus').
Correct answer: B — Would you like to borrow mine for the review session?
Why? Polite offer: 'Would you like to' + base verb ('borrow mine'). The verb and its object stay together, and 'for the review session' comes at the end.
Correct answer: D — I had it repaired at the tech help desk last week.
Why? Causative 'have': have + object + past participle ('had it repaired') means someone else did the work for you. Then come place and time: 'at the tech help desk last week'.
Correct answer: A — It was so long that I only got through half of it.
Why? Result clause: 'so' + adjective + 'that' + clause ('so long that I only got through half of it'). The object 'half of it' follows the verb phrase 'got through'.
Read the situation and write an email that covers all three points. Our guide: about 100 to 150 words (ETS does not publish a word count for this task in the sources we checked). The whole Writing section takes about 23 minutes.
You are taking an introductory statistics course. Your professor, Dr. Imani Okafor, has asked each group of four students to give a presentation next Thursday. Yesterday one member of your group, Daniel, dropped the course. His part of the project, collecting survey responses, is only half finished. Write an email to Dr. Okafor.
100–150 words (our guide)
Subject: Group presentation next Thursday
Dear Dr. Okafor,
I am writing about my group's statistics presentation, which is scheduled for next Thursday. Unfortunately, Daniel dropped the course yesterday, so there are now only three of us. He was responsible for collecting the survey responses, and he had reached only about half of the students we planned to ask.
So far, the rest of us have written our research question, designed the questionnaire and prepared the slides on our methods. However, without the remaining data we cannot complete the analysis.
Would it be possible for us to present the following Tuesday instead? The extra days would let us finish the survey and check our results carefully.
Thank you for considering this request.
Best regards,
Lena Hoffmann
Model answer: 125 words
Read the situation and write an email that covers all three points. Our guide: about 100 to 150 words (ETS does not publish a word count for this task in the sources we checked). The whole Writing section takes about 23 minutes.
Last Saturday you volunteered at the Riverside Cleanup Day run by Millbrook Green Neighbors, a local volunteer group. The organizer, Ms. Sara Haddad, has asked volunteers to send her feedback before the next event in the spring. Write an email to Ms. Haddad.
100–150 words (our guide)
Dear Ms. Haddad,
Thank you for organizing the Riverside Cleanup Day last Saturday. I really enjoyed working alongside people from the neighborhood, and it was amazing to see how much litter we removed from the riverbank in one morning.
One problem I noticed was that we ran out of gloves and trash bags before noon. Several volunteers had to wait almost an hour for new supplies, and a few of them went home early.
For the spring event, I would like to suggest an online sign-up form. If volunteers registered in advance, you would know roughly how many people to expect and could order enough equipment.
I would be happy to help set this up.
Best wishes,
Marco Bellini
Model answer: 119 words
Read the professor's question and the two student posts. Write your own post: give your opinion, support it with reasons and an example, and add something new to the discussion. Our guide: about 100 to 150 words (not an official ETS figure).
Your professor is teaching a class on education. Read the professor's question and the two posts from other students. Then write a post that contributes to the discussion.
Professor Delgado:
Many universities now record their lectures and post the videos online. Supporters say recordings help students review difficult material. Critics worry that students will stop coming to class. Should universities record and share all of their lectures? Why or why not?
Mei:
I think recordings are very useful. When a professor explains a complicated idea quickly, I can pause the video and watch that part again. Students who are sick or have to work also don't fall behind.
Tomás:
I disagree. If every lecture is online, many students will skip class and plan to watch later, but often they never do. Being in the room also means you can ask questions and join discussions, and a video can't replace that.100–150 words (our guide)
I believe universities should record lectures, but share them only with students enrolled in the course. Mei is right that recordings help with difficult material, and Tomás makes a fair point about attendance. However, neither of them mentioned students who are studying in a second language. In my first year, I sometimes understood only part of a fast lecture, and watching it again with subtitles helped me catch the key terms. To address Tomás's concern, professors could include short in-class activities that count toward the final grade. That way, students would still have a reason to attend, while recordings would remain a useful tool for review. In short, the benefits are too great to give up.
Model answer: 116 words
Read the professor's question and the two student posts. Write your own post: give your opinion, support it with reasons and an example, and add something new to the discussion. Our guide: about 100 to 150 words (not an official ETS figure).
Your professor is teaching a class on business management. Read the professor's question and the two posts from other students. Then write a post that contributes to the discussion.
Professor Varga:
When companies hire recent graduates, they often have to choose between candidates with excellent grades and candidates with a lot of practical experience from part-time jobs or internships. Which should employers value more, and why?
Aylin:
I would choose grades. Getting top marks over four years shows that a person is disciplined and can learn new information quickly. Those skills are useful in almost any job.
Kwame:
For me, experience matters more. Someone who has worked in a café or done an internship already knows how to deal with customers, meet deadlines and work in a team. You can't learn that from a textbook.100–150 words (our guide)
In my view, employers should give more weight to practical experience, although grades still matter. Aylin is correct that high grades show discipline, but they mainly show that someone performs well in a classroom, where tasks are clearly defined. Real workplaces are rarely like that. Building on Kwame's point, I would add that experience reveals how a person reacts when things go wrong. For example, my cousin managed the weekend schedule at a small bookstore while she was at university. When two employees quit in the same week, she reorganized everyone's shifts within a day. That story impressed the company that eventually hired her far more than her grades did. Of course, the ideal candidate has both, but experience tells employers more.
Model answer: 122 words
Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly. In the real test you only hear the sentence. Here it is printed: read it once, cover it and say it from memory, or ask someone to read it aloud to you.
You have just started using the print and copy center on your campus. A staff member is showing new students around. Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly.
Welcome to the campus print and copy center.Welcome to the campus print and copy center.
Model answer: 8 words
Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly. In the real test you only hear the sentence. Here it is printed: read it once, cover it and say it from memory, or ask someone to read it aloud to you.
You have just started using the print and copy center on your campus. A staff member is showing new students around. Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly.
Please show your student card at the front desk.Please show your student card at the front desk.
Model answer: 9 words
Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly. In the real test you only hear the sentence. Here it is printed: read it once, cover it and say it from memory, or ask someone to read it aloud to you.
You have just started using the print and copy center on your campus. A staff member is showing new students around. Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly.
Copies in black and white are much cheaper than color copies.Copies in black and white are much cheaper than color copies.
Model answer: 11 words
Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly. In the real test you only hear the sentence. Here it is printed: read it once, cover it and say it from memory, or ask someone to read it aloud to you.
You have just started using the print and copy center on your campus. A staff member is showing new students around. Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly.
You can send a file to any printer from your own laptop.You can send a file to any printer from your own laptop.
Model answer: 12 words
Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly. In the real test you only hear the sentence. Here it is printed: read it once, cover it and say it from memory, or ask someone to read it aloud to you.
You have just started using the print and copy center on your campus. A staff member is showing new students around. Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly.
Large posters usually take about two hours to print, so plan ahead.Large posters usually take about two hours to print, so plan ahead.
Model answer: 12 words
Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly. In the real test you only hear the sentence. Here it is printed: read it once, cover it and say it from memory, or ask someone to read it aloud to you.
You have just started using the print and copy center on your campus. A staff member is showing new students around. Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly.
If a machine runs out of paper, ask one of the staff members for help.If a machine runs out of paper, ask one of the staff members for help.
Model answer: 15 words
Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly. In the real test you only hear the sentence. Here it is printed: read it once, cover it and say it from memory, or ask someone to read it aloud to you.
You have just started using the print and copy center on your campus. A staff member is showing new students around. Listen to each sentence and repeat it exactly.
Remember to collect your pages before you leave, because unclaimed print jobs are deleted at the end of each day.Remember to collect your pages before you leave, because unclaimed print jobs are deleted at the end of each day.
Model answer: 20 words
Answer the interviewer's question aloud. Speak for about 45 to 60 seconds (our guide: ETS does not publish the time per question in the sources we checked). Speak freely; do not read a prepared script.
A researcher from your university's student services office is interviewing students about learning practical skills outside regular classes. Answer each question in about 45 to 60 seconds.
Interviewer: To start, could you tell me about a practical skill you've learned outside your classes, and how you learned it?about 1 min (our guide)
Sure. Last year I taught myself basic bike repair. My bike kept getting flat tires, and paying the shop every time was getting expensive, so I decided to fix it myself. At first I watched a few online videos, but honestly, they went too fast for me. What really helped was a free workshop run by the campus cycling club. A volunteer showed us how to take off a wheel, find the hole in the tube and patch it. After that, I practiced on my roommate's bike too. Now I can fix a flat in about fifteen minutes. It's a small skill, but it saves me money and makes me feel more independent.
Model answer: 113 words
Answer the interviewer's question aloud. Speak for about 45 to 60 seconds (our guide: ETS does not publish the time per question in the sources we checked). Speak freely; do not read a prepared script.
A researcher from your university's student services office is interviewing students about learning practical skills outside regular classes. Answer each question in about 45 to 60 seconds.
Interviewer: Our office offers skills workshops both in person and as recorded online videos. Which format do you prefer, and why?about 1 min (our guide)
I definitely prefer in-person workshops. The main reason is that I learn best when I can ask questions right away. With a recorded video, if I don't understand a step, I just get stuck, and there's nobody to explain it differently. In a room with an instructor, you also notice your mistakes immediately because someone is watching what you do. Another advantage is that you meet people with the same interests. At the bike workshop, I made two friends I still ride with. That said, I can see why videos are popular, because you can watch them whenever you want. So maybe the ideal is a live session followed by a video for review.
Model answer: 114 words
Answer the interviewer's question aloud. Speak for about 45 to 60 seconds (our guide: ETS does not publish the time per question in the sources we checked). Speak freely; do not read a prepared script.
A researcher from your university's student services office is interviewing students about learning practical skills outside regular classes. Answer each question in about 45 to 60 seconds.
Interviewer: Some people think universities should give academic credit for completing these workshops. Do you agree?about 1 min (our guide)
I partly agree. On the one hand, giving credit would encourage more students to attend, and some workshops, like public speaking or budgeting, are really useful after graduation. With a small reward, students might try something outside their comfort zone. On the other hand, I worry it would change the atmosphere. Right now, people go because they're curious, not because they need points. If credit were involved, there would have to be tests and attendance rules, and the workshops might start to feel like regular classes. So I'd suggest a compromise: instead of credit, the university could give a certificate. That way, students still get recognition, but the workshops stay relaxed.
Model answer: 111 words
Answer the interviewer's question aloud. Speak for about 45 to 60 seconds (our guide: ETS does not publish the time per question in the sources we checked). Speak freely; do not read a prepared script.
A researcher from your university's student services office is interviewing students about learning practical skills outside regular classes. Answer each question in about 45 to 60 seconds.
Interviewer: Finally, how do you think the way people learn practical skills will change in the next twenty years?about 1 min (our guide)
That's an interesting question. I think technology will play a much bigger role. For example, people might use virtual reality to practice things like cooking or repairing machines before they try them in real life. That would make learning safer and cheaper, especially for dangerous jobs. I also expect more personalized learning, where an app notices what you're struggling with and gives you extra practice on exactly that step. However, I don't think human teachers will disappear. Some skills, like dealing with people, are hard to learn from a screen. So I imagine a mix: technology for practice, and real people for feedback and motivation.
Model answer: 105 words
Check the official description of each section on the ETS website too. The ETS TOEFL iBT resources page has a free sample test.