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Patterns of Development
Simply put, a pattern of development is the method you employ to write
a paper. These patterns are very simple to learn. Fortunately, they do not
take much time, and employing them gives you the advantage needed to
earn that outstanding score on the essay section of the TOEFL.
Understand this: every essay question is worded in such a way that it
requires a specific manner of response. The TOEFL reviewers do not care
about the personal details in your response, but they do look for coher-
ence in your answer. For example, one question from the TOEFL could
ask, “Which would you prefer, a traditional home or a modern home?”
Believe me, no one cares what your personal preference is, but the scor-
er cares if you know that this question requires your answer to be in a
comparison-contrast pattern of development. There are two different
approaches to that pattern, hereafter called a
pod (pattern of develop-
ment)
. Now, let’s look at the process of scoring.
Scoring
The essay is graded by two people. Scores range from 0, for not answer-
ing the question you are given, to 6, the highest possible, which translates
Writing the Essay
PART I:
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Ace the TOEFL Essay (TWE)
to 800. If there is a great difference between the two scores given, a third
grader will be called in. Roughly speaking, if you receive a 4, you are
above average.
Length
The length is 300 to 500 words. That translates to two handwritten pages

book.)
Comparison-Contrast
When writing a comparison-contrast paper, use words that suggest a rela-
tionship of similarity or dissimilarity, such as
opposite, alike, unlike, in com-
mon
, or any other words with the same meanings. Be aware of signals that
will give you ideas on how to address the topic. The ease with which a
professor, or anyone else for that matter, reads a pod is based on the
reader’s ability to move back and forth from point to point, comparing
CHAPTER ONE:
Essay Formats
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Ace the TOEFL Essay (TWE)
each in a relatively short time. Such a point-by-point structure facilitates
the reading of the pod, but the writing of the pod is usually time-
consuming for the student. However, on the exam, the points are there
and relatively easy to write out. Therefore, I suggest the point-by-point
pod for exams, especially if the exam is only four paragraphs in length.
As a final note, remember that the number of paragraphs in a paper is
directly related to the number of ESs in the introduction. The ES is the
sentence that provides evidence to support your thesis statement (ThS).
The following example, though, features two ESs despite having only
one paragraph in the body. This is a rare exception, and is only com-
mon in a point-by-point pod wherein the two topics are dealt with in the
body of the essay together. It is commonly called an ABAB pod,
because every sentence jumps back to the subject. For example, one
sentence is about A and the next is about B. This allows the reader to
compare the two items fairly well without loss of time, which is impor-

certainly warrant more discussion.
(TR)
Reader: Now, you can write the body two separate ways with the
point-by-point pod. First, you can write the sentences in a point-by-
point format—one sentence about A and one about B—until you com-
plete the category or group of sentences that pertain to evidentiary
statement number one (ES1), the statement that supports the thesis
statement. Therefore, the first motif of style could be written about in
the following manner.
The symbol ¶ indicates the start of a new paragraph, which
includes the indentation, or space, of five letters. The para-
graph below starting with the word
The is indented five
spaces. A space is the size of a letter.
The style of older structures carries the charm of aristocracy or the
peace of the rustic countryside as compared to the assembly-like packag-
ing of modern homes.
A.
Basically, the shopper can choose from a variety in the market of
older structures.
A.
For instance, if one wants to wrap himself in the old world of the
nineteenth century, he can search in the “secondhand” market.
A.
Moreover, the buyer can choose from different time periods, hag-
gle on prices, or even negotiate in the arena of remodeling.
SAMPLE
THE
:
RE

old and traditional, the
strength of
foundation, and the grandeur of space, the traditional house
may be the choice of a lifetime. [ES1] The motifs of
style that have long
been played out in today’s market of prefabricated homes are existent in
those structures of yesteryear. In addition, [ES2]
foundations were stronger
in older houses, and they still are, even given the course of time. For
whatever reason, older homes also tend to be [ES3]
larger. These points
certainly warrant discussion.
(TR)
The style of older structures carries the charm of aristocracy or the
peace of the rustic countryside as compared to the assembly-like packag-
ing of modern homes.
Basically
,
the shopper can choose from a variety
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Essay Formats
in the market of older structures. Modern homes, on the other hand, are
thrown up in a hurry, many having the same features.
But, if one wants
to wrap himself in the old world of the nineteenth century, he can search
in the “secondhand” market,
usually finding what he wants in traditional
structures, although doing so may take longer.
A lover of traditional motifs can

HE
:
RE
NOTE:
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someone else’s claim and then proves, or provides evidence of, why your
refutation against another’s argument is correct. This is accomplished by
addressing someone’s claim with a series of statements, refuting this
claim, and then explaining why the claim is incorrect, vicariously stating
your stance on the matter in the process. This pod is used in political sci-
ence, many of the social sciences that deal with theoretical arguments, lit-
erature—which may be useful to the students of this text—and almost any
field that involves new developments. Let’s apply this pod to a normal
composition class, regardless of the level. It is quite common for the pro-
fessor to assign specific readings, and, because many students frequently
complain about their inability to come up with a topic to write about, a
midterm or final examination may include an in-class assignment about
the readings. For example, a professor could pick out the argument (main
idea) of a piece and tell the students to comment on that argument, or
there could be five questions to choose from, all including a common
theme about the same topic, each question coming from the same or even
different writers. The student should be prepared for any combination on
an essay exam; therefore, the refutation-proof pod is quite handy to have
in your arsenal.
In the following refutation-proof pod, the introduction summarizes the
other writer’s argument, the argument you will tear down in your paper.
These statements are the ESs in the introduction. Just as in the other for-
mats, the ESs come down, are reworded, and become the topic sentences

¶ Topic Sent. (1 = TS [reworded])
TS = S + V + Adj. + His idea
A. Your idea
B. Your idea
C. Your idea
D. Your idea
Transitional Statement
¶ TS = 2 (His idea, reworded)
TS = S + V + Adj. + His idea
A. Your idea
B. Your idea
C. Your idea
D. Your idea
TR
¶ TS = 3 (His idea, reworded)
TS = S + V + Adj. + His idea
A. Your idea
B. Your idea
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