Taking notes for the Integrated Writing

1. TOEFL Integrated Writing
Noting the Main Points from the Reading Passage

2. Find the Main Idea
There will be a main idea to the reading passage. You will be able to find this in the first paragraph. Look
at this introduction paragraph to a reading passage:
Looking over this, you should notice some key words:
Sea otters, population, decline, environmental pollution, attack by predators.

3. Find the Main Idea
There will be a main idea to the reading passage. You will be able to find this in the first paragraph. Look
at this introduction paragraph to a reading passage:
Looking over this, you should notice some key words:
Sea otters, population, decline, environmental pollution, attack by predators.

4. Note the Main Idea
Once you catch it, make a quick note. This can just be in simple language for now and doesn’t even need
to be a proper sentence. For example:
Sea otter populations decline because of pollution and predators.
Or even simpler:
Otter pop. decline → pollution, predators

5. Find the supporting details
Look at the supporting paragraphs below. See if you can find the supporting reasons.

6. Find the supporting details
Look at the supporting paragraphs below. See if you can find the supporting reasons.
You may notice some key ideas.

7. Note the supporting details
From those key words and phrases, you can note 3 supporting ideas that link the decline of sea otters to
pollution:
1. Alaskan oil rigs, chemicals in water
2. Decline of other animals
3. Uneven pattern of decline
You should have noticed that the supporting paragraphs aren’t focused on predators, so you can edit
your main idea notes:
Sea otter populations decline because of pollution and predators.
Or
Otter pop. decline → pollution, predators

8. Your resulting notes
Putting it all together, you should have a rough summary of the reading passage:
Sea otter populations declined because of pollution
➔ Alaskan oil rigs, chemicals in water
➔ Decline of other animals
➔ Uneven pattern of decline
See? Keep it simple!