While wotking on Step 3* students can practice revising by checking each others work using the revision checklist- Again* the Writing Skills section of this book can be studied along with these steps. | Writing Skills Independent Task 197 CHECK THE SPELLING AND PUNCTUATION Just as you did in the Integrated Task you will have to check the punctuation and spelling on the essay you write for the Independent Task. Spelling Remember that there is no spell checker on the computer that you will use during the TOEFL iBT. You should be able to spell the most common English words before you take the test. On the test try to use words that you are sure how to spell. Punctuation There arc three important things to remember about punctuation when you write your responses. Indent each paragraph or use a space between paragraphs. This will help the reader determine when you are starting a new topic. Capitalize the first word of each sentence. This will help the reader determine when you are starting a new sentence. Put a period or question mark at the end of each sentence or question. This will help the reader determine when you are ending a sentence or question. Here are some other forms of punctuation that will help make your response easier to read. Comma Use a comma in a list of three or more things. It is optional to put a comma before the and. I want to have a kitchen living room and bedroom. I want a large airy inexpensive house. Use a comma between a noun and a following description. My favorite area Orchard Hill was developed by John Bartie an entrepreneur. Use a comma to separate transition words adjectives or participles that are not part of the sentence or were added for emphasis. On the other hand I think eating at home saves money. The apartment was very very expensive. Excited I signed the lease without reading the fine print. Use a comma between two independent clauses. It is important to get along with co-workers and it is important to get along with bosses as well. NOTE You will not be penalized if you use a space between paragraphs instead of indents. Also remember that proper nouns are capitalized. 198 Writing for the TOEFL iBT NOTE Commas help the reader .
