Should TOEFL candidates use a spell checker?

Hi Yasha, I use a spell checker all the time not because I’m lazy but because I want to make sure that any of the messages I post on the forum or any of my emails are at least free of typos and spelling errors. A spell checker is just another tool you use to accomplish a goal. You use a computer system to compose texts. Why not use a spell checker too? If you think a computer system or any tool makes you lazy, you might as well write all your texts long-hand.

A spell checker doesn’t write texts for you. It only suggests corrections if you make a typo. So you still need to do most of the work yourself.

TOEIC listening, photographs: Loading a barge[YSaerTTEW443543]

Hi Torsten,

Yes, you are right. I agree but I was referring to someone who wants to take the TOEFL test. I meant if a TOEFL taker get used to use a spell checker all the time, in the real TOEFL test he/she might not be confident.

It happened to me last year:
I had gotten used to use spell checkers all the time before I took the TOEFL test last year. In the real test I had not access to any sort of spell checker and I had doubts about the words I wrote. I thought all the spelling of the words I wrote might be incorrect.

1 Like

hi i wrot an essay and would like someone to check it for me.
is this service available on your website and if yes, please tell me how.

thanks a lot for your time and attention.

Regards,

Hello Ali,

If you post your essay then one of the moderators (most likely Kitosdad) will give you feedback.
You should post it as a new message in a new thread on the appropriate forum. Here are the instructions for doing that:

  1. Go to the main page at english.best
  2. Choose an appropriate forum, depending on the context of your message. Click on that forum’s name to open it.
  3. Click on the “newtopic” button. (There is one near the top and one near the bottom of each page.)
  4. Think of a suitable meaningful subject for your message. Complete the ‘subject’ and ‘message’ boxes and click on the “Send message” button.

By following these instructions your post is far less likely to be overlooked. Please try to make the subject of the message meaningful!

1 Like

hello Mr Torsten,
i 'm Azoudiarra i prepare my TOEFL and i want to know the different stage of TOEFL.
i am waiting to heard you thank you !

1 Like

What do you mean by different stage of TOEFL. If you can be more specific we cna help you better.
http://www.test-TOEFL.com

Hi Azoudiarra,

If you are referring to sections, then, you have the Reading, Listening, Speaking and the writing sections if you are taking the TOEFL IBT version of the TOEFL test.

Hello every one,

Hope you all had a very nice week-end. Here in New York it was not warm to enjoy taking a walk, or window shopping, but I don’t mind sometimes to stay indoors. But other times I just want to run a way, and leave my apartment how ever it’s. I miss not having a house where you can invite your friends for barqueu (I’m not sure about the spelling, I can’t find the proper one not even in my dictionary) so I will say. It’s not fun to cook indoors instead out doors.
This winter has been one of the very best in a long time. Not much snow, that it’s real cool, specially if you have a car and you need to go any were. I got used to traveling by car. I should say I got spoiled using my car to go any were, even the nearest supermarket. You can by for the week or maybe for much longer time. I don’t like to go to the supermarket every day to get something for only a day. I like everything organized. Some people probably thinks that I’m a pain in the neck when it comes to have my place organized. Well that is the way I’m and I won’t change it.

Warm regards to all of you!

Rosario

I have to stop for a while my brother is coming to help me with my food chopping. I have arthritis since I was young, and you know that it’s doesn’t go away for good. One needs shuts sometimes when it really gets bad, but if you have it stay home and make sure you are worm to help you with that nasty pain.

simply NO

Hi Alan,

I’m not a candidate to take the TOELF yet, but my point of view regarding using the spell check is that if it’s on line it helps one a great deal because sometimes we make typing mistakes. It’s not necessarily that we don’t know how to spell some words, we just make typographical errors. Of course other times if we used a word that we are not familiar with, then by all means we should used the spell check.

Now if the candidate is taking the test by writing in any school, he or she should be very well prepared to do so to get a good score.
I personally often used the spell check, and you probably won’t believe me, but in the past I used to be excellent at spelling. Now I’m trying to get back where I was.
I hope that my point of view is OK!
Good luck to all the candidates,

Rosario

1 Like

I wouldn’t say yes to such an idea! I understand that they will have a spell-checker in uni, but I really don’t believe that they should be so illiterate to make more then 5 typos per essay! If they do, it’s only reasonable that they get penalized!

No, it’s not important that you know how to spell every single word correctly because nowadays you can use a speech recognition app that converts your speech into text. You can then read the text and visually learn how the words are spelled correctly. It’s not important to know how a word is spelled. What really counts is that you are able to create texts that don’t have a single typo. If you achieve that goal with technology you have the proper approach in place. Do you know how every single component of your car or computer works? No. But you know how to use these tools and devices correctly.

Nowadays, it’s not enough to just be ‘literate’. You need be ‘technology literate’.

TOEFL listening lectures: What is the main difference between a fad and a trend?

Excelent post!

Great reply to the question of the post!

I use TPO everytime I practice for the independent essay. Just choose a topic and write it using TPO soft instead of Word.
If you use TPO because:(1) no spell checker (2) timer is included

Have anyone try Grammarly to check your essay? is it effective?

1 Like

hi,
any one can help me for improving my essay?my writing is very bad. i got 10 score on exam :(( and readying

1 Like

I agree with you Torsten.

1 Like