Top 200 Vocabulary Word List for the TOEIC Speaking and Writing Tests | Must Know Words for Common Examination Instructions

The 200-word examination instruction list

TOEIC Speaking and Writing instructions tell you what to produce. A Speaking task can ask you to read aloud or answer from a displayed schedule. A Writing task can ask for one picture sentence, an email response or a developed opinion essay. Read the requested output before planning what to say.

The list includes instructions, answer-format phrases and supporting vocabulary. Check the official wording for the item, paper or test version you are taking.

Exam requirements · Worked examples · Fencing Method

TOEIC Speaking and Writing task directions

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
1	Read a text aloud	Read the displayed wording into the microphone clearly and in order.
2	Describe a picture	Describe the visible people, objects, actions and setting in connected speech.
3	Respond to questions	Answer each spoken question directly using relevant details.
4	Respond using information provided	Use the displayed schedule, notice or other source to answer the spoken question.
5	Express an opinion	State a position and develop it with relevant reasons or examples.
6	Write a sentence based on a picture	Produce one sentence that fits the image and uses the two given words or phrases.
7	Respond to a written request	Write an email response that addresses the requested information or actions.
8	Write an opinion essay	Develop a clear position and support it in connected paragraphs.
9	Speaking test	Follow the recording and preparation directions for each speaking task.
10	Writing test	Use the separate directions for the picture sentences, emails and essay.
11	Two given words or phrases	Use both supplied items in your picture sentence as the task allows.
12	Change the form	Use an allowed grammatical variation of the given word while retaining its function.
13	Use the words in any order	Arrange the supplied words as needed to make a natural sentence.
14	Relevance to the picture	Make sure the sentence describes something the image supports.
15	Workplace response	Match the tone and content to the scenario and person addressed.
16	Read the directions on screen	Check the output requested and the time available before responding.
17	Preparation time	Use the allowed interval to plan before the recording or writing begins.
18	Response time	Use the stated time to deliver the required answer.
19	Recording cue	Begin speaking when the interface indicates that recording is active.
20	Displayed schedule	Read the event, date, time and location before answering.
21	Information provided	Use the details supplied on screen rather than making up a detail.
22	Correct a misunderstanding	State the accurate information when the speaker’s assumption conflicts with the material.
23	Confirm an arrangement	Give the relevant time, place or other detail showing what is scheduled.
24	Summarise a schedule	Report the entries that answer the question rather than listing unrelated events.
25	Recipient	Identify who will receive the email and what information they need.

Email, picture and opinion response requirements

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
26	Written request	Read what the sender asks you to explain, provide or arrange.
27	Cover all instructions	Make sure each required action or point appears in the response.
28	Propose an alternative	Offer another option that fits the problem and relevant constraints.
29	Ask for clarification	Request the specific detail needed to carry out the task.
30	Confirm availability	State whether the named person, place or resource is available when requested.
31	Describe a visible action	Use an appropriate verb and identify who or what is doing it.
32	Foreground	Identify the subjects closest to the viewer when they matter to the description.
33	Background	Add relevant setting detail from behind the main subject.
34	Pronunciation	Make words clear enough to be understood in the recording.
35	Intonation	Use pitch patterns that help the listener follow meaning.
36	Stress	Make important words or syllables clear without losing natural rhythm.
37	Completeness	Include all requested details or parts of the answer.
38	Relevance	Keep the answer connected to the named question or situation.
39	Supporting reason	Explain why the stated position makes sense.
40	Concrete example	Give a specific instance that shows how the reason applies.
41	Position statement	Make your answer to the opinion question clear early.
42	Develop a paragraph	Add an explanation or example that supports its main point.
43	Email conventions	Use a suitable greeting, connected body and closing where appropriate.
44	Review the sentence	Check the given words, grammar and relationship to the image.
45	Separate skills	Check whether your registration or institution requires Speaking, Writing or both.

Workplace communication and language choices

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
46	Purpose of the message	Identify what the sender or speaker wants the audience to know or do.
47	Reason for calling	Find the caller’s purpose, including a request or change if stated.
48	Appointment	Read the time, person and purpose of the arranged meeting or visit.
49	Reschedule	Move the appointment or event to a different time.
50	Postpone	Move the event to a later time.
51	Available slot	Identify an open time that meets the conditions.
52	Business hours	Use the stated operating times and exceptions.
53	Delivery notice	Check what is arriving, when and what action the recipient must take.
54	Invoice	Identify the document requesting or recording a charge and read the relevant amount.
55	Purchase order	Use the document stating what has been ordered and under which details.
56	Internal memo	Identify the audience, policy or action within the organisation.
57	Workplace announcement	Find the change, timing or action the announcement communicates.
58	Subject line	Use the message heading to identify the topic before reading the detail.
59	Attachment	Check whether the information comes from a file mentioned in the message.
60	Sender	Identify who wrote or sent the message and what they know.
61	Answer field	Type the requested response in the space provided for the task.
62	Listen to the question	Use the exact spoken question before starting your recorded answer.
63	Read the supplied information	Check the displayed detail that the spoken question refers to.
64	Complete your response	Give a connected answer that covers the required action or information.
65	Word ending	Check which form or ending fits the surrounding grammar.
66	Word family	Use related forms to decide whether the sentence needs a noun, verb, adjective or adverb.
67	Collocation	Choose words that naturally occur together in the context.
68	Cohesive reference	Work out what a linking expression or pronoun refers to.
69	Notice	Identify the action, time, rule or change communicated to readers.
70	Announcement	Listen for who is affected, what changes and what they are expected to do.
71	Intended reader	Identify the group the message is meant to reach.
72	Likely next action	Infer what a reader or listener will probably do given the message.
73	Implied request	Recognise when a question about availability or ability is asking for help.
74	Suitable reply	Choose a response that answers both the words and the practical purpose.
75	Conversation goal	Identify what the speakers are trying to arrange, learn or resolve.
76	Example in a talk	Identify what the example illustrates in the spoken material.
77	Speaker attitude	Use the speaker’s wording and tone to infer their stance where asked.
78	Recognise the spoken wording	Listen for the phrase that supplies the requested fact or decision.
79	Sentence stress	Give appropriate prominence to important words in spoken language.
80	Intelligibility	Speak so that the words and intended meaning can be understood.
81	Key phrase	Listen for a short phrase that signals the purpose, request or correction.
82	Word order	Arrange the pieces so the sentence works grammatically.
83	Question formation	Check auxiliary placement, subject order and verb form when building a question.
84	Opening	Begin a message in a way suited to the recipient and purpose.
85	Sign-off	End the message in an appropriate way where the task and format call for it.
86	Polite register	Use courteous wording suitable for the situation.
87	Identify the position	Determine what the writer or speaker believes or recommends.
88	Workplace register	Interpret the wording in light of the professional relationship and purpose.
89	Evidence from a document	Find the line or detail that supports the selected option.
90	Spoken reply	Give a direct answer to the question in natural spoken English.
91	Section timer	Use the time remaining in the relevant Listening or Reading section.
92	Main purpose	Identify what the text as a whole is trying to accomplish.
93	Central idea	Choose the option that captures the main point at the right scope.
94	Best illustrates	Choose the example or quotation that most directly shows the idea.
95	Signal a change	Notice a phrase such as actually or instead that revises an earlier detail.
96	Confirmation cue	Listen for language showing that a detail or arrangement is final.
97	Function of a detail	Decide how a detail supports or develops a larger point in the material.
98	Overall structure	Track how the text’s main parts are organised.
99	Words in context	Choose the sense or expression that fits the local wording and purpose.
100	Reference within the text	Resolve a reference by locating the word or idea it points back to.
101	First speaker	Identify the first speaker’s contribution before following the exchange.
102	Second speaker	Identify how the next speaker responds, including any new detail or disagreement.
103	Point of agreement	Find what both sources would endorse based on the evidence.
104	Communicative goal	Identify what the response is supposed to accomplish for the recipient.
105	Introduce	Choose wording that supplies the context needed for the stated audience.
106	Emphasise	Choose wording that gives the requested idea or contrast prominence.
107	Generalise	State a broader point only to the extent that the examples support it.
108	Transitions	Identify the relationship between ideas before choosing a connecting expression.
109	Continuation	Choose a link that adds a point in the same direction.
110	Concession	Acknowledge a point before shifting to the principal claim.
111	Illustrative example	Choose a particular case that demonstrates a broader point.
112	Sentence conventions	Choose grammar and punctuation that make the constructed sentence clear.
113	Clause boundary	Identify where one clause ends and the next begins before arranging the sentence.
114	Sentence structure	Use word order and grammatical roles to make a complete sentence.
115	Independent clause	Identify words with a subject and verb that can stand as a sentence.
116	Dependent clause	Identify a clause that needs a main clause to complete its function.
117	Sentence fragment	Recognise words punctuated as a sentence without a complete main clause.
118	Modifier	Identify words describing another part and check what they attach to.
119	Verb tense	Place the action in the time sequence established by the text.
120	Pronoun reference	Match the pronoun to the person or thing it represents.
121	Punctuation	Choose the marks that correctly show the sentence’s structure.
122	Comma splice	Spot two independent clauses joined by a comma alone.
123	Supplementary information	Identify an added detail that can be set off from the main sentence.
124	Paired punctuation	Check for both marks required around an inserted detail.
125	Quantifier	Watch for words such as all, some or none that alter a claim’s scope.
126	Rhetorical purpose	Identify the job a detail does in the author’s argument.
127	Evidence for your position	Use a reason or example that genuinely supports the opinion you state.
128	Scope	Check the population, time frame or range covered by the claim.
129	Logical relationship	Identify whether adjacent ideas add, contrast, explain or exemplify.
130	Nonessential clause	Identify a clause that can be removed without changing the intended reference.
131	Parenthetical detail	Identify supplementary information set off from the main sentence.
132	Verb form	Choose the verb construction that fits the sentence’s grammar and timeline.
133	Spelling	Write the answer with the correct letters in the correct order.
134	Singular	Use the form for one item when the sentence or recording requires it.
135	Plural	Use the form for multiple items when the evidence requires it.
136	Correction cue	Listen for a speaker changing an earlier answer or detail.
137	Irrelevant detail	Leave out facts that do not help answer the specific workplace request.
138	Signpost	Notice a word or phrase that marks a shift in direction or topic.
139	Paraphrase	Recognise or express the same idea in different wording where the task permits.

Core instructions and answer checks

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
140	Recognise	Find a familiar feature in a new example.
141	Identify	Name or pick out the item the question specifies.
142	Select	Choose only the number of options requested.
143	Choose	Commit to the option that fits the stated criteria.
144	Match	Pair each item with the option that corresponds to it.
145	Complete	Fill in what is missing while keeping the supplied structure.
146	Label	Attach the correct name to the indicated part.
147	Locate	Find the specified detail, point or region.
148	Indicate	Make the chosen feature or answer clear.
149	Answer	Respond directly to the question being asked.
150	Give	Supply the requested fact, example or result.
151	State	Express the required point directly and clearly.
152	Name	Supply the correct term, person or item.
153	List	Set out the requested items separately.
154	Define	Give the precise meaning used in the subject or question.
155	Describe	Report the relevant characteristics, events or pattern.
156	Outline	Give the main steps or points in brief.
157	Summarise	Select the central points and leave out minor details.
158	Explain	Connect the result to its cause, mechanism or reasoning.
159	Compare	Set the items side by side on the same relevant feature.
160	Contrast	Show how the items differ on a shared point of comparison.
161	Analyse	Break down the evidence and explain how its parts relate.
162	Interpret	Say what a statement, result or display means in context.
163	Infer	Use clues to reach a conclusion the material implies.
164	Predict	Use available evidence to say what is likely to happen.
165	Suggest	Offer a plausible answer suited to the information given.
166	Justify	Give evidence or reasoning that supports your answer.
167	Evaluate	Weigh relevant evidence or criteria before reaching a judgment.
168	Assess	Judge the extent, value or strength of something using evidence.
169	Discuss	Develop a structured response that considers the relevant issues.
170	Distinguish	Give the feature that lets the reader tell two things apart.
171	Support	Supply evidence that helps establish the claim.
172	Illustrate	Make an idea clear with a relevant example or diagram.
173	Demonstrate	Show how a fact, process or result can be established.
174	Determine	Work from the given information to establish an answer.
175	Check	Test the answer against the original instruction or condition.
176	Correct	Repair the specific error while preserving the intended meaning or result.
177	Revise	Change a response so it better meets the task.
178	Arrange	Put items into the order or grouping requested.
179	Sequence	Put stages into a meaningful order.
180	Group	Put items with a shared feature together.
181	Replace	Swap the specified part for a suitable alternative.
182	Omit	Leave out the indicated item or detail.
183	Include	Make sure the requested part appears in the response.
184	Exclude	Keep the named item or category outside your answer.
185	Refer to	Use the specified passage, figure or notes when responding.
186	Based on	Ground the answer in the material named in the question.
187	According to	Use what the specified source says.
188	In context	Use the meaning that fits this passage or situation.
189	Most likely	Choose the conclusion with the strongest support among the options.
190	Best supported	Prefer the conclusion backed most directly by the evidence.
191	Relevant	Connected to the specific question or criterion.
192	Specific	Precise enough to identify a particular fact or example.
193	Explicit	Stated directly in the source.
194	Implicit	Suggested by the source and recoverable from clues.
195	Evidence	A fact, detail or observation that supports a claim.
196	Claim	An assertion that can be tested against evidence or reasoning.
197	Reason	The basis for a statement, choice or result.
198	Example	A particular case used to make a general idea clear.
199	Conclusion	The result reached after considering the reasoning or evidence.
200	Assumption	A premise taken as given for the purpose of the question.

What the examination requires

Check which of the two tests you are taking

ETS lists 11 questions in about 20 minutes for TOEIC Speaking and eight questions in about 60 minutes for TOEIC Writing. It offers the tests together or separately. Follow the current provider and local administration instructions. The Listening and Reading test has a separate format.

Speaking uses five kinds of task

Read a text aloud, describe a picture, respond to questions, respond using supplied information and express an opinion. ETS lists different preparation and recording times by task. When responding from supplied information, use the displayed details for the specific question. When expressing an opinion, give your position and enough support to develop it.

Writing uses three kinds of task

Questions 1–5 ask for a picture sentence using two supplied words or phrases. ETS says the forms and order can change. Questions 6–7 ask for email responses to written requests. Question 8 asks for an opinion essay. ETS says an effective essay will typically have at least 300 words. Use the current item directions for timing and format.

Review task completion separately from fluency

In an email, check what the writer asks you to provide, confirm or arrange. In a picture task, check that the wording matches the image. In a timed spoken response, listen back to see whether the central answer is clear before you add examples. Verify score requirements with the receiving organisation.

• Read the full instruction before planning the answer.
• Identify the source, quantity, person or situation the prompt names.
• Check the response form, scope and any stated limits.

Worked examples of common examination instructions

These original examples show how to turn a prompt into the response it asks for.

Read a schedule for the named event

An original practice display lists an orientation at 9 am and a tour at 11 am. The speaker asks when the tour starts. Give 11 am. If the speaker assumes it starts at 9, clarify that 9 is the orientation. Answer the particular question before supplying any extra information.

Use both given words in one picture sentence

Imagine a picture of a worker placing folders on a shelf. If the supplied words are place and shelf, a valid practice sentence is ‘The worker is placing folders on a shelf.’ It uses both items and describes a visible action. Check whether the relationship you describe can actually be seen.

Cover both jobs in a reply

An original email asks you to confirm receipt of a delivery and say when it can be checked. A reply could say ‘We received the delivery this morning. I can check the contents before 3 pm and let you know if anything is missing.’ The first sentence confirms receipt and the second supplies the next step.

State an opinion and develop one reason

A practice prompt asks whether meetings should usually have an agenda. A position could support a short agenda because it helps people prepare decisions. Give a specific example, such as asking team members to read two options before discussing a purchase. Explain how the example supports your view.

Use the Fencing Method to practise instructions

Start with an accurate answer or sentence. Add a precise detail, then add the relationship, reason or action the task needs. Apply the same instruction to fresh material.

1. The delivery arrived.
2. The delivery arrived this morning.
3. The delivery arrived this morning, and I can check the contents before 3 pm.
4. Use a new request. State the fact first, add the relevant time and complete the requested action.

Read the eduKate Fencing Method for Vocabulary.

Practise and check your answers

Practise using one source in different ways

Take a schedule and answer questions about an exact time, an available option and a mistaken assumption. Use a separate timed attempt for each. Review whether your response gives the fact requested before explaining other details.

Review an email as the recipient

Read a written request and mark each required action. After drafting, locate the sentence that fulfils each action. In speaking practice, use the same method by listening to the recorded response and checking that its first sentence addresses the question.

Practice 1. The speaker asks about a room change. Which detail should you give first?

Give the updated room, then clarify the old room only if the question requires it.

Practice 2. One supplied word is a verb. Can you change its form in the picture sentence?

ETS says the word forms may change. Use a form that fits the sentence and image.

Practice 3. An email asks for a reason and an alternative. What should you include?

Explain the relevant problem and propose a workable alternative for the reader.

Practice 4. A speaking prompt asks for a preference. What should you say before a long example?

Give the preference clearly and connect it to a reason. Then use an example that supports that reason.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as TOEIC Listening and Reading?

These tests ask for spoken and written responses. TOEIC Listening and Reading uses a separate multiple-choice format.

Do I read the passage aloud for every Speaking task?

Reading aloud is one task. Other prompts ask you to describe, answer from information or develop an opinion.

Is 300 words a universal TOEIC Writing target?

ETS gives that guidance for an effective opinion essay. Picture sentences and email responses have different outputs.

Official sources and next reading

• ETS TOEIC Speaking and Writing format
• ETS official TOEIC preparation materials

Related guide in this series · TOEIC Listening and Reading instructions

Read eduKateSG’s 200-word vocabulary guide for more ways to group and practise vocabulary.

Back to the 200-word list · Back to contents