Formulaic sequences and EAP writing development: Lexical bundles in the TOEFL iBT writing section

Formulaic sequences are widely used in academic writing and are known to be an important aspect of EAP writing development. However, little research has investigated the frequency, function and degree of fixedness of their use by ESL writers across proficiency levels. This study examines the use of lexical bundles in written responses across three proficiency levels in the TOEFL iBT (N = 480). Bundles that were identical to those found in the...