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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on education. Write a post responding to the professor’s question.

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Task Overview

Doctor Achebe

Next, we’ll be discussing the future of higher education, focusing on proposals for making postsecondary education (education after high school) more efficient and more accessible. One such proposal is to make class attendance optional. For instance, under an optional-attendance policy, university students could choose not to attend classes but instead study the course materials and acquire the knowledge on their own time. Their grade would then be based entirely on exams or papers. What are your thoughts on this approach?

Claire

I like the idea of optional attendance. University students have a lot going on, and sometimes it’s difficult to make it to class. As long as students are held accountable for the information they’re supposed to learn, I don’t see why they should have to attend every class session, especially for classes that meet multiple times a week.

Andrew

I have to disagree with Claire. I think that class attendance policies foster another important kind of accountability. They teach discipline and responsibility. Many of the jobs that university or trade school students will pursue after graduation have their own attendance policies, so students should see class attendance as good preparation for entering the workforce.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

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1

User Sample #1

In my opinion, I strongly agree with Andrew's statement that class attendance is important to students, and I'll add my viewpoints on the following re...

Score
28

User Sample

In my opinion, I strongly agree with Andrew's statement that class attendance is important to students, and I'll add my viewpoints on the following reasons. First, as the detail Andrew points out class attendance can teach them discipline and responsibility, if they are always free to join the class whether they want or not they won't be able to resist at the classroom and be concentrated on the subiects for a short time. Also, when the students graduate they will definitely need to regularly attend to their working places, training students at the college before they graduate can improve them to be managed better. Finally, if class attendance is necessary for students can enhance them to build up a nice time management and organize skills in their life. For instance, needed to appear at different classes, they will have to schedule the daily journal every day to make sure they won't miss any classes.

Evaluation Result

1.子项得分 Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.5 Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 4.0 Language Use and Grammar: 4.0

2.预估分数 Estimated Score: 28

3.任务完成度 这篇文章基本上完成了任务要求,对于讨论的话题表达了明确的观点,并给出了一些支持观点的理由。但是,为了更好地提高文章质量,建议在以下方面进行改进:首先,在支持观点的理由中可以加入更多具体的例子和细节,使论证更有说服力;其次,注意避免使用重复词汇和表达。

示例1:在讨论学生毕业后需要定期出勤的部分,可以举一个具体职业的例子来说明这一点。 示例2:在提到课堂出勤有助于培养时间管理和组织能力时,可以给出一个实际场景或者学生如何通过规划时间来应对繁重课程的例子。

4.文章结构与组织 文章结构清晰,包括引言、正文和结论。每段都集中讨论一个特定观点,并提供支持细节。然而,在组织方面还有待改进。建议在段落之间加入更明确的过渡语句以及在文章开头和结尾部分更明确地表达观点。

示例1:在引言部分,可以直接提出你同意Andrew的观点,并简要概括你的论证要点。 示例2:在段落之间加入过渡语句,如“此外”、“再者”等,使文章阅读起来更连贯。

  1. 语法批改

In my opinion, I strongly agree with Andrew's statement that class attendance is important to students, and I'll add my viewpoints on the following reasons. First, as the detail Andrew points out class attendance can teach them discipline and responsibility, if they are always free to join the class whether they want or not they won't be able to resist at the classroom and be concentrated on the subiectssubjects(misspelling) for a short time. Also, when the students graduate they will definitely need to regularly attend to their working places, training students at the college before they graduate can improve them to be managed better. Finally, if class attendance is necessary for students can enhance them to build up a nice time management and organize skills in their life. For instance, needed to appear at different classes, they will have to schedule the daily journal every day to make sure they won't miss any classes.

6.文章修订

In my opinion, I strongly concur with Andrew's assertion that class attendance is crucial for students, and I would like to elaborate on the following reasons. Firstly, as Andrew highlights, class attendance instills discipline and responsibility in students. If they have the freedom to attend classes at their discretion, they may struggle to remain focused and engaged in the subject matter for an extended period.

Moreover, upon graduation, students will inevitably need to adhere to regular attendance policies in their workplaces. Therefore, cultivating this habit during their college years can significantly enhance their ability to manage their professional lives effectively.

Lastly, mandatory class attendance can help students develop essential time management and organizational skills. For instance, by being required to attend various classes throughout the day, they must carefully plan their daily schedules to ensure they do not miss any sessions. This practice ultimately prepares them for balancing multiple responsibilities in their future careers.

In summary, compulsory class attendance not only fosters discipline and responsibility but also equips students with vital time management and organizational skills that will prove invaluable in their professional lives. (185 words)

7.文章批改

In my opinion, I strongly agree concur (1) with Andrew's statement assertion (2) that class attendance is important to crucial (3) for students, and I'll add my viewpoints I would like to elaborate on the following reasons. ¶ First, Firstly, as Andrew highlights, class attendance instills discipline and responsibility in students. If they have the detail Andrew points out class attendance can teach them discipline and responsibility, if they are always free to join freedom to attend classes at their discretion (4), they may struggle to remain focused and engaged in the class whether subject matter for an extended period.

(1) "concur" - This word is used instead of "agree" to demonstrate advanced vocabulary.

(2) "assertion" - This term replaces "statement" for a more formal tone.

(3) "crucial" - This word is used instead of "important" to show a higher level of vocabulary.

(4) "at their discretion" - This phrase replaces "whether they want or not they won't be able to resist at the classroom and be concentrated on the subiects not" for a short time. ¶ Also, when the more concise and formal expression.

Moreover, upon graduation, students graduate they will definitely inevitably need to regularly attend to their working places, training adhere (5) to regular attendance policies in their workplaces. Therefore, cultivating this habit during their college years can significantly enhance their ability to manage their professional lives effectively.

(5) "adhere" - This verb is used instead of "attend regularly" for a more precise and formal expression.

Lastly, mandatory class attendance can help students at the college before they graduate can improve them to be managed better. ¶ Finally, if class attendance is necessary for students can enhance them to build up a nice develop essential time management and organize skills in their life. organizational skills. For instance, needed by being required (6) to attend various classes throughout the day, they must carefully plan their daily schedules to ensure they do not miss any sessions. This practice ultimately prepares them for balancing multiple responsibilities in their future careers.

(6) "being required" - This phrase replaces "needed to appear at different classes, they classes," making it more concise and clear.

In summary, compulsory class attendance not only fosters discipline and responsibility but also equips students with vital time management and organizational skills that will have to schedule the daily journal every day to make sure they won't miss any classes.prove invaluable in their professional lives.

8.思维导图

  • Introduction

    • Agree with Andrew
    • Reasons for agreement
  • Reason 1: Discipline and Responsibility

    • Class attendance instills discipline
    • Focus and engagement in subject matter
  • Reason 2: Preparation for Workforce

    • Regular attendance policies in workplaces
    • Cultivating habit during college years
  • Reason 3: Time Management and Organizational Skills

    • Mandatory class attendance helps develop skills
    • Planning daily schedules to attend various classes
  • Summary

    • Compulsory class attendance benefits

9.关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
concur/kənˈkɜr/verbagree; be of the same opinion同意,一致意见I concur with Andrew's assertion about the importance of attendance.
assertion/əˈsɜrʃən/nouna confident statement or declaration断言,主张His assertion was supported by evidence.
crucial/ˈkruʃəl// adjective/ extremely important or necessary/ 至关重要的/ Timely intervention is crucial for success.
discretion/ dɪˈskrɛʃən// noun/ the freedom to decide what should be done/ 自由裁量权/ The manager has the discretion to allocate resources as needed.
adhere/ ædˈhɪr// verb/ stick to, follow closely/ 坚持,遵守/ Employees must adhere to company policies.
mandatory/ ˈmændəˌtɔri// adjective/ required by law or rules/ 强制性的/ Attendance at the safety training is mandatory for all employees.
instill/ ɪnˈstɪl// verb/ gradually establish an idea or attitude/ 灌输,逐渐培养/ The teacher aims to instill a love of learning in her students.
cultivate/ˈkʌltɪveɪt/verbdevelop or improve a skill or quality培养,发展He cultivated his leadership skills through various experiences.
invaluable/ɪnˈvæljuəbəl/adjectiveextremely useful; indispensable无价的,非常有用的Her advice proved to be invaluable during the project.
workforce/ˈwɜrkfɔrs/nounthe people engaged in or available for work劳动力,员工群The company has a diverse and talented workforce.
2

User Sample #2

Whether schoolteachers should give high grades to top students who perform well or hard-working students who might not perform well has always been an...

Score
27

User Sample

Whether schoolteachers should give high grades to top students who perform well or hard-working students who might not perform well has always been an issue of public concern. From my point of view, it is a more sensible and feasible strategy for teachers to give high grades to top students with a better academic performance. There are several reasons as follows. Initially, this kind of assessment criterion serves as an inspiring system with the intention of promoting students’ incentive to study more efficiently. High grades afforded to top students can set a great example for those who perform relatively poor on their study, so that they would get stronger incentives to enhance their study strategy. Secondly, grading top students higher is a fairer way for both students and societies. One of the main function of colleges is to filter competent youngsters who have the ability to excel in a particular area than their peers. So this assessment criterion can make those students more outstanding and pave the way for them in the future. Due to the above reasons, I think it's wiser to give high grades to top students.

Evaluation Result

1.子项得分 Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.5 Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 4.0 Language Use and Grammar: 4.0

2.预估分数 Estimated Score: 27

3.任务完成度 这篇文章在回答问题方面做得很好,表达了作者对于给予高分学生的观点。然而,文章可以更深入地讨论努力工作的学生如何应对这种评价标准。此外,可以考虑引入一些具体的例子来支持观点。

Example 1: Instead of just stating that high grades can set a great example for those who perform relatively poor, you could provide a specific example of how this might motivate students to improve their study strategies.

Example 2: You could also discuss the potential drawbacks of only grading based on performance, such as the possibility of discouraging hard-working students who may struggle with certain subjects.

4.文章结构与组织 文章结构清晰,包括引言、正文和结论。然而,在段落之间加入更明确的过渡语句会使文章更连贯。此外,可以考虑在正文中使用主题句来突出每个段落的重点。

Example 1: Add a transition sentence between the first and second paragraphs, such as "Apart from serving as an inspiring system, grading based on performance also ensures fairness."

Example 2: In the second paragraph, start with a topic sentence like "Another reason why grading based on performance is better is because it provides a fairer assessment for both students and society."

  1. 语法批改

Whether schoolteachers should give high grades to top students who perform well or hard-working students who might not perform well has always been an issue of public concern. From my point of view, it is a more sensible and feasible strategy for teachers to give high grades to top students with a better academic performance. There are several reasons as follows.

Initially, this kind of assessment criterion serves as an inspiring system with the intention of promoting students’ incentive to study more efficiently. High grades afforded to top students can set a great example for those who perform relatively poor on their study, so that they would get stronger incentives to enhance their study strategy.

Secondly, grading top students higher is a fairer way for both students and societies. One of the main function of colleges is to filter competent youngsters who have the ability to excel in a particular area than their peers. So this assessment criterion can make those students more outstanding and pave the way for them in the future.

Due to the above reasons, I think it's wiser to give high grades to top students.

6.文章修订

Whether schoolteachers should give high grades to top-performing students or hard-working students who might not perform as well has always been a subject of public concern. In my opinion, it is more sensible and feasible for teachers to award high grades to top students with superior academic performance. There are several reasons for this stance.

Firstly, this assessment criterion serves as an inspiring system with the intention of promoting students' motivation to study more efficiently. High grades awarded to top students can set an exemplary standard for those who perform relatively poorly, thus providing them with stronger incentives to enhance their study strategies and achieve better results.

Apart from serving as an inspiring system, grading based on performance also ensures fairness. One of the main functions of educational institutions is to identify competent individuals who excel in specific areas compared to their peers. This assessment criterion can make these outstanding students more distinguishable and pave the way for their future success.

However, it is important not to completely disregard the efforts of hard-working students who may struggle with certain subjects. While grading primarily based on performance is preferable, acknowledging and rewarding effort in some capacity could help maintain motivation and foster a growth mindset among all students.

Due to the above reasons, I believe that awarding high grades primarily based on academic performance is a wiser approach for educators. (230 words)

7.文章批改

Whether schoolteachers should give high grades to top students who perform well top-performing students or hard-working students who might not perform as well has always been an issue a subject of public concern. From (Changed "issue" to "subject" for variety) In my point of view, opinion, it is a more sensible and feasible strategy for teachers to give award high grades to top students with a better superior academic performance. (Changed "better" to "superior" for more advanced vocabulary) There are several reasons as follows. ¶ Initially, for this kind of stance.

Firstly, this assessment criterion serves as an inspiring system with the intention of promoting students’ incentive students' motivation to study more efficiently. (Added "motivation" for clarity) High grades afforded awarded to top students can set a great example an exemplary standard (Changed "great example" to "exemplary standard" for advanced vocabulary) for those who perform relatively poor on their study, so that they would get poorly, thus providing them with stronger incentives to enhance their study strategy. ¶ Secondly, strategies and achieve better results.

Apart from serving as an inspiring system, grading top students higher is a fairer way for both students and societies. based on performance also ensures fairness. One of the main function of colleges is to filter functions of educational institutions is to identify competent youngsters who have the ability to individuals who excel in a particular area than specific areas compared to their peers. So this (Changed "colleges" to "educational institutions" and rephrased the sentence for clarity) This assessment criterion can make those students more these outstanding students more distinguishable and pave the way for them their future success.

However, it is important not to completely disregard the efforts of hard-working students who may struggle with certain subjects. While grading primarily based on performance is preferable, acknowledging and rewarding effort in the future. some capacity could help maintain motivation and foster a growth mindset among all students. (Added this sentence to address the potential drawbacks of only grading based on performance)

Due to the above reasons, I think it's believe that awarding high grades primarily based on academic performance is a wiser to give high grades to top students.approach for educators.

8.思维导图

  • Introduction

    • Public concern
    • Opinion: high grades for top-performing students
  • Reason 1: Inspiring system

    • Motivation to study efficiently
    • Exemplary standard
    • Enhance study strategies
  • Reason 2: Fairness

    • Functions of educational institutions
    • Identify competent individuals
    • Distinguishable outstanding students
  • Counterargument: Acknowledging effort

    • Hard-working students' struggles
    • Maintain motivation and foster growth mindset

9.关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
top-performing/tɒp pərˈfɔrmɪŋ/adjectiveexcelling in a particular area or activity表现优异的She is a top-performing student in her class.
feasible/ˈfiːzəbl/adjectivepossible to do easily or conveniently可行的The plan is feasible and can be implemented successfully.
exemplary/ɪgˈzempləri/adjectiveserving as a desirable model; representing the best of its kind模范的Her exemplary behavior sets a positive example for others to follow.
incentive/ɪnˈsentɪv/nounsomething that motivates or encourages someone to do something激励The promise of a bonus provided an incentive for employees to work harder.
distinguishable/dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbl/adjectiveable to be recognized as different or distinct可区分的The two species are easily distinguishable by their size and color.
competent/ˈkɒmpɪtənt/adjectivehaving the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully能干的She is a highly competent manager with excellent organizational skills.
excel/ɪkˈsel/verbto be exceptionally good at or proficient in an activity or subject擅长He excels in mathematics and plans to pursue a career in engineering.
growth mindset/ɡroʊθ ˈmaɪndset/nounthe belief that one's abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work成长心态Adopting a growth mindset can help students overcome challenges and improve.
primarily/praɪˈmerəli/adverbfor the most part; mainly主要地The organization's goal is primarily focused on environmental conservation.
educator/ˈedjʊkeɪtər/ │ noun │ a person who provides instruction or education │ 教育工作者 │ As an educator, she is dedicated to helping her students reach their potential.
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How Academic Discussion Is Scored

The TOEFL Academic Discussion task is evaluated based on the official ETS scoring rubric. AI evaluation analyzes each response across multiple dimensions.

Relevance & Contribution

Does the response address the question and contribute meaningfully to the discussion?

Language Use

Grammar accuracy, vocabulary range, and sentence structure quality.

Development & Support

Are ideas well-developed with specific examples and clear reasoning?

Common Patterns Across Responses

Based on analysis of user submissions for this task, here are common patterns observed in student responses.

Many students provide clear opinions but lack specific supporting examples.

Strong responses directly reference the reading passage and other speakers' viewpoints.

Higher-scoring responses use varied sentence structures and academic vocabulary.

Time management is a key factor — responses that feel rushed tend to score lower on development.

Learning Tips

1

Read the prompt carefully and identify all parts of the question before writing.

2

Reference the reading passage and the other students' opinions in your response.

3

Use specific examples to support your main point — avoid generic statements.

4

Aim for 120-150 words. Longer responses are not always better; clarity and focus matter more.

5

Practice timed responses (10 minutes) to build fluency under exam conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TOEFL Academic Discussion task?
The TOEFL Academic Discussion task requires you to contribute to an online classroom discussion. You'll read a professor's question and other students' responses, then write your own post expressing and supporting your opinion in about 10 minutes.
How is the Academic Discussion task scored?
The task is scored on a scale of 0-5 based on relevance to the discussion, quality of language use (grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure), and how well you develop and support your ideas with specific examples and reasoning.
What are the user samples on this page?
These are real responses submitted by TOEFL test-takers who practiced this question on LingoLeap. Each sample has been evaluated by our AI scoring engine, which provides a score and detailed feedback on strengths and areas for improvement.
How accurate is the AI evaluation?
LingoLeap's AI evaluation engine is trained on official ETS scoring rubrics and calibrated against human rater scores. While no automated system is perfect, it provides reliable feedback for practice purposes and helps identify specific areas for improvement.
How can I practice this Academic Discussion task?
You can practice by signing up for a free LingoLeap account. Write your own response to this exact question, submit it, and receive instant AI evaluation with detailed feedback on your writing.
How long should my Academic Discussion response be?
Aim for 120-150 words. The task gives you 10 minutes to write your response. Focus on clarity, supporting your opinion with specific examples, and referencing the discussion context rather than writing a longer response.

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