TOEFL TPO -1 Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Giving grades based only on performance, or grading students not just on performance but also on their effort?
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Professor
Doctor Gupta This week,I want you to discuss assessment criteria. Some schoolteachers give high grades(marks) only to those students who perform well on their homework assignments and tests. Other teachers, however, may give high grades to students who have worked very hard on their assignments but have not performed so well.Which approach do you think is better: Giving grades based only on performance, or grading students not just on performance but also on their effort?
Student A
Kelly I think grades should be based on performance only.It's a matter of fairness.I'd be really upset if another student got nearly the same grade that I did when I turned in work that was almost perfect and the other student's work had incorrect answers or unclear ideas.It wouldn't matter to me if they worked harder
Student B
Paul Sure evaluation should mainly be based upon the student's performance,but hard work should count for something.A student who works hard,even when the final grade isn't the highest in the class, builds character, which will benefit the student later in life when they go to university or apply for a job
User Samples & Evaluation Results
User Sample
In my opinion, it is better to give grades based on the performance. As Kelly mentioned, fairness is a crucial factor when it comes to grading. For instance, If the teacher gives higher grades to someone whose work has unclear ideas, it is unfair to others who have an excellent performance. Furthermore, it might incite disputes among students, which will cost more time on such issues for both teachers and students. Paul raises a valid concern regarding habit cultivation. However, we cannot deny that some people do not work as hard as it seems, which is also the cause why the company values a good employee on work output. To conclude, performance should be the proper way to give grades.
Evaluation Result
1. Sub Scores
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Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.5
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Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 4.0
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Language Use and Grammar: 4.0
2. Estimated Scores
Estimated Score: 26
3. Task completeness
The essay addresses the specific requirements of the task, providing a clear opinion on whether grades should be based on performance or effort. However, there is room for improvement in elaborating on the viewpoint and providing more supporting details. For example, you could discuss the long-term implications of each grading approach on students' motivation and learning outcomes.
Suggestions for improvement:
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Expand on the importance of fairness in grading and how it affects students' motivation.
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Discuss potential drawbacks of grading based on effort, such as encouraging mediocrity or discouraging high-performing students.
Examples in English:
- "Grading based on performance ensures that all students are held to the same standard, which promotes healthy competition and motivates them to strive for excellence."
- "If grades were given based on effort rather than performance, it might inadvertently encourage students to settle for mediocre results instead of pushing themselves to achieve their full potential."
4. Essay structure and organization
The essay has a clear structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion. However, the organization could be improved by adding more specific points in each paragraph and using clearer transitions between ideas.
Suggestions for improvement:
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Divide your body paragraphs into distinct points supporting your argument.
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Use transition words or phrases to guide readers through your essay smoothly.
Examples in English:
- "Firstly, grading solely based on performance ensures fairness among students because..."
- "Moreover, focusing only on performance as a criterion for grading can prevent..."
5. Grammar
In my opinion, it is better to give grades based on the performance. As Kelly mentioned, fairness is a crucial factor when it comes to grading. For instance, If the teacher gives higher grades to someone whose work has unclear ideas, it is unfair to others who have an excellent performance. Furthermore, it might incite disputes among students, which will cost more time on such issues for both teachers and students. Paul raises a valid concern regarding habit cultivation. However, we cannot deny that some people do not work as hard as it seems, which is also the cause why the company values a good employee on work output.
To conclude, performance should be the proper way to give grades.
Title: 6 Revised Essay
In my opinion, grading students based on their performance is the better approach.
As Kelly pointed out, fairness plays a crucial role in the evaluation process. For instance, if a teacher awards higher grades to a student with unclear ideas or incorrect answers simply because they worked hard, it would be unjust to those who demonstrated excellent performance. This could potentially lead to disputes among students and consume valuable time for both teachers and students in addressing such issues.
While Paul raises a valid concern about character building through hard work, it is important to recognize that not everyone's efforts are as genuine as they may appear. In the professional world, companies often value employees based on their output rather than the amount of effort they put in.
In light of these considerations, it is evident that performance should be the primary factor when assigning grades. This approach not only ensures fairness but also prepares students for real-world expectations where results matter more than mere effort. (170 words)
In my opinion, it is better to give grades grading students based on the performance. their performance is the better approach (revised for clarity and specificity).
As Kelly mentioned, pointed out, fairness is plays a crucial factor when it comes to grading. role in the evaluation process (rephrased for a smoother transition). For instance, If the if a teacher gives awards higher grades to someone whose a student with unclear ideas or incorrect answers simply because they worked hard (added detail for clarity), it would be unjust to those who demonstrated excellent performance. This could potentially lead to disputes among students and consume valuable time for both teachers and students in addressing such issues (revised for improved flow).
While Paul raises a valid concern about character building through hard work has unclear ideas, (rephrased for smoother transition), it is unfair to others who have an excellent performance. Furthermore, important to recognize that not everyone's efforts are as genuine as they may appear (clarified meaning). In the professional world, companies often value employees based on their output rather than the amount of effort they put in (added context).
In light of these considerations, it might incite disputes among students, which will cost more time on such issues for both teachers and students. ¶ Paul raises a valid concern regarding habit cultivation. However, we cannot deny is evident that some people do not work as hard as it seems, which is also the cause why the company values a good employee on work output. ¶ To conclude, performance should be the proper way to give grades.primary factor when assigning grades (clarified meaning). This approach not only ensures fairness but also prepares students for real-world expectations where results matter more than mere effort (summarized main points and added context).
8 Mind Map
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Grading students
- Performance-based
- Effort-based
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Fairness
- Evaluation process
- Unjust grading
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Disputes among students
- Consume valuable time
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Character building
- Hard work
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Genuine efforts vs. appearances
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Professional world expectations
- Output over effort
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Performance as primary factor
-
Real-world preparation
9 Key Words
| Word | Phonetic Symbol | Part of Speech | English Definition | English Translation | Sample Sentences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grading | ˈɡreɪdɪŋ | Noun | The act of assigning a grade or rank to someone or something, typically in an educational context | The act of assigning a grade or rank to someone or something, typically in an educational context | Grading students based on their performance is the better approach. |
| Fairness | ˈfɛr.nəs | Noun | The quality of treating people equally or in a way that is right and reasonable | The quality of treating people equally or in a way that is right and reasonable | Fairness plays a crucial role in the evaluation process. |
| Dispute | dɪˈspjut | Noun | A disagreement, argument, or debate about something | A disagreement, argument, or debate about something | This could potentially lead to disputes among students and consume valuable time for both teachers and students in addressing such issues. |
| Character | ˈkærəktər | Noun | The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual | The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual | Paul raises a valid concern about character building through hard work. |
| Genuine | ˈdʒɛnjuɪn | Adjective | Truly what something is said to be; authentic | Truly what something is said to be; authentic | It is important to recognize that not everyone's efforts are as genuine as they may appear. |
| Professional | prəˈfɛʃənl | Adjective | Relating to or connected with a profession | Relating to or connected with a profession | In the professional world, companies often value employees based on their output rather than the amount of effort they put in. |
| Output | ˈaʊt.pʊt | Noun | The amount of something produced by a person, machine, or industry | The amount of something produced by a person, machine, or industry | Companies often value employees based on their output rather than the amount of effort they put in. |
| Primary | ˈpraɪməri | Adjective | First in order of importance; main | First in order of importance; main | - Performance should be the primary factor when assigning grades. |
| Real-world | - | - | - | - | - This approach not only ensures fairness but also prepares students for real-world expectations where results matter more than mere effort. |
Note: For "Real-world," there isn't a specific phonetic symbol or part of speech since it's a compound word made up of "real" and "world."
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
Read the prompt carefully and identify all parts of the question before writing.
Reference the reading passage and the other students' opinions in your response.
Use specific examples to support your main point — avoid generic statements.
Aim for 120-150 words. Longer responses are not always better; clarity and focus matter more.
Practice timed responses (10 minutes) to build fluency under exam conditions.
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