TOEFL TPO -1 Academic Discussion Writing Sample: One proposal is to improve and expand public transportation. The other is to provide financial support to companies that make electric cars and to consumers who buy them. Which proposal do you think is better? Why?
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Professor
This week, we've discussed how carbon dioxide released by gasoline-powered (petrol-powered) cars pollutes the air and contributes to climate change. Let’s focus now on two proposals that governments can consider as they try to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cars. One proposal is to improve and expand public transportation. The other is to provide financial support to companies that make electric cars and to consumers who buy them. Which proposal do you think is better? Why?
Student A
I think improving public transportation would be more beneficial overall than giving tax breaks or rebates to particular companies and consumers. If taking a train or a bus is significantly easier, cheaper, and faster than driving a car, more people will want to use public transportation. With fewer cars on the road, there will be less air pollution.
Student B
I believe that providing financial support to electric-car manufacturers and consumers is the better innovative long-term strategy. Many people live in rural areas, and they need their own vehicles to get around. These people would not benefit from, say, more train lines being built in a far-off city
User Samples & Evaluation Results
User Sample
I support expanding and improving public transportation, as it will be more widely accepted by most people. To be specific, with the improved public transportation, people who used to live in neighborhoods that transit doesn’t go through now have more choices, which means that they could go to more destinations in a cost-effective way, so there is no need to buy expensive cars that also permit pollutants. However, financially supporting electric cars will be not effective as the first proposal. Sure, if people choose to buy those cars, they will not use petrol-powered cars anymore. But this positive result may hardly be realized because the financial support would only make electric cars cheaper than petrol-powered cars, these cars are still expensive purchases followed with essentially added costs, such as paying for parking and maintenance. Therefore, most of citizens who already work hard to meet their ends every month will hesitate to shoulder this added financial burden, which leads to little sense of practising financial support on electric cars.
Evaluation Result
1. Sub Scores
Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.5 Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 4.0 Language Use and Grammar: 4.0
2. Estimated Scores
Estimated Score: 26 (based on the average of Sub Scores)
3. Task completeness
The essay addresses the specific requirements of the task, comparing the two proposals for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from cars. The writer clearly supports expanding and improving public transportation over providing financial support for electric cars. However, there could be more elaboration on the potential benefits of electric cars to provide a more balanced discussion.
Suggestions for improvement:
-
Include more details about the benefits of electric cars, such as their potential to reduce air pollution even in rural areas.
-
Provide specific examples or data to support your arguments.
Examples in English:
- "Electric cars have zero tailpipe emissions, which means that even people living in rural areas can contribute to cleaner air by using them."
- "According to a study by XYZ University, cities with well-developed public transportation systems have seen a significant decrease in traffic congestion and air pollution."
4. Essay structure and organization
The essay has a clear structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion. Each paragraph focuses on a specific point with supporting details. However, transitions between ideas could be improved for better coherence.
Suggestions for improvement:
-
Add transition words or phrases to connect ideas more smoothly.
-
Organize your arguments in a logical order.
Examples in English:
- "Firstly, improving public transportation would benefit more people as it provides easier access to various destinations."
- "On the other hand, while providing financial support for electric cars might encourage some people to switch from gasoline-powered vehicles, it may not be as effective as improving public transportation."
5. Grammar
I support expanding and improving public transportation, as it will be more widely accepted by most people. To be specific, with the improved public transportation, people who used to live in neighborhoods that transit doesn't go through now have more choices, whichchoices. This means that they could go to more destinations in a cost-effective way, so there is no needwithout needing to buy expensive cars that also permit pollutants.contribute to pollution. However, financially supporting electric cars will be notas effective as the first proposal. Sure, if people choose to buy those cars, they will not use petrol-powered cars anymore. But this positive result may hardly be realized because the financial support would only make electric cars cheaper than petrol-powered cars, thesecars. These cars are still expensive purchasespurchases, followed withby essentially added costs, such as paying for parking and maintenance. Therefore, most of citizenscitizens, who already work hard to meet their ends every monthmonth, will hesitate to shoulder this added financial burden, whichburden. This leads to little sense of practisingin practicing financial support onfor electric cars.
Display title: 6 Revised Essay
I advocate for the expansion and enhancement of public transportation, as it has the potential to benefit a larger portion of the population. Specifically, improved public transportation systems can provide greater accessibility to individuals residing in areas previously underserved by transit options. This increased connectivity allows them to reach various destinations in a cost-effective manner, reducing the need for expensive, pollution-generating vehicles. In contrast, providing financial support for electric cars may not yield as significant an impact. While incentivizing the purchase of electric vehicles could lead to a decrease in petrol-powered car usage, this outcome might be challenging to achieve. Financial incentives may lower the cost of electric cars compared to their petrol-powered counterparts; however, they remain substantial investments accompanied by additional expenses such as parking and maintenance fees. Consequently, many individuals struggling to make ends meet each month may be reluctant to assume this added financial burden, rendering financial support for electric cars less effective in practice. (163 words)
I support expanding advocate for the expansion and improving enhancement of public transportation, transportation (revised for stronger language), as it will be more widely accepted by most people. To be specific, with the has the potential to benefit a larger portion of the population (revised for clarity). Specifically, improved public transportation, people who used to live in neighborhoods that transportation systems can provide greater accessibility to individuals residing in areas previously underserved by transit doesn’t go through now have more choices, which means that they could go to more options (revised for better flow). This increased connectivity allows them to reach various destinations in a cost-effective way, so there is no manner, reducing the need to buy expensive cars that also permit pollutants. However, financially supporting electric cars will be not effective as the first proposal. Sure, if people choose to buy those cars, they will not use petrol-powered cars anymore. But this positive result may hardly be realized because the for expensive, pollution-generating vehicles (revised for clarity). In contrast, providing financial support would only make for electric cars cheaper than may not yield as significant an impact (revised for better flow). While incentivizing the purchase of electric vehicles could lead to a decrease in petrol-powered cars, these car usage, this outcome might be challenging to achieve (revised for clarity). Financial incentives may lower the cost of electric cars are still expensive purchases followed with essentially added costs, compared to their petrol-powered counterparts; however, they remain substantial investments accompanied by additional expenses such as paying for parking and maintenance. Therefore, most of citizens who already work hard to maintenance fees (revised for better flow). Consequently, many individuals struggling to make ends meet their ends every each month will hesitate to shoulder may be reluctant to assume this added financial burden, which leads to little sense of practising rendering financial support on electric cars.for electric cars less effective in practice (revised for clarity and better flow).
Display title: 8 Mind Map
1. Introduction
- Public transportation benefits
- Expansion and enhancement
2. Accessibility
- Underserved areas
- Greater connectivity
3. Cost-effectiveness
- Reduced vehicle expenses
- Pollution reduction
4. Electric cars
- Financial incentives
- Challenges in adoption
5. Expenses comparison
- Electric vs petrol-powered cars
- Parking and maintenance fees
6. Financial burden concerns
- Struggling individuals
- Reluctance to assume costs
7. Effectiveness comparison
- Public transportation vs electric cars support
8. Conclusion
Display title: 9 Key Words
| Word | Phonetic Symbol | Part of Speech | English Definition | English Translation | Sample Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| advocate | ˈædvəkət | verb | to publicly support or recommend a particular cause or policy | advocate | I advocate for the expansion and enhancement of public transportation. |
| accessibility | əkˌsɛsəˈbɪlɪti | noun | the quality of being easy to obtain or use | accessibility | Improved public transportation systems can provide greater accessibility. |
| connectivity | kəˌnɛktɪˈvɪti | noun | the state or extent of being connected | connectivity | This increased connectivity allows them to reach various destinations. |
| cost-effective | kɒst ɪˈfektiv | adjective | achieving good results without costing a lot of money | cost-effective | Public transportation is a cost-effective manner of transportation. |
| incentivize | ɪnˈsɛntɪvaɪz | verb | to provide someone with an incentive for doing something | incentivize | Incentivizing the purchase of electric vehicles could lead to decreased usage. |
| substantial | səbˈstænʃəl | adjective | large in amount, value, or importance | substantial | Electric cars remain substantial investments. |
| expenses | ɪkˈspensɪz | noun | the cost required for something; the money spent on something | expenses | Electric cars have additional expenses such as parking and maintenance fees. |
| reluctance | rɪˈlʌktəns | noun | unwillingness or disinclination to do something | reluctance | Many individuals may be reluctant to assume this added financial burden. |
| effectiveness | ɪˈfektɪvnəs | noun | the degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result | effectiveness | Financial support for electric cars may be less effective in practice. |
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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